The official Warner Brothers’ website for Queen of the Damned, the sci-fi thriller based on
Anne Rice’s vampire novels, definitely makes this movie sound amazing as you can see from
the below quote. I hate to be cliché, but… the book was better. Way better. But that
can boil down to the fact that it’s hard to smoosh so much information into a two hour
movie. The website states:
“His thirst for life enchanted her. His thirst for fame awoke her. His thirst for power
may kill us all.
Legendary Vampire Lestat (STUART TOWNSEND) has risen from a decades-long slumber,
determined to step out into the light. No longer content with being banished to the
shadows, moving among mortals who never truly see him for what he is, Lestat has
reinvented himself as the closest thing to a god on Earth: a rock star.
The intoxicating lure of his music has snaked its way around the globe, ultimately finding
the ear of the slumbering ancient Queen Akasha (AALIYAH) in her crypt beneath the Arctic
ice. Mother of all Vampires, Akasha has been resting for centuries, waiting for the right
time to rise again and seize dominion over the world. Lestat’s music is the revelation she
has been waiting for, and she desires that he rule beside her.
But can Akasha be stopped? Her malevolent power may be too great for even the most ancient
of the immortal Vampires to combat - she created them, and their survival depends on her
own.
After all, Akasha is used to getting everything she wants... and all she wants is Hell on
Earth."
One thing I must say is that I felt Stuart Townsend played a wonderful
Lestat. HOWEVER, I
do think that Tom Cruise had a slightly more infectious bite. A few people wrote in
telling me their thoughts on the whole Tom vs. Stuart “Lestat Debate" so let me share with
you:
Ashka chooses “Definitely Tom."
Kimberly adds, “I think Tom Cruise played a better Lestat and he looked more like
Lestat."
Pam Timmons, vampire fan for centuries, says, “Definitely Stuart Townsend was the better
Lestat! He fit Anne Rice's description of the brooding vampire perfectly. Stuart was
gorgeous, like all of Anne Rice's vamps. Because of this, it was easy to forget the fact
that he wasn't blonde. Tom Cruise, on the other hand, was too theatrical, he seemed to be
trying too hard to fit the part. He also was too short."
The Vampire Emma’s website is http://www.theatredesvampires.net. Her input: “Tom Cruise
made a better Lestat."
And Jerry Cales chooses Tom Cruise as well.
I’m interested in hearing what YOU think about the Tom vs. Stuart issue. Feel free to
click over to the newsgroup newsguy.writers.scificapsule
Shuffling away from the “Lestat Debate" for a minute… Any of the film’s good and/or bad
press has been pushed behind the fact that Aaliyah, who played Akasha, the vampire who
comes to her death at the end of the movie, died in an unfortunate airplane accident last
year. But, unless you’ve been buried in a crypt somewhere, you already knew this. Her
performance in the movie is astounding and very convincing, even though I felt there could
have been a lot more history revealed about her character. Producer Joel Silver, who also
worked with Aaliyah on her feature acting debut in last year’s “Romeo Must Die," said: “We
are all deeply saddened by this tragedy. Aaliyah’s acting career was just blossoming.
She had remarkable talent and charisma and great potential. The Wachowskis and I, as well
as the production executives at Warner Bros. Pictures, were looking forward to working
with her in the two Matrix films as well as many other future projects. Her passing is a
tremendous loss. Our hearts go out to her loved ones."
Be sure to catch the newsgroup alt.books.anne-rice if you’re an Anne Rice fan or if you
wish to become familiar with her works.
"Queen of the Damned"
