When I began watching Interview With A Vampire, the 2022 series, I noticed TGON hasn’t reviewed or touched much on the movie and show renditions of the famous Anne Rice novel. So, I sought to rectify that, and I may even read the book and review that here, too. If you missed my article on the series, you can find it here. As it said in the title, today I am reviewing the 1994 movie Interview With A Vampire.
The movie stars Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt as Lestat and Louis, respectively. Kirsten Dunst is Claudia, and Christian Slater is Daniel Malloy. Last but not least, we have Antonio Banderas as Armand. I would love for that Armand to bite me. Just a FIY, Armand has his own self-titled book in the Vampire Chronicles.
In the movie, Daniel Malloy followed Louis back to his apartment in 1994. When Louis starts his story, he goes back to 1791. We also make note of 1870 and 1988. In 1791, Louis was a 24-year-old plantation owner. Not long before, he had buried his wife and child. Lestat turns Louis after he says goodbye to the sun. Even as a newborn vampire, Louis didn’t like killing to feed, which was a point of contention between them.
Eventually they find and make Claudia and live together for decades. Claudia looks so sweet and innocent as a vampire, making it easy to kill for her. No one expects a child to be a monster, and she really was a child when she was made. Claudia frees herself and Louis from Lestat, and they make their way over to Europe in search of other vampires. That is where Armand finds Louis. Armand knew Lestat and was not a fan.
I remember being in love with Louis. I fantasized about being like him. I love that the vampires in this become their most beautiful. Even back when I first watched it, that appealed to me. I love how the vampires’ eyes look in this. I already said in my review of the series that Tom Cruise wasn’t my favorite Lestat, and it’s true. That being said, Tom certainly gets the absolute arrogance down. It’s downright grating. It is a surprise that they put the book into movie format. The book is Thick.
The wardrobe was so spectacular. I loved Claudia’s grown-up dresses. Lestat and Louis were dressed in their finest. Even Louis’s modern clothing was of good quality. Louis and Armand looked exceptionally debonair in their top hats and capes. The play scene, you’ll know it when you see it, is intense and has an entirely nude woman. It’s not shocking by today’s standards, but I just thought I would warn you.
At this point, I am heavily leaning toward reading the book. I would love to see the source of the inspiration. I know there is loads of material missing from the movie, and the series is good fan fiction and has changed details, so I can’t use that to fill in the blanks. If I read the book, would you be interested in a review? Let me know in the comments below.
I love this movie. If you watched the series but not the movie, I recommend you watch the film, it will show you what has changed with the show, so I think the show will be more complete. The series states that it is a retelling of the story. Check out where the story starts.
Have you watched the movie or the show? Or both? What are your thoughts on any or all of it? I am highly interested in learning about your views. I would be over the moon to have conversations about this. Let me know in the comments below. Until next time, have fun storming the castle!
