Interview with a Vampire

[osprey_archer]

This weekend I saw Interview with a Vampire, which is the most extra movie ever made, oh my lord. The angst! The pathos! The sumptuous clothes and furnishings and the darkness of the never-ending night! The IMMENSE SELF-PITY of Louis, which goes so far into the depths of despair that it comes out the other side as darkly humorous. He could have avoided all of this “Oh woe is me, I am a vampire and must drink human blood to survive! WOE, WOE, WOE” if only he’d asked Lestat for some details about vampiring before agreeing to be turned.

Yes! He agreed! He wasn’t even turned against his will, like Lestat (the vampire who turns him and becomes his vampire companion/not exactly lover but oh my God, is there some homoeroticism going on), and you notice Lestat isn’t whining about anything, probably because he’s a psychopath, but still.

Louis would be unbearable without Lestat, who is totally unimpressed by Louis’ ANGST (“Still whining, Louis. Have you heard enough? I've had to listen to that for centuries,” he complains), although Lestat’s psychopathy would also pall without Louis to have some qualms of conscience, however weak and flickering - basically Louis seems like the kind of person who thinks that feeling really bad is an adequate substitute for actually trying to be a better person, and no, no dude, it really isn’t.

But together they are weirdly and terribly compelling. They bring out the worst in each other and ought to run as far away from each other as they can AND YET. It’s probably inevitable that they can never get away.

Comments

[silverusagi]

But together they are weirdly and terribly compelling. They bring out the worst in each other and ought to run as far away from each other as they can AND YET. It’s probably inevitable that they can never get away.

Ah yes. So much the angst! Also, even though they were never involved with a love triangle, I always like to bring up Louis and Lestat as the original 'psychopath who loves fun, and angsty-broody vampie' whenever people think this all started with Spike and Angel (Damon and Stefan, Bill and Eric, etc). Spike and Angel might have been the first on TV, but. Louis could brood Angel into the ground any day.

I have been meaning to reread these books (at least the first few, when before they sucked).

[asakiyume]

I think I've seen snatches of that on other people's TVs, or over their shoulders on a laptop. My recollection is of lace. Lots of lace! I feel like reading your entry, I've gotten the best bits of it ;-)

[osprey_archer]

There is quite a bit of lace! Also darkness, long hair, and moody shots of the night.

[littlerhymes]

Gosh I love them so much. This movie (and the book) were extremely #formative influences lololol. (Edit to clarify: I mock with love. I think the movie and first 2-3 books actually hold up really well. They are gloriously OTT.)

But what are your thoughts on my forever fave, Claudia?

[osprey_archer]

SO OTT, OMG. They turn OTTness into an art form in its own right. It's just IMPOSSIBLE TO SHOW THE DEPTHS OF LOUIS' PAIN without all the lace and long hair and endless night, okay!

ALSO STILL REALLY SAD ABOUT CLAUDIA, so unfair that she had to die, and just really impressed by Kirsten Dunst's work in this movie: I think that would have been a difficult part even for a grown-up actor, and she's like what, eight? and she nails that OTT melodrama with a sense of such utter seriousness that it never feels like melodrama at all.

Also Lestat is the worst vampire dad ever (although it's hard to argue with his "Don't keep corpses in your bed!" rule) and I am glad that Claudia did away with him, although clearly she and Louis should have collaborated on a sunshine hole of their own to make sure it stuck.

[littlerhymes]

I have forever been a Kiki stan because of that role. I like her in general, but I will always give her the benefit of the doubt because of Claudia. Wiki says she was 12 at the time? Amazing performance.

LOL if their plan had worked, Claudia would have been totally pleased with herself and Louis would have been crying about it for all eternity. Their dysfunctional family unit is THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME ♥

[osprey_archer]

LOUIS DON'T CRY. LESTAT BROUGHT IT ON HIMSELF.

I think he tries to hide some of his OTT emoness from Claudia in an attempt to be a good vampire father, because otherwise surely she would get so tired of him. IT'S 2017, LOUIS, WHY ARE YOU STILL CRYING ABOUT LESTAT?

[brigdh]

Interview with a Vampire! I was so obsessed with this movie (and the books, which are possibly even more OTT and melodramatic) as a teen. I also blame it for starting my enduring fascination with New Orleans.

[osprey_archer]

I enjoyed it as an adult, but this is so clearly one of those stories that is OPTIMALLY ENJOYED as a teenager. The emotion positively drips from the screen! You can nearly smell the sultry summer heat and the sweetness of flowers just on the verge of rot! And Louis and Lestat are soooo wrong for each other and yet so clearly made for each other.