HallowScream - The Lost Boys (1987)

          Hey guys, Chuck here. Today for HallowScream, let's jump back to the year 1987, for what is arguably the best film ever made by director Joel Schumacher: The Lost Boys. 

         The movie is set in the fictional coastal town of Santa Carla, California, which is said to be the murder capitol of the Pacific coast. And, they're not wrong, as many people in the city are being stalked and killed by teenagers who hang out around the local boardwalk at night. 

         Our two main protagonists are brothers Michael and Sam Emerson, who, who along with their mother Lucy, are moving in with their grandfather.in Santa Carla. Now, Michael finds himself drawn into the world of a gang of teens led by David. The same teens who have been killing people at night. Michael is drawn into David's world because of his attraction to a girl named Star. And, of course, it's revealed that David, Star, and the rest of their gang are all vampires. Sam, meanwhile, finds himself working with the Frog brothers, Edgar and Alan, who run a comic book shop along the boardwalk, and are especially knowledgeable on vampires. Ultimately, when Michael is partially transformed into a vampire by David, he and Sam try to get the Frog brothers' help, and they reveal that the only way to restore a part-vampire to normal is to kill the.gead vampire. 

        Meanwhile, Lucy has been seeing a local shop owner named Max, who wants to take things more seriously with her, but she's uncertain about it. All the while, Michael is approached by Star, along with a boy named Laddie, both of whom are only half-vampire as well, to try and get rid of David and his fellow vampires Paul, Dwayne, and Marko. So, Sam, Michael, and the Frog Brothers put up a hell of a fight, which results in David and his vampires being killed. Unfortunately, it turns out that David wasn't the head vampire--Max was. And Max reveals his plan: turn Michael and Sam into vampires, so Lucy would offer herself into becoming a vampire and be a mother figure for Max's boys (David and his fellow vampires). Luckily, Grandpa shows up and impales Max on a big wooden stake, finally ending the vampire threat for good. And Grandpa remarks: "One thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach: all the damn vampires." 

         Okay, so The Lost Boys is arguably the best '80s teen movie. Joel Schumacher absolutely captured the feel of the late '80s in this movie, from the look, wardrobe, and music. Everything in the movie screams '80s teen counterculture, and it's awesome. Also, the makeup effects for the vampires was definitely creepy looking, and a look that Joss Whedon would later emulate for the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

        The main cast of teens were all fantastic. Corey Haim as Sam, Jason Patric as Michael, Kiefer Sutherland as David, Alex Winter as Marko, Jami Gertz as Star, Corey Feldman as Edgar, and so on were all enjoyable. Also, the three main adult actors, Dianne Wiest as Lucy, Barnard Hughes as Grandpa, and Edward Herrmann as Max were also terrific, with Edward Herrmann making for a fantastic villain as Max. 

         But, what I loved about the movie is that it was all filmed on location in the coastal town of Santa Cruz, California. And the boardwalk scenes were the actual Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The multiple rides in the movie, including the carousel, were actual rides from the Boardwalk like the Giant Dipper and the Loof Carousel. I can see why my dad tried to get me to watch this movie. It's absolutely fantastic. 

        Honestly, if you're a fan of '80s movies, or vampire movies, definitely check out The Lost Boys. It's easily Schumacher's best, and is worthy of a rating of 5/5. Anyway guys, this is Chuck signing off, and HallowScream will be back next time with the Disney Channel movie Mom's Got a Date With a Vampire.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review - The Thundermans Return (2024)

        Hey guys, Chuck here. Last night, I watched the new movie The Thundermans Return on Nickelodeon, and I have a few thoughts on it. For those who don't know what The Thundermans was, it was a Nickelodeon sitcom that ran from 2013 through 2018, and focused on a family of superheroes known as, well, the Thundermans. The show was okay, at least the episodes I happened to catch when it was on, but after seeing a lot of the advertising for this movie, I was genuinely tempted to check it out. So, here's my review of the new Nickelodeon movie The Thundermans Return.           So, the movie starts off with the Thunderman family, who since the end of the series have moved to the city of Metroburg, and are fighting crime as the superhero team the T-Force. And, something worth noting is that the family has aged in real time, so we see that Phoebe and Max are now adults, Nora and Billy are high schoolers, and Chloe is a middle schooler. Unfortunately, after a mission gone awry due to
Read more

Review - Ocean's Eleven (2001)

       Hey guys, Chuck here. Back in the 1960's, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and the rest of the Rat Pack teamed up and made a movie called Ocean's 11 , which told the story of a military veteran named Danny Ocean, who teams up with his fellow squad members to rob a number of casinos in Las Vegas. It was definitely a product of the time, and is actually a really fun movie. Seeing Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and the Rat Pack on screen together is just genuinely fun.        In 2001, producer Jerry Weintraub and director Steven Soderbergh would bring together a fantastic cast to tell a more modern version of the Rat Pack classic, and that's the movie we're talking about today. This is my review of the 2001 Steven Soderbergh film Ocean's Eleven starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, and Julia Roberts, along with the likes of Bernie Mac, Don Cheadle, Eddie Jemison, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Elliot Gould, Carl Reiner, and
Read more

Review - Night at the Museum (2006-2014)

          Hey guys, Chuck here, and after reviewing Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon, I needed something of a pallette cleanser. And, thus, I'm taking a look at the Night at the Museum trilogy, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ben Stiller, Rami Malek, Mizuo Peck, Ricky Gervais, Patrick Gallagher, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, and Robin Williams, with additional cast members throughout the series including the likes of Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Carla Gugino, Bill Cobbs, Charlie Murphy, Jake Cherry, Amy Adams, Bill Hader, Hank Azaria, Jon Bernthal, Christopher Guest, the Jonas Brothers, Dan Stevens, Skyler Gisondo, Rebel Wilson, and Ben Kingsley.          So, the first Night at the Museum was released in 2006, and focuses on struggling entrepreneur Larry Daley, who ends up getting a job as the new overnight security guard at the Museum of Natural History, taking over for the older guards Cecil, Reginald, and Gus. Larry also befriends one of the daytime staff, Rebecca, and has a few r
Read more