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Reviews
Queen of the Damned (2002)
Neither a decent adaptation, nor a decent film
Good vampire movies are few and far between these days, and Queen of the Damned does not help their cause. As a film, it is weak with only a few snippets of real effort; the actors, as good as some of them are, were given so little to work with that their efforts are fruitless. As an adaptation, it is sloppy and self-serving, unfaithful and derivative of the earlier, much better Interview with the Vampire.
The movie has mere moments of potential. It updates the story a little, of course, from the early-mid eighties to present-day, which works in terms of music. Lestat would fit in well with the goth-rock scene. Townsend isn't abominable as Lestat, though he's certainly not got the grip on the character that Tom Cruise had. There's no evidence that he read the novels beyond the way he holds his violin.
The Jesse character is badly, horribly done in the movie. She comes off as much less philosophical and obsessed, and more like she's simply attracted to Lestat. On the contrary, she was fascinated by his world, because it echoed something more important to her. Her relationship with her aunt Maharet is done an injustice because the movie can't decide if it is about Lestat or about Jesse.
Or about Akasha.
Aaliyah had potential as an actress, but this was miscasting if it ever happens. First, Akasha and Maharet would have been about the same age when turned, so having Aaliyah and Lena Olin (who does a good job with what little, very little, she's given) is just sloppy. Second, Akasha isn't a power-drunk whore, she's a demented vampire goddess. She was a crafty and wicked queen of Egypt. Aaliyah seems to be lost, acting more as if she's in a music video than in a film, and her most convincing moments in character are when she does not speak or move.
Don't get me started on Marius. Vincent Perez isn't a terrible choice, but he can't quite decide if his character is cruel or fatherly. In reality he was neither, but again, there is no evidence that he read the novels, and less evidence that the writers did.
Like I said, the film had moments. Jesse's first encounter with Lestat is well-done. And this movie got the blood tears right. The music and the frenzy that Lestat causes was also well-done. His love-hate relationship with Marius was there, though it was weak, and it was bastardized (Marius did not make Lestat, for instance).
Overall, I was left with a bad taste in my mouth, not only for the book-to-movie reasons, but also because there were sloppy filmmaking elements as well. Choppy plot, chiefly. Introduction of important characters too late in the film, and some bad directing to boot. Bad acting? Eh, not really, but it was sometimes hard to tell.
I can't say I'd recommend this to anyone, ever. It doesn't even stand up as a decent *vampire* movie separate from the books (like Interview does in Neil Jordan's capable hands).
The Irish in Us (1935)
A great introduction film for would-be Cagney fans
Though hard to find (it is not available on VHS or DVD), this film is worth catching at any hour Turner Classic Films decides to air it at. A cute cookie-cutter comedy at first glance, this film stars James Cagney and Olivia de Havilland, as well as lesser-known (today, not then) stars Pat O'Brien and Frank McHugh (Father Tim in the Crosby classic "Going My Way").
Cagney is the youngest (Danny) of three Irish brothers all living with their mother (played by Scotswoman Mary Gordon - look for Cagney's ad lib about the "wee bit of Scotch" coming out in her). Oldest brother Patrick brings home nice girl de Havilland, and Danny falls for her. The plot includes a boxing match, a Fireman's Ball, and plenty of New York Irish stereotypes. It adds up to a charming couple of hours, still in good condition and standing the test of time very well. Comedy that does that is worth waiting to see.
Cagney's performance stands out, because he's so very much in character and immersed in the story, despite the reported shooting time of eighteen days. This was just another MGM product back in the day, and it'd be worth lobbying to get it out on DVD today for posterity.
The Lone Gunmen (2001)
Look out Big Brother! Geek is COOL
The debut of Chris Carter's "The Lone Gunmen" proves one thing and one thing alone: GEEK IS COOL! The series stars the unlikely heroes Byers, Langly and Frohike, aka The Lone Gunmen. The characters were first introduced in the "E.B.E." episode of the ground-breaking Fox series "The X-Files", back in 1993/1994, and proved to be popular enough to warrant two episodes of that show all to themselves (season 5's Unusual Suspects, season 6's Three of a Kind). And now, they have their own show, which is something of a comedy, not a spoof but more of a social commentary in a way. The age of The Geek is upon us, and conspiracy-theorists/government watchdogs The Lone Gunmen are leading the way!