MOVIE REVIEW
Introduction
I first discovered news of 'Queen of the Damned' on 27th February 2000. It was a time when everyone else seemed to know so little and I wanted to learn so much more. Indeed, I could find so little information about the film that, two weeks later, I launched my Queen of the Damned Movie Site. It was through this site that I set about following the making of the movie, passing comments throughout the entire production process while researching and recording every snippet of news I could find. It was the beginning of an obsession that continued for over 2 years, and is the topic of the following movie review where I reveal my opinions about the movie I had waited for for so long.
In the beginning, information about the production of 'Queen of the Damned' was extremely limited, but I was determined to find out as much as possible. My site was the only site online at the time that was completely dedicated to the film, and so I felt it was my duty to inform fellow fans of the progress of the movie. I posted news of early casting rumours, Australian location details and information about the concert shoot. I found an early copy of the script and posted it online for all to see. My 'news archives' can still be found on my website as a lasting memory of all those early discoveries.
'Queen of the Damned' was released on 22nd February 2002 in the US, and I was disappointed when I saw that the critic's reviews seemed rather negative. Indeed, after reaching number one box office status during opening weekend, interest seemed to quickly fade. However, fans had varied opinions. People started posting their reviews online with major spoilers and many described their thoughts scene by scene. It was for these reasons that, after reading a few reviews, I made the decision to stop, as I was determined to form my own opinion from my personal viewing of the film.
12th April 2002 was the day that I finally got to see the completed movie. After several changes of release date, 12th April was eventually confirmed as the film's opening day in the UK. The location was London's Leicester Square, and we chose a 9:40pm session at Warner West End Cinema. We'd pre-booked tickets, a group of fans had gathered, and I was full of excited anticipation as I sat back to enjoy my very first screening of 'Queen of the Damned'.
I thought I knew what to expect. I didn't. I'm not sure what happened to me, but the first time I saw this movie I was quite shocked. I had followed the progress of the film from the very early stages of its conception and so I considered myself to have done a significant amount of research to have some idea of what I would see. I had seen images and videos from the film and knew the music extremely well. I had studied two versions of the script but, while I knew what kinds of scenes to expect, I had no way of knowing which ones would make it to the final cut and how each of them would be played out onscreen.
Watching 'Queen of the Damned' for the first time was a surreal experience. I found myself studying it closely. I immediately recognised the Australian locations - the RMIT University in the press conference, the Portsea beach and Rippon Lea Estate. I was also familiar with the Los Angeles 'Fortress' mansion that doubled as Lestat's abode. I'd posted pictures and descriptions on my site, and I'd visited many of the Australian locations personally. I'd stood outside the 'vampire bar', walked down the 'vampire alley' and, of course, spent a whole night at the Death Valley Concert shoot. I recognised features, props, landscapes and was duly impressed by the way they'd been integrated into the film. However, on reflection, I realise that all this knowledge substantially distracted me from the film itself. My first viewing was somewhat of a spectacle, my feelings were all over the place with the excitement and anticipation of this one pivotal moment I'd been waiting for; to see the final cut of 'Queen of the Damned' for the very first time.
Walking out of the cinema was like emerging from a dream. I couldn't believe I'd actually seen it. I couldn't think straight. My mind was racing with so many images, thoughts and realisations. After all the months of continuous speculation, there was something about the finality of it all that created an unexpected response in me that I didn't quite know how to deal with. When people asked me what I thought of the film, I could only reply, "I don't know. I'm still forming an opinion." It was like reaching a crescendo of heightened anticipation and then inevitably descending back to reality to face the consequences of a deep and prolonged fixation. I didn't really know what to think or feel, and it wasn't until a second viewing that I was able to form any kind of coherent viewpoint about the movie.
I saw the film again on 16th April 2002, exactly one year to the day since I placed my final update on my Queen of the Damned Movie Site. I firmly believed it was necessary for me to attend a second screening so that I could form a more rounded view of the movie as a whole. The shock of the initial viewing had subsided enough for me to learn more. I then attended a third screening on 20th April in order that I could reach enough of an understanding of the movie to be able to write a substantial review which detailed what I really thought of the finished product. I couldn't write a rushed review - after all, this was a project I had been waiting to materialise for what seemed like an eternity...
Most of you know how passionate I've always been about 'Queen of the Damned', and it is for this reason that I feel quite a lot of pressure in writing this review. I know a lot of you are interested in what I have to say, so I shall do my best to give you my honest personal opinion. As was mentioned earlier, prior to watching the film, I tried to steer clear of the reviews from critics and fans alike. Sure, I read a few, but I did not want my opinions to be overly effected by the viewpoints of others.
And so we move on to the film itself…
Van's Review
Let's face it - 'Queen of the Damned' was never going to be a 'Vampire Chronicles' movie. Any fan expecting a faithful adaptation was always bound to be disappointed. The movie never intended to stay true to the books, and the film makers made a conscious decision that 'Queen of the Damned' would be very different from 'Interview With The Vampire'. The production had a brand new cast and crew, and Anne Rice had no involvement whatsoever. Therefore, it became clear to me from the beginning that this movie was going to be a whole new adventure.
I recognised the warning signs early on in production that this film was not going to the faithful adaptation that fellow fans had been eagerly anticipating. Ever since the successful release of 'Interview With The Vampire', many fans had been waiting for another film of a similar standard. However, I soon realised that this was not going to be the case, and so I spread the word that fans should not expect this film to be an accurate representation of the novels. I was fully aware of how much the 'Vampire Chronicles' meant to people, as I myself had been a fan of the books for 7 years. Therefore, when I realised the direction that the movie was set to take, I tried to stress to others the distinction between the books and the film. As far as I was concerned, the film was very much a completely separate project. Yes, Anne Rice's name may appear in the credits, but it was never her film. So many alterations were made to her material that they had managed to almost entirely change the scope and meaning of her words. Thus, I never considered 'Queen of the Damned' to be a 'sequel' of any kind, only a loose adaptation that made use of core elements of a complicated text and simplified them for what they hoped would be a smoother transition to the silver screen.
'Queen of the Damned' was always going to have a lighter tone and a less dramatic approach to the subject matter than its predecessor. The changes in the story reflected this, and we could see from my early version of the script what kind of direction the film was set to take. Characters were simplified and vampire history dramatically cut in order to enable two books to be refined into one film. 'The Vampire Lestat' and 'Queen of the Damned' were combined, thus taking the film into brand new cinematic territory where none of us could possibly predict the outcome.
In the beginning, the studio remained very quiet
about the project. Information was scarce and this lack of knowledge fuelled a great deal
of speculation. I remember the uproar among fans all too well. The combination of two
books into two hours was thought to be impossible. How were they going to put so much
information into one film? Simple - they had to cut a whole lot out and put a whole lot of
new alterations in. First came the story changes - Marius makes Lestat. Jesse falls for
Lestat. Maharet is the only twin. And then came the absence/alteration of the characters
themselves. No Louis? No Gabrielle? And no blonde hair for Lestat? Finally, there was the
issue of casting. What happened to Tom? Stuart Townsend - who's he? Aaliyah as Akasha -
how did that happen? And just what is this 'Mighty Ducks' actress doing playing Jesse?
Many people disagreed with the casting choices but I, as always, tried to keep an open
mind. I always intended the news on my site to be presented in an objective manner and
tried not to let my personal feelings interfere too much with I was reporting. However,
inevitably, such was my passion for the project that my thoughts and ideas did often
surface, whether I meant them too or not. I couldn't completely push my feelings towards
the 'Vampire Chronicles' aside, however much I wanted too. This was exactly the dilemma I
faced when I came to viewing the film itself for the very first time…
As a 'Vampire Chronicles' fan, I could have torn
the film apart. There were so many major alterations and gaping plot holes that I couldn't
help but automatically frown upon. For example, when David states matter-of-factly,
"Marius made Lestat", I found myself saying to myself, "No he didn't!"
The fan in me just wouldn't keep quiet, no matter how much I tried to silence it. Somehow,
I'd managed to cast all thoughts and images of 'Interview With the Vampire' aside, as I
had long ago accepted that this would be a completely different film. However, despite all
my preparation, the 'Vampire Chronicles' fan in me was struggling to judge the film on its
own merits rather than giving in to comparisons with the novels themselves. Luckily,
during my repeat viewings, I was better able to to judge the film for what it was, as had
always been my intention. However, the fan in me feels the need to rant for a couple of
paragraphs before moving on...
During my initial viewing of the film, I couldn't help but notice the nagging
inconsistencies that really made me cringe. In summary - Lestat walked in daylight. Akasha
walked through fire. Lestat's nails are long when he comes out of the coffin, but
miraculously neat and trimmed when playing the violin. And his voice! Lestat's accent was
ever-changing, as was the pronunciation of his name! (Why not get all the actors to
pronounce "Lestat" in the same way? Yes, accents can make a difference - but
just how many ways can Marius say the word Lestat?!)
And finally… something that really annoyed
me was the length of Lestat's hair in the rock videos. This may seem trivial, but to me it
was a noticeable inconsistency. In his music videos, Lestat's hair is short. But for the
rest of the film it's shoulder length. In the books, a vampire's hair stays the same
length, it does not grow and it cannot be cut as it will immediately grow back to the way
it was. I know that this is a direct reference to the novel. However, for arguments sake,
if Lestat's hair could grow in this film, the short hair still wouldn't make sense. When
he was made a vampire, his hair was exactly the same as it was throughout the rest of the
film (as was Marius's) which seemed to suggest that they were staying true to the books in
that sense. However, since his hair was short in the videos, this suggests his hair could
change length, and this means that Lestat would have awoken from his tomb, risen to rock
star status, cut his hair for the videos and then grown it back in time for the concert?
Now, on the production side of things, I understand that the videos for 'Redeemer',
'System' and 'Forsaken' were shot a week before filming at a time when they still hadn't
decided on the issue of Stuart's hair. When I saw the resulting music videos online, I was
very impressed. However, I had no idea they would be used so prominently in the movie. I
assumed they would perhaps be played on small television screens within the film, but to
see the 'Forsaken' video sprawled across the opening credits with Stuart's hair shorter
than ever was an unexpected surprise!]
But hey, just when I begin to get confused with it all, I suddenly remember that I'm supposed to put all references to the books aside and remind myself that this is a separate project. I suppose the initial screening just stirred up so many thoughts and emotions in me that I couldn't possibly think objectively! However, once all the excitment had calmed down, I felt I could begin to see things more from an outsider's point of view, and this will become apparent later on in my review. Although it was inevitable that the fan in me would surface from time to time, I felt I did manage to be more open-minded throughout my repeat viewings of the movie, and so I shall try my best to base the rest of this review on the qualities of the film - judged for what it is, as it should be.
Acting
'Queen of the Damned' is supposed to be set in
England and America, but the fact that filming was done in and around Melbourne meant
that, inevitably, all the extras and many of the minor roles would be filled by Australian
actors. As an Australian, I have to be honest and say how painfully obvious some of the
Australian accents were in this film! However, it was something that I didn't let distract
me, and they probably weren't as noticeable as I thought. I suppose what primarily
distracted me were the opening scenes of the movie...
Again, I have to be honest and say that I felt the press conference scene was poor. The
dialogue wasn't realistic and, out of the many dozens of journalists in the room, only
four got to speak, two of them more than once. I have to admit I smiled when I saw
real-life Aussie journalist Andrew L. Urban portraying one of the more talkative members
of the press, and it appears he had fun in the role. However, the Australian actors in
Lestat's band didn't fare so well. I had high hopes for the band members, as they all
certainly looked the part. Unfortunately, the young actors appeared out of their depth on
camera, probably due to their poor dialogue (or lack of it), a factor which was out of
thier control. Most notable was the scene where Lestat first encounters the band and the
bald headed drummer says in the most unconvincing way possible, "Who the hell are
you, man?" This scene seemed rushed, probably no more than a few takes were filmed,
and I think it could have been a lot more refined to achieve a more flattering
introduction of both the band and the irrepressible vampire Lestat.
On the contrary, I loved Tiriel Mora in the role of band manager, Roger Smythe! I recognised this actor from Australian television and I'd always thought he would be perfect in the role. His portrayal was very entertaining and he provided some well timed comic relief in several scenes. This said, and minor roles aside, I was very much impressed by the rest of the cast, as I shall outline below.
Lestat
The undisputable star of this film was the
vampire Lestat. Even though the title of the movie is 'Queen of the Damned', this is very
much a story about Lestat. He is the vampire who is given the most background and it is
the story of Lestat that forms the central core of this movie. We witness his vampire
birth, his problematic relationships with Marius and Jesse, his loneliness and despair,
and his arrogance and determination. The story focuses on his feelings, his decisions and
the consequences of his actions.
Overall, I enjoyed Stuart's portrayal of Lestat. His performance was charismatic. His
facial expressions could convey a great deal of emotion, and his eyes could be quite
haunting at times. Stuart could also be genuinely chilling. He could depict malice and
anger, betrayal and loneliness. He also successfully captured the mischievous nature of
Lestat. But I felt that Stuart sometimes seemed uncomfortable in the role. It was like he
wasn't quite sure how to play the character in certain scenes and was asking himself,
"should I be serious, amusing or totally over the top?" Plus he had some bad
dialogue and an occasional Transylvanian accent, and I found these to be a distraction
from the rest of his solid performance.
Marius
Let's face it, Vincent made a conscious decision to play Marius 'camp'. He gives a light-hearted edge to the vampiric nature of Marius, and in doing so provides much comic relief. This was Vincent's way of dealing with a multi-faceted character and, as a result, he appeared more comfortable as a vampire than his fledgling. Some of his lines are delivered in such a way that you just can't help but laugh. An example is when Marius says, "That's enough, my son" as he taps Lestat on the shoulder ordering him to stop his first feed. He is so casual and laid back about it all that one cannot help but smile at his performance. Also, when Lestat asks him, "How did you get through the 50's in red velvet?" Marius replies, "I slept." It's a painfully obvious joke, and doesn't quite work in the scene, but it is a good effort at maintaining a sense of humour between the two vampires, despite the tragic loss that Lestat had suffered from Marius's desertion. Despite his often indifferent attitude, Marius also had his serious side, and Vincent successfully provided some emotional depth to the character. A good example of this was his profound disappointment in his fledgling when Lestat woke Akasha. Overall, I enjoyed Vincent's portrayal, and I think he made a valiant effort in his portrayal of the vampire Marius.
Jesse
I thought Marguerite did quite well in her portrayal of Jesse. She is a very attractive and talented young actress and really suited the role. The only problem was the material she had to work with. She tried her best to make the character likable, but some of the things she had to do and say contradicted all her hard work. She seemed a bit uncomfortable with some of the dialogue (and rightly so) and so this hindered her performance. That said, I did enjoy the chemistry between Jesse and Lestat. I did feel there was a real connection between them. Jesse's straight-to-the-point manner of speaking and strong obsession with the world of vampirism succeeds in peaking Lestat's curiosity, and he finds that her presence eases the loneliness that he can no longer bear. This is a good premise, and I did enjoy watching the pair. However, I must admit I was a bit confused as to why Lestat chose Jesse over Akasha...
The night before the concert, Lestat admits that Jesse is beautiful to him because she is human, and when he shows her the brutality of killing, Jesse is understandably horrified. Why then would Lestat choose to make her a vampire? Furthermore, Maharet tells Jesse that she is all that is left of the 'great family' - she is Maharet's reason for living because she is a human descendent. Making Jesse a vampire takes away her humanity, thereby destroying the family tree and transforming her into a creature identical in nature to Lestat. Of course, fate itervened and if Lestat hadn't made Jesse a vampire, she would have died. Plus she says it's what she wants, and it means that they will no longer be alone. It was also a more moral choice for Lestat than choosing a life of mass death and destruction with the vampire Queen. So it does make sense if you put it that way! I just think a few more scenes would have helped in forming a more enduring relationship between the pair. We see Jesse horrified at the sight of Lestat killing but, the very next time they meet, she still willingly wants to become a vampire. This confused me a little, but I guess this is a minor debate and, that said, I was pleased to see that the whole Lestat/Jesse relationship did work out better than I had expected.
David
Paul McGann excelled in his small role as David Talbot. In fact, he conveyed the character in such a believable manner that I couldn't help but think of him as David from the books, only younger. He displayed real concern for Jesse and we could feel there was a strong bond between them. He also conveyed his uneasiness at the prospect of becoming a vampire, despite his ongoing obsession with their activities. David was obsessed with Marius and Jesse was obsessed with Lestat, but while she made herself willingly known, he was content to study and watch from a distance. I would have liked to have seen more of David in the film, and I would love to see Paul reprise his role if they ever decide to make a movie of 'Tale of the Body Thief'!
Akasha
Aaliyah's potrayal of Akasha was absolutely brilliant - by far the most impressive performance in the film. Despite her slight build, from the moment she first walked onscreen, she emitted a powerful presence. Aaliyah excelled in bringing this impressive creature back to life and looked stunning with gorgeous costumes, make-up and hair. She controlled her movements with great effect, gliding across the screen with unearthly grace and beauty. I liked her voice and felt that the accent and computerised sound of her words added to her sense of power and superiority over the rest of her kind. Aaliyah exemplified the role of an otherworldly creature, giving her elegance and charm but also a shocking brutality. She was manipulative and cruel, but hidden beneath her cunning exterior was a sense of loneliness similar to Lestat's. Despite her cruelty, one couldn't help but feel sorry for the character as she met her doom. She had been betrayed by Lestat and all her 'children'. Lestat had chosen mortal over mother, innocence over destruction. Akasha's demise was amazingly well done. The sequence was also obviously an eerie reminder of Aaliyah and her untimely death, which made this finale all the more emotional for viewers witnessing her onscreen demise. I could tell that Aaliyah really put a lot of work in bringing Akasha to life, and I really respected her for that. For me, Aaliyah was Akasha, and her fans and family should be proud of her fine performance in what would be her final role.
Maharet
I really liked Lena Olin in her brief role as Maharet. She looked amazing, and she completely captured the character for me. I could feel her love for Jesse, and her attempt to watch over her great family was an admiral one. I'm glad that they decided to use the idea of the great family tree. I liked the way it bled when Lestat drinks from Jesse, but I couldn't help but dislike its design. I'd always imagined the family tree to look more graceful, perhaps with names written neatly on the wall, families carefully connected from one generation to the next. The jagged positions of the plaques in the film looked disjointed. And I have to point out that there were no where near enough plaques to represent every family member of so many generations! I also can't help but suggest that, in the books, the family tree spanned up onto the roof and across the floor, and I think this would have looked more effective. [Not that I'm making comparisons, of course!] However, in regards to Maharet, I felt she was the most true to form of all the Ancient vampires, and her role was used well within the story of the film. To see Jesse 'killed' by Lestat would have been enough for her to take Akasha's place and turn into a living statue, and so this simplified version of her character worked well for the purposes of this movie.
The Ancients
In regards to the 'Ancient' vampires - Pandora,
Armand, Mael and Khayman - there was not enough screen time for any of them. I knew this
would be the case, but to see their screen time reduced to just two sequences within the
film was a disappointment. Pandora and Armand each had about 2 lines, and I don't think I
heard Khayman or Mael speak at all! I noticed that when Akasha declares "Join me or
die!" and the Ancients each say, "I will not", Mael and Khayman still did
not speak. In fact, I don't think these characters were even introduced by name.
Appearance wise, I liked the look of Pandora and Armand but, on the contrary, Khayman
looked ghastly and Mael similarly strange. Character wise, I thought Matthew Newton had
real potential as Armand. I would definitely have liked to have seen more of him, as he
seemed to capture Armand's cunning nature and certainly looked much more like Armand in
the books. [Not that I'm making comparisons, of course!] I would also have liked to have
seen more of Pandora. I know that Claudia Black filmed many more scenes as Pandora, and
these obviously ended up on the cutting room floor. This is a shame, as I would have liked
to have seen more of her in the role.
The Ancients were very much underused, with each of them having so little dialogue and so
little to do with themselves that they were obviously only included for the purpose of the
final confrontation with Akasha. We didn't know who they were or what they were doing
there, just that they have joined with Maharet and have chosen to help defend her 'great
family'. Perhaps they have other reasons, but we don't get the chance to find out. They
literally stand around watching the interaction between Lestat, Akasha and Jesse before
attacking their Queen. Mael and Pandora are quickly killed off and Armand is, I must
admit, rather impressively saved from a firey death as Akasha's power is drained and she
becomes too weak to finish the job.
There was potential there for all the Ancients to be more rounded, but their brief
appearance was probably due to time constraints regarding the length of the film. This
said, I would at least liked to have seen the Ancients introduced before they all suddenly
'appear' at the concert. I believe that having such pivotal characters just appear like
that was a preventable mistake. All that was needed was a couple more minutes of screen
time to make their presence so much more powerful. I remember there was a great sequence
included within the early draft of the script where we hear Lestat's music transmitting
around the world via satellite and watch as it rouses each of the Ancient vampires from
their sleep. I remember reading it and thinking that this would be a very effective way of
introducing these creatures to the audience.
Furthermore, I also recall that a similar sequence was actually recorded and released as a
film clip online. The short sequence shows Pandora and Armand emerging from the shadows of
two crypts to the sound of Lestat's song, 'Redeemer'. Some groupies sit at Jim Morrison's
grave listening to the song on their portable stereos, and in the background we see Armand
emerge from the shadows. We then cut to Pandora emerging from her own crypt into the
moonlight. We see close ups of both vampires as they look around them with expressions of
wonderment on their faces. They have risen from their slumber to the sounds of the music
of the night… Lestat has awoken them both. I thought this sequence was very effective
and would have loved to have seen it included in the film.
In the final cut, 'Redeemer' is instead used inside Jesse's apartment. She makes herself a
hot drink, sits at a table studying a book, and Lestat's 'Redeemer' video appears on her
television. The music (or maybe just the word Lestat?) grabs her attention. Seemingly
transfixed, she moves to sit in front of the television, grabs a pen and paper and watches
the music video in awe. We then cut to her very impressive (perhaps a bit too impressive)
presentation at the Talamasca headquarters where she explains that the first verse has
hidden meaning… This might have been an effective idea if it wasn't for the fact that
the first verse of 'Redeemer' doesn't make sense compared to the rest of the song! The
tune doesn't fit and the lyrics are totally out of context. Indeed, one gets the feeling
that the verse was just added in front of the actual lyrics as a quick plot convenience so
that Jesse could have an excuse to go to the 'Admiral's Arms'...
All that aside, my idea is this… Instead of just lingering on Jesse in a rather
boring scene with her discovering 'Redeemer', why not pan the camera from Jesse's face
towards the television screen, then cut to the crypt sequence featuring Armand and
Pandora. 'Redeemer' continues to play as we are taken past the groupies and Jim Morrison's
grave before continuing with the introductory sequence of the two Ancient vampires. Not a
word is spoken and we don't yet know who they are, but what we do know is that these two
extraordinary looking vampires have risen as a result of Lestat's music. ?to me, this is a
much better introduction than to have them just appear at the concert without any
explanation whatsoever. Through this short graveyard sequence, we also get the feeling
that Armand and Pandora are powerful vampires, thereby linking them to Maharet (introduced
earlier with Jesse as a child), and hence allowing the story to make a bit more sense when
all the Ancients emerge at the concert. Maharet is there for Jesse, and the others have
joined her because they too are aware of the danger they face because of Lestat. With this
approach, Mael and Khayman are still nameless figures, but perhaps they could have been
incorporated into the graveyard sequence with Armand and Pandora? I just think that a
continuous sequence like this would have made a big difference to the character
development within the film.
Special Effects
As was mentioned earlier, Akasha's death was one
of the most astounding parts of the film. The special effects were magnificent as we
watched her body gradually collapse into black dust, the camera circling around her
disintegrating body with the haunting music building to a powerful crescendo as Akasha's
long reign is brought to a bitter end. This 'vampire blackening' effect was used a lot
throughout the film, but they obviously spent a lot of time constructing the Akasha
sequence, and it shows.
On a lighter note, I have to admit that I did enjoy the effect of the end sequence where
Lestat and Jesse walk off together hand in hand. I loved how the rest of the world speeds
by them as a reminder of the everlasting, otherworldly bond they now share. It was also a
great choice of song, with the rocking beat of 'Before I'm Dead' blasting through the
auditorium as the end credits began to role.
I loved the vampire fangs in this film! They didn't look fake, in fact they looked almost
natural!And I loved the way they would extend when a vampire was about to feed. However, I
was a bit disappointed with some of the bite mark effects. The vampires in this film bit
violently with both their upper and lower teeth. This would create a rather large bite
mark on a victim, and this effect was very well achieved on Akasha's torso when the
Ancient vampires attacked. Here, we could see the teeth marks from both the upper and
lower jaw and observe that the wounds go deep into her flesh. On the contrary, when we see
Lestat bite Jesse and he raises his head from her chest, the wound looks very
unconvincing. In fact, it does not look like his teeth have even broken the skin! This is
something I could not overlook, and was unfortunately somewhat of a distraction in these
final scenes.
I was impressed with Lestat's eyes when he first fed from Akasha - his eyes filling and
pulsating with red blood (the pulsating veins in her arm were equally effective). Also,
the blood red circles that appeared around the eyes of a vampire when feeding was a
brilliant idea. The iris became as black as the pupil, a blood red rim adding colour and
creating an eerie supernatural effect. We see these red circles to great effect when
Lestat has hold of Akasha's arm and refuses to let go. The same 'red circle' effect was
also used when Marius kills the gypsy on the beach, when Akasha destroys the vampire bar,
and when all the Ancients attack Akasha in Maharet's mansion.
I really liked the 'cats eyes' effect and this was used very effectively throughout the
film. Examples include the female vampire entering the club, the vampires in the crowd at
the concert, Maharet emerging from the shadows to reveal herself to Jesse and, my personal
favourite, when Lestat moves forward through the darkness of the vampire bar to reveal his
face to the camera.
I also really liked the emerald colour of Akasha's eyes. When I first heard that Aaliyah's
eyes were to be made green, I was a bit worried about how this change of eye colour would
appear onscreen. Early press shots showed that her eyes were altered to a very obvious
shade which looked rather odd to me. However, this thankfully was not the case in the film
itself. My guess is that they were trying to enhance her otherworldliness by making her
eye colour such a dazzling shade, and it worked.
I didn't really take to the whitening of the vampires skin in my first viewing and, in
some scenes in particular, I thought the effect made the whole shot look quite blurred and
out of focus. However, this effect soon grew on me and I did appreciate the fact that they
were trying to convey the different texture of vampiric skin in comparison to the mortal
tone of mortals such as Jesse.
The vampire flight effects also took some getting used too. The sound produced when
vampires scurried around at unnatural speed somehow reminded me of the 'Alien' movies when
the creatures move at full speed towards their prey. The effect was used well to show the
vampires cornering Jesse in the alley and then fleeing when Lestat attacks. Overall, the
visual effect was good, but I felt it was overused in some scenes to the extent where the
audience couldn't really follow what was going on. The fight on the concert stage is an
example of this. The continuous movement made the sequence look a bit disjointed, and it
was difficult to determine who was attacking who, but perhaps a scene of frenzy and
confusion was exactly what they were trying to achieve? Subsequent viewings improved the
viewpoint and, in the end, I grew to better appreciate this fight sequence, but I still
would have liked to have seen the action slowed down a bit, 'Matrix' style, for more
clarity in this sequence.
That said, I did enjoy seeing things from Lestat's point of view, especially when he
watches the rogue vampires standing steadfast among the concert crowd. The mortals around
them move at lightening speed as the vampires stare hatefully at Lestat, their intent to
harm him all too obvious. The same vampires flying across the audience towards the stage
was also effective, and I did appreciate the effects involved in trying to convey scenes
from a vampiric point of view.
The Concert
The concert sequence was definitely my favourite part of the movie, but then again, I always knew it would be! I was lucky enough to attend the all-night Death Valley Concert shoot in December 2000, and I was looking forward to seeing how it had all turned out on film. When I saw the initial widescreen aerial view of the concert venue, I was totally blown away. I was very impressed with the digital effects and astounded at how convincing all those computerised people actually looked. The cars were all added, as was the majority of the audience. It looked like 20,000 concert goers but, in actual fact, there was more like 3,000 of us there that night. I couldn't spot where the real people ended and the digital people began, and so this made the aerial shots of the stage and flaming towers all the more remarkable for me.
'Slept So Long' sounded absolutely brilliant. Immediately, I felt like I was back at the concert shoot and all the memories came flooding back. Bizarrely, I found I could recognise every camera angle, as I knew where all the cameras were positioned on the night. I also recognised Lestat's dialogue - "This is for those who've come for me" and "You want more?" to which we all screamed "YES!" I remembered being there, and so watching the concert onscreen was a very surreal experience. I guess I kind of felt like Jesse in the crowd, but a lot less worried and a whole lot more excited at being there!!!
Music
I loved the use of music in 'Queen of the
Damned'! I had the opportunity of listening to the entire soundtrack before seeing the
movie, and so I knew what songs to expect. However, it's no secret that I have been a
great fan of the film's music since I first heard two songs back in December 2000 at the
Death Valley Concert shoot. That night, we heard 'Not Meant for Me' and 'Slept So Long',
with the latter being my definite favourite. I absolutely loved it, as did everyone who
attended the shoot that night. After hearing these samples, I just knew that the rest of
the soundtrack and score was going to be something to look forward too - and they were
definitely worth the wait! The five Lestat songs are brilliant, and I believe they were
used very effectively within the film…
'Forsaken' is used with great effect throughout the opening credits. Next is 'Redeemer'
which we hear on Jesse's TV as she becomes transfixed by its melody. This is followed by
the exhilarating sequence where Akasha destroys the vampire bar backed by the rocking
sounds of 'System'. And finally we hear 'Slept So Long' and the beginning of 'Not Meant
For Me' at Lestat's Death Valley concert. I also noticed that the two songs played over
the end credits are 'Forsaken' and 'Not Meant For Me', the very first and very last Lestat
songs we hear in the movie, but this time they are the cover versions from David Draiman
and Wayne Static that are featured on the soundtrack.
While the five Lestat songs were always going to be my favourites, I was delighted to hear
that the other songs on the soundtrack were also used to great effect throughout the
movie. Michael Rymer made some excellent choices. I particularly liked the use of 'Cold'
when Lestat prowls along the walls of his LA mansion (another effective scene!) I also
liked the use of 'Penetrate' which Lestat listens to in his coffin before his thoughts are
'penetrated' by the presence of Marius. 'Excess' was a good introduction to the vampire
bar, 'Down With The Sickness' got us all in the mood for the big concert sequence,
'Change' was very suitable for those unforgettable rose petal bath scenes, and I loved the
use of 'Before I'm Dead', which takes us into the end credits.
Not many people know this, but I was also extremely lucky to receive a complete copy of
the entire instrumental score from the man himself, Richard Gibbs. I received the CD just
a couple of weeks before attending my first screening of the film, and I fell in love with
it straight away. Now, I know that some people may automatically assume that I have such
high praise for the music because of my contact with Richard, but this is NOT the case! It
is genuinely brilliant! The Lestat songs rock, and the instrumental score brings so much
to the film as a whole. I am a firm believer that a film's music can either make or break
a film, and Richard and Jon successfully devised a sound that captured the feeling of
individual scenes and brought emotions to life. Shankar's violin pieces are brilliant, as
is his vocal backing and that of the choir. Overall, the sound of the score is genuinely
moving and the film would not have been the same without it.
After listening to the opinions of fans and the general public alike, one thing that
people do seem to agree on regarding this film is that they love the music, so I am by no
means alone in my praise of both the soundtrack and score! I look forward to the release
of the score CD later in the year, as Richard and Jon definitely deserve the recognition.
Conclusion
'Queen of the Damned' can be an enjoyable ride, if given the chance. It was never meant to be taken seriously and so should not undergo the harsh criticisms that are commonly aimed at dramatic films of this genre with their more sombre interpretations of vampirism. This movie should be enjoyed for what it is. It's a film about a vampire rock star and his search for companionship. It has some good acting and impressive special effects. The music rocks and the direction is bold and stylised. It really is a whole new adventure into the fascinating world of vampirism...
Yet, in saying this, one does occasionally get the feeling
that Michael Rymer was a bit out of his league at times and perhaps tried to get more out
of the film than what was possible. It was a commendable effort, but I am disappointed
with the end result. I must say that this film felt heavily edited and I would have liked
to have seen the movie run a bit longer. However, the film makers obviously had their
reasons, and who knows how much influence any one person had over the final cut - it was a
big studio production, after all.
'Queen of the Damned' was not the way I would have made it, but it was a courageous
attempt. It may initially shock fans, but repeat screenings allow us to judge this movie
for what it is, not what we feel it should have been. Indeed, it took me a short while to
come to an overall conclusion about the film. However, I can now say that this movie is,
overall, an entertaining film. I do hope that, in years to come, another instalment of the
'Vampire Chronicles' will get the chance to be translated onto the big screen. Who knows
what the future holds?
