Sleep all day.  Party all night.  Never grow old.  Never die.  It's fun to be a vampire.

Well, I've got the "sleep all day" thing down, and I'm working on the "party all night" thing.  Though, the other two might be a bit more difficult to master.  Anyway, the aforementioned line is the tagline for this film.  Part horror, part comedy, but all style!  Director Joel Schumacher and executive producer Richard Donner hit it big with this film.  It had everything going for it.  A great cast, a stellar soundtrack, and a beautiful visual style.

Lucy, Sam, & Michael Emerson are moving into Santa Carla, California after Lucy's (Dianne Wiest) divorce from Sam (Corey Haim) & Michael's (Jason Patric) father.  They move into Grandpa's place (Barnard Hughes), which is somewhat removed from the lively beach-side town.  The small family is trying to fit in with their new surroundings, but they're a little put off considering that Santa Carla is dubbed "the murder capital of the world".  Lucy gets a job at Max's (Edward Herrmann's) video rental store on the boardwalk, Sam meets Edgar (Corey Feldman) & Allen (Jamison Newlander), the Frog Brothers, at the comic book store, and Michael runs into a dangerous pack while chasing after the beautiful Star (Jami Gertz).  The pack is led by David (Keifer Sutherland) who takes Michael on a wild ride into a weird world.  What both brothers will gradually come to realized that this broadwalk town is, to quote the Frog Brothers, "a haven for the undead."  Fangs, blood, and creatures of the night come out of the woodwork.  As the story builds, we get a great merging of action, humor, drama, and style.  It's a fun film that is a perfect 80's film.

This could've easily become a cheesy 80s vampire film, but with the brightly shining talent involved, it became a fantastic fun vampire-filled thrill ride.  Kiefer Sutherland's name speaks for itself - especially these days.  Jason Patric also demonstrates a great, gradual evolution for his character, and shows a very brotherly relationship with Corey Haim.  Speaking of which, Haim, Feldman, and Newlander play their roles with all the fun you'd expect.  They definitely have fond memories of this film, as evident by the special edition DVD featurettes.  Jami Gertz demonstrates a wonderful vulnerability as Star trapped between the vampire world and her love for Michael.  She's definitely afraid of David and his gang, but she has little choice in who she associates herself with.  Dianne Wiest plays a perfect mother to two teenage boys, and an endearing daughter to old Grandpa - which Barnard Hughes plays with a lot of comedic fun.  Edward Herrmann also plays his part very well, and is very convincing at the film's conclusion.  As far as the other vamps - they add a lot of life to Kiefer's gang.  It's also cool to see Alex Winter before his Bill & Ted films.

Joel Schumacher shows he has a great depth of talent here despite some of his later critical failures.  He balances the characters and their stories very well, and no one story seems to especially dominate over another.  He really brought out some wonderful performances from a lot of young, eager talent.  Cinematographer Michael Chapman crafted some awesome imagery throughout the film, but my favorite sequence is definitely the motorcycle chase scene - amazing lighting and angles.  Makes me wish the sequence lasted longer as well as allowing Lou Gramm's awesome "Lost in the Shadows" to play longer.  It has an equally awesome music video (present on the SE DVD).  Chapman's shot man great films from Taxi Driver to Raging Bull to The Fugitive!  He's proven his talent for powerful imagery time and time again!

Thomas Newman put together a brooding and pulsating score.  He's scored many Academy Award winning films such as The Shawshank Redemption, American Beauty, and The Green Mile.  Couple that with a kick ass soundtrack with amazing songs by fabulous artists.  The Who's Roger Daltrey, Echo and the Bunnymen, Foreigner's Lou Gramm, INXS with Jimmy Barnes, Tim Capello (Tina Turner's saxophonist), and many more.  If you love energetic 80s hit music, this will be one to buy!  The Lost Boys was so greatly crafted and well stylized which shows just how great these mid-to-late 80's films were.  The ending may leave you a bit short-changed, but I love this film too much to knock it in the rating department.  This is sure to be a favorite among your home video collection as it has been for me in the last several years.  I give it five stars, 10 out of 10, it's great stuff!