"Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It's fun to be a vampire." So says the tagline for The Lost Boys, one of my favorite vampire movies. I was thinking about this after seeing that Rob Thomas (of Veronica Mars) was bringing a Lost Boys show to the CW. He mentioned in an interview that he wanted to explore the idea of being 22 and never aging beyond that point.
"The story that I'm trying to tell in Season 1 of The Lost Boys is a story about two brothers and how tempted they are to fall in with these vampires and how tempted they are to want to be 22 forever. I am leaning into the Peter Pan notion of, if you join these vampires, you never have to grow up. Your life can be fun and you can attack life each day you're immortal, and how appealing is that?"
How appealing indeed? To be 22 forever, never age, be free? Or is it freedom? Would it be a curse to never age, never die, always be stuck in one place? Not to mention the slight complication of having to feed on, you know, people. So there's that moral element as well. Although maybe there's ways around that- but I'm not sure needing blood to survive is a good trade-off.
It's fascinating to think about. Many people fear death or at the very least are not super crazy about the idea. Don't we all, on some level, want more time- or want to live forever? Of course if you're a Christian you have the hope of eternal life and death is but a doorway to another existence (that doesn't necessarily make it any less frightening). Other religious traditions have their own views of the afterlife. I've heard it said that living forever without dying would be a curse of sorts, since you would never die and therefore never enter God's presence. Interesting thought.
I think JRR Tolkien addressed this somewhat in his world building with the forebears of Aragorn. The Numenoreans had an elongated lifespan but still didn't come near to the immortality of the elves, and I think it's been stated somewhere (maybe in the Silmarillion) that Eru kept mankind mortal so they could die and proceed to another plane of existence (sound familiar?). Whereas the elves, being immortal, could travel to Valinor but not where mortals go.
Personally as much as I would like to have a lifespan perhaps measuring in the hundreds, immortality might be too much time, you know? But I'd like to know what you think. Are you familiar with The Lost Boys? And would you live forever?
I don't think I'd want to live forever. I suppose as a vampire you could probably still die if you were injured badly enough, like beheading, but who wants to die like that?! It'd be awesome to have the time to do everything I want to do and learn and experience, but I still think the drawbacks would outweigh the benefits. I mean, you'd still live on after everyone you love died. Any time you formed a new relationship with someone, they'd die too unless they were also immortal... And eventually I think you'd get bored. I've seen immortals in books who just like to create trouble and mischief for no other reason than they're bored lol, and it makes sense. So I don't think immortality would be as ideal as it sounds.
ReplyDeleteI don't think so either, although there are times when it's tempting. I think for me the sweet spot would be several hundred years- maybe a thousand tops. To see an entire millenium... but yes the death of loved ones would certainly be a problem. I think if there was a community of like people that might help, or if you could time travel or go other places- you know to fill the time, explore. But just on Earth... I don't know.
DeleteWow, this is a deep thought for a Wednesday morning. I wouldn't want to live forever if everybody I loved were dying. And I certainly wouldn't want to be 22. I mean, look at them in that picture. All that crazy behaviour!
ReplyDeleteNot knowing how long you've got gives you a kick to get going and do the things you want to as well. If I thought I had hundreds of years, I'd probably just be lazy. I wouldn't want to live forever.
Ha ha I know? And I agree- loved ones are a HUGE issue. Unless they wer similarly long- lived. And yeah 22... lol. That's a good point, too much time might just make us lazy. Although if I had a couple of hundred years I could tackle several more interests!
DeleteI remember watching this movie and was struck by how gritty it was. Sounds like a fun concept if everyone you love could live forever with you. Just think about all the books you could read in an infinite lifetime!
ReplyDeleteIt is a bit gritty. And I agree- if loved ones were around. I wouldn't want forever but hundreds- I'd take that!
DeleteI didn't know they were developing a series. How exciting. I hope it is a gritty as the first one and that they don't glamorize it too much. I think living a long time is a great idea, but don't know about living forever. I think you'd really have to put some thought into it and figure out what age you'd want to be forever. I like the books where vampires age, just a lot more slowly than everyone else. I guess if you are a vamp, you could always kill yourself with sunlight (having flashbacks of a scene in the True Blood HBO series), but then there is the whole damned to hell afterwards if you believe in the afterlife so I don't know. It would be sad to see all your loved ones pass before you too.
ReplyDeleteI agree- the same feel would be nice. And yes to living longer but not forever- that would be too much. I could use a few hundred years to get to everything lol. And the age- 22 is too young, not sure what the sweet spot as far as age would be. Young enough that you're healthy...
DeleteAnd vampires aging but just slower is a great idea- I don't know if I've read any like that but it's intriguing. Just really long- lived...
Not as a vampire, unless there was an ample supply of synthetic blood. Ha ha. I don't think I would want to be any kind of an immortal in human form unless I could do some sort of hibernation when my mind grew weary. Ha ha. I am really curious about this Lost Boys spin off. Like I said on your Sunday Post, it could go either way. Great discussion, it certainly got me thinking. :)
ReplyDeleteIt is fun to think about. Although I wouldn't want to do it as a vamp...too limiting. :) Instead of immortal I'd take several hundred years... that would work.
DeleteI've always wanted to be immortal! I like quite a solitary life really...I like to be in my house watching dvds, reading, chatting to fellow bloggers...I don't need anything else really so I wouldn't find it lonely or boring. I don't think I would enjoy having to feed off humans though. Maybe an immortal werewolf would be better!
ReplyDeleteI like it too to a certain extent- I don't get bored like some people do. I mean there's always a book, or a show, or whatever... and friends for when you're social. :) Now a werewolf, or some interesting creature- that's a great idea.
DeleteThe idea of being immortal sounds appealing on some levels---especially if you had some people you love with you. I'd think you'd still grow out of the lifestyle of a 22-year-old though, even if you looked 22 forever. Of course, I was never a partier, even when I was that age, so I guess maybe my perspective is skewed by that. Oh, and I'm a Christian, so once I take the hypothetical out of living forever, I'd definitely prefer to hang out with God at some point. :-)
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I agree. Having friends and family to share it with would be ideal- but I'd like a longer lifespan, not immortality per se. And I totally agree!
DeleteOmg The Lost Boys is one of my favorite movies!! As much as I love vampires, I have to be honest that I don't see the appeal of immortality. I don't want to live forever, even if I stayed young. I couldn't handle seeing all my loved ones die and I'm still alive either.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see it redone if they did it well- and I usually hate remakes. But this one... although I'm not sure you could improve the casting, Jami gertz and all them... and yeah immortality would be TOO much, you know? Just give me a few hundred years...
DeleteI could do it. I would mean that I could finally read all of the books in my tbr pile! The blood drinking would be a minor inconvenience :)
ReplyDeleteHa ha this is true. No more TBR apocalypse- we have forever!
DeleteI've never seen the Lost Boys before. Never saw that movie poster either. I feel like I'm missing out since I love vampire movies. :)
ReplyDeleteTo live forever? Well, I think I would say no. I love my life and I hope I'll grow old and gray one day.. But living soooo long. I think I would be sick of doing the same thing day in day out! Maybe if my BF would also live forever.. Mwah.. I think 90 years is a long enough life! Living of human blood would be okay though. As a nurse I see so much worse every day than a little blood! LOL! :D Great post!
It's good if a little dated. And I think a few hundred might be good- for me that's time to do stuff but w/o being bored... And lol- there are worse things I suppose.
DeleteLost Boys is my fave movie for Halloween. As for immortality, I agree with some of the philosophy that it could be more of a curse than a blessing. Seeing everyone you know die would be hard. The fact that we don't love change would also be hard and that is why you have so many immortal stories where the immortal is stuck in a time period (dress, mannerisms, etc). I think it would be a very lonely existence. In the case of the Lost Boys, you would lose a lot of autonomy as well.
ReplyDeleteA perfect Halloween movie! And I think you're right- loneliness is probably a great description. Especially if everyone else did and you didn't. And yes to autonomy- the benefits would definitely be outweighed by the undead stuff!
DeleteOh cool, I hope it becomes a show. Dude, I'd sooo want to live forever. You have no idea how badly I want to see how the world changes through time. What will it be like in 50 years, 100 years, and beyond.
ReplyDeleteI'd watch it! :) And yes- I would love to see changes like that too. Kinda like the Highlander dude. Maybe not forever, just a loooomg time lol. And sickness free of course. :)
DeleteI've heard of Lost Boys and know the basic idea but that's about it. I've seen the immortal aspect explored before though probably not as intensely and it definitely isn't something that appeals to me. I'm not so sure I'd want to be 22 forever. It'd be better than being stuck at 14 but I still think I was gaining my footing at 22!
ReplyDeleteAgree- 22 might not be ideal. And same- just coming out of college, kinda still figuring it all out- not sure that's the ideal age.
DeleteI love the casting! And yeah that would be a problem. Maybe just extended lifespans...
ReplyDeleteIs that Kiefer smirking at me from that poster?
ReplyDeleteMy initial thought was that I would not want to be immortal, because of the whole everyone you love dies while you're still outwardly young thing. Creepy. In books and movies it's always so WEIRD when the five hundred year old falls in love with a teenager. Really? What would be appealing about an teenager to an adult?
But then I thought--I'd have time to read all the books! So bring it on!
Oh, I'm ashamed to say I've never seen The Lost Boys, though I know it's a classic and I should really watch it! But that's cool that there will be a show, and by Rob Thomas! Might be the incentive I need to finally watch the movie.
ReplyDeleteWould I want to be immortal? I don't think so, just because I couldn't handle losing all my loved ones. But some sort of guarantee that both me and my loved ones will have a hundred-ish young and healthy years together, that would be nice :)
Hmmmm... Interesting question! I think it might get incredibly sad and tedious to be immortal - the world could pass you by and hold no more excitement, no more joy. It sounds fun for a while, but in the end a big part of what makes us human is our mortality. Perhaps a longer lifespan is the answer - but not too long.
ReplyDeleteAs interesting as it would be to watch the world change, I don't think I'd opt for immortality. It would be hard to outlive all of the people I loved. I don't even know if I'd last long as a vampire because I'm the type of person who kind of freaks out at the sight of blood, lol.
ReplyDeleteYES to living forever. Where do I sign up? I am terrified of death. TERRIFIED. And I know that a lot of people say that some of the point of life is that it ends but.. no. No, I will become a Lost Girl or whatever the female equivalent is. (Clearly, I have never seen it, but that is okay.)
ReplyDeleteI mean, I know people think it would become boring, monotonous but... when the other option is NOT EXISTING, I will take a little boredom. Not that I am actually given an option, sadly.
I actually haven't seen The Lost Boys, but I'm going to have to watch it now since there's no way I can miss out on a Rob Thomas show and I want to know about the source material. :)
ReplyDeleteAs for living forever, no. I couldn't do it. The idea of living forever while all the people you care about grow old, and forget you, and die? Yeah...that's way too heartbreaking for me. But something tells me I'm going to love the film and the TV show too!
First of all, I LOVE The Lost Boys! I watched that movie so so much when I was a teen. I think I'm due for a re-watch!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, a longer lifespan would be great, but forever would be too long. If you would've asked me at 22 I probably would've said forever. Now that I have children I don't want to outlive them. I think outliving your loved ones would be the hardest part. Great post, Greg!