Bite Me! (Interview With The Vampire (DVD))

Member Name: jamesdean1981

Product:	Interview With The Vampire (DVD)
Date:	10/10/01 (45 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Superb acting, Brilliant story

Disadvantages: None

Truly one of the all time horror greats, the adaptation of Anne Rice's novel is not only far more accessible than the book, but also a much more exciting treatment of the story. Brilliantly directed by Neil Jordan, in the same style as his magnificent 'In The Company of Wolves', this is a far subtler and more effective piece of the theatre of terror than the slasher movies with have dominated the genre recently.

STARS

Tom Cruise - Watching the film, it is difficult to believe that Anne Rice could ever have doubted Cruise's ability to play the part of Lestat, but easy to see why he won her over to such an extent that she took a full page ad in the New York Times admitting she'd been wrong. The star gives an exquisite, magnificent, performance, which is both incredibly sexual and fantastically terrifying. Alongside Lugosi in the original Dracula, and Christopher Lee in the best of the Hammer horrors, this is one of the best ever portrayals of a vampire.

Brad Pitt - While Pitt is better than you'd expect from the 'pretty boy' actor he was still thought of at this time in his career, he's overshadowed by the rest of the cast. Not entirely his fault, as most people would be by Cruise, Slater, and Banderas, but his Louis just doesn't quite seem as believable a character as the others.

Antonio Banderas - Nearly as menacing as Cruise, Banderas' Armand is another truly exquisite performance.

Christian Slater - As the journalist, Slater's role appears, until the end, almost a cameo. However, one of the finest young actors around today is as great as ever, and the ending (which I won't reveal here), is wonderful.

Kirsten Dunst - Possibly the biggest 'find' of the 90's, Dunst, at just 11, gives a performance which ranks alongside Jodie Foster in 'Taxi Driver' as one of the greatest of all time by a child actor. Perfectly portraying both the wonder
which her new life as a vampire inspires in her, and the anger which she feels at it, she invokes both pity and fear.

CONCLUSION

An amazing film – the soundtrack, including a cover of ‘Pleased to Meet You’ by Guns ‘N’ Roses, is also fantastic. Definitely one of the best horrors of the last 30 years.

Summary: