Lost Boy lost forever – RIP Corey Haim

Haim at his peak in the 80s.

Corey Haim – 38 year old actor and homegrown Toronto native – died of an apparent drug overdose early this morning in Los Angeles. The 80s movie heartthrob was found by his mother in the bedroom of her apartment around 4am. Haim had reportedly been sick with flu-like symptoms for the past few days and four bottles of prescription drugs were found near his body.

Corey Haim is probably best known to the geek community for his portrayal of a teenage vampire hunter in the 1987 film, The Lost Boys. Haim has reportedly been in and out of rehab 15 times over the years, but had apparently cleaned up after having moved back to Toronto in 2004.

The Calgary Herald has compiled a list of Haim’s five most memorable roles:

Lucas (1986) — In the ’80s, Corey Haim’s face was plastered all over teen magazines and teenage girls’ walls, but it was this film that first made everyone take notice. In Lucas, Haim played a socially inept nerd who’s befriended by a high-school football star, played by Charlie Sheen. But their friendship is put to the test when they both fall for the same girl. The film was not a huge commercial success, but has since become a cult classic and paved the way for his breakout role in The Lost Boys the following year.

The Lost Boys (1987) — When you think of a vampire hunter, Corey Haim might not be the first name that comes to mind, but in the Lost Boys, he tracked down and killed the undead like it was second nature. And when one of those vampires is Kiefer Sutherland, who is twice Haim’s size and ten times more bad-ass, that’s pretty impressive. The Lost Boys marked Haim’s first of many onscreen pairings with Corey Feldman, and it’s arguable that they were never this cool again.

License to Drive (1988) — In yet another Haim/Feldman partnership, Haim played Les, a hapless 16-year-old desperate to get his license so he can impress the popular girl, Mercedes (a very young Heather Graham). But when he fails his test, Les won’t let that stop him — he just steals his dad’s Cadillac and heads out for a night of shenanigans and tomfoolery. The cute, diminutive Haim was still quite the charmer back in 1988, so much so that we actually believed that Heather Graham would go out with him.

Dream a Little Dream (1989) — The Coreys continued to dominate the teen idol scene thanks to this hit, in which Feldman plays a teenager who accidentally swaps bodies with his elderly neighbour, and then uses his new mind to win over the girl of his dreams. Haim played his best buddy, Dinger.

The Two Coreys (2007) — Long after Corey Feldman and Corey Haim faded into celebrity oblivion, the friends rejoined for a “loosely scripted” reality TV show based on their lives. In the A&E show, Haim — a messed up bachelor — comes to live with Feldman, a recently married neat freak. The show followed the stars’ struggle to reclaim the spotlight, which at times was heartbreaking (especially the episode in which Feldman had to break the news to Haim that Warner Brothers was making a Lost Boys sequel and only wanted Feldman to participate in it).

Another 80s icon gone, but never forgotten.

Haim with with fellow 80s superstar, Corey Feldman.