QotD movie review

A review from Fangoria

QUEEN OF THE DAMNED


Reviewed by MICHAEL GINGOLD

Gotta love the Internet rumor-mongerers--now that QUEEN OF THE DAMNED is hitting theaters and JASON X has a set release date in April, you have to wonder if any of those people feel chagrined for insisting the movies were going direct to video. QUEEN certainly doesn't feel like something that warrants small-screen consignment, especially on a visual level, as this is one of the lushest-looking horror films in recent memory. It's pretty lush in the dramatic department, too, at least in its first and more enjoyable half.

As most anyone who's been paying attention to the film's development knows, QUEEN is based not just on the novel of the title but also author Anne Rice's previous installment, THE VAMPIRE LESTAT (onscreen, the film is credited as being "Based on THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES"). And despite the moniker, the movie's star is really Stuart Townsend as Lestat, who is first seen waking up after a decades-long sleep to the sounds of rock 'n' roll. Charged by the music, he joins a fledgling band and is soon leading them to worldwide success, both fitting in perfectly with the vampire/Goth subculture and taking it to new heights of popularity. Townsend is terrific in the role; Tom Cruise in the previous INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE film may have successfully integrated his cocky screen persona into Lestat's sardonic demeanor, but Townsend makes the part his own. This Lestat is "younger," more vital and more fully enjoys his creature-of-the-night persona, and Townsend attacks the role with a palpable relish.
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QotD DVD Review

Fangoria DVD Review

QUEEN OF THE DAMNED (Warner)

Reviewed by MICHAEL GINGOLD

I realize I’m one of the few, but I’ll say it again anyway: I enjoyed QUEEN OF THE DAMNED, certainly the first half, at least. I’ll also admit to having never read any of Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles novels, including QUEEN and THE VAMPIRE LESTAT, both of which were referenced for the making of this movie. So I’ll concede that QUEEN’s detractors may have a point when they complain about the film’s shortchanging of elements and characters from the books, while maintaining that on their own terms, parts of the feature are a hoot. And those detractors may be interested to check out the audio commentary on Warner’s QUEEN disc, which addresses many of their concerns.

Eschewing the usual anecdotes and technical information, director Michael Rymer, producer Jorge Saralegui and composer Richard Gibbs focus mostly on the adaptation of Rice’s material—which, Rymer admits, would require “an eight-hour miniseries” to fully do both books justice. They discuss in great detail how characters were altered and the narrative streamlined in order to bring the movie in at a manageable length, pointing out that certain story points (like the vampires’ psychic abilities) were being debated even as the film was being made. While this commentary will mean the most to those intimately familiar with the novels, it remains an interesting object lesson on the many decisions necessary to transfer a hefty popular fiction into a Hollywood feature.

Given that the movie clocks in at well under two hours, it’s unfortunate that nearly one-quarter of it was trimmed for length and pacing, as at least a couple of the disc’s half-hour of deleted scenes might have given the story more shading had they remained. These include a significant gathering of the Ancients at the Hollywood sign, and some sorely needed additional moments between Lestat (Stuart Townsend) and Jesse (Marguerite Moreau). Speaking of trims, the disc also presents a brief gag reel (which plays mostly as a series of punchlines without setups) and longer versions of the movie’s elaborate and ambitious concert scenes.

The music, in fact, is a significant focus of QUEEN’s supplements, and the subject of the longest featurette. Not everyone liked the film’s soundtrack (Korn’s Jonathan Davis teamed with Gibbs on both the score and songs), but anyone who did will certainly enjoy this documentary, as it goes behind the scenes for both the shooting of the desert concert (filled with 3,000 very enthused extras) and the recording sessions, and interviews a number of the rockers (including a hooded Marilyn Manson) who contributed to the film. The singer who starred as Akasha shortly before her tragic death is the subject of “Aaliyah Remembered,” which is not a biography but a testimonial, and includes interview snippets with the actress herself.

Hardcore horror fans will be more interested in “Creating the Vampires,” which has something for fans of every type of special effect: the wirework used to allow the actors to fly, the digital tricks (with step-by-step demonstrations) utilized for the vamps’ “flight trails” and demises and the memorable final shot, and the special makeup. The latter includes an interesting discussion on the coloration of appliances by an Australian artist one has to assume is veteran artist Bob McCarron, since he’s the only key participant not ID’d by an onscreen subtitle.

And the movie itself? The widescreen version (a fullscreen disc is also being sold) looks ravishing, the fang-sharp 2.35:1 transfer saturated with rich, sparkling colors and ominous blacks. Given the music’s importance to the film, strong audio was a must for this disc, and the Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround mix puts across the dark tunes and otherworldly sound FX to excellent effect.