Gothic horror gets cheesy in ‘Interview with the Vampire’ – Olean Times Herald

There are countless lists of best movies to watch in October leading up to Halloween, from the classics to the slashers to the family-friendly variety. But one genre that has peaked and dipped for decades is the vampire movie, which had its most recent resurgence with Twilight in 2008.

While the biggest vampire films that often come to mind are the various adaptations of Dracula, one of my favorite guilty pleasures to watch this time of year is a 1990s soap opera disguised as a Gothic horror/romance: Interview with the Vampire.

There are as many things technically well done and aesthetically likable about this film as there are ridiculous and over-the-top moments that probably werent meant to be funny, but I just cant help but laugh when I see them. It doesnt happen often, but there are some movies that can simultaneously be good and bad and fun to watch either way, and this is one of them.

Released during the peak of the previous vampire craze this came out just two years after both Francis Ford Coppolas Dracula and Buffy the Vampire Slayer this adaptation of Anne Rices novel is as noteworthy for its controversial story and content as it is for its cast of young and up-and-coming movie stars.

Whether youve seen it before and already have a well-established opinion of it, or youve never seen it but have heard bad things, I highly recommend Interview with the Vampire for this Halloween season. Theres no doubt its got problems, but I think thats part of the fun, and going in with the mindset that this is a cheesy 90s soap opera works in its favor.

Born as an 18th-century lord, Louis (played by Brad Pitt) is now a 200-plus-year-old vampire telling his life story to an eager writer (Christian Slater) in 1994 San Francisco, wishing to share his past as a warning to others.

Suicidal after the death of his family in 1790s Louisiana, Louis meets Lestat (Tom Cruise), a much older and more ruthless vampire who persuades Louis to choose immortality over death and become his companion.

Eventually, the gentle Louis attempts to leave his violent maker, but Lestat guilts him into staying by turning 10-year-old orphan Claudia (Kirsten Dunst) into a vampire as well. As Lestat grows more unstable and Claudias hunger for blood grows, Louis spends the next two centuries contemplating the loss, loneliness and tragedy of his monsterous existence.

Because a vampire movie set 200 years ago could be tough to sell by itself, the modern-day framing device of Louis telling his story to Slaters character helps ground the film and gives the audience an easier way into the world. Not only does that work for making the story more accessible, but plays up the more fantastical and Romantic elements like the 18th century looks and dialogue.

As with any science fiction or fantasy story, the monster is often an allegory for something else, and thats no exception here. Vampires have often been stand-ins for sex, whether premarital or mixed race or, in the case of Interview, the companionship of two men. From Louis not liking what hes become to them having to live only at night and away from society, the parallels to the populous opinion of the gay community at that time is not subtle.

Of course, none of that would work without the performances from the two leads. In 1994, Pitt and Cruise were at the height of sexiness in the first stages of their career. This is before action movies and Oscar nominations, but they both give genuine performances that work perfectly for the cheesy and gothic setting.

Thankfully, the rest of the cast supports them perfectly with more subdued performances. In addition to Slater as our 20th century connection, Dunst knocks it out of the park as Claudia having to be eternally 10 while aging decades mentally, and even Antonio Banderas shows up in the third act as a vampire in Paris.

While I may unapologetically enjoy Interview with the Vampire, I do understand why many people do not. It may be full of camp and cheesy, but it also makes full use of its R rating, not shying away for a moment from the violence and sexuality that vampires have always inhabited. But if you can stomach it, seeing Cruise and Pitt wax poetic in 18th century dress and wigs is a wonderful Halloween treat, and also a bit scary.

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Gothic horror gets cheesy in 'Interview with the Vampire' - Olean Times Herald