The Lost Boys: contexts, genre and narrative

The Lost Boys (Joel Schumacher, 1987): teenage brothers Michael and Sam move with their divorced mother to the Californian beach town of Santa Carla, where Michael is drawn into David's gang of young vampires and Sam, helped by the Frog brothers, sets out to save him.
A Warner Bros. film of 1987 that mixes horror with comedy and the teen film for a young audience, marketed with a rock soundtrack and young stars.
The single-parent family and the threat to it, at a time when conservative 'family values' were a political issue in the USA.
Colour, special effects and make-up of the 1980s, and the vampires' look borrowed from rock stars.
How the film updates vampire conventions: attractive teenage vampires instead of an aristocrat, stakes, garlic and holy water used for comedy as well as horror, and the surprise of the head vampire's identity.
Narrative: Michael's 'turning' as a journey away from his family, the Frog brothers as comic experts and helpers, the final battle in the family home, and themes of belonging, temptation and the family.
A short worked paragraph linking a context to a specific moment in the film, as the comparison question rewards.
Worked answers with their marks, and practice questions to try, each headed 'Practice question' with its marks.
Quote only short lines of dialogue you're sure of, a few words at a time, and base every point on what happens in the finished film.

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