@@culturekitschI realize the writers of the show never seriously considered letting Claudia survive, but it would have been SO amazing for her to become Akasha’s consort instead of Lestat.
@@dominiquedevereux7205 It would be an incredible arc in so many ways. First of all, Akasha is not just the Queen of the Damned, she’s literally one of the first. She has real answers about the origins of vampires, the culmination of all Claudia had been seeking out for so much of her life. Secondly, Akasha recognizing Claudia’s potential as a vampire would be an amazing Fuck You to Armand, the Coven, and even Lestat…anyone who tried to make her seem small or fragile or broken. Being with Akasha would empower her, but only as long as she served the Queen of the Damned. Eventually I think she would recognize Akasha’s cruelty as a reflection of the abuse she suffered from her maker and turn on her just like she went against Lestat (and Lestat turned on Akasha in the books). I’m starting to realize I need someone to write a fanfic where Lestat saves her instead of Louis, and if no one will I’ll have to write it myself.
@@tinymxnticore I'll sho'nuff read it 😃!! Yes. That would be SO poetic if Claudia became Akasha's right-hand woman & Santiago had to serve under her. However --- as you mentioned --- no 1 will remain loyal to Akasha forever cuz she HERSELF shows no loyalty. If she kylled her own consort --- King Enkil --- who WOULDN'T she turn on? Lestat knew this & that's why he turned in her cuz he knew as a male in the mostly female utopian society Akasha attempted to create, it was only a matter of time b4 she found his masculinity toxic & then she'd be "burying him in the backyard 🪦" with Enkil so2speak .
Lestat has very Roxie Hart motivations in every iteration: "And I love the audience. And the audience loves me for loving them. And I love the audience for loving me. And we just love each other. That's because none of us got enough love in our childhood."
Aaliyah died in a plane crash shortly after principal photography was completed but had not yet actually performed any ADR redubbing for her character. Michael Rymer called in Aaliyah's brother, Rashad Haughton, to help with overdubbing her voice following her death due to their similar voices, special vocal technology was also used to make his voice sound more feminine. Aaliyah was the first actor to be cast for the film. She was enthusiastic about taking the role due to her fascination with Egyptian mythology and also being a huge fan of vampire horror fiction. For the scenes of Lestat's concert in Death Valley, over 3,000 goths were recruited from Melbourne nightclubs and on the internet, then driven on a fleet of buses to a quarry in Werribee to act as extras. The singing voice of Lestat was supplied by Jonathan Davis of Korn. However due to contractual difficulties, Davis could not sing on the soundtrack album release. The five songs written by he and Richard Gibbs for the movie were then performed on the album by Marilyn Manson, Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, David Draiman of Disturbed, Wayne Static of Static-X and Jay Gordon of Orgy. Davis was still allowed to play several instruments on the album. Stuart Townsend took the role of Lestat after originally being cast as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) but was recast with Viggo Mortensen after four days of shooting because the filmmakers realized he was too young for the role. Stuart Townsend shares his name with a character from another Anne Rice novel, "The Witching Hour". Upon meeting Townsend, Rice handed him a copy of the book and instructed him to turn to a certain page number, whereupon was written "The Life of Stuart Townsend". Townsend was flattered that she had written him into her new book, until she told him that she had written it eleven years prior. The architecture of Aunt Maharet's house is based upon Angkor Wat, the stone temple located in Siem Reap, Cambodia. On the casting of Stuart Townsend as Lestat, Anne Rice stated "Everything I hear about the movie is good. Warner Bros. is extremely enthusiastic. They are working very hard to make it perfect. I have no real news. Let me repeat what I mentioned in a recent message. I met Stuart Townsend, the young man who is playing Lestat and he was absolutely charming. He had Lestat's excellent speaking voice and his feline grace. I cannot wait to see him in the film". Author of the novel Anne Rice considers this to be a terrible disappointment for her and for many of the readers as she believed it mutilated her own work. According to director Michael Rymer, all of the dialogue said by Jonathan Davis in his cameo as the ticket scalper who Jesse ( Marguerite Moreau ) runs into was all improvised on the spot and the amused reaction by Moreau is noticeably genuine. The film was posthumously released only 6 months after Aaliyah's death. The film is dedicated to her memory According to the time line from this film, Lestat was turned into a vampire in 1788. Louis states at the beginning of Interview with the Vampire (1994), that Lestat turned him in 1791, meaning Lestat had only been a vampire around three years before creating his new companion. Josh Hartnett, Heath Ledger, and Wes Bentley were all considered to replace Tom Cruise as Lestat after he declined to reprise his role. The concert scenes are set in Death Valley, California, but were actually filmed in Werribee, Australia. According to the director's commentary, the scene in which Marius ( Vincent Perez ) confronts David ( Paul McGann ) at the concert (at 1:05:30) saying, "Hello David," and then vanishing behind two passing people wasn't a special effect and was in fact Perez ducking out of the way. Aaliyah's second (and last) feature film following her role in Romeo Must Die (2000). The blood that Akasha has in her mouth is really cherry juice. The moment during the concert in Death Valley where the audience sings along with Lestat in ""Slept so long" was the extras' natural reaction and had not been planned by the filmmakers. While shooting the sequence, the extras had memorized the lyrics during the takes and had excitedly contributed by singing along, which pleasantly surprised director Michael Rymer who kept the improvisation in the film. The film was a subject of controversy due to inspiring a real life murder shortly after the film's theatrical release. In December 2002, Allan Menzies from West Lothian in Scotland murdered one of his friends. He claimed in court that it was Aaliyah's character "Queen Akasha" from the film that told him to do it. Akasha never actually attacks anyone by biting their neck. She either sets them on fire, rips their heart out, or bites another area of their body. Tom Cruise was initially asked to return in the role of Lestat, but he declined. Halle Berry, Jada Pinkett Smith, Samantha Mumba, Jenna Dewan, Rosario Dawson, Vivica A. Fox and Vanessa Williams were rumored to be taking the role of Queen Akasha before Aaliyah was cast. No actors from the previous film Interview with the Vampire (1994) return to reprise their roles (not even archive footage is used). The fact that the night club "The Admiral's Arms" was a vampire bar "in the meat packing district" of London is an homage to the night club "Mother" which was a vampyre bar located in the meat packing district of New York City. The lyrics which Jesse quotes to the Talamasca concerning "The Admiral's Arms" are not in the actual song "Redeemer." This is because Jonathan Davis was adamant the song be able to stand on its own and not be tied only as a device for the movie. Singer Aimee Nash of The Black Ryder duo had a cameo as a vampire singer in the "Admiral's Arms" vampire nightclub although the majority of her footage was deleted (she is still visible in the background of the nightclub scene). Wes Bentley was originally cast as Lestat, but he dropped out. The song playing during the infamous rose petal sequence is "Change" by the rock band, Deftones, the first single off their third album. Deftones had previously appeared in and played music for The Crow: City of Angels (1996) before releasing their first album, which starred Vincent Perez in his first lead role in an American theatrical film. Aaliyah read texts by Oscar Wilde in a thick Egyptian accent during her audition which helped convince the producers to cast her. Anne Rice has stated that she has only seen the film once and does not intend to watch it again effectively meaning she has disowned the film. A scene was filmed in which Akasha takes Lestat around the world and has him bathed by two young women to show him the benefits of living like a ruler instead of hiding as a vampire which greatly affected him emotionally. However, the director considered this scene to be "too long-winded" and deleted it. Aaliyah described her character as "a bit evil but very regal." She prepared for two months to perfect her character and described it as "there was a lot to bring Akasha to life, but it was really a lot of fun." Cher auditioned for the role of Akasha. (at around 38 mins) When Jesse goes to the vampire club, the song "Excess" by Tricky can be heard playing. The song was previously used in another horror thriller called Thir13en Ghosts (2001). Actress Pia Miranda played the part of Jesse's roommate in a short scene although it was deleted during post-production (it is included on the DVD and Blu-ray release). Despite this her name still appears in the credits. Michael Petroni's first film screenplay. He would later screen-write The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010), The Rite (2011), The Book Thief (2013), and The Pope's Exorcist (2023) as well as write/create the series, Messiah (2020). The fight scene between Lestat and the vampires at the concert was originally more gruesome with footage being filmed of Lestat decapitating a vampire, showing its head rolling across the stage with blood dripping from its mouth. (at around 1h 35 mins) David (Paul McGann) says to Jesse, declining her offer, that he is too old to live forever. McGann plays another character that effectively lives forever in some fashion, the 8th Doctor on Doctor Who (2005). The image in the slideshow that Jesse shows the Talamusca which shows a human-like figure messily devouring an infant is "Saturn devouring his son," painted in 1820-23 by Spanish painter Francisco Goya, and is ironically unrelated to vampires. One of only a handful of Australian horror feature films which are vampire movies. These titles are: Thirst (1979), Bloodlust (1992), The Wicked (1987), Queen of the Damned (2002) and Daybreakers (2009). What We Do in the Shadows (2014) was from neighbouring nation New Zealand. Aaliyah gets top billing as the title character despite not appearing in the film until the 51 minute mark and having a total of 26 minutes of screen time. The moment where Lestat sternly tells David, "I think you wanted this back" while giving him his journal is Lestat reminding David that he is still alive and therefore still owns it but is allowing David to safeguard it for him since he can trust him to keep it safe in his collection. The line, "I'm much too old to live forever," that David tells Jesse at the ending is a reference to the fact that in the books, David eventually does become a vampire but only after he is magically restored to his youth. Jonathan Davis, Korn: (at around 56 mins) the composer appears as a ticket scalper trying to peddle tickets outside the concert.
Aaliyah had the makings of a Scream Queen after this film. She could have lead a horror franchise! Akasha in the Admiral's Arms almost makes up for the entire movie. I am excited to see who they cast as Akasha for the 3rd season of Interview with the Vampire; who ever it is, she has big shoes to fill!
@@GodsFaveSim she would be so good! For how terribly she was underutilized in the vampire diaries, she would KILL it as Akasha!!! Plus, she is a genre name that would be a great boost for the cast without people being like, “the show has big names now.” Now, my personal fan cast for Gabrielle… fresh off her time on HOTD, Eve best would be amazing!
I’ve been waiting over 20 years to hear someone talk about that sex scene in a way I can relate to. Absolutely “rewired” my young brain. That scene (and the whole movie) was a huge part of my bisexual awakening, so I will always love it for that despite all the corny lines and lack of plot.
When I'm watching this movie, I usually spend 3/4 of it angry that they have replaced Louis with Jessie in so many scenes. QOTD is full of iconic (and romantic!) loustat moments, and I hope Sam & Jacob will get to act them one day.
prior to Jacob and Sam becoming Louis and Lestat I watched this movie and Interview with the Vampire quite often, at least once a year. I haven't watched either since because I realized what was missing from them and that has ruined them for me. I even read Queen of the Damned in high school for the 1st time when the movie came out and still enjoyed it then but now it's like actually painful to me. I have to skip to the Aaliyah as Akasha scenes and leave it at that, it's the only part I can endure because Stewart Townsend has no correlation with Lestat, they should've named him something else.
I was an 18 year old baby goth when this movie came out who grew up reading IWTV and watching The Crow trilogies and I LOVED THIS MOVIE. this movie was so much fun to roast. Fire soundtrack. Aaliyah being an evil queen. Vincent Perez being our camp king. The Deftones for an Aaliyah love scene? GOT MY WHOLE LIFE.
It’s definitely a guilty pleasure lol. I still always find it funny that Jessie’s vampire transformation was just heavier eyeliner and a middle part, but I digress 😂
I watched this movie as a tween and was obsessed with Aaliyah as Akasha. Her performance and chemistry with Stuart Townsend blew my little mind. This is like a formative text for my burgeoning bisexuality. (This, Cruel Intentions, and The Mummy 1&2.) Plus the soundtrack is soooo good. They don’t do this like this anymore. Loved the video!
He is my favourite Lestat. Will always be. I can't feel for any other the way I feel for his. It is simply beyond say. Sam Reid is undoubtedly amazing as Lestat, and I like his version a lot, he is high up there. But Stuart. Beyond say. I cannot decribe it, I cannot explain it, but he drives me crazy. 🔥❤
Just to let you know, the reason in the books the vampires decided to take Akasha out was not because she was a strong, powerful black woman, but because she decided to annihilate the entire male population of earth. She wanted to make Lestat her partner in her mission to kill every male in the world, except for a few for breading purposes. She was mad. She was a monster in human life, and a monster as a vampire. It's strange that a woman who ordered the torture and violation of the red haired sisters in front of her court, would then later condemn the whole male sex as monsters worthy of annihilation.
I think she wasn't serious about that and was joking as she wasn't referencing the literature. She's only projecting what the film is showing the audience without giving the audience any context. Exactly what you posted, was not delivered onto the big screen for context.
I loved this movie when I was younger and deep into gothic culture. To be fair, I wasn't much of a critic back then + I haven't read the books, so it was okay. Today, it's my guilty pleasure movie. I know it's bad, but I still rewatch it occasionally. I do think they nailed it with the soundtracks.
I have such a soft spot for this movie! 🤪 I mean, I'll be honest, when it first came out when I was like 29, I was a bit WTF, having read the books (and had been a HUGE Anne Rice nerd), and I had trouble reconciling all the MANY changes they made to the story, especially mashing TVL and QOTD together into one film, cutting out SO MUCH STORY. BUT I've since come to love it for the HOT MESS that it is. I think if you divorce it from the source material, focus on the campy aspects and the soundtrack, it's actually quite fun! Plus, the vampire-loving goth in me can't deny the aesthetics in this film are AMAZING! As you mentioned there's the great bits with the 'Cabinet of Doctor Caligari' (SUCH A GOOD FILM!) visual references in the music video, but also the awesome looking punks at the Admiral's Arms and just SO MUCH MESH CLOTHING. My fave character in the film is probably David, but then as a big Doctor Who nerd, I'm ALWAYS excited about Paul McGann (plus, David had been one of my faves from the books). I also love Vincent Perez's SUPER campy performance as Marius (who is a very important character in the books and Armand's sire, as mentioned in the IWTV show) -- he cracks me up almost every time he's on screen. And Aaliyah seemed to be having the GREATEST time. I honestly didn't know much about her when it came out, aside from the news of her passing around that same time, but she was sooo good as Akasha! On the downside, I really didn't love Jessie and didn't care too much about her plot in the story (then again, I don't remember liking her in the book either -- she's kinda boring?). The attempt to 'straighten' Lestat's sexuality was...odd at best (I mean, the violin thing was about Nicolas, not some random girl he met with Marius). Having a lot of important vampires on screen, but not giving them any context for the audience was also...a choice. (Hell, even Armand shows up at the concert and at the end, but you'd not know it unless you looked at the cast list). ANYWAY, it's still a good time. Not Oscar-worthy, of course, but a fun fluffy candy film, nonetheless! 😃
I like it because Rowland S. Howard is in it for five seconds. But his song is on the deleted scenes on the DVD. I love the Birthday Party and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds so it is great to see him there. So, I like it for post punk goth reasons, not so much Nu Metal ones. I had a friend that was a goth extra and they took the time to herd a lot of the real gothic subculture into the concert scenes. I also like the black and white Dr. Caligari inspired video. :) 7:17 You are pointing it out now…super cool…thanks! I also liked Jesse’s coat and her cute hair buns. It’s definitely got a vibe! I also feel if the Queen of the Damned is in the TV series, that actor has some pretty big shoes to fill. RIP. :(
Loved this movie as a youngin' I remember watching the bloopers/outtakes repeatedly. Seeing Aaliyah and Stuart Townsend cracking up during their love scene always makes me smile.
I was in my teens when i found The Vampire Chronicles. I saw the movie Interview With the Vampire first and that lead me to the chronicles. I love them, even though i kinda make a separation once Lestat stops being the main narrator. I think the last one i read was Blackwood Farm, was that the title? i might have it wrong and too lazy to Google. But it's when she started to bring the Mayfair witches into the mix. U kno Anne Rice stopped writing vampire books for a while, then came back to a story w/ Lestat. I tried to get back into it but just wasn't resonating like it did when i was younger. I think they were such an eye opener for me when i was young. they opened my mind to everything i didnt have in my life at the time, which was a sense of it was ok to not b like everyone else, how lonely and isolating that can b and how morality can b used as a weapon. This is also the time i discovered Oscar Wilde. To this day Lestat is like my favorite fictional character. I named my husky after him, and i love my little moster. I haven't seen the new Interview with the Vampire show, i think im afraid to b disappointed. This movie! I anticipated it for so long and the disappointment after i saw it. I agree, Aaliyah was the standout, i loved her, the music and the costumes. So i think if i think of it as a stand alone project, its still not great but at least it doesnt make me angry of what they did to my boy Lestat. The whole soundtrack i still bop too and i still regret i missed out on Jon Davis performing the songs on a little tour he did a few years back, that must have been amazing. Ok, ill stop...
I love Queen of the Damned. I watch it every few years. Not too long ago it was streaming for free on one of those channels like Tubi. Maybe the rights are more expensive now that Interview did really well with season 2? When I saw it for the first time I knew nothing about the Vampire Chronicles so I watched it as just a corny supernatural flick. Obviously seeing Aliyah as Akasha blew my mind and I think it's just a fun romp. Now having knowledge of the source material I still view it as a fun fanfiction/alternate universe take on the characters but I understand why die hard fans at the time would have been super pissed off by this adaptation lolll especially the weird choices they made for Lestat and Marius.
Not enough Aaliyah…. 😢 Me learning that this is your *ahem* awakening movie is not a surprise… I, too, had similar… reactions! 😭😭😭 Jesse was the original dummy.
@@psychedelicpegasus7587 Maybe multiple articles got it wrong, but I definitely read it was Louis they wanted to cast Cher for. Anne Rice considered swapping out Louis because a heterosexual romance could actually get the movie made, but I think she was far too attached to Lestat to ever consider changing him that much.
Oh grand, you must be right then. Since Lestat was partly based on her husband Stan Rice, having Cher play Louis (Anne in her grief) could have actually worked. I'm glad they didn't go that way, but it's interesting to imagine. I read she wanted Rutger Hauer to play Lestat when she saw him in Blade Runner, but he had aged out of the role for the 1994 film.
As a person, who haven’t read TVL and QOTD, I think I would enjoy this movie much more if Heath Ledger was in it. Steward Townsend was giving creepy vibes to me.
I LOVE your chair! Can you share the details. I may not be able to purchase it but they may have something similar. Lol. I truly enjoy your reviews, especially of IWTV. I have to rewatch the reviews until season 3 comes out.
QotD held a special place in my heart as a kid. To this day I can’t be too harsh on it tho I’m ecstatic about the upcoming IWTV QotD era. I remember buying the soundtrack and immediately upon listening going ‘The fuck is this?!?’ lol but I did eventually track down JD version and came to appreciate the covers. Aaliyah was the beating heart of this film. RIP Queen.
Yeah it was weird that they didn't explain that if they kill Akasha they will ALL die since they all come from her. Without this little detail it had zero stakes and the significance of Maharet's sacrifice (in this movie) kind of fell flat.
This movie is nothing like the book and a betrayal of the source material in many ways. But it is also so bad that it is good, and I can’t bring myself to be mad at it 😂
that's how I felt. I saw this movie first and then I watched interview with a vampire and now I'm listening to the audiobooks but still love the movies as they are, plus the soundtrack is my religion. I fell in love with Aaliyah our queen and only queen and the actor Lestat because of his gothic dead look arrogant he had going on. I am liking the books and am accepting the TV show with Sam Reid's, but they have to keep up with Aaliyah or I won't be able to watch it. ill just watch a person review the eps and react to it lol
Yes! Sometimes you just want to watch something to have a good time 😂 this just makes me more excited to see who they cast as Akasha in the show! Aaliyah was so talented ❤ but woah, I didn't know that Heath Ledger could have been cast as Lestat 🤯
I came here to support! Happy to find another like meeeeeee. Now let me go watch this movie again so I can be well equipped to listen n have a valid opinion 😂
I thought I was the only 1 who LIVED 🙌🏾 for that "BITCH 😒 . . ." look Akasha shot Jesse when Jesse DARED 2 speak when not spoken to 😆! And what made it MORE disrespectful to Akasha was the fact that Jesse didn't even address her 1st & just spoke to Lestat like she wasn't standing there. It's like when somebody like your significant other, sees y'all together in a way that makes it obvious y'all are an item, & they PURPOSELY ignore you & not only acknowledge just your significant other, but FLIRTS with them right in your presence! But on another note, that look Akasha gives Lestat to save her in her last moments is reminiscent of the look Claudia gives Lestat in her final moments ⚰ in season 2 episode 7 of IWTV. And he failed both of them --- MISERABLY. But, yes . . . Aaliyah was THE ONLY bright light in this movie. Outside of her performance, I like the movie for the atmosphere it created visually. I don't know what kind of filter they used for the cinematography, but it really added to the mysterious/ creepy factor that was present in a few other 90s/early 2000 films a la the remake of "The Houss on Haunted Hill" with Taye Diggs & Ali Larter. It really added something to the showdown scene with Akasha & her "children." On Aaliyah's golden skin especially, it made her look REALLY otherworldly & ethereal. I want them to sell a Queen of the Damned dvd 📀 that features NOTHING BUT THE LAST 20 MINUTES OF THE MOVIE beginning with the scene where she 1st appears awakened in the vampire bar. They can leave the whole 50 mins of film b4 she enters on the cutting room floor for all I care!
Why wasn’t Akasha able to hear Jessie’s heart still beating? Why would she open herself up to be vulnerable around a bunch of her enemies? And how long do we think Lestat and Jessie lasted? 😂
No cause EXACTLY! Is this movie good? No. Is it in any way true to the books. Nah. But do I have a blast watching it? Absolutely 🙂↕️🙂↕️ it gets high scores just for the soundtrack alone 🙂↕️
Aaliyah as Akasha was PHENOMENAL!!!🦇🖤🦇 In retrospect Claudia and Akasha would have gotten along
I think so too!! 🥹
@@culturekitschI realize the writers of the show never seriously considered letting Claudia survive, but it would have been SO amazing for her to become Akasha’s consort instead of Lestat.
@@tinymxnticore And after how ALL the men in her life did her dirty, Claudia would have been SO DOWN with Akasha's Matriarchal-run world!!
@@dominiquedevereux7205 It would be an incredible arc in so many ways.
First of all, Akasha is not just the Queen of the Damned, she’s literally one of the first. She has real answers about the origins of vampires, the culmination of all Claudia had been seeking out for so much of her life. Secondly, Akasha recognizing Claudia’s potential as a vampire would be an amazing Fuck You to Armand, the Coven, and even Lestat…anyone who tried to make her seem small or fragile or broken. Being with Akasha would empower her, but only as long as she served the Queen of the Damned. Eventually I think she would recognize Akasha’s cruelty as a reflection of the abuse she suffered from her maker and turn on her just like she went against Lestat (and Lestat turned on Akasha in the books).
I’m starting to realize I need someone to write a fanfic where Lestat saves her instead of Louis, and if no one will I’ll have to write it myself.
@@tinymxnticore I'll sho'nuff read it 😃!! Yes. That would be SO poetic if Claudia became Akasha's right-hand woman & Santiago had to serve under her. However --- as you mentioned --- no 1 will remain loyal to Akasha forever cuz she HERSELF shows no loyalty. If she kylled her own consort --- King Enkil --- who WOULDN'T she turn on? Lestat knew this & that's why he turned in her cuz he knew as a male in the mostly female utopian society Akasha attempted to create, it was only a matter of time b4 she found his masculinity toxic & then she'd be "burying him in the backyard 🪦" with Enkil so2speak .
Lestat has very Roxie Hart motivations in every iteration:
"And I love the audience. And the audience loves me for loving them. And I love the audience for loving me. And we just love each other. That's because none of us got enough love in our childhood."
THE SOUNDTRACK IS EVERYTHING
Aaliyah died in a plane crash shortly after principal photography was completed but had not yet actually performed any ADR redubbing for her character. Michael Rymer called in Aaliyah's brother, Rashad Haughton, to help with overdubbing her voice following her death due to their similar voices, special vocal technology was also used to make his voice sound more feminine.
Aaliyah was the first actor to be cast for the film. She was enthusiastic about taking the role due to her fascination with Egyptian mythology and also being a huge fan of vampire horror fiction.
For the scenes of Lestat's concert in Death Valley, over 3,000 goths were recruited from Melbourne nightclubs and on the internet, then driven on a fleet of buses to a quarry in Werribee to act as extras.
The singing voice of Lestat was supplied by Jonathan Davis of Korn. However due to contractual difficulties, Davis could not sing on the soundtrack album release. The five songs written by he and Richard Gibbs for the movie were then performed on the album by Marilyn Manson, Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, David Draiman of Disturbed, Wayne Static of Static-X and Jay Gordon of Orgy. Davis was still allowed to play several instruments on the album.
Stuart Townsend took the role of Lestat after originally being cast as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) but was recast with Viggo Mortensen after four days of shooting because the filmmakers realized he was too young for the role.
Stuart Townsend shares his name with a character from another Anne Rice novel, "The Witching Hour". Upon meeting Townsend, Rice handed him a copy of the book and instructed him to turn to a certain page number, whereupon was written "The Life of Stuart Townsend". Townsend was flattered that she had written him into her new book, until she told him that she had written it eleven years prior.
The architecture of Aunt Maharet's house is based upon Angkor Wat, the stone temple located in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
On the casting of Stuart Townsend as Lestat, Anne Rice stated "Everything I hear about the movie is good. Warner Bros. is extremely enthusiastic. They are working very hard to make it perfect. I have no real news. Let me repeat what I mentioned in a recent message. I met Stuart Townsend, the young man who is playing Lestat and he was absolutely charming. He had Lestat's excellent speaking voice and his feline grace. I cannot wait to see him in the film".
Author of the novel Anne Rice considers this to be a terrible disappointment for her and for many of the readers as she believed it mutilated her own work.
According to director Michael Rymer, all of the dialogue said by Jonathan Davis in his cameo as the ticket scalper who Jesse ( Marguerite Moreau ) runs into was all improvised on the spot and the amused reaction by Moreau is noticeably genuine.
The film was posthumously released only 6 months after Aaliyah's death. The film is dedicated to her memory
According to the time line from this film, Lestat was turned into a vampire in 1788. Louis states at the beginning of Interview with the Vampire (1994), that Lestat turned him in 1791, meaning Lestat had only been a vampire around three years before creating his new companion.
Josh Hartnett, Heath Ledger, and Wes Bentley were all considered to replace Tom Cruise as Lestat after he declined to reprise his role.
The concert scenes are set in Death Valley, California, but were actually filmed in Werribee, Australia.
According to the director's commentary, the scene in which Marius ( Vincent Perez ) confronts David ( Paul McGann ) at the concert (at 1:05:30) saying, "Hello David," and then vanishing behind two passing people wasn't a special effect and was in fact Perez ducking out of the way.
Aaliyah's second (and last) feature film following her role in Romeo Must Die (2000).
The blood that Akasha has in her mouth is really cherry juice.
The moment during the concert in Death Valley where the audience sings along with Lestat in ""Slept so long" was the extras' natural reaction and had not been planned by the filmmakers. While shooting the sequence, the extras had memorized the lyrics during the takes and had excitedly contributed by singing along, which pleasantly surprised director Michael Rymer who kept the improvisation in the film.
The film was a subject of controversy due to inspiring a real life murder shortly after the film's theatrical release. In December 2002, Allan Menzies from West Lothian in Scotland murdered one of his friends. He claimed in court that it was Aaliyah's character "Queen Akasha" from the film that told him to do it.
Akasha never actually attacks anyone by biting their neck. She either sets them on fire, rips their heart out, or bites another area of their body.
Tom Cruise was initially asked to return in the role of Lestat, but he declined.
Halle Berry, Jada Pinkett Smith, Samantha Mumba, Jenna Dewan, Rosario Dawson, Vivica A. Fox and Vanessa Williams were rumored to be taking the role of Queen Akasha before Aaliyah was cast.
No actors from the previous film Interview with the Vampire (1994) return to reprise their roles (not even archive footage is used).
The fact that the night club "The Admiral's Arms" was a vampire bar "in the meat packing district" of London is an homage to the night club "Mother" which was a vampyre bar located in the meat packing district of New York City.
The lyrics which Jesse quotes to the Talamasca concerning "The Admiral's Arms" are not in the actual song "Redeemer." This is because Jonathan Davis was adamant the song be able to stand on its own and not be tied only as a device for the movie.
Singer Aimee Nash of The Black Ryder duo had a cameo as a vampire singer in the "Admiral's Arms" vampire nightclub although the majority of her footage was deleted (she is still visible in the background of the nightclub scene).
Wes Bentley was originally cast as Lestat, but he dropped out.
The song playing during the infamous rose petal sequence is "Change" by the rock band, Deftones, the first single off their third album. Deftones had previously appeared in and played music for The Crow: City of Angels (1996) before releasing their first album, which starred Vincent Perez in his first lead role in an American theatrical film.
Aaliyah read texts by Oscar Wilde in a thick Egyptian accent during her audition which helped convince the producers to cast her.
Anne Rice has stated that she has only seen the film once and does not intend to watch it again effectively meaning she has disowned the film.
A scene was filmed in which Akasha takes Lestat around the world and has him bathed by two young women to show him the benefits of living like a ruler instead of hiding as a vampire which greatly affected him emotionally. However, the director considered this scene to be "too long-winded" and deleted it.
Aaliyah described her character as "a bit evil but very regal." She prepared for two months to perfect her character and described it as "there was a lot to bring Akasha to life, but it was really a lot of fun."
Cher auditioned for the role of Akasha.
(at around 38 mins) When Jesse goes to the vampire club, the song "Excess" by Tricky can be heard playing. The song was previously used in another horror thriller called Thir13en Ghosts (2001).
Actress Pia Miranda played the part of Jesse's roommate in a short scene although it was deleted during post-production (it is included on the DVD and Blu-ray release). Despite this her name still appears in the credits.
Michael Petroni's first film screenplay. He would later screen-write The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010), The Rite (2011), The Book Thief (2013), and The Pope's Exorcist (2023) as well as write/create the series, Messiah (2020).
The fight scene between Lestat and the vampires at the concert was originally more gruesome with footage being filmed of Lestat decapitating a vampire, showing its head rolling across the stage with blood dripping from its mouth.
(at around 1h 35 mins) David (Paul McGann) says to Jesse, declining her offer, that he is too old to live forever. McGann plays another character that effectively lives forever in some fashion, the 8th Doctor on Doctor Who (2005).
The image in the slideshow that Jesse shows the Talamusca which shows a human-like figure messily devouring an infant is "Saturn devouring his son," painted in 1820-23 by Spanish painter Francisco Goya, and is ironically unrelated to vampires.
One of only a handful of Australian horror feature films which are vampire movies. These titles are: Thirst (1979), Bloodlust (1992), The Wicked (1987), Queen of the Damned (2002) and Daybreakers (2009). What We Do in the Shadows (2014) was from neighbouring nation New Zealand.
Aaliyah gets top billing as the title character despite not appearing in the film until the 51 minute mark and having a total of 26 minutes of screen time.
The moment where Lestat sternly tells David, "I think you wanted this back" while giving him his journal is Lestat reminding David that he is still alive and therefore still owns it but is allowing David to safeguard it for him since he can trust him to keep it safe in his collection.
The line, "I'm much too old to live forever," that David tells Jesse at the ending is a reference to the fact that in the books, David eventually does become a vampire but only after he is magically restored to his youth.
Jonathan Davis, Korn: (at around 56 mins) the composer appears as a ticket scalper trying to peddle tickets outside the concert.
Aaliyah had the makings of a Scream Queen after this film. She could have lead a horror franchise! Akasha in the Admiral's Arms almost makes up for the entire movie. I am excited to see who they cast as Akasha for the 3rd season of Interview with the Vampire; who ever it is, she has big shoes to fill!
Kat Graham would be a great choice for Interview With A Vampire season 3.
@@GodsFaveSim she would be so good! For how terribly she was underutilized in the vampire diaries, she would KILL it as Akasha!!! Plus, she is a genre name that would be a great boost for the cast without people being like, “the show has big names now.” Now, my personal fan cast for Gabrielle… fresh off her time on HOTD, Eve best would be amazing!
Was it good? No. Was it a whole vibe full of hot people in mesh shirts? Yes, it was 👍
Just herding all those Australia goths is something.
It’s got The Crow: City of Angels vibes for sure.
I’ve been waiting over 20 years to hear someone talk about that sex scene in a way I can relate to. Absolutely “rewired” my young brain. That scene (and the whole movie) was a huge part of my bisexual awakening, so I will always love it for that despite all the corny lines and lack of plot.
When I'm watching this movie, I usually spend 3/4 of it angry that they have replaced Louis with Jessie in so many scenes. QOTD is full of iconic (and romantic!) loustat moments, and I hope Sam & Jacob will get to act them one day.
prior to Jacob and Sam becoming Louis and Lestat I watched this movie and Interview with the Vampire quite often, at least once a year. I haven't watched either since because I realized what was missing from them and that has ruined them for me. I even read Queen of the Damned in high school for the 1st time when the movie came out and still enjoyed it then but now it's like actually painful to me.
I have to skip to the Aaliyah as Akasha scenes and leave it at that, it's the only part I can endure because Stewart Townsend has no correlation with Lestat, they should've named him something else.
Oh, I remember watching this movies as a baby goth. It had a serious grip on me
I was an 18 year old baby goth when this movie came out who grew up reading IWTV and watching The Crow trilogies and I LOVED THIS MOVIE. this movie was so much fun to roast. Fire soundtrack. Aaliyah being an evil queen. Vincent Perez being our camp king. The Deftones for an Aaliyah love scene? GOT MY WHOLE LIFE.
It’s definitely a guilty pleasure lol. I still always find it funny that Jessie’s vampire transformation was just heavier eyeliner and a middle part, but I digress 😂
All it takes to be a vampire is a Smokey eye and a flat iron apparently 😂
I watched this movie as a tween and was obsessed with Aaliyah as Akasha. Her performance and chemistry with Stuart Townsend blew my little mind. This is like a formative text for my burgeoning bisexuality. (This, Cruel Intentions, and The Mummy 1&2.) Plus the soundtrack is soooo good. They don’t do this like this anymore. Loved the video!
Same same same
He is my favourite Lestat. Will always be. I can't feel for any other the way I feel for his. It is simply beyond say. Sam Reid is undoubtedly amazing as Lestat, and I like his version a lot, he is high up there. But Stuart. Beyond say. I cannot decribe it, I cannot explain it, but he drives me crazy. 🔥❤
I am a Stuart Townsend apologist. But I like him as Lestat and Dorian Grey in League of Extraordinary Gentleman. I may die on this hill. :/
I like him as Lestat too. I like this version😅
Just to let you know, the reason in the books the vampires decided to take Akasha out was not because she was a strong, powerful black woman, but because she decided to annihilate the entire male population of earth. She wanted to make Lestat her partner in her mission to kill every male in the world, except for a few for breading purposes. She was mad. She was a monster in human life, and a monster as a vampire. It's strange that a woman who ordered the torture and violation of the red haired sisters in front of her court, would then later condemn the whole male sex as monsters worthy of annihilation.
I think she wasn't serious about that and was joking as she wasn't referencing the literature. She's only projecting what the film is showing the audience without giving the audience any context. Exactly what you posted, was not delivered onto the big screen for context.
@@bluevegas01 that's true. That's why I started my comment with "just to let you know".
I watched for the first time recently, It's bad, BUT... Aaliyah is amazing in it, she's great.
Her movements are so liquid, it’s amazing. You should listen to the commentary on the DVD.
I loved this movie when I was younger and deep into gothic culture. To be fair, I wasn't much of a critic back then + I haven't read the books, so it was okay.
Today, it's my guilty pleasure movie. I know it's bad, but I still rewatch it occasionally. I do think they nailed it with the soundtracks.
I have such a soft spot for this movie! 🤪
I mean, I'll be honest, when it first came out when I was like 29, I was a bit WTF, having read the books (and had been a HUGE Anne Rice nerd), and I had trouble reconciling all the MANY changes they made to the story, especially mashing TVL and QOTD together into one film, cutting out SO MUCH STORY.
BUT I've since come to love it for the HOT MESS that it is. I think if you divorce it from the source material, focus on the campy aspects and the soundtrack, it's actually quite fun! Plus, the vampire-loving goth in me can't deny the aesthetics in this film are AMAZING! As you mentioned there's the great bits with the 'Cabinet of Doctor Caligari' (SUCH A GOOD FILM!) visual references in the music video, but also the awesome looking punks at the Admiral's Arms and just SO MUCH MESH CLOTHING.
My fave character in the film is probably David, but then as a big Doctor Who nerd, I'm ALWAYS excited about Paul McGann (plus, David had been one of my faves from the books). I also love Vincent Perez's SUPER campy performance as Marius (who is a very important character in the books and Armand's sire, as mentioned in the IWTV show) -- he cracks me up almost every time he's on screen. And Aaliyah seemed to be having the GREATEST time. I honestly didn't know much about her when it came out, aside from the news of her passing around that same time, but she was sooo good as Akasha!
On the downside, I really didn't love Jessie and didn't care too much about her plot in the story (then again, I don't remember liking her in the book either -- she's kinda boring?). The attempt to 'straighten' Lestat's sexuality was...odd at best (I mean, the violin thing was about Nicolas, not some random girl he met with Marius). Having a lot of important vampires on screen, but not giving them any context for the audience was also...a choice. (Hell, even Armand shows up at the concert and at the end, but you'd not know it unless you looked at the cast list).
ANYWAY, it's still a good time. Not Oscar-worthy, of course, but a fun fluffy candy film, nonetheless! 😃
It took me a minute but I grew to love QOTD! I loved 1994’s IWTV and Tom’s portrayal of Lestat. ST is hot so I grew to like him and the movie!
He is great as Dorian Grey in League of Extraordinary Gentle as well.
Aaliyah was the highlight of the movie. Everything else about it wasn't necessarily bad, it was just boring imo.
I like it because Rowland S. Howard is in it for five seconds. But his song is on the deleted scenes on the DVD. I love the Birthday Party and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds so it is great to see him there. So, I like it for post punk goth reasons, not so much Nu Metal ones. I had a friend that was a goth extra and they took the time to herd a lot of the real gothic subculture into the concert scenes. I also like the black and white Dr. Caligari inspired video. :) 7:17 You are pointing it out now…super cool…thanks! I also liked Jesse’s coat and her cute hair buns. It’s definitely got a vibe! I also feel if the Queen of the Damned is in the TV series, that actor has some pretty big shoes to fill. RIP. :(
Loved this movie as a youngin' I remember watching the bloopers/outtakes repeatedly. Seeing Aaliyah and Stuart Townsend cracking up during their love scene always makes me smile.
I was in my teens when i found The Vampire Chronicles. I saw the movie Interview With the Vampire first and that lead me to the chronicles. I love them, even though i kinda make a separation once Lestat stops being the main narrator. I think the last one i read was Blackwood Farm, was that the title? i might have it wrong and too lazy to Google. But it's when she started to bring the Mayfair witches into the mix. U kno Anne Rice stopped writing vampire books for a while, then came back to a story w/ Lestat. I tried to get back into it but just wasn't resonating like it did when i was younger. I think they were such an eye opener for me when i was young. they opened my mind to everything i didnt have in my life at the time, which was a sense of it was ok to not b like everyone else, how lonely and isolating that can b and how morality can b used as a weapon. This is also the time i discovered Oscar Wilde. To this day Lestat is like my favorite fictional character. I named my husky after him, and i love my little moster. I haven't seen the new Interview with the Vampire show, i think im afraid to b disappointed. This movie! I anticipated it for so long and the disappointment after i saw it. I agree, Aaliyah was the standout, i loved her, the music and the costumes. So i think if i think of it as a stand alone project, its still not great but at least it doesnt make me angry of what they did to my boy Lestat. The whole soundtrack i still bop too and i still regret i missed out on Jon Davis performing the songs on a little tour he did a few years back, that must have been amazing. Ok, ill stop...
I watched this as a kid not knowing how bad it was lmao but loved it, now I watch it randomly throughout the years because I still love it LMAO
This movie is all vibes for goths of the 00s.
watching this im pretty sure jesse was the protype for bella from twilight . like jesse walked so bella could run
I love Queen of the Damned. I watch it every few years. Not too long ago it was streaming for free on one of those channels like Tubi. Maybe the rights are more expensive now that Interview did really well with season 2? When I saw it for the first time I knew nothing about the Vampire Chronicles so I watched it as just a corny supernatural flick. Obviously seeing Aliyah as Akasha blew my mind and I think it's just a fun romp. Now having knowledge of the source material I still view it as a fun fanfiction/alternate universe take on the characters but I understand why die hard fans at the time would have been super pissed off by this adaptation lolll especially the weird choices they made for Lestat and Marius.
ohhh we’re so going to get this scene where akasha asks lestat to kill jesse but instead of jesse it’s going to be louis,
“he’s nothing to me”
I'm clutching my proverbial pearls. Lestat could never! 😮
Not enough Aaliyah…. 😢
Me learning that this is your *ahem* awakening movie is not a surprise… I, too, had similar… reactions! 😭😭😭
Jesse was the original dummy.
Cheeseeeee! Back as a teen and still Cheeseeeee now. Aliyah as Askasha beautiful. I wonder who could play Akasha today 🦇🦇
I love cheeeese.
Cher was considered for Louis and then considered for Akasha. Her range!! 🙌
I would like to see an alternative universe where she does both roles.
Cher was considered for Lestat.
@@psychedelicpegasus7587 Maybe multiple articles got it wrong, but I definitely read it was Louis they wanted to cast Cher for. Anne Rice considered swapping out Louis because a heterosexual romance could actually get the movie made, but I think she was far too attached to Lestat to ever consider changing him that much.
Oh grand, you must be right then. Since Lestat was partly based on her husband Stan Rice, having Cher play Louis (Anne in her grief) could have actually worked. I'm glad they didn't go that way, but it's interesting to imagine. I read she wanted Rutger Hauer to play Lestat when she saw him in Blade Runner, but he had aged out of the role for the 1994 film.
It is streaming on Stan in Australia for those of us down under.
It’s so terrible it circles back around to being wonderful
It’s so bad, it’s good.
As a person, who haven’t read TVL and QOTD, I think I would enjoy this movie much more if Heath Ledger was in it. Steward Townsend was giving creepy vibes to me.
To be fair, he was playing a vampire. He probably should be giving creepy vibes. I don't think I buy Heath Ledger as Lestat.
@@cullenarthur8879those were just creepy vibes, not creepy vampiric vibes. I love Gary Oldman’s Dracula and he’s freaky but it a good way.
I LOVE your chair! Can you share the details. I may not be able to purchase it but they may have something similar. Lol. I truly enjoy your reviews, especially of IWTV. I have to rewatch the reviews until season 3 comes out.
Thank you so much! I got it from Wayfair! It’s called the Yelina Upholstered Swivel Barrel Chair.
QotD held a special place in my heart as a kid. To this day I can’t be too harsh on it tho I’m ecstatic about the upcoming IWTV QotD era. I remember buying the soundtrack and immediately upon listening going ‘The fuck is this?!?’ lol but I did eventually track down JD version and came to appreciate the covers. Aaliyah was the beating heart of this film. RIP Queen.
WE COULD HAVE HAD HEATH LEDGER!?
Saw half of the film, and enjoyed it a lot.
Great review
Yeah it was weird that they didn't explain that if they kill Akasha they will ALL die since they all come from her. Without this little detail it had zero stakes and the significance of Maharet's sacrifice (in this movie) kind of fell flat.
This movie is nothing like the book and a betrayal of the source material in many ways. But it is also so bad that it is good, and I can’t bring myself to be mad at it 😂
that's how I felt. I saw this movie first and then I watched interview with a vampire and now I'm listening to the audiobooks but still love the movies as they are, plus the soundtrack is my religion. I fell in love with Aaliyah our queen and only queen and the actor Lestat because of his gothic dead look arrogant he had going on. I am liking the books and am accepting the TV show with Sam Reid's, but they have to keep up with Aaliyah or I won't be able to watch it. ill just watch a person review the eps and react to it lol
Yes! Sometimes you just want to watch something to have a good time 😂 this just makes me more excited to see who they cast as Akasha in the show! Aaliyah was so talented ❤ but woah, I didn't know that Heath Ledger could have been cast as Lestat 🤯
Aaliyah carried this movie on her back!!!!!!
I came here to support! Happy to find another like meeeeeee. Now let me go watch this movie again so I can be well equipped to listen n have a valid opinion 😂
Because I'm writing a vampire story, I watch the movie non-stop 😅😅😂😂
I've never seen the movie (cuz it looks bad) but I love hearing you gush about the scenes that shaped your brain 😆
My bisexual awakenining started with "I watched you chaaAaaAnge into a flllyyyyyyy"
I thought I was the only 1 who LIVED 🙌🏾 for that "BITCH 😒 . . ." look Akasha shot Jesse when Jesse DARED 2 speak when not spoken to 😆! And what made it MORE disrespectful to Akasha was the fact that Jesse didn't even address her 1st & just spoke to Lestat like she wasn't standing there. It's like when somebody like your significant other, sees y'all together in a way that makes it obvious y'all are an item, & they PURPOSELY ignore you & not only acknowledge just your significant other, but FLIRTS with them right in your presence!
But on another note, that look Akasha gives Lestat to save her in her last moments is reminiscent of the look Claudia gives Lestat in her final moments ⚰ in season 2 episode 7 of IWTV. And he failed both of them --- MISERABLY.
But, yes . . . Aaliyah was THE ONLY bright light in this movie. Outside of her performance, I like the movie for the atmosphere it created visually. I don't know what kind of filter they used for the cinematography, but it really added to the mysterious/ creepy factor that was present in a few other 90s/early 2000 films a la the remake of "The Houss on Haunted Hill" with Taye Diggs & Ali Larter. It really added something to the showdown scene with Akasha & her "children." On Aaliyah's golden skin especially, it made her look REALLY otherworldly & ethereal. I want them to sell a Queen of the Damned dvd 📀 that features NOTHING BUT THE LAST 20 MINUTES OF THE MOVIE beginning with the scene where she 1st appears awakened in the vampire bar. They can leave the whole 50 mins of film b4 she enters on the cutting room floor for all I care!
I recently watched it because I wanted to atleast get an idea of how S3 of IWTV will be like 😂😂,I don’t know man the only saving grace is just Aaliyah
I love your voice, and I watched this also cause of Aaliyah ❤.
It is streaming on stan i think it was.
It’s so bad it’s kinda good lol. Like so bad you don’t really have a choice but to enjoy it on some level.🤣
I know blade one and queen of the damned got me into vampires westly snipes and aaliyah hands down
Why wasn’t Akasha able to hear Jessie’s heart still beating? Why would she open herself up to be vulnerable around a bunch of her enemies? And how long do we think Lestat and Jessie lasted? 😂
Did Lestat and Jesse get together?
The soundtrack was fantastic
Yes, the movie rocked.
I loved this movie 🤣🤣🤣🤣 It was bad but everyone was hot so i didnt care 🤣🤣🤣🤣
The movie was terrible, Aaliyah was incredible ❤
Once more unto the breach, for the Algorithm
One more comment to another comment for the algorithm gods.
I love your channel and I love Aaliyah but Queen of the Damned wasn’t a good movie 😂
“White men w dreads” get me outta here
i love this terrible movie lol. it’s one of my comfort watches. idk why.
39:30 I actually like that Armand. :)
No cause EXACTLY! Is this movie good? No. Is it in any way true to the books. Nah. But do I have a blast watching it? Absolutely 🙂↕️🙂↕️ it gets high scores just for the soundtrack alone 🙂↕️