AMC’s Interview with a Vampire can learn lessons about lust from the film

One of the most beautiful aspects of the human experience is a big old swarm — the pounding of your heartbeat, the euphoria when you see the object of your affection, the desire to simply squeal with joy! At Polygon, however, we are very flexible when it comes to the interpretation of “crush.” ​​Short but intense crushes do not necessarily have to be real people (or even people!) or even romantically. Since I have many, many (many) crushes, I decided to share the energy that comes from writing their names over and over in a journal with a sparkly gel pen.

This week’s crush: Louis and Lestat from “Interview with a Vampire” from 1994

After seeing one sexy gifset after another, Interview with the vampire on my Tumblr dashboard, I finally decided to watch the AMC series on a Wednesday night. Unfortunately, I started at 10:30 p.m. and about 15 minutes into the first episode, I was too swept away by Jacob Anderson’s hypnotic interpretation of Louis and the thrilling story he was telling. I had to stop before Lestat showed up, because I knew once he did, I would be completely intoxicated by their deliciously tumultuous relationship and would stay up way too late during the week. I had to resist the lure of the toxic vampire yaoi if I wanted to maintain my sleep schedule.

Interview with the vampire finally grabbed me with its dark, gorgeous story that features enough significant changes from the version I know to keep me even more intrigued. The updates make sense and make the story seem from a new perspective. But before I fully embark on this journey, I wanted to take a moment to really appreciate Neil Jordan’s 1994 film adaptation of Anne Rice’s gothic vampire novel, which is technically titled Interview with a Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles.

Image: Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection

I first saw Jordan’s film when I was 12, when I was just getting really interested in vampires. (Because dusk – Sorry, I was The target group at that time.) Interview with the vampirestarring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise as Louis and Lestat, left a deep mark on my psyche. I developed a fondness for the Southern Gothic genre and it fundamentally shaped my taste for vampires, fictional men and fictional relationships. The film is lush and atmospheric, sinking its teeth into the setting of 19th century New Orleans. It is decadent to the point of excess, almost to the point of putrefaction, full of knickknacks, gilded furniture and Louisiana moss hanging from the trees.

Brad Pitt’s Louis anchors the film with his disillusioned, haunting narrative. He’s sexy in that tortured, brooding Byronic hero way, with his long, tawny hair cascading past his broad shoulders. Meanwhile, Tom Cruise’s Lestat fills the role of the charming libertine with golden locks and a sarcastic smile, with the bad influence Louis dragging down with him. It’s a murderously attractive combination, especially for someone whose first encounter with vampires was the very sterile one. dusk. Step aside, Edward Cullen — this Were vampires worth running away with?

Image: Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection

Image: Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection

In the 1994 film, the relationship between Louis and Lestat is not portrayed as explicitly romantic, as it is in the new series. This is an important aspect of the story that I’m keen to explore in the AMC series, as it’s more in line with the original book series, where Rice portrayed the vampires as openly queer in later novels. (She also confirmed in 2012 that she considered Louis and Lestat a same-sex couple.) Still, something must be said about the painful homoerotic undertone that runs through the entire 1994 film – a heartbeat all its own. Watching Lestat whisper seductively in Louis’ ear as he lures him to immortality and vampirism, asking him if He will come (seriously!), it’s hard not to think Oh, there’s something going on, isn’t there?

Judging by what I’ve seen so far, I’m sure I’ll be bingeing the rest of the AMC series. Interview with the vampire. But the 1994 film will always hold a special place in my heart. I find myself dreaming about it right now, romanticizing the muggy nights of New Orleans in a way that I hope can be applied to battling the current heat wave in New York. Maybe this week your crush will Also help you brave the sultry summer weather – let me know who you have a crush on!