If I didn’t feel old enough already (no! I am not sharing just how old!), I learned yesterday that the movie Interview with the Vampire turned 25 years old. All I can say is Lestat and Louis have held up leaps and bounds better than I have!
The iconic gothic film, based on the 1976 book by Anne Rice, hit theaters 25 years ago yesterday. Where has the time gone? T
he movie itself proved to become a phenomenal box office juggernaut, and once again garnered a whole new generation of fans to the tragic yet romantic world that is occupied by the most feared of night creatures.
As many fans may now, the story follows that of Louis ( portrayed by Brad Pitt), with the movie opening in modern-day San Francisco. Louis tells Daniel (Christian Slater), a young trepid reporter, the woe filled tale of his life.
From choosing to becoming a vampire, made so by Lestat (portrayed by Tom Cruise), to the pair raising the young Claudia (portrayed by Kristen Dunst). Claudia was the very creature that should not exist—a young girl who would always appear to be a little child, although her mental age proving to be years beyond.
Image: The Nerdist
Many of today’s young film patrons point to the teenage, angst-ridden Twilight franchise as the definitive vampire series. However, I personally beg to differ with this train of thought.
Interview with the Vampire explored the moral dilemma of the vampire way before they became morphed into the teeny bopper angst that was to become Twilight.
The characters of Twilight could not have handled the “real world” of vampires, as presented in the Interview. That world was gritty, dark, and, although at times surreal, proved to provide the viewer with a more believable world.
Some may say I am prejudice because much like the movie I am up in years. And, to be honest, that may be.
However, I am pretty sure that when history looks back upon the two franchises, it will see that the best was most assuredly that of Interview with the Vampire—fangs…err—hands down!