After Mapplethorpe dies in a feat of stupidity at an abandoned carnival, best friend Chester discovers that Mapplethorpe "lives" each night from dusk til dawn, trapped at the park with a group of other ghostly teenagers who met similar fates. Chester sneaks off to visit nightly -- which interferes with his schooling -- and each episode delves into the life and death of a different character.
I went into this blind and was gripped practically from the start. The characters are lovable, there's not one weak link in the cast (Stacy Clausen is a standout as Mapplethorpe, and Judith Lucy chews the scenery as Chester's teacher/counselor), it moves at a brisk pace, there are some really funny moments, plenty of well-structured drama, and a whole lot of heart. My only two criticisms are that Nimrod's storyline devolved into pure schmaltz, and the big mystery surrounding leader Remus ultimately felt sort of... meh.
The thing that I kept thinking was that it reminded me of the 1980s vampire classic "The Lost Boys." That's certainly not intended as an insult, nor did it seem like some blatant ripoff, but there's a similar dramedy tone and many of the same elements.
With just dead air and bad reality shows coming out of Hollywood at the moment, this Aussie miniseries was a welcome surprise. Highly recommended.
