Interview with the Vampire (1994)

When it was announced that Tom Cruise would play the vampire Lestat in this adaptation of Anne Rice's bestselling novel, even Rice chimed in with a highly publicized objection. The author wisely and justifiably recanted her negative opinion when she saw Cruise's excellent performance, which perceptively addresses the pain and chronic melancholy that plagues anyone cursed with immortal bloodlust. Brad Pitt and Kirsten Dunst are equally good at maintaining the dark and brooding tone of Rice's novel. And in this rare mainstream project for a major studio, director Neil Jordan compensates for a lumbering plot by honoring the literate, Romantic qualities of Rice's screenplay. Considered a disappointment while being embraced by Rice's loyal followers, the movie is too slow to be a satisfying thriller, but it is definitely one of the most lavish, intelligent horror films ever made. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com essential video

Better than the book.

I read the book before seeing the movie.
It seemed to capture the essence of the book.
And it did.
Well, Tom Cruise had to hetero up the character.
Otherwise he did a phenomenal job of bringing Lestat to life.
A brilliant movie, great acting all around, great music, very well paced.
A must see for horror fans.
A movie that finally outdoes the book.
And now I have to rant on Cruse for a minute.
I remember when this movie came out and all the HEAT he took from people for doing this movie.
It's too dark, it's too scary, it's too...........BLAH BLAH BLAH!!!!!!!!!!
I wish Tom's core audience would shut up and let him do his thing.
I was and still am SOOOOOOOOOO tired of seeing Cruise in his usual "Top Gun" role.
Interview finally proved the guy can act, REALLY act.
And he took so much crap from his core audience of straight women in their 40's for not doing his usual dumbed down romance role.
GIVE IT UP!!!
Have any of you noticed he's never done a role NEARLY as risky as this one since then?
It's his career and his life people, let him live it the way HE wants.
The vampire Cruise NEVER would have committed that couch jumping episode years later on Oprah.
Go back to your risky roles Tom, you deserve better than a bunch of screaming post teen women telling you how to run your life.
Interview???
Oh yeah, Interview With The Vampire.......
The single most brilliant Vampire movie Hollyweird has ever produced.
Highly recommended.
June 23, 2008

Entrancing like the novel!

I first was introduced to this movie when I was 13, and it still haunts me today. I read the book two years later, and suprisingly, I love both just as much! I was also glad that Anne Rice that did the screenplay, since not a lot of authors get that chance. By her doing that, she brought what she wrote to life instead of someone else.

Tom Cruise: Best performance I've ever seen, since he's very diverse in his career. I haven't looked at him the same way since, like Jack Nicholson in The Shining. Very chilling, likeable and sexy!

Brad Pitt: Another great performance of Louis! I love the humanity still portrayed after he's turned, and adds a bit of light to the film.

Kirsten Dunst: Scared the life out of me! Just as scary, and sick, as in the novel. She touches the surface of her love for Louis, which made her such a great performer.

Antonio Banderas: In the book, Armand is much younger, but hey when you get someone sexy like Banderas, you can't complain! Just the way he looks at the characters makes you wish you weren't really there.

Another thing I absolutely loved was the dark, beautiful soundtrack by Elliot Goldenthal. That is one any vampire lover must have in their music library. The opening song sucks you right in until the very end. But one thing I didn't like, since I'm religious, was the nudity and torture to the girl on the stage. It was in the novel, and I'm glad they stayed faithful to it, but it was hard to watch. But otherwise, the blood and dark atmosphere was amazing to watch. This is highly recommended, you won't regret it! June 11, 2008

Great Movie but.....

This was a great movie but it's missing a lot of key elements from the book. It's been a while since I've read the book so one of the only things I can remember is that when Lestat turns Louis in the movie it was Fast and on the docks. In the book Louis was dying from some sort of sickness. Lestat showed up in his room and asked "I can make it all go away." Lestat planned it out because he watched Louis and knew that he'd have a safe place to stay during the night if he turned Louis into a creature of the night. One other was when they got the Nanny in the movie she died within 1 or 2 nights. In the book it was like 1 or 2 weeks. All in all it's a good movie. But it lacks the intense story of the book. May 30, 2008

Fantastically dark, this film will haunt your thoughts.

Having only read Anne Rice's fantastic novel after watching the movie, I had none of the expectations for this film that plagued the moviegoers who'd already fallen in love with the character of Louis, the vampire constantly at war with his own emotions. I first saw this film at a younger age, sometime around 13 years old. It had a profound impact on me then, as I had never had much chance to watch even PG-13 movies per my parents' authoritative rule over the content which reached me. However, I was able, at times, to find ways in which to view films beyond their reach. Many of these films I had to get from my older brother without his knowledge; films he adored and was able to purchase without my parents' intervention at 16 years of age. Interview With The Vampire was one such film, and being such, it had already given itself to me as something special, considering its procurement as something of a long, drawn-out chore. After viewing it several times over the course of a year, I had committed it to the topmost place in my list of favorite movies.

From the opening credits, I was enthralled. Every milestone in Louis' life, every mistake he makes, every pang of guilt he feels captivated my interest. It was at this point in my life that I'd decided Brad Pitt was my favorite actor (since supplanted years later by Johnny Depp), as he conveyed some of the most complex emotions I'd yet seen on film. The dark undertones of Lestat and Louis' tenuous friendship sent chills through my spine. Claudia's predicament, eternally trapped in the body of a six-year-old, beautifully portrayed by Kirstin Dunst, was as believable as anything I'd ever known, enhanced to a large degree by Elliot Goldenthal's mesmerizing score. The film sparked my thoughts about the depths of human emotion, and what it truly feels like to be alone. I believe it was quite influential in my development as a young teenager, and I am glad that what I took away from it was its philosophical ponderings, rather than the neo-gothic stylings some of my contemporaries decided to mold themselves to.

All in all, I recommend this movie very highly. See it, enjoy it; if not for its action or drama, then for its music and philosophical value. Anyone should be able to find something of value in Neil Jordan's cinematic masterpiece. May 13, 2008

great tom cruise movie

This is one of my all time favorite movies. Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt are at their best in this one. April 28, 2008

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