In 1976, Anne Rice published a novel titled, “Interview with the Vampire.” The Story is about a man named, Louis. He’s given an interview about living as a vampire for 200 years. Lestat gives Louis a chance to live forever by drinking the former’s blood. Louis’ pacifism on humanity puts a strain on his unlikely friendship with Lestat put them at odds. In retaliation, Lestat turns a little girl named, Claudia into a vampire forcing Louis to stay with him forever. As the story progresses Louis & Claudia form a close blond. Louis travels across the globe for more info on vampires.
The book spawned twelve sequels. Before Anne died from a stroke, she wrote the most recent installment, “Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat.” 28 Years after Interview with a Vampire published worldwide, Warner Bros. greenlit a script written by Ms. Rice herself retained elements from the novel. Tom Cruise, (one of my all-time favorite actors) Brad Pitt and a young Kirsten Dunst signed on to portray Lestat, Louis & Claudia.
Released in 1994, (same year Stargate came out) the film became a critical and commercial hit. Anne was working on adapting a follow up called, “The Vampire Lestat.” Sadly, it never came into fruition. WB rejected her script in favor of producing “The Queen of the Damned” without Tom & Brad reprising their roles. This is why we can’t have nice things. Anyway, it’s Halloween Month. I’ll be reviewing a few horror films throughout October. Which horror film should I review next? Please leave a comment and don’t forget to subscribe.
Tom Cruise & Brad Pitt have plans to work on upcoming projects. Mark your calendars, folks.
- Coming in May 23, 2025, Mr. Cruise will reprise his role as Ethan Hunt in “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part Two.
- Mr. Pitt will star in race car action film called, F1.” It’ll be released on June 25, 2025.
This review contains no crucial SPOILERS. I’m gonna come clean, I never read “The Vampire Chronicles.” I’ve only seen Interview with the Vampire. One more thing, I haven’t seen AMC’s TV adaptation of the series. Feel free to read my non-spoiler article.
Alive & Dead Elements
Alive: Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Kirsten Dunst, Antonio Banderas & Christian Slater all did a superb job for their respective performances.
Neil Jordan (The Crying Game, Riviera) did a decent job directing.
Elliot Goldenthal (Heat, Across the Universe, Public Enemies) orchestrated the soundtrack.
Practical Effects were heavily involved.
Death Scenes are brutal.
Cinematography was shot well without going through technical problems.
Special Effects legend, Stan Winston (The Terminator, Aliens, Iron Man) applied Prosthetic Makeup on Tom & Lestat. Transforming them into their characters.
Costumes and Set Pieces were manually built.
Unlike “Rosemary’s Baby,” the Pacing wasn’t a slow burn. I was hooked since the beginning. Sorry folks, I didn’t like this so-called “masterpiece.” Made me feel miserably bored.
Thandiwe Newton (formerly known as Thandie) has makes a small appearance. She was beginning a career in Hollywood. Thandiwe later worked with Tom in “Mission Impossible II.”
Tom prepped up for the role by watching lions hunting their prey and took piano lessons.
Without giving too much away, one scene will make you cry. Bring a couple tissues. To be honest, I didn’t cry. Only movies that made me cry are listed below.
- Logan
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
- Avengers: Endgame
- Boys Don’t Cry
- Now Is Good
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- Interstellar
- No Time to Die
Gun N’ Roses perform a cover version of The Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil.” It’s played during the End Credits.
The film dedicates River Phoenix’s memory. He was originally onboard to play Daniel. After he died from a tragic drug overdose, Christian took over the part. He donated his salary to River’s favorite charity organizations.
Dead: The final scene ends on a cliffhanger. It’s a darn shame we never get to see Mr. Cruise & Mr. Pitt in The Vampire Lestat. WB royally screwed up big time.
The Final Verdict: A-
Interview with the Vampire is a near-perfect film. Had WB not interfered with Anne Rice’s planned adaptation of the aforementioned second novel, I would’ve given the first installment my highest grade an A, FOR APEX. If you’re into vampires, check this one out.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 