Gimme some Blood, Sucka

I wanted to see this as soon as it came out. I've gobbled all of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles and good or bad, I have loved them all. If I get attached to a series, I tolerate the excellent along with the mediocre if the story moves along.

I waited a long time before I saw the first movie installment "Interview with the Vampire." I finally made it to the show on Valentine's Day and was actually not terribly disappointed. I looked very much forward to the next film installment as "The Vampire Lestat" was one of my favorites from the series.

Imagine my surprise when I hear that "Queen of the Damned" is in production....

That can't be right I tell myself. I check into the Internet Movie Database on Occasion to see where it is in production. I don't know any of these people it seems. I'm thinking this is gonna be really lame.

THEN, Aaliyah dies which gives some among of impetus to the film. I had no clue who she was, so it didn't mean much to me (unlike Stevie Ray Vaughan from my hometown here...) The movie debuts and I hear ALL kinds of stuff about it, but somehow I never manage to make it to the theater. I hear that it stinks, I hear that it doesn't make sense. This does somewhat dampen my desire to see it.

Still....somewhere in the back of my mind I want to check it out.

FINALLY, I hear last week that it is out on DVD and I scoot over to half.com and I pick it up for $17.00 including shipping. I opened it up today and stuck it in the machine and watched.

Well, hmmm.

I liked it.

I wasn't sure going in, since I'd heard SO much bad press, but maybe I'm easy.

This movie certainly takes GREAT liberties with the author's storyline. There is a LOT left out and there is some pretty random stuff added in. Yet...

I had gained an appreciation for Tom Cruise's Lestat based on repeated viewings. I had no idea who Stuart Townsend was, but he certainly gave a more than creditable performance. He embraced the character of Lestat and made it his own and no one can fault him for that.

Although there are SO many holes in the original story line, the film still gives a feeling for Lestat's personal voyage into the present and how he as the Brat Prince embraces that. Although not fully fleshed out, the overall FEELING is still present in this adaptation.

I'm not sure how the non-initiate would perceive this work. I've been so involved with the literary series since #4 Body Thief, that I can't imagine not knowing the vampires' stories. I can only discuss it from one who has read and re-read the author's works.

One gets the feeling of the older and the stronger vampires gathering against Akasha--The Queen of the Damned. This is well portrayed in the movie, the well read viewer can easily fill in the details. I'm not sure that the new viewer could understand much of the subtlety.

Throughout it all, Stuart Townsend turns in quite a lovely performance as Lestat. He is sensual, sensitive and enough to make anyone want to be "brought over to the dark side."

I'm interested by the importance of the character Jesse in the film. Although pertinent in the text, she seems to gain precedence as someone of big importance to Lestat. Although I think this wrinkle does injustice to Rice's literary work, it seems to work well in the film.

What I hate is that the emphasis on the ancient ones is totally left out of this work. It is such an integral part of the text. I'm not sure how that could be adapted to the film. I watched some of the deleted scenes that give this aspect a more full consideration, but as it is missing from the film, this part leaves me wanting.

Overall however, I still enjoyed this film foray. I think that if one has read the Anne Rice books that one can forgive some of the liberties. The performances in some cases are exquisite.

Is this film what I wanted? Maybe not exactly. Is the film I expected? Not at all. Did I enjoy it?

Yeah.

Would I watch it again? You bet.

The film itself is quite visually interesting. The story line moves along. The acting is fairly well done, especially the performance by the NEW Vampire Lestat. He pulled it off folks...it's worth a view.