Film Reviews

Queen of The Damned

• Rating:
• Director: Michael Rymer.
• Starring: Starring Stuart Townsend, Aaliyah, Marguerite Moreau, Vincent Perez, Lena Olin.
• Details: US / 105 mins / (18).

Coming so soon after Blade 2 is Queen of the Damned, another sequel that features vampires as major characters. In the case of The Queen of the Damned, it's the follow up to Interview with the Vampire, and that none of the original cast or director have reprised their roles should tell you something about the quality of the script. Sporting a terrible Transylvanian accent, Stuart Townsend plays Lestat, who has now become a rock star. Tired of hiding, Lestat announces to the world that he's of the bloodsucking persuasion, which leads to a paranormal investigator (Moreau) unearthing his diaries and discovering his life story. Meanwhile, Lestat's nemesis is Akasha (Aaliyah), a terrifyingly powerful vampire who may have designs on the musician. Devoid of any of the humour or style that made Interview with the Vampire such an enticing proposition, Queen of the Damned is a film that takes itself far too seriously. Despite only clocking in 105 minutes, it feels like a movie twice that length; such is its terribly languid pace. Indeed, the only thing really frightening about Queen of the Damned are those infernal accents. Go to see Blade 2 instead.

Review by Garreth Murphy