I admit that I’ve been looking forward to writing this one up also–ever since I heard it was making its grand return, I’ve wanted to grab a copy if for no other reason than to experience the sheer lunatic joy that is Corey Feldman actually back acting in a movie.
That movie, of course, is called Lost Boys: The Tribe, and it represents something long, LONG, awaited for a lot of people–a sequel, albeit a direct to video sequel, to the original Lost Boys movie. Some will actually call it a “reimagining” or an “homage”, though the prevailing thought appears to peg this one as a sequel.
This time, we’re back with the vampires that made the original great, except this time we’ve got Angus Sutherland instead of Kiefer Sutherland–and yes, they’re related. And we’re going back to Luna Bay, where the sun never seems to really shine and the people are a mixed bag of outcasts and lunatics (no pun intended). Worse, there’s a whole lot of missing persons cases in Luna Bay, and those who disappear never really seem to turn up again. And when a former champion surfer arrives in Luna Bay with his sister, they might well wind up on the list of missing persons…unless they can stop the vampires infesting Luna Bay.
This movie was a lot more than I expected, really–I love the subreferences contained in this little puppy, for one. They’ll reference THE GOONIES. Wow, says I. It’s not every movie that actually references The Goonies. In fact, I can’t remember the last movie I saw that referenced The Goonies. I love some of the baffling non sequiturs this movie generates, like when one of the vampires takes a knife to the stomach and complains about his shirt being ruined. That’s just one of them. Even better, bonus credit goes for the “no vampire dies the same way twice” angle–this yields a lot of really sweet vampire death sequences that keep you guessing. Will this one turn to ash? Will that one burst into flames? Who KNOWS what’s going to happen next?
Okay, sure, maybe it’s a little pedestrian. Maybe it’s just a little TOO focused on working that “x-TREEEEEM sports!” angle. That’s all really rather debatable. But coupling the vampirism angle onto it is a little extra spice that lends an extra note of quality to the whole thing.
I’m somewhat torn on this one. On the one hand, I hate most every vampire movie I get my hands on with only a few exceptions, because they’re all too much alike. Too many Clan Ventrue-wannabes mincing around and talking about angst and whatnot. Too many fanboy wish-fulfillment cases who live the life pretty much every fifteen year old wants to live before he realizes that such a life would have probably killed him at a young age.
There are some differences, some exceptions–John Carpenter’s Vampires, Salem’s Lot and 30 Days Of Night come immediately to mind. Lost Boys, and of course Lost Boys: The Tribe, sadly do not fall into that category. This is more of the same, but with a couple of different twists and a few laughs.
I’m not personally very wild about this movie–it’s not really a BAD movie, and if you’re into vampire flicks then chances are good you’re going to like this one. Me personally, however, this sucker just grates too hard on a lot of my pet peeves as horror movies, as vampire movies, go.
Thus, I’m giving it a six out of ten on the ten-scale: not particularly bad, not particularly good either, and if it IS your cup of tea, you should be all over it.
Popularity: unranked [?]
Finally, some good news on the vampire front.
You loved him in 
