Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2672 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-10-28
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Dubbed, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Arabic, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French, Italian
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 97 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Queen of the Damned combines the plot elements from the two disappointing novels Anne Rice cranked out as the sequels to Interview with the Vampire and contrives to be better than the book it is named after, but not by much. The vampire Lestat (a pale, pretty Stuart Townsend) awakens after a century-long nap and discovers flamboyant metal music, then irritates the vampire community by "coming out" and courting celebrities. His sub-Marilyn Manson songs interest paranormal-watching human librarian Jesse (Marguerite Moreau), who looks him up in a Mile End Goth club that caters for an undead clientele, but his tunes also awaken Akasha (Aaliyah), eponymous mother of all vampires, who makes him her number one disciple and sets about devastating the world, opposed by a cadre of conservative vampires who include Lestat's sire Marius (Vincent Perez) and Jesse's Aunt Maharet (Lena Olin).

The plot is of the "one-damn-thing-after-another" variety, zipping about the world from New Orleans to Glastonbury to a huge concert in Death Valley as broody characters exchange solemn but comical dialogue and indulge in fight scenes too swift for the camera to catch. Like Blade 2, it offers some spectacular vampire combustions, but its romance is strictly 15-certificate blood-nuzzling and it's hard to take Lestat himself seriously when Townsend plays him as such a feckless twit. --Kim Newman

Video Description
DVD Special Features: Audio commentary by director, editor & producer
The Music of Lestat – Interviews
Creating Vampires - behind the scenes
Lestat Music Videos – Forsaken
2 extended concert sequences
Aaliyah Remember
Additional Unseen Scenes
72 Gallery Stills
Static X music video "Cold"
Gag Reel
Trailer
Ratio 16:9
Language: English, French & Italian

Synopsis
A deep, dark, stylistic adaptation of the book by Anne Rice from her hugely popular series of vampire novels, THE QUEEN OF THE DAMNED is like a Nine Inch Nails rock video. Undernourished goth club kids are the focus of the film and they all look great with piercings, net t-shirts, tattoos, dyed hair, and dour facial expressions. The film follows the celebrity rock star Vampire Lestat (Stuart Townsend), who has emerged from 200 years of solitude to show his face--and his vampire powers--to the world. He has assembled a goth band, makes regular media appearances, and has enchanted the world with his otherworldly mystique. In addition, he has planned one of the most controversial publicity stunts of all eternity: he is holding a one-night rock concert in California's Death Valley, inviting all vampires young and old (along with his extensive fan-base of mortals) to join him. As a side bar to this activity, the mortal Jesse, a young woman who works for the Talamasca society studying paranormal occurrences, has found a secret portal to the vampire world: a London pub where vamps hang out. There she meets Lestat and is instantly smitten with him, insisting on travelling to Death Valley to see his concert. Also en route to the show is the sleek and sexy Egyptian mother of all vampires Queen Akasha (Aaliyah), who has recently arisen from a 2,000-year nap in order to unleash hell on earth. From a distance, a wise band of vampires watch telepathically as Akasha, Lestat, and Jesse converge in Death Valley. But what nobody knows is that the headstrong Lestat, who is the most impulsive and irresponsible of immortal beings but practically a god in the eyes of mortals, is the only one who can defeat Akasha and save the world.

Customer Reviews

Jaw-droppingly excellent
I haven't read all of the Vampire Chronicles - in fact, nowhere near. But I'm working on it. I'm definitely a fan of the books and think Anne Rice invents wonderful characters and that films need to work hard to do justice to the books. And this, the second in the series of books and films, certainly impressed me.

Despite being called The Queen of the Damned, this film is the story of legendary vampire Lestat, played by Stuart Townsend. In the beginning of the film, Lestat has been in a decades-long slumber due to his dissatisfaction with the world. He detests his life as one of the Undead, resenting the fact he has to spend it alone, and hidden in the shadows. In his coffin, he has been listening to the world go on without him, until he hears music that rouses him. Rock music.

Lestat realises he can wreak havoc on the world by becoming a rock star and spreading his message to the masses. And that's exactly what he does. He wins legions of admiring fans, whilst at the same time antagonising his fellow vampires who have been operating beneath the radar for many years. He could bring them all down with his actions, and they're determined to do something about it.

However, Lestat's music and lyrics have awakened something much more dangerous than Lestat and his enemies put together. 6,000 year old vampire Akasha - the queen of all vampires (played by the late Aaliyah, tragically killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks). When she walked the earth, she operated openly and had humans bowing and cowering beneath her. That's if she didn't slaughter them. Akasha is so powerful she can walk in sunlight, and she's chosen Lestat to be her new King. Together they can create Hell on Earth.

Akasha leaves complete destruction in her wake as she seeks Lestat. The vampires who have chosen to co-exist with humans must defeat her - but how? She can make them burst into flames with a flick of her wrist, and in one particularly gruesome scene she rips the heart from a vampire's chest and makes a meal of it. You'll have to watch and see what happens.

This film truly amazed me and I'm surprised it kind of passed by without a murmur. Stuart Townsend plays an absolutely fantastic Lestat - in fact I think he completely overshadows Tom Cruise's representation in An Interview with the Vampire. He really captures the essence of the sexy yet vulnerable vampire. And the beautiful Aaliyah is sexy and sinister, and terrifying as Akasha. The rest of the cast play weird and wonderful vampires, and fearless humans perfectly. The special effects are on the whole very good, but there were some fight scenes where I felt it made the vampires look somewhat comical, as opposed to all-powerful. That's just my opinion and I wouldn't know the first thing about filming, but I did feel it detracted slightly from the carefully portrayed eroticism of the vamps.

This is a fabulous film. If you haven't read any of the books or watched any of the films, it may not have quite the same effect on you as you won't be sure of some of the characters, but it does work as a standalone film. Nevertheless, I think if you love vampire films, you should get yourself a copy of this and An Interview with the Vampire, as well as beginning your collection of the books. You won't regret it.

watchable but some really awful acting!
Whilst this film is not on my list of favourites, I thought it was watchable. Aaliyah's (Akasha) performance as the most evil vampire to have ever walked the earth was not outstanding but she was promising and clearly gave it her best shot. She and Townsend are worth watching. What annoyed me most about the film, however, was Marguerite Moreau (Jesse). I simply could not feel any chemistry between her and Lestat. Her acting was too awkward and expressionless...She was an embarrassment and yet she has more scenes than Aaliyah, who only appears halfway through the film - how dreadful.

Very sexy film, but no where near as good as IWTV
I bought this on DVD since I never got to see it in the cinema. I thought the soundtrack was brilliant ( I have that on CD) but I don't think it is anywhere near as good as Interview With the Vampire. IWTV was just a better made film IMO. The acting in QOTD was good, don't get me wrong, but I think it was just a little bit silly, IWTV had more of an edge. However, QOTD is good for it's eye-candy ( Aaliyah and Stuart Townsend as the sexalicious Queen and Lestat) and fantastic music. It's watchable if you just want to pass some time. I think if it had been filmed with more care like IWTV, I would have given it 4/5 stars.