Rating: 
Summary: Spellbinding Macabre
Review: When this movie opened on the big screen, I did not go to see it because I thought it was going to be a "spoof" about vampires. However, when I saw the video, my assumption couldn't have been further from the truth. I found myself enthralled with the tormented Louis (Brad Pitt), the flamboyant Lestat (Tom Cruise), and the exquisite child Claudia (Kirsten Dunst). This is a very passionate, expressive, and vivid adaptation of Anne Rice's novel. Tom Cruise brings the character Lestat to life with all the bells and whistles (he went for it) and is one of his finest hours on the sliver screen. It seems the vampire Louis was written for Brad Pitt - need I say more. The child vampire, Claudia, was played brilliantly by Kirsten Dunst, and she looked the role all too perfectly. I found myself caught up in the macabre atmosphere and genre of New Orleans and the 18th Century. This movie takes the classic vampire as we know him, and shows a different side where human emotions, vulnerability and the need for companionship meet. Underlying it all is the "thirst" (no pun intended) for knowledge about the origins of the "dark gift", the fear of abandonment, and future survival. It takes the fears that we go through as humans and fuses them with these vampires. For those of you who like the mysterious and eerie, this is a must to see. I fell in love with it and have watched it many times over. I love Anne Rice's book, but adore the movie.
Rating: 
Summary: A Haunting, Erotic Treat
Review: I haven't cared very much for Anne Rice's recent books, but her earlier work was outstanding. I loved "Interview" in particular, so I was really looking forward to this movie. There is always a risk in adapting such a vivid and powerful-not to mention beloved-book into a film. Director Neil Jordan and his collaborators have succeeded marvelously, though. This is an exciting, engaging film; remarkably faithful to Rice's original text. The story opens in present day San Francisco. Louis (Brad Pitt), a 200 year-old vampire, is telling his life story to an interviewer (Christian Slater), who is shocked by his supernatural revelation. "I am flesh and blood," Louis tells him, "but not human." His story takes us back to late 18th century New Orleans where Louis first encountered the Vampire Lestat (Tom Cruise). Desiring a companion, and in love with his beautiful looks, Lestat gives Louis the "Dark Gift"-that is, he makes him into a vampire. They live together for many years, roaming the streets at night, united by their common quest for blood. Eventually, though, Lestat fears that Louis is going to leave him. Desperate, he makes a vampire of Claudia (Kirsten Dunst), a beautiful young child, knowing the Louis would never leave the girl. Thus they are bonded together as "one big, happy family." As it turns out, though, they are not so happy after all. The story takes the vampires to Paris, where they finally encounter some more of their own kind. The coven of vampires is led by the stunningly handsome Armand (Antonio Banderas) who quickly falls in love with Louis. Louis is enamored of him as well, but he will never leave little Claudia, something Armand realizes. The film ends back in the present in a departure from Rice's book. The new twist is exciting, though, and sets up the story for an inevitable sequel. It hasn't been made yet, but if it ever is, I'm looking forward to it. The big question, of course, is, how is Tom Cruise as Lestat? In one word: brilliant. This is one of his best performances ever, heightened by the fact that he is playing a role so different from his typical screen persona. Cruise has always been an underrated actor, but hopefully that will start to change after people see him here. He is terrific. The rest of the performances are also quite good. Brad Pitt does very well as the tortured, guilt-ridden Louis. Antonio Banderas is extraordinary as the seductive, young master of darkness. His is the most convincing portrayal of a vampire, filled with power and charisma. Neil Jordan's direction is top-notch. Visually, "Vampire" is stunning, helped considerably by Dante Ferretti's superb production design. Anyone who has read the book-and anyone who has not-is sure to enjoy this haunting, erotic treat.
Rating:
Summary: Even if you are not an Anne Rice fan, watch this film!!
Review: Turn off the lights, take your phone off the hook, light a fire and watch this DVD without interruptions. You will be entralled, excited and entertained.
I agree with other reviewers that this is one of the few films that truly lives up to the magnificance of the book. The acting is excellent and I think in particular, Brad Pitt did an amazing job as Louis.
For me the beginning of the story is the best part of the film, up until Louis and Claudia go to Paris. Louis and Lestat living in Louis' old plantation house, moving to New Orleans, making Claudia into a vampire and their happy years together afterwards. This part of the film is paced perfectly and is thoroughly enjoyable. Indeed even Claudia's attempt at killing Lestat is done brilliantly.
The pace of the film speeds up here as the vampires enter a more tumultous period of their lives. The scene in the Theatre des Vampires, where a young woman is killed in front of a full audience is magnificent and will have you sitting on the edge of your seat.
I think Neil Jordan did an amazing job with this film. And indeed he had an amazing piece of literature to work with in The Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice.
Rating:
Summary: My Interview With The Vampire Review
Review: I was introduced to actor Tom Cruise when he costarred as David Shawn, a gung-ho red beret in the film TAPS. The film also featured up and coming actors Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn with film veteran George C. Scott as the Commandant of Bunker Hill Military Academy. I've been a huge fan of Cruise ever since I saw that 1981 film.
About a month or so prior to the release of Interview with a Vampire, a coworker told me the film was a best-selling Anne Rice Novel. After learning this, I borrowed the dramatized audio version from my local library to get the extra details I knew the film would leave out. If I could only use two words to describe my experience they would be BLOWN AWAY!
In fact, I was so taken in by the dramatized audio version of the book that I knew there was no way the Warner Brothers film could capture the essence of what I had already experienced. But, since I'm such a big fan of Cruise, I plunked down my hard earned greenbacks like everyone else, expecting a mediocre visual experience at best.
Could Cruise become the Vampire Lestat I had experienced? Could new comer Brad Pitt actually become Louis? And what of Claudia? How in the world could a young Kirsten Dunst ever hope to pull off such a well defined character?
Well, not only did Cruise bring to life the Vampire Lestat, but Pitt and Dunst were equally enthralling in their roles as well. The casting was flawless. This is one to see as director Neil Jordan did an excellent job of bringing the pages of the best-seller to the big screen.
The 1994 film was shot on location in New Orleans, San Francisco, England, Paris, and also offers excellent performances from Antonio Banderas, Stephen Rea, Christian Slater, and new comer, Thandie Newton, who later starred opposite cruise in Mission Impossible 2.
This film has everything: love, hate, life, death, ecstasy, terror, and murder. Check this one out, y'all! If you've already seen it, see again, or get the audio version and get a different experience. You won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: As good as the Original
Review: This is one of few movies ever made that retained the atmosphere, tone, and intention of the book.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: How often is it that a movie (based on a book) is as beautifully told as in the original novel version? Not very often. Interview with the Vampire is one of my favorite books and I was very pleased to see that this film version maintained the book's impeccable story and elegance. Although some of the cast members were not portrayed as explained in the book (Armand particularly), I felt that overall the acting was outstanding (Kirsten Dunst as Claudia was phenomenal, as was Tom Cruise as the enchanting Lestat) and the plot was as fast paced and as compelling as the book. I would have liked to see the complex relationship of Louis and Claudia displayed in more detail, but overall I have to say that I was extremely pleased with the way that this movie portrays this magnificent, seductive (and sometimes erotic) story of the genuine charatcter of Louis the vampire. This film is absolutely recommended.
Rating:
Summary: "Don't be afraid. I'm gonna give you the choice I never had"
Review: This modern classic, directed by the great Neil Jordan, perfectly captures the characters and atmosphere of Anne Rice's gripping novel. While like many others I was skeptical at first with actors like Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, and even Antonio Banderas playing vampires, they all gave surprisingly great performances. Kirsten Dunst is especially impressive playing one of the most crucial roles of the film. The music by Elliot Goldenthal (one of the greatest film composers of all time!) is hauntingly unforgettable and works flawlessly with the movie. I'm not gonna waste time going over the plot, because by now only people that live in caves haven't heard this story of vampires. I'm not a hardcore Anne Rice fan but I think "Interview With the Vampire" is both gripping and unforgettable, and the screenplay (also by Rice) does a great job of transforming her novel into a 2-hour masterpiece. If you haven't already seen this, do yourself a favor and add this dvd to your collection!
Rating:
Summary: just not as good
Review: the lost boys is definately the best vampire movie i have ever seen. i was expecting this to be a little differnt then it was but its still very good , actings awesome, excellant cast, etc but i cant really c tom cruise as a vampire still i think stuart townsend in queen of the damned was better.
Rating:
Summary: Everyone must see this movie
Review: This film is the best vampire movie EVER! It's beautifully acted, with a nothing short of brilliant performance from the young Kirsten Dunst and a surprisingly un-wooden Brad Pitt!
'Interview With The Vampire' is the story of a vampire called Louis (Brad Pitt) who is finding eternity somewhat wearing. He decides to tell his story to a young reporter (Christian Slater)-the whole story. Of how he came to be. He is visited by a charismatic vampire called Lestat De Lioncourt (a very handsome Tom Cruise), who gives him the gift, or bane, of immortality, but at a price - he must drink blood. Louis cannot stand killing innocents, and instead feeds off rats.. until he takes a young child called Claudia (Kirsten Dunst) in a moment of grief after watching Lestat torture a young woman. Lestat procedes to make a vampire out of her, and together they live as a happy family. Until the day that Claudia realizes she will never grow up and becomes extremely angry. Over the course of the story, they also encounter an actor vampire Santiago (Stephen Rea) and his 'leader' Armand (Antonio Banderas) and their legendary 'Theatre des Vampires'.
The story is flawless, as the screenplay is written by none other than Anne Rice herself, so it's very close to the book, unlike it's successor, 'Queen Of The Damned'. It is a brilliant film, and I urge you to watch it, even if you aren't into all things vampire.
Rating:
Summary: Existentialism and the Reluctant Vampire
Review: This would have to be one of the better vampire films.
Anne Rice authored the famous novel over a relatively short time after the tragic death of her daughter. In this case, the creative process aided the grieving process and turned her into one of the most read gothic novelists in twentieth century history.
Rice's screenplay is true to form, and the production value of the film is first rate. Before the film's release, there was a lot of noise regarding the casting. When Tom Cruise heard about the film, he lobbied hard, contacted his influential connections, and pulled a few strings, landing the coveted role of The Vampire Lestat. All the noise came from Anne Rice, because she didn't want Cruise to play the part. In so many words, Anne believed he was not capable of playing the charismatic vampire, as the character of Lestat is a complex one, requiring a certain cosmopolitan class and aplomb. Cruise won the role anyway as writers in Hollywood, as is well known, hold little power. In the end, however, surprisingly, Cruise managed to put in one of the best performances of his career. Lestat came to life and the film has slowly turned into a cult classic that can be viewed time and time again.
Rice's novel and the screenplay are exceedingly clever because the vampire is used as a metaphor for the human condition. The character of Louie is a representative of everyman - angry at the seeming absurdity of our existence. He loses his beloved wife and child and falls into a deep grief, hates the world and wishes only to die. The Vampire Lestat, in search of a companion out of his own loneliness, offers Louie a new lease on life...or death. Emotionally and physically at rock bottom, Louie accepts Lestat's offer of immortality and takes the plunge. Louie becomes a reluctant vampire because killing, he believes, is against his nature. This is the human condition: our moral inclinations and our basic instincts constantly at war. Louie rejects his new nature as a killer, however, he's no longer human - he now exists in no-mans land neither human or vampire, but as Lestat constantly reminds him, he must make a choice. This is existentialism in its purist representation, that there is no such thing as "human nature", and what we are, and what it means to be human, (or vampire) are always a matter of decision - there's no correct choice - only choices. In other words, man is nothing else but what he makes himself. Louie made a choice to join the dark side and then could not take responsibility for that choice, hence his angst about his true identity. Brad Pitt put in a believable performance as the reluctant vampire as we could feel his angst, his frustration concerning his new identity.
This is one of those films that can be pulled off the shelf occasionally and enjoyed, no matter how many times it's seen. This is an excellent story from an entertaining as well as philosophical point of view.
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