Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3750 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

Queen of the what now!?!
This is a bit of a complicated one. If your a die hard Anne Rice fan and Interview with the vampire offended you DO NOT watch this film because you may choke on your own fury. Really this film should be watched as a stand alone vamp flick and NOT the sequel to Interview. Personally I really love Interview and if I knew that this film was the intended sequel and not just a 'based on' rip off I probably would have hated it. Saying that I watched it as a stand alone and thought it was pretty entertaining. Stuart Townsend plays the lucious Lestat who goes to sleep for a few hundred years but is then awakened by a new wave of metal music and a change in humans attitudes. Then decides to join a band and releases vampire secrets in his lyrics to p1ss all the other vamps off. In doing so he awakens Egyptian Queen Akasha(Aaliyah), the mother of all vampires who wants to make Lestat her new King and rule mankind. Aaliyah surprisingly does a pretty good job and Townsend does his best in this one even though hes obviously working with a script that is a bit daft 'Her blood is like liquid fire, MORE!' and he does comes off as a homosexual Bela Lugosi impersonator but if you watch this film with a bit of humour it can be pretty good. The soundtrack is really impressive and the featurettes on this dvd show the special effects, one about the music with Chester Bennington(Linkin park) and a tribute to Aaliyah which is quite touching. I would say give it a chance. It's not the best but it's a job well done for a genre of films that can go so wrong so easily and go and check out the soundtrack and the score which I can definetly say are totally awesome.

Its worth a look
I have to say this is one of my favourite films,Aaliya was perfect as the title character & Stuart Townsend carried of everyones favourite brat prince flawlessly & not forgetting the really good supporting cast too!
I do have a few bad points to say although it is a good film and the character are true to the books (well mostly), The anchients play a very important rule in the book but are hardly if at all featured. Some of tose who appeared but didn't make it to the film were,are Mekare(Mharet's twin sistetr,they make a up a large amout of the 3rd book),Louis(interview's main character),Gabrielle(Lestat's mother and 1st fledgling),Daniel Malloy(the boy from interview),Magnus(Lestat's actual maker),Eric(Mharets companion),Baby Jenks,Azim &theres afew more but I dont want to bore you.
Although it wasn't really that true to the books it did work in its own right as a really enjoyable vampire flick and adds a more likable Anne Rice character to the big screen aposed to the evil version of Lestat in Interview with the Vampire. Also he makes a much more enjoyable hero to watch,then the ever depressed Louis.
Oh and how could the film also boasts an outstanding soundtrack featuring the likes of Chester Bennington(of Linkin Park), Marlin Manson,Wayne Static (of Static X),Jay Gorden(of Orgy) to name a few.
This film really is worth seeing. Enjoy!

Royal Damnation at its best!!!
When I finished watching Queen of the Damned I was at a loss of what to say, on the "sequel to interview with a vampire" side of things its was an awful nightmare that was no where near as atmospheric, well acted and intruiging, but on the "is it a good vampire flick" side of things it was a humdinger. Stuart Townsend plays the extremely seductive vampire Lestat who upon rising from a rather long nap decides its time to shake this up a bit in the mortal world and the vampire world by becoming an international rockstar loved by all, while at the same time releasing vampire secrets in his lyrics. Miffing off a few "old friends". One being the deliciously evil Queen Akasha played by Aaliyah(rip) who decides that Lestat's foolish risk taking and charm are qualities she would like in a king. Throw in the mix a young talamascan student born into a vampire family, Lestat's maker Marius(Vincent Perez), a couple of vampire elders and some annoyed vamp goths all in a massive jhad with one another and you have the makings of a fantastic film. Interview with a vampire fans may be slightly dissapointed but fear not for as far as vamp flicks go this one will keep you entertained and stupified.