Interview with the Vampire Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		2.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Interview with the Vampire Blu-ray Movie Review

Or, everything you always wanted to know about vampires but were afraid to ask

Reviewed by Ben Williams September 18, 2008

To be completely up front and to give fair warning to those reading this review, I have to admit that Interview with the Vampire is my favorite modern vampire movie. In addition, I have no clue what the rest of Anne Rice’s vampire series entails. I’ve never read any of her books and I have no idea how the plot progresses beyond what is contained in this movie. For me, Interview with the Vampire stands alone. With that being said, Interview with the Vampire is a ridiculously involving film that creates a specific, dark and moody atmosphere that is very unique. Neil Jordan was an inspired pick to helm such a dark and disturbing narrative. I recall a great deal of controversy being stirred up while the film was in production surrounding Tom Cruise being cast in the role of the evil vampire Lestat. Anne Rice, herself, protested the casting of Mr. Cruise and spoke out often in the media about disowning the film. Hollywood box office pundits predicted absolute failure for the film and the entire production was shrouded in negative press. Neil Jordan, on the other hand, was so confident of his selection of Mr. Cruise for the lead role in the film, that he held a special screening for Ms. Rice months before the film’s release. What followed this screening was a complete reversal in opinion for Ms. Rice. She was so taken my Mr. Cruise’s performance that she took out full-page advertisements in dozens of major newspapers at her own expense to praise the casting and apologize for her previous criticism.

Lestat moves in for yet another kill

When reporter Daniel Malloy (Christian Slater) has a chance encounter with vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac (Brad Pitt) one fateful night in San Francisco, he manages to convince Louis to sit down for an interview. This sets up the backdrop for Interview with the Vampire, a film told in a series of flashbacks as Louis tells Daniel his life story. Louis was at one time a plantation owner in late 18th century Louisiana. After losing his wife to childbirth, Louis descends into a period of despair where he prays for death to take away his pain. It’s at this point that Lestat (Tom Cruise), a vicious vampire on the prowl, attacks Louis and transforms him into a creature of the night. At first, Louis refuses to take another human life and feeds himself with the blood of rats and other swamp creatures. As Louis’s temptation grows and his hunger for human blood deepens, he finds it more and more difficult to avoid preying on the innocent. One night, in a fit of delirium, Louis accidentally feeds on a young girl name Claudia (Kirsten Dunst). Realizing Louis’s guilt, Lestat saves Claudia by transforming her into a vampire and then gives her to Louis as a gift. Lestat hopes that Louis will, through Claudia, embrace his vampire ways and be a constant companion for years to come. Unfortunately for Lestat, in this tale, the old saying from the poet Jagger holds true: “you can’t always get what you want…”

Interview with the Vampire is a complex and compelling story that spans 200 years. Since we are all familiar with vampire lore, the film does a great job of building on the old vampire legends and presenting them in a new and most interesting manner. What really separates Interview with the Vampire from the countless other vampire film is its emphasis on character and mood. This is, indeed, a spooky movie, but not in a heart-pounding, jump out of your seat way. As the story progresses, we are able to witness Louis’s gradual transformation from being disgusted by him own vampirism to being a reluctant participant in the bloodlust that keeps him alive. Louis is one of the great, tragic horror characters. He wants to maintain his humanity, but gradually recognizes that he is anything but a human.

Lestat, on the other hand, is one seriously screwed up vampire. He’s cruel, manipulative, savage and underhanded while simultaneously showing charm, humor and a playful intensity that is easy to mistake. Tom Cruise’s casting in Interview with the Vampire is indeed a masterstroke. By playing so far against type, Mr. Cruise is able to catch the audience off-guard. His performance is both complex and creepy and, frankly, Lestat is a lot more interesting as a character than the eternally mopey Louis. Kirsten Dunst’s Claudia is every bit Lestat’s equal in Interview with the Vampire. She is also a cunning and ruthless killer who disguises herself as an innocent child. Her recurring theme of being trapped in a child’s body as her mind ages over the course of generations is poignant and disturbing. I’m constantly reminded with Interview with the Vampire that the vampire tale is really more of a tragedy than horror. Claudia is the most extreme example of this and her story is quite disturbing.

In the end, Interview with the Vampire is a dark, frightening and endlessly entertaining movie. I’ve seen it many times and its slow narrative and attention to period details really adds to its replay value. As far as modern vampire movies go, you’d be hard-pressed to find one as well crafted as Interview with the Vampire. Highly recommended!

Interview with the Vampire Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Interview with the Vampire arrives on Blu-ray sporting a 1080p picture cropped from the film's original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 to 1.78:1. Warner has also opted to go their usual VC-1 route with respect to encoding the film. I've now viewed Interview with the Vampire three times from beginning to end in an attempt to get a handle on its presentation. My first two viewings were marred by my projector defaulting back to its factory out-of-whack Vivid mode. As you can imagine, what I was viewing with these inappropriate settings was anything but good. Fortunately, after viewing the disc on a few other monitors, I was able to determine that something was amiss with my projector and subsequently correct the problem. Using the custom ISF settings on my projector made all the difference in the world and I am happy to report that Interview with the Vampire is not a sub-standard transfer. It is, however, challenging material that will test viewers' patience on non-calibrated displays.

The most important thing to realize when viewing Interview with the Vampire is that this is an exceedingly dark film. Director of Photography Philippe Rousselot has intentionally given the film a decidedly shadow-filled look that trends towards dark grey and brown shades rather than deep black. In fact, there is often a lack of detail present in the frame simply due to lower light filming conditions. Take for example, the shot of Lestat that is included at the top of this review. Clearly, this was filmed in what appears to be a Barry Lyndon-Kubrick-esque style. I can only assume that natural light or even candlelight was used for this shot. With the longer exposures and wider lens aperture settings required for low light photography, detail can sometimes get washed out as depth of field is compromised. That appears to be the case through much of Interview with the Vampire. I can safely say that smoothing techniques have not been applied to the movie, as the film's grain structure is readily apparent throughout the presentation. In addition to the lack of fine skin and fabric details, there is also a smearing effect that takes place during low-light, fast motion sequences. Again, I believe this to be the result of cinematographic choices made to give the film its eerie look while subsequently limiting the image depth. At any rate, this is challenging material that will push your display's abilities in contrast and black levels. Interview with the Vampire isn't a pretty film, but then again, its look and feel match the mood of the film perfectly.

Interview with the Vampire Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Unfortunately, the audio side of Interview with the Vampire is severely hampered by Warner presenting yet another high profile release with a lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 track. To make matters worse, the original DVD of Interview with the Vampire featured a high bitrate DTS soundtrack. So, for the first time in my Blu-ray reviewing career, a studio has actually downgraded the audio for a major release from that of the DVD. What else is there to say, really? If you're an audiophile, Interview with the Vampire is something of an insult.

Interview with the Vampire Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Here's what's included:

- Director's Commentary with Neil Jordan -
- "In the Shadow of the Vampire" -
- Introduction by Anne Rice, Neil Jordan and Antonio Banderas -
- Theatrical Trailer -

Warner has recycled all the special features from the previous DVD release of Interview with the Vampire. The disc packaging lists the film's trailer as being included in HD. This is not the case and the trailer included here is in 480i. Obviously, I can't help but think that more could have been done with this set. It would also be nice to see Warner start to do a little more proofreading as this is the second Warner title I've reviewed this week with bad information included on its box art. On the positive side, I enjoyed Neil Jordan's commentary quite a bit. He delivers a nice technical lecture on the film and speaks at great detail about the challenges of filming Interview with the Vampire. The "In the Shadow of the Vampire" documentary is little more than a promotional EPK and won't hold much interest for many viewers. The introduction is just that: an introduction. And that's it!

Interview with the Vampire Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Interview with the Vampire is a classic of the vampire genre and has been one of my favorite vampire films for the better part of a decade. The film has aged beautifully and still holds the same emotional resonance as it did the first time I saw it in 1994. In addition, terrific performances, amazing sets and an eerie visual look drive home a dark and well-paced story. Director Neil Jordan has succeeded in bringing his own unique independent filmmaking sensibilities to what is, in effect, a large, epic production. On the video side of the equation, Warner has given Interview with the Vampire a thorough and well rendered transfer that highlights the movie's dark and foreboding tone. Some viewers might take this opportunity to spring for an ISF calibration of their display before viewing the film. This is just one of those titles that demands it and will reward those who have gone the extra mile. Audio, on the other hand, is a disaster. Warner has skimped and given Interview with the Vampire a lossy Dolby Digital soundtrack that can't match the power of lossless or even the DTS track released on the previous DVD release. In the end, I recommend Interview with the Vampire for its outstanding story and acting. The sound, unfortunately, leaves a lot to be desired.