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(2001) A supernatural adventure, this adaptation of Anne Rice's best-selling novel continues the saga of legendary vampire Lestat. Vincent has the role of Marius, an ancient vampire who "fathered" Lestat, initiating him into vampirism.
The story begins when 300-year old Lestat is awakened from his grave in New Orleans by the sound of an electric guitar. This leads him to find the band, who he promises to make rich and famous. He then becomes a rock star and plans a concert in California's Death Valley on Halloween night. It's long been a code among vampires that they were to keep their existence secret from mortals but Lestat's hunger for fame has now endangered that. This wanton violation of vampire law angers all the remaining ancient vampires including Akasha, Queen of the Damned, who soon escapes her confines to confront Lestat. Akasha, mother of all vampires, now looks to reshape the world in her own twisted image. Marius and all the other ancient vampires help in the battle against her. Interwoven into the plot is also a love story between Lestat and Jesse Reeves, a young occult researcher from London.
Reviews: "Perez lends a touch of international class." Ron Weiskind, Pittsburgh Post Gazette "Marius, played by Vincent Perez, really brings life to the screen, though with an admittedly limited performance."...Joshua Tyler, filmcritic.com "Of small compensation to area viewers is the appearance of Marius played by Vincent Perez, who debuted to U.S. fans in the 1992 Sarasota French Film Festival showing of Indochine and later in Queen Margot... He is still a compelling screen presence." ...George Meyer, Saratoga Herald Tribune "The film truly belongs to Townsend and fans of the Anne Rice's novels will be happy to know he completely embodies the charismatic vampire Lestat... Even though Aaliyah is only in the film a short time, she possesses a certain charm as the ancient and evil Queen Akasha. Yet, her acting skills are just not up to par with the rest of the cast, including the charismatic Vincent Perez as the vampire Marius and Lena Olin as the kind-hearted vampire Maharet." ...Hollywood.com "What does work well in Queen of the Damned is its look. The vampires are gorgeous, their skin in soft-focus to make it flawless and paled until it looks like fine porcelain. Townsend and Perez are stunning, as is Aaliyah." ...Ealasaid A. Haas, Milpitas Post "The real special effects here are Townsend and Perez, who are decidedly unconventional and whose lively scenes together come with a homoerotic campiness that seems straight out of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The two actors are a hoot.” ...Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee “Perez (coincidentally, the star of The Crow: City of Angels) has some nice moments as Marius.” …Betsy Pickle, Scripps Howard News Service "Capturing an essential element of Rice's work, Lestat shares the movie's most ecstatically homoerotic moment with the vampire Marius when the two drink each other's blood in a flashback. ...Charles Savage, Miami Herald "Complications abound. Lestat wants to see the vampire who created him, Marius (beautiful French actor Vincent Perez), with whom he seems to have a homoerotic sadomasochistic thing going on: chains, neck-nuzzling hugs and meaningful stares." ....Liam Lacey, The Globe and Mail “As Marius and Maharet, Vincent Perez (The Crow II) and Lena Olin (Unbearable Likeness of Being) illustrate vampire majesty with a definite flair. Marius’s inducting his protégé Lestat captures the homoeroticism that Anne Rice implanted throughout her novels.” …Jonas Schwartz, boxofficemojo.com "The only actor who brings any life to things is Perez, who gives so utterly swishy and overripe a twist to Marius that the character wouldn't have been out of place in The Fearless Vampire Killers". ...Frank Swietek, One Guy's Opinion “Perez comes off best in the smallish role of Marius" …Mark Burger, Winston-Salem Journal "Lestat's mentor is Marius (an unusually witty turn by French actor Vincent Perez)." ...Lou Lumenick, New York Post “Co-stars Lena Olin and Vincent Perez bring acting depth to their roles as ancient vampires, enlivening (a hard task to do when playing the undead) their supporting characters with nuances above and beyond what was scripted.” …Romantic Movies "Perez is clearly having a blast with his swishy, mother-father-sugardaddy character. Perez, who regrettably isn't around for nearly long enough, is the liveliest he's ever seemed in an English-speaking performance. Enacting some great catty exchanges, like two jilted lovers quarreling, Perez & Townsend have the best scenes in the film." ...Scott Foundas, Variety "Vincent Perez, oozing Euro decay though always very dapper, is the old vamp who recruited Lestat into drainage routines. He keeps following Lestat through the ugly, nocturnal centuries, with rather gay fascination. …David Elliott, San Diego Union Tribune “Despite the presence of two prestigious European stars, France's Vincent Perez and Sweden's Lena Olin, the Australian-made sequel soon slips into a music video... Lestat's mentor, Marius, is played by a bemused but careful Perez in whitish makeup." …Malcolm Johnson, Hartfort Courant "The vampire Marius is decently played by Vincent Perez (Bride of the Wind, I Dreamed of Africa). ... Screen it! "A more intriguing relationship is between Lestat and Marius, who seems to have a thing for him. Marius reappears in Lestat's life after so many centuries that Lestat comments on his outdated apparel. 'How did you manage to slip through the '50s in red velvet?' he asks." ...Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times “Townsend's Lestat has a pale, delicate beauty (not unlike Perez looked in The Crow." …Jeff Farance, The Daytona Beach News Journal “Only Vincent Perez as old-school vampire Marius seems to be having any fun." Mark Wolf, Denver Rocky Mountain News “Vincent Perez adds humor to the serious Marius, the vampire who created Lestat.” …Anne Cong-Huyen, University Wire "Marius, the excellent Vincent Perez... Great bitchy wit - Lestat: 'How did you find me?' Marius: 'I just looked for the most gauche house on the block.'" ...Lenny Smith, Casco Bay Weekly
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0 | CAST Stuart Townsend...............................Lestat CREDITS Directed by.........................Michael Rymer Release date: February 22, 2002
Production Photos
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