I’ve avoided this one for years because it just seemed like a lot. And I was right. It is a lot, but I shouldn’t have avoided it. It is a ton of fun, and the most 80’s you can get out of a movie.

The film follows a family moving to a new town after the parents split up. The two sons Michael, and Sam are played by Jason patric, and Corey Haim respectively. They dislike the new town at first, that is until Michael sees a beautiful woman named Star, Played by Jami Gertz, and he is lured into the orbit of David Powers, played by a wonderfully charismatic and menacing Kiefer Sutherland. Sam on the other hand meets a couple of nerdy guys who run a comic books shop and claim the town is infested with vampires. These are Edgar and Allen, played by Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more 80’s movie. I mean this was as all out 80’s as you can get. The fashions are wild. The hair is the biggest I’ve ever seen. The soundtrack is wall to wall 80’s synths. The movie opens with an oiled up muscle man playing saxophone while surrounded by flames and adoring fans. It’s so much!

It took me about 20 minutes before I realized that the movie is pure camp. I mean it is excessive beyond belief. The style is cranked to eleven. The camera work is unhinged. The lighting is so theatrical, it feels like it was taken straight from a glam rock concert stage. The aesthetic is pure camp, which makes sense when you realize it was directed by Joel Schumacher. Sadly Schumacher is best known these days for his work killing the Batman franchise in the mid 90’s. He had a style and a theatricality that is so much fun. Between this and Flatliners I think his 80’s work deserves a reevaluation. I’m not saying he’s great. I’m saying he’s better than Batman and Robin. 

I loved the cinematography on this movie. Every shot is lit beautifully. These actors are all beautiful people, but the lighting here makes them look even better. They always look amazing. The romantic moments between Michael and Star are lush and romantic with sharp highlights perfectly accentuating their chiseled cheekbones. The vampire moments are lit with deep shadows that go on forever, and bright red spotlights that give menace to the vampire makeup effects. Modern digital cinematographers should study this movie to see what good lighting looks like. No more muddy grays and dark soupy imagery. Give me a clean bright over the top picture every day.

The performances are wonderful across the board. Well, Jason Patric is maybe playing a cardboard cutout of a male model, but everyone else is awesome. Corey Haim as the younger brother is goofy perfection. Dianne Wiest is perfect as the mother. She’s always an A+ performer. But it was Kiefer Sutherland who really stole the show for me. He is so charismatic and charming, yet full of danger and menace. He should only play villains. Seriously, his steely eyes just scream danger. His performance here, his turn in Stand by Me, and his performance in Flatliners are like a trio of perfect villains. He’s charming, seductive, and scary the perfect vampire. 

I had an absolute ball with this over the top 80’s fest. It was fun. It was Halloweeny. It was spooky. It wasn’t very scary. I would happily recommend this to anyone looking for a good 80’s movie this Halloween. It is my cup of tea. B+