Plot
The second and third novels in author Anne Rice's popular book series The Vampire Chronicles provide the inspiration for this horror sequel starring ill-fated actress and recording artist Aaliyah, who was killed in an airplane crash before the film's release. Stuart Townsend is the vampire Lestat, who has awakened from a century-long slumber and turned his considerable energy to rock music. His vampirism identity mistaken for a gothic hard rock publicity stunt along the lines of Kiss or Marilyn Manson, he quickly becomes a pop music sensation. Lestat's powerful music reaches the ear of the slumbering Akasha (Aaliyah), the millennia-old "queen of the vampires" who was the first immortal bloodsucker. Akasha is soon free and embarking on a quest to seize control of the world with Lestat at her side. In the meantime, Lestat becomes an object of fascination for Jesse Reeves (Marguerite Moreau), member of a secret order studying the supernatural called the Talamasca, and a band of ancient vampires come together in an effort to stop Akasha, even though her destruction could potentially cause their own deaths. Queen of the Damned co-stars Lena Olin and Vincent Perez. ~ Karl Williams, RoviReview
Although Interview With the Vampire is one of Anne Rice's most compelling novels and Queen of the Damned one of her most scattershot, this film adaptation of the latter still manages to be more entertaining by a factor of ten than Neil Jordan's hit version of the earlier book. That's because director/co-writer Michael Rymer, free from the demands of famous marquee names, manages to inject the material with a bit of self-conscious wit instead of translating Rice's mannered prose into dreary hand-wringing. With the late Aaliyah vamping and camping it up as ancient vampire queen Akasha and Stuart Townsend nailing Lestat de Lioncourt's mocking eyes and feline grace (if not his hair color), the film offers a surfeit of supernatural glamour. It helps that the script is an amalgam of Queen of the Damned and The Vampire Lestat, the much better book that preceded it in the series. Large and intriguing chunks of both novels had to be cut or compressed, but what remains is a fairly gripping yarn with just a few key characters, including Marius, an ancient Roman vampire played with sensual intensity by Vincent Perez. Unfortunately, Marguerite Moreau proves to be the cast's weakest link in the pivotal part of the film's lone human protagonist. In a succession of gothic costumes cheesy enough to rival the wardrobe of Alyson Hannigan's resident Wiccan on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Moreau drains several scenes of their pulpy vigor. But Townsend, Aaliyah, and Perez light up the screen, thanks, in part, to the striking set design, costumes, and special effects. Korn's Jonathan Davis may not have been every Rice fan's first choice to provide the music for the film's vampire-turned-rock-star setup, but the five songs he contributed are a lot more appropriate than the Guns N' Roses track that graced Interview. As for the climactic supernatural showdown, it may not be faithful to the source material, but it's a lot of fun. Aaliyah's tragic death may have lent the film's plot a morbid irony, but her charismatic performance helps make Queen of the Damned a guilty pleasure. ~ Brian J. Dillard, RoviCast
- Aaliyah - Queen Akasha
- Stuart Townsend - Lestat
- Vincent Perez - Marius
- Paul McGann - David Talbot
Credit
Colin Fletcher - Art Director, Tom Nursey - Art Director, Sean S. Cunningham - Animator, Gerry Nucifora - Boom Operator, Greg Apps - Casting, Kristy Sager - Casting, Richard Gibbs - Conductor, Channing Dungey - Co-producer, Frances D. Hogan - Costume Designer, Angus Strathie - Costume Designer, Julie Barton - Costume Designer, Kelly Foreman - Costume Designer, Yolande Robertson - Costume Designer, Tania Trusler - Costume Designer, Tara Ferrier - Continuity, Keith Heygate - First Assistant Director, Colin Fletcher - First Assistant Director, Paul Goldman - Director, Michael Rymer - Director, Paul Goldman - Second Unit Director, Dany Cooper - Editor, Su Armstrong - Executive Producer, Andrew Mason - Executive Producer, Bruce Berman - Executive Producer, Bill Gerber - Executive Producer, Eric Forman - Hair Styles, Kerry-Lee Jury - Hair Styles, Tim Scott - Location Manager, Richard Gibbs - Composer (Music Score), Jonathan Davis - Composer (Music Score), Frank Fitzpatrick - Musical Direction/Supervision, Rich Dickerson - Musical Direction/Supervision, Richard Gibbs - Songwriter, Jonathan Davis - Songwriter, Kylie O'Toole - Makeup, Bob McCarron - Makeup Special Effects, Brett Beecham - Makeup Special Effects, Rick Connelly - Makeup Special Effects, Gab Facchinei - Makeup Special Effects, Ada Johansen - Makeup Special Effects, Martin Rusard - Makeup Special Effects, Belinda Villani - Makeup Special Effects, Elka Wardega - Makeup Special Effects, Ian Jones - Camera Operator, Leigh Mackenzie - Camera Operator, Graham "Grace" Walker - Production Designer, Ian Baker - Cinematographer, Ian Jones - Cinematographer, Sue Mackay - Production Manager, Jorge Saralegui - Producer, Sophie Leclerc - Producer, David Lee - Production Sound, Brian Dusting - Set Designer, Michael Bell - Set Designer, Fiona Donovan - Set Designer, David Lee - Sound Mixer, Tim Walston - Sound/Sound Designer, Bernard Weiser - Sound Editor, Andy Peach - Sound Recordist, Robert Carr - Sound Recordist, Glenn Boswell - Stunts Coordinator, Brian Cox - Special Effects Supervisor, Sue Mackay - Unit Production Manager, Michael P. Byrne - Screenwriter, Michael Petroni - Screenwriter, Michael Rymer - Screenwriter, Scott Abbott - Screenwriter, Ian Jones - Second Unit Director Of Photography, Ian Jones - Additional Cinematography, Andrew Campbell - Production Assistant, Robert F. Phillips - Production Assistant, Brian Carpenter - Production Assistant, Kieran Kervin - Production Assistant, Pat Richards - Production Assistant, Samantha Stayner - Production Assistant, Gregory L. McMurray - Visual Effects Supervisor, Bryan Hirota - Visual Effects Supervisor, Gray Marshall - Visual Effects Supervisor, Steve Mann - Sound Effects Editor, Steve Nelson - Sound Effects Editor, Jay Nierenberg - Sound Effects Editor, Aaron D. Weisblatt - Sound Effects Editor, Joseph DiVitale - Sound Effects Editor, Gary Mundheim - Sound Effects Editor, Rocco Gioffre - Matte Artist, Michele Moen - Matte Artist, Ken Nakada - Matte Artist, Fiona Searson - Unit Publicist, Kurt E. Soderling - Aerial Photography, Joanne Baron - Dialogue Coach, D.W. Brown - Dialogue Coach, Harold Guskim - Dialogue Coach, Angalo Sartore - First Assistant Camera, Richard Allardice - Key Grip, Rob Hansford - Key Grip, Deborah Lanser - Makeup Supervisor, Jordan Corngold - Music Editor, Jack Schuster - Post Production Supervisor, Kate Thomson - Production Coordinator, Susie Wright - Production Coordinator, Jan Edwards - Properties Master, Terry Rodman - Re-Recording Mixer, Chris David - Re-Recording Mixer, Jo Weeks - Script Supervisor, Naomi Enfield - Second Assistant Director, Jennifer Leacey - Second Assistant Director, Jim Sheldon - Still Photographer, Terry Rodman - Supervising Sound Editor, Brian T. Best - Supervising Sound Editor, Leslie Oliver - Visual Effects Producer, Amy Hollywood Wixson - Visual Effects Producer, Melissa Brockman - Visual Effects Producer, Denise Davis - Visual Effects Producer, Sara Henschke - Visual Effects Producer, Kim Secrist - ADR Editor, Denise Horta - ADR Editor, Lisa J. Levine - ADR Editor, Marshall Winn - ADR Editor, Eric Thompson - ADR Mixer, Julie Pearce - ADR Recordist, Damien Drew - Assistant Art Director, Ross Hall - Assistant Costume Designer, Lex Martin - Assistant Chief Lighting Technician, Antony Tulloch - Assistant Chief Lighting Technician, Ben Lowe - Assistant Location Manager, Sandi Austin - Assistant Production Coordinator, Betty Parthimos - Assistant Production Coordinator, Bradley Clouse - Assistant Sound Editor, Bruce Barris - Assistant Sound Editor, Patrick Cicero - Assistant Sound Editor, William Cawley - Assistant Sound Editor, Chris Hansford - Best Boy Grip, Joe Vijangco - Casting Assistant, Karen Newman - Casting Assistant, Ian Dewhurst - Chief Lighting Technician, Nick Payne - Chief Lighting Technician, John Rann - Construction Coordinator, Stephanie Flack - Dialogue Editor, Bernard Weiser - Dialogue Editor, Mildred Iatrou Morgan - Dialogue Editor, Catherine M. Speakman - Dialogue Editor, Marshall Winn - Dialogue Editor, Glen Arrowsmith - Dolly Grip, Ian Slater - First Assistant Editor, David Birrell - First Assistant Editor, Sean Rowe - Foley Artist, Laura Macias - Foley Artist, Mandy Butler - Production Accountant, Fiona Landreth - Production Accountant, Ian Richter - Scenic Artist, Geoff Skilbeck - Second Assistant Camera, Jason Faulkner - Second Second Assistant Director, Marian Murray - Set Dresser, Rolland Pike - Set Dresser, Peter Savieri - Storyboard Artist, Rod Tokely - Storyboard Artist, Brendan Tolley - Storyboard Artist, Hammerhead Productions - Visual Effects, Manex Visual Effects - Visual Effects, Gray Matter FX - Visual Effects, Rising Sun Pictures - Visual Effects, Brian Dusting - Set Decorator, Anne Rice - Book Author, Anna D. Wilborn - Assistant Music Editor, Brian Hanable - Digital Effects Compositor| Queen of the Chorus (1928 Film), Queen of the Amazons (1947 Film) | |
| Queen of the Elephants (1994 Film), Queen of the Jungle [Serial] (1935 Film) |
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