Interview with the Vampire

I was skeptical at first. I had been a fan of the original movie. The cast in the movie was nearly perfect at the time. But the books were always disturbing to me. They had pedophilia and incest, which was such a typical thing in Anne Rice's books. That always bothered me. This series has taken the essentials of the book and made it better. Sorry Rice's fans, but I prefer a story where two grown men are fully aware of their relationship, over all the love and sexual feelings between a grown man and a woman in a 5 year old girl's body. At least the 90's movie had Claudia as an older girl, still too young, but they skipped the romantic and sexual relationship she had with Louis in the book. I much prefer this series' story, and I fully appreciate the way they adapted it to our present, Covid and all. I deeply appreciate that they made Claudia a teenager. And her love interests are usually age appropriate.

The writing is beautiful. I actually do not like gore nor stressful sexual scenarios. But the relationships in this show have been very well written and better yet, believable. The dialogue is very elegant even when they speak of horrible things like violent death and describe the terrible things that happen in the scenes. Every line has an intent and it's neither long and boring nor too short.

I loved Lestat. Sam Reid is exquisite as Lestat. OMG. His French accent is such a beautiful and important piece we missed in the movie. I always heard him with a French accent when I read the books and I appreciate the effort they put on making him more genuine. His acting is flawless. You really fall in love with his character. Bravo.

The rest of the cast is amazing. Even though they switch Claudia's actress in the second season, both Bailey and Delainey are brilliant at their work. Jacob as Louis was very good. His acting was superb. Eric as Daniel was pretty genuine. Assad was good but I always pictured Armand more like Antonio Bandera's version in my head. But the books do say he was pretty "boyish" so Assad actually fits the role very well. Ben as Santiago was perfect.

I think the only mistake has been naming it "Anne Rice's" IWTV. It's definitely not really the original Anne Rice's work. It's better. Her work, as beloved as it was, if you read it, it's sick and disgusting. I'll never be on board with her sadistic women sexual humiliation and pedophilia. But I get why they did it. It might've not grabbed our attention otherwise after so many vampire stories. The subject had become a bit exhausted and naming it IWTV grabbed our attention. Well played. I'm impressed.

I actually enjoyed Interview with the Vampire even more than I thought I would. I liked the movie so I thought this would be a little bit of a disappointment but it wasn't. Far from it. This one actually takes place in our current year. Vampire Louie de Pointe du Lac is currently living in Dubai and is telling his life story to a journalist. The story starts in New Orleans in the 20th century and shows how he met the vampire Lestat du Lioncourt and how they started their family with the two of them and teen vampire Claudia. It's much like the movie where the story follows Louie telling his side of the story to the journalist. It's also different in many ways to the movie, not bad just different. I've actually come to like it even more than the movie.

Interview with the Vampire was actually even better than I was expecting. It's based on Anne Rice's popular novel about a family of vampires through the years. This is made with mostly unknown actors who all do a great job in their roles. There was also a popular movie about this made in 1994 with Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Kirsten Dunst. Obviously most people will compare the two and even though I liked the movie a little more this more than holds up and stands in its own. I never read the books but I've read that this show is a lot closer to it than the movie was. You can tell they try to respect the source material as much as possible and even had Anne Rice help create the show and have her on as an executive producer before her death last year. After reading through the reviews I'm glad that most people seem to agree with me that this is a good show.

I've been surprised by the number of reviewers have lamented that this is not Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire, even crying out "Not one word written by Anne Rice!"

Actually, she and her son Christopher were heavily involved and were executive producers. And Anne herself wrote three of the episodes. She was proud of this work and happy for the reinvention of it.

It is possible to enjoy this even if you, as I did, read every book as they were written, awaiting each new volume and running to the bookstore as soon as they were released.

Is this different? Yes. And I'm glad for it. It's a way to enjoy the universe she created all over again without having to worry about some pristine, exact re-enactment. I can relax into it, seeing where it goes without expectation.

And it's a far cry better than the Brad Pitt/Tom Cruise debacle. I still shudder over that abomination.

It's excellently acted, the sets are magical, and the whole thing is quite enjoyable.

When I started watching the "Interview with the Vampire" series, I was skeptical, expecting yet another uninspired remake. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the high quality of this adaptation, which pays heartfelt homage to Anne Rice's beloved source material.

While many aspects have been updated, the essence remains intact.

Initially, I was uneasy with the updated timeline, but these changes quickly proved to be clever adaptations that enhance the story's context. This series reimagines Louis and Lestat not as shadowy figures confined to the closet, but as richly developed characters, faithful to Rice's vision and perfectly adapted for the 21st century.

The show delves deep into the existential angst central to the original narrative, supported by superb direction, lavish production design, and stellar performances. Sam Reid's portrayal of Lestat captures his charm and ruthlessness with a nuanced approach that brings new depth to the character. Meanwhile, Jacob Anderson's Louis is convincingly complex, wrestling with his identity against the backdrop of early 20th-century New Orleans, a setting brought to life with meticulous detail and historical fidelity.

The series boldly addresses LGBTQ+ issues, refusing to sanitize the passionate and tumultuous relationship between Louis and Lestat. Some viewers may squirm, but those who appreciate a faithful, high-quality adaptation of Rice's work will find this series deeply satisfying. It stands out for its ability to remain true to the essence of the book while offering a fresh, unique reinterpretation.

When it airs, "Interview with the Vampire" is one of the best television shows available, a bold statement in an era saturated with mediocrity. If you're looking for a respectful yet daring Bold adaptation, this version is worth your time. It's Fking Good.