David | |
---|---|
The Lost Boys character | |
First appearance | The Lost Boys |
Created by | Janice Fischer James Jeremias |
Portrayed by | Kiefer Sutherland |
In-universe information | |
Occupation | Vampire |
David is a fictional character from the 1987 film The Lost Boys portrayed by Kiefer Sutherland. In the film David is the head of a gang of vampires in the fictional town of Santa Carla.
The character and Sutherland's performance were well received upon the film's release, and David has gone on to become regarded as an iconic villain in popular culture, having inspired the depiction of vampires both in style as well as characterization since. Analysis of his personality and psychology range from focus on his status as an eternal youth, gang leader, and murderer, and his implied homoerotic tendencies.
David is the head of a gang of vampires in the fictional town of Santa Carla. [1] Max, the head vampire of Santa Carla, tries to find a "mother" for David and the rest of the gang in order to curb their wayward behavior.
Sutherland has stated that David's hairstyle was inspired by British punk rock icon Billy Idol. [2]
In 2020 it was announced that a television series based on the character and the rest of the vampire gang is in production at The CW, focusing on the gang of vampires at different points in history. Dakota Shapiro was cast in the role for the first pilot, [3] but was replaced with Lincoln Younes and the character renamed "Benjamin" for the second pilot. [4]
Not much is known about David's life before becoming a vampire. He was sired by Max and went on to create his own gang of subordinates (Paul, Dwayne, and Marko). They take up residence in the underground remnants of a long-destroyed luxury hotel. [5] The audience is introduced to David through the eyes of Michael Emerson, and Michael's fascination with a half-vampire named Star, whom David appears to be in a relationship with. Michael is provoked by David into participating in a dangerous motorcycle race. Michael is then lured back to David's lair where he undergoes an initiation, unknowingly drinks blood, and becomes a vampire.
David takes Michael to a group of Surf Nazis at a bonfire, hoping to prompt him into killing. Michael however returns home to his brother, Sam, who has become friends with a pair of vampire hunters, Edgar and Alan Frog. Michael leads Sam, Edgar, and Alan to the vampire lair during the daytime while they are sleeping, and kill Marko. The group escapes.
The vampires attack the vampire hunters at Sam's house, leading to the deaths of Paul and Dwayne. David and Michael face off, which ends with David being impaled on deer antlers.
Kerrang! described David's appearance as stereotypical of late-1980s goth. [6] Film critic Colin Houlson stated that Sutherland "is moody and seductively scary as David". [7] Tori Danielle wrote in iHorror that David is both edgy and sympathetic, since the essential evils he commits are forced on him by his nature. [8]
Jeffrey Weinstock expressed in his book The Vampire Film: Undead Cinema that David (much like many male vampire characters) is a gender stereotype of a male, always performing and trying to "pass" as a human, and in David's case almost to the point of parody. [9]
David, and particularly his interactions with the character Michael, [10] has been read as homoerotic. Sutherland has nodded to these themes, remarking that the "whole scene where I catch [Michael] in the fog coming off the bridge ... I mean, it's a very sensual moment!" [11] Harry Benshoff in his book Monsters in the Closet: Homosexuality and the Horror Film states that with his bleach-blond hair, stubble, earrings and leather attire David appears as a gay pin-up model. He interprets the film as the story of the "normal" teen Michael being seduced by David's lifestyle. [12] Psychoanalyst Trevor C. Pederson describes David's attempts at recruiting Michael as "obsessive", noting that David even requests that Michael join him even after Michael and his friends have killed all of David's fellow vampires. [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]
The image of David showing his fangs for the first time was used for the cover of John Kenneth Muir's Horror Films of the 1980s [18] and The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead by J Gordon Melton. [19]
Joss Whedon has expressed that the character Spike on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer was inspired by David. [20]
The character became the eponymous vampire to people of the generation the film came out. [21] This can be observed in a meme where he is seen killing the character Edward Cullen from the Twilight series, reflecting the resentment of vampire fans who feel characters like Edward have "ruined" what was once cool about vampires to audiences, which David stood for. [22] [21]
David's character was spoofed on the television show Bloopers after the release of the film. [23]
Buffy Anne Summers is the title character of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in The WB/UPN 1997–2003 television series and subsequent 1998–2018 Dark Horse and 2019–present Boom! Studios comic series of the same name. The character has also appeared in the spin-off series Angel, as well as numerous expanded universe materials such as novels and video games. Buffy was portrayed by Kristy Swanson in the film and by Sarah Michelle Gellar in the television series. Giselle Loren has lent her voice to the character in both the Buffy video games and an unproduced animated series, while Kelly Albanese lent her voice to the character in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight motion comics.
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