Interview with the Vampire (1994)

Based on the novel by Anne Rice, this film was to be the first in a series of adaptations of the hugely popular series, The Vampire Chronicles. Sadly - as far as I am aware - only one other of her series was adapted to the screen: Queen of the Damned, which I intend to review in due course. Nevertheless, this film was the first screen adaptation, and in my opinion, the better of the two.

A young journalist named Malloy (Christian Slater) sits down - armed with a tape recorder and his packet of cigarettes - to interview a strange man he knows only as Louis (Brad Pitt). As soon as the interview begins, Louis tells his interviewer that he is a vampire, and has been so since 1791.

He does away with all the stereotypes, telling him that he is not scared of the light, that he quite enjoys looking at crucifixes, and that a stake through the heart would have no effect on him.

Malloy (Christian Slater) and Louis (Brad Pitt).

For the remainder of the film, we see his own life told in flashback, and meet the vampire who initially turned him: a charismatic young man named Lestat (Tom Cruise). The two of them are on a bit of a killing spree through eighteenth-century New Orleans, as of course they require a daily dose of blood to survive.

One night, Louis comes across a young girl named Claudia (Kirsten Dunst), whose mother has been killed by Lestat. Louis takes pity on the young, recently orphaned girl, and turns her into a vampire.

The three of them become a “family” of sorts, and continue to terrorise the local community, and over time, Louis and Claudia become quite close.

Meanwhile, Malloy is drawn further and further into Louis’s intriguing story, and becomes more and more desperate to share it with the wider world. But does Louis want to be universally outed, or does he just need to unburden himself to this one man? And what will his outing mean for all the other vampires out there, who are quite content to continue their lives in the shadows?

Lestat (Tom Cruise) and Louis (Brad Pitt).

The screenplay, by Rice herself, is nothing short of excellent. Naturally, as you might expect, the quality of the adaptation itself is fantastic. All the key elements of her brilliant novel - written after her son was diagnosed with haemophilia - are there, and the characters are all as alive on the screen as they ever were on the page.

Elliot Goldenthal’s score is also brilliant, perfectly suited to the tone of the film. It is predominantly orchestral, and is just as majestic as the scenes it accompanies.

Philippe Rousselot’s cinematography is a wonder to behold, with significant sections of the film naturally taking place in almost total darkness. There is plenty of great camera movement, bringing the viewer right into the centre of the action, uncomfortably at times.

It is in the production design (courtesy of Dante Ferretti) and costume design (Sandy Powell) where this film comes into its own. With the majority of the film set in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, these elements of the production do a brilliant job of transporting the viewer back to these times with breathtaking realism.

Claudia (Kirsten Dunst).

The performances of the cast are amazing across the board. Even Tom Cruise - who isn’t generally renowned for his acting ability - does a fabulous job bringing Lestat to life. But the clear standout is Kirsten Dunst, who brings an incredible maturity to her role, particularly as the character ages (of course, she doesn’t age physically, but her immortal character continues to grow older on the inside, and she carries this off brilliantly).

There are also some great performances from both Antonio Banderas and Stephen Rea, but I won't go into too much detail, for fear it would spoil your own enjoyment of the film and its twists and turns.

Director Neil Jordan has made a reasonably enjoyable film here. It is truly a shame that most of the series never saw the light of day as adaptations, but this film at least showcases not only the brilliance of the production team and cast, but also the brilliance of creator Anne Rice, whose expansive mythology continues to be the greatest example of the genre.

7 1/ 2 out of 10.

Shrek 2 (2004)

The whole gang are back for another whirlwind adventure, in a sequel that is in fact even better than its predecessor.

Shrek (Mike Myers) and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) are now happily married, and return to their swamp after their honeymoon. They find Donkey (Eddie Murphy) there, as he and Dragon are having some difficulties in their own relationship.

They haven't been home long before they are summoned to return to Fiona's home kingdom in Far Far Away, so that her parents can celebrate her marriage. What Shrek and Fiona don't know is that her parents were expecting her to be rescued by Prince Charming (Rupert Everett), and are certainly not expecting to be visited by not one, but two, ogres.

After making the incredibly long journey - it is Far Far Away after all - they meet Fiona's parents (John Cleese and Julie Andrews). Fiona's mother is a little surprised, but her father is very unhappy about the whole situation.

Shrek (Mike Myers) and Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) meeting Fiona's
parents (Julie Andrews and John Cleese).

He enlists the help of the Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) - who just happens to be Prince Charming's mother - to help fix what in his mind has gone wrong. He also pays the skilled assassin, Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) to get rid of Shrek once and for all.

However, Shrek and Donkey take a shining to Puss in Boots, and he ends up joining them. Shrek - convinced that Fiona wants someone more handsome and prince-like than he is - steals a magic potion from the Fairy Godmother that makes him and Donkey incredibly attractive.

The potion also transforms Fiona back into the gorgeous princess she once was, much to the relief of Charming, who is now posing as Shrek so that she will fall in love with him, and they can both have the 'happily ever after' they deserve.

Shrek (Mike Myers) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas).

The screenplay, written by Andrew Adamson and Joe Stillman and J. David Stern & David N. Weiss, is based on the book by William Steig. The script is very clever, filled with countless references to popular culture and plenty of jokes about fairy tales and childrens' stories. There is plenty here for children to enjoy with the great animation and unique characters, but also plenty for adults to enjoy as well with all these clever references.

The score by Harry Gregson-Williams is written perfectly to complement the on-screen action and the rising and falling tension. The soundtrack is also filled with plenty of classic songs - as was the first film - to please audiences familiar with them.

The quality of animation has improved since the first film, and brings these wonderful characters to life with an incredible realism. Of course, a fair amount of this is due to the performances of the voice cast.

Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) and Donkey (Eddie Murphy).

All the original cast from the first film have returned to reprise their roles, but there are also plenty of new characters to come to know and love, and the entire cast have been hand-picked brilliantly for their voice tone and quality to match the characters they play.

My favourite performers in this film are probably Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas, who actually have an incredible on-screen chemistry, despite the fact their lines were recorded separately from each other. There is also a good chemistry between John Cleese and Julie Andrews who, in a departure from standard animated movie procedure, recorded their lines together face-to-face across a studio, giving them the opportunity to play off each other's performance very well.

Directors Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon have made a fantastic film here, one that is - unlike most sequels - better than the first film of the series. I can still remember seeing this film on the big screen all those years ago, and it hasn't lost its appeal in all that time. Watching it again for the purposes of writing this review was a lot of fun and a great trip down memory lane, and I'm sure it won't be the last time I will be watching - and loving - it.

9 out of 10.