Remembering "Interview with the Vampire" the movie.

[JoeG]

I'd probably like the movie more if I hadn't read the books first. Its not entirely bad. Its just nowhere near as good as it could have been.

 

[Zombie_61]

"British actor Julian Sands was considered to play the role of Lestat by Rice herself; but, because Sands was not a known name, being only famed for his performance in A Room with a View, he was rejected and the role was given to Tom Cruise.

This is the first time I've heard/read about this, and I find it interesting because, in my mind, I pictured Julian Sands as Lestat when I first read the novel (long before the movie was announced).

I like the movie well enough, but wouldn't say it's high on my favorites list and agree with previous comments that it didn't quite do the novel justice. In my opinion Cruise was horribly miscast (stunt casting merely to get a "name" in the role), but did a better job with the role than I expected. To be completely honest though, I don't like Cruise. I don't know what it is, exactly, but something about him just rubs me the wrong way. I like Pitt and thought he did a good job as Louis, but never quite managed to convey the feeling of melancholy the character exhibited in the novel. Kirsten Dunst was quite good; I think she was a better actor as a child than she's been as an adult.

My biggest complaint about the film is the poorly done looping (actors re-recording their dialogue in a studio for a film's vocal track). Nearly every line of dialogue sounds like it was done in a studio and, for me, it's a little distracting. But as far as complaints go, that's a pretty minor one.

 

[CB2001]

Still agree with Anne that Cruise was an horrible casting decision. Nearly as bad as Richard Gere in First Knight.

I think her "change of heart" was purely politically motivated back-pedaling.

From the 'net...

"British actor Julian Sands was considered to play the role of Lestat by Rice herself; but, because Sands was not a known name, being only famed for his performance in A Room with a View, he was rejected and the role was given to Tom Cruise. This was initially criticized by Anne Rice, who said that Cruise was "no more my vampire Lestat than Edward G. Robinson is Rhett Butler" and the casting was "so bizarre; it's almost impossible to imagine how it's going to work". Nevertheless, she was satisfied with Cruise's performance after seeing the completed film, saying that "from the moment he appeared, Tom was Lestat for me" and "that Tom did make Lestat work was something I could not see in a crystal ball". In fact, after she saw the premiere of the movie, she wrote a letter of apology to Tom Cruise and commended his performance."

I actually read somewhere online that Rice modeled Lestat in the novel after Rutger Hauer, which carried over into the comic adaptation of Queen of the Damned.

 

[Qui-Gonzalez]

I'm not a big fan of this movie. I actually enjoyed Queen of the Damned a lot more than I did this one. My sister, who has read the books, likes both movies, for different reasons.

You sir, are a Philistine.

I was reluctant to get behind Cruise in the role of Lanky Lestat, but he did the role justice. I felt I was watching Lestat on film. They took SOME liberties with the story, but not nearly as many as Queen of the Damned. That movie was a turd and a raping of the story.

Armand was NOT a good casting choice. It was kinda hard to buy Banderas as Armand. My first thought upon seeing him as Armand was "Damn, Armand is not supposed to be old." Dunst was a bit of inspired casting as Claudia. It's a shame this could not be turned into a franchise as Cruise would have been more than enough to sell it. Shoving Pitt into the background, where Louis resides, would have given us a perfect three movies. (Tale of the Body Thief sucked anyway...lets pretend it never happened.)

 

[GotWookiee]

I haven't watched in years but I love the film. I think everyone is cast pretty well, but than again I saw the film before I read the books (the first three).

Elliott Goldenthal's score is fantastic as always.

 

[CB2001]

You sir, are a Philistine.

Nope, I'm a Floridian, not a person from southern coast of Canaan at the beginning of the Iron Age. :lol

 

[Qui-Gonzalez]

Chose the FIRST definition. LOL! Seriously...read the books and tell me which of the two movies you like better. Hell, even without reading them, QofD was just...yuck man.

 

[Zombie_61]

(Tale of the Body Thief sucked anyway...lets pretend it never happened.)

I rather liked Tale of the Body Thief. Not much of a vampire story as I recall, but an interesting story regardless. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[Jedi2016]

Hell, even without reading them, QofD was just...yuck man.

That's why I never watched that film.. hehe.

 

[Sigma-LS]

You know I like Interview more now that I live closer to New Orleans.

Kind of like Zombieland got major fanboy points for me in that the entire first half of the movie occurred within spitting distance of where I got my Masters.