[31 Days of Horror 3] Day 22 – Queen of the Damned (2002)

Director: Michael Rymer

Cast: Stuart Townsend, Aaliyah, Marguerite Moreau, Paul McGann, Vincent Perez, Lena Olin

Screenplay: Scott Abbott, Michael Petroni

101 mins. Rated R for vampire violence.

In today’s strange kind of sequel to Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, we catch up with Lestat (Stuart Townsend, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Best Man) as he awakens from his slumber to take over a heavy metal band as lead singer. As he seduces the young Jesse Reeves (Marguerite Moreau, Wet Hot American Summer, Beverly Hills Chihuahua), a new dangerous threat, the first vampire Akasha (Aaliyah, Romeo Must Die), who wishes to claim Lestat as her King, or servant. Honestly, I’m hoping that this is where the movie is heading, because I was far too bored to really care.

Stuart Townsend was incredibly uninteresting to watch for that long. Marguerite Moreau was given little to nothing to work with. Aaliyah seemed to do well with what little screentime he had. The late singer-turned-actress could perhaps have gone places but simply didn’t have the opportunities.

Director Michael Rymer (In Too Deep, Angel Baby) has never shown prowess with a budget and should just stick to television. The screenplay was boring.

I don’t think I can make it any clearer. Queen of the Damned was dreadful. After the incredible Interview with the Vampire, this was an extremely disappointing letdown in just about every way. Don’t see it, don’t sully the reputation of Interview in such a way.

1.5/5

-Kyle A. Goethe

For my review of Neil Jordan’s Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, click here.