Rating: R
Genre:
Horror
Release Date: 06/06/2000
SubTitles: English/French/Espanol
Dubbed: English/French
Sound: DD5.1/DTS
Run Time: 122 Minutes
Flags: Violence, Sexual Situations
Distributor/Studio: Warner Home Video
Anne Rice's best-selling
romantic horror tale about the origins of a centuries-old vampire inspired this popular, atmospheric
chiller. One of director
Neil Jordan's major Hollywood productions, the film stays close to its source material, retaining the frame of a young reporter (
Christian Slater) interviewing a man who claims to be a 200-year-old vampire. The man,
Louis (
Brad Pitt), shares his story, beginning in 18th-century New Orleans with his first encounters with the charismatic and decadent vampire
Lestat (
Tom Cruise).
Lestat converts
Louis to blood-sucking and immortality, but
Louis fails to adopt
Lestat's cavalier attitude, instead tormenting himself with guilt over his new nature. The two vampires remain deeply, if reluctantly, connected over the years, while becoming intimately involved with others of their kind, including
Claudia (
Kirsten Dunst), a mature immortal in a young child's body. Fans of the novel raised numerous objections, particularly after
Rice initially spoke out against the casting of
Cruise as
Lestat; further casting difficulties followed the death of
River Phoenix, whose role as the interviewer was assumed by
Christian Slater.
Rice later recanted her objections, and the combination of thrills and
gothic romance proved popular with audiences.
~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
;)
