Review by Toralf

The Lost Boys 1987

A group of vampires, who all look like they're performing at the Eurovision Song Contest, causes trouble on a boardwalk while a shirtless Tim Cappello plays the saxophone. In “The Lost Boys," it is clear from the first few minutes that we are at the height of the 80s. You could certainly never accuse director Joel Schumacher of not having a good eye for style.

Accordingly, the result is a stylish vampire movie that doesn't really know whether it wants to be a horror or a comedy. The characters mostly seem like caricatures, and the plot never really gets into gear. But at least the cast is largely convincing. Kiefer Sutherland in particular worked very well for me as the leader of the vampire gang, and the two Coreys were certainly a sign of a certain prestige at the end of the 80s (even if I wouldn't necessarily describe Corey Feldman in particular as “good” here).

All in all, “The Lost Boys” is an example of “style over substance." Some of the dialog is really ridiculous. But because the style is so compelling and the finale in particular is extra fun, I can still appreciate the whole thing. And as a big Buffy fan, I certainly have to be grateful for this movie, without which the series might never have happened.

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