2.

 Interview with the Vampire (1994)

image: Warner Bros.

By this time in my life, I had devoured the first three books in Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles, and was happier than a vampire in a transfusion ward that a movie was going to be made of Interview with the Vampire.  It was so much fun to play Fantasy Casting in my head:  would it be Rutger Hauer?  Would it be some other beautiful, rugged, towering, and mysterious actor that could bring this legendary character to life?

Computer says NO.

Quite the contrary, actually.  When I first read that Tom Cruise would be playing the Vampire Lestat, I screamed to the high heavens and shook my fist at the gods in defiance like every other fanboy/girl who had read the books.  Despite the fact that he had already proven me wrong once in Born on the Fourth of July, Cruise still carried the stigma of the pretty-boy movie star that couldn’t possibly immerse himself in a role like the mysterious, bisexual, vain super-powered vampire Lestat.  Anne Rice herself voiced her disdain for the choice when it was announced, and despite the fact that I could relate to her sentiments, I thought the way she went about it was a bit cold-blooded.  Pun totally intended.

However, in the end, what we saw on screen was a performance that oozed a slithery charisma and sexuality, tinged with a mischief and malevolence that totally brought to life the character I’d fallen in love with on the page.  I, like many other fans and critics, were gobsmacked that Brian Flanagan from Cocktail could actually transform into the preternaturally beautiful and sophisticated vampire of the 1800’s.  At this point, everyone really should have stopped the naysaying and let the poor guy just continue to impress us in whatever way he saw fit, and yet, the doubts continued.