Interview With the Vampire (1994)

[Hiyo]

A very impressive cast, too. Tom Cruise, Brat Pitt, Kirsten Dunst, Antonio Banderas, Christian Slater, Thandiwe Newton, and Stephen Rea.

[ShadowHunter]

I love this movie. While not 100% faithful this is a very good adaptation of the book. I remember all the drama about Tom Cruise playing Lestat and I think he did a good job.  Kirsten Dunst as Claudia was amazing she was so good. I'm sorry we never got a proper sequel. Brad Pitt probably still hates this movie lol. 

Anne Rice created a world where you would want to be a Vampire. 

[supposebly]

It's one of my favorite movies of all time. Whenever someone asks about a scene that sticks with me, it's the transformation scene with Kristen Dunst. I'm sure there is a lot of editing and stuff but she's so compelling. And her general performance when Claudia gets older is one of the more heartbreaking things I've ever seen. And it made me appreciate Tom Cruise as an actor for the first time.

Why would Brad Pitt hate the movie?

[ShadowHunter]

18 minutes ago, supposebly said:

It's one of my favorite movies of all time. Whenever someone asks about a scene that sticks with me, it's the transformation scene with Kristen Dunst. I'm sure there is a lot of editing and stuff but she's so compelling. And her general performance when Claudia gets older is one of the more heartbreaking things I've ever seen. And it made me appreciate Tom Cruise as an actor for the first time.

Why would Brad Pitt hate the movie?

Agree about the Claudia stuff. She was a favorite of mine and it many ways such a tragic character. 

Brad Pitt wanted to get out of the movie. He hated all the night and inside filming they had to do. He said he didn't see the sun for months. He didn't like having to kiss Kristen which makes sense ect. 

[supposebly]

2 hours ago, ShadowHunter said:

He hated all the night and inside filming they had to do. He said he didn't see the sun for months. He didn't like having to kiss Kristen which makes sense ect. 

Fair enough. I believe she didn't like kissing him either. She was barely 11 at the time of shooting.

So, he hated making it. I hope he can see it was worth it. It's one of his better early movies. 

[Hiyo]

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It's one of his better early movies. 

Yeah, but it was an ok acting job. Half the time he comes off as a bit wooden. Cruise and Dunst definitely steal the movie from him.

[Enigma X]

I thought Pitt did fine in the role and was really bummed they chose Cruise as Lestat. As someone said in another thread, Cruise is always Cruise in everything I see him in. Also, as a reader of the books, I envisioned Lestat differently. His performance did not allow me to forget that. He just did not embody Lestat for me.

Edited June 26, 2022 by Enigma X
spelling

[ShadowHunter]

4 hours ago, Enigma X said:

I thought Pitt did fine in the roll and was really bummed they chose Cruise as Lestat. As someone said in another thread, Cruise is always Cruise in everything I see him in. Also, as a reader of the books, I envisioned Lestat differently. His performance did not allow me to forget that. He just did not embody Lestat for me.

I thought Brad Pitt was fine as well. He definitely looked pretty which is brought up about Louie in every book.  Dunst stole the movie and the scenes she had with them. I like the score as well which doesn't get brought up much.

AMC is doing the TV series and casting wise the only one who looks accurate is Lestat. Will see if the new guy feels more like him compared to Cruise. 

[Enigma X]

22 minutes ago, ShadowHunter said:

I thought Brad Pitt was fine as well. He definitely looked pretty which is brought up about Louie in every book.  Dunst stole the movie and the scenes she had with them. I like the score as well which doesn't get brought up much.

AMC is doing the TV series and casting wise the only one who looks accurate is Lestat. Will see if the new guy feels more like him compared to Cruise. 

I just watched the trailer for the upcoming show but do not have AMC.

Edited June 26, 2022 by Enigma X

[Enero]

7 hours ago, ShadowHunter said:

He definitely looked pretty which is brought up about Louie in every book

Yes. He did. Loved his hair. I just wanted to brush it. Lol. I believe Pitt actually grew it out for the role. Someone correct me if I’m wrong. If it was a wig it was a good one. 

Like others I thought Kristen Dunst stole the show. She was superb. I’d argue this was one of her best performances as an actress. I think they did mess up the casting for Armand. He was a 13 year old red headed boy in the books but they cast Antonio Banderas. I understand why they went older for the role but I still didn’t like it. I did however like that they changed what happened in the books and had Louis reject Armand’s proposal. He’d murdered Claudia in part because he knew Louis would never leave her for him. I was happy to see that Louis did not accept him after what he’d done. 

Good movie. Though Louis killing his slave (played by Thandie Newton) is still a bit cringey, it didn’t take away from the overall quality of the movie. Also, I think River Phoenix would’ve done well as the reporter. Too bad he died before filming started. Christian Slater was a good recast. 
 

[Hiyo]

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Though Louis killing his slave (played by Thandie Newton) is still a bit cringey

Louis in his earlier years as a vampire is a bit cringey overall.

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He’d murdered Claudia in part because he knew Louis would never leave her for him.

The thing is, in both the book and movie, given more time, I think he would have left Claudia once Madeline had become more acclimated to being a vampire. Armand's coven would have probably done what they did regardless.

[ShadowHunter]

18 hours ago, Enero said:

Yes. He did. Loved his hair. I just wanted to brush it. Lol. I believe Pitt actually grew it out for the role. Someone correct me if I’m wrong. If it was a wig it was a good one. 

Like others I thought Kristen Dunst stole the show. She was superb. I’d argue this was one of her best performances as an actress. I think they did mess up the casting for Armand. He was a 13 year old red headed boy in the books but they cast Antonio Banderas. I understand why they went older for the role but I still didn’t like it. I did however like that they changed what happened in the books and had Louis reject Armand’s proposal. He’d murdered Claudia in part because he knew Louis would never leave her for him. I was happy to see that Louis did not accept him after what he’d done. 

Good movie. Though Louis killing his slave (played by Thandie Newton) is still a bit cringey, it didn’t take away from the overall quality of the movie. Also, I think River Phoenix would’ve done well as the reporter. Too bad he died before filming started. Christian Slater was a good recast. 
 

It was his real hair. I remember when he cut it I was upset and so was my Aunt. I still can remember us talking about that on the phone lol. 

Im sorry we didn't get River Phoenix as the Interviewer. That character actually shows up again in the 3rd book. The first 3 books in The Vampire Chronicles are the best. 

[Morrigan2575]

On 6/26/2022 at 7:30 AM, Enigma X said:

I thought Pitt did fine in the role and was really bummed they chose Cruise as Lestat. As someone said in another thread, Cruise is always Cruise in everything I see him in. Also, as a reader of the books, I envisioned Lestat differently. His performance did not allow me to forget that. He just did not embody Lestat for me.

I generally agree with that statement but, I thought he did well as Lestat. IIRC when Rice wrote the book she had Rutger Hauer in mind for Lestat...I can see Blade Runner Hauer in the roll but, he would have been too old when the movie filmed

[Enero]

14 hours ago, Hiyo said:

The thing is, in both the book and movie, given more time, I think he would have left Claudia once Madeline had become more acclimated to being a vampire.

Perhaps. 

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Armand's coven would have probably done what they did regardless.

Agreed. If I’m remembering correctly, his coven had a real problem with Claudia because of her age. Up until she was turned, Armand had been the youngest vampire known. Claudia was dangerous because she put all vampires at risk of discovery by the masses due to her being a child, that’s why she needed an adult vampire to be with her. She couldn’t navigate the world alone as a child, even if she was a vampire with adult intelligence. It’s funny though, the whole fear of discovery by the masses ended up being ironic considering what happened in Queen of the Damned. 
 

[ShadowHunter]

On 6/27/2022 at 3:11 PM, Morrigan2575 said:

I generally agree with that statement but, I thought he did well as Lestat. IIRC when Rice wrote the book she had Rutger Hauer in mind for Lestat...I can see Blade Runner Hauer in the roll but, he would have been too old when the movie filmed

Many were offered or rumored to be Lestat at the time. Anne Rice wanted Julian Sands for the role but the studio rejected it because he wasn't a well-known name.  

[Ohiopirate02]

1 hour ago, ShadowHunter said:

Many were offered or rumored to be Lestat at the time. Anne Rice wanted Julian Sands for the role but the studio rejected it because he wasn't a well-known name.  

Julian Sands definitely had the resume to play Lestat back in the 90s.  I rarely agree with Anne Rice, but that was a great choice.  

[Scarlett45]

Is anyone interested in the new series? There’s a forum for it here.

Once it gets started I’m looking forward to comparing it to the movies and the book, given that Anne Rice was involved heavily in the production before her death. 

[justmehere]

On 6/26/2022 at 4:30 AM, Enigma X said:

Cruise is always Cruise in everything I see him in.

This is a side note - but I'd counter with Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire, and IwtV. All quite different roles and performances. MMV. With some others, I can see the argument.

Anyway - I loved this movie and the performances. Brad Pitt was a little uneven, but one moment I loved is when he discovers Claudia's ashes: the look as they blow around him, and then cutting back to the present day with the tear. Very moving. 

Although Anne Rice did object to casting Tom Cruise, when she saw the movie, she very publicly stated that she thought he was great. A full-page newspaper ad, as I recall.

Here's a long piece from before the movie came out: https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a36386485/tom-cruise-interview-with-a-vampire-anne-rice-sabotage/

This part is interesting:

To correct the problem, she made what she terms a series of “minor changes,” giving Louis a dead wife and child (those family values pop up everywhere) and in one scene switching the small boys Lestat feasts on to a couple. Rice now concedes that it was she herself—and not Cruise or Jordan—who “mainstreamed” some of the material to make it more palatable to Warner Brothers. “I did the things Neil Jordan is accused of,” she says.

This one has a lot of quotes - I didn't search further to find better sources, but assuming accuracy, she went on at length and in detail praising Cruise's performance: https://www.angelfire.com/ri/cerat/AnneOnTom.html 

[Enigma X]

5 hours ago, justmehere said:

This is a side note - but I'd counter with Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire, and IwtV. All quite different roles and performances. MMV. With some others, I can see the argument.

For me, I still see Cruise first and the character second in all those roles. Magnolia is the only thing, for a minute, in which I forgot he was Cruise.