Oh, What Could Have Been
The source material for this film is really good gothic horror, provided by Anne Rice, who also wrote the screenplay for this film. I remember seeing this back in theaters in 1994 and being completely enthralled with the film at the time, but on this most recent viewing, I've got to say I was less than thrilled, particularly with Tom Cruise's performance - it's almost there...but not quite - too many Cruise-isms in his performance, if you catch my drift. Watching this again, I realize why I hated Brad Pitt at the time - he hadn't proved his mettle yet, and this material does not do him justice. Kirsten Dunst and (gasp) Antonio Banderas both shine here, which comes as another shock, because back in 1994 I didn't care for either one of them. Curious. I wonder what kind of a film this would have been had Daniel Day-Lewis taken the role of Lestat and River Phoenix as the naive reporter who gives the titular interview with Pitt's Louis. The beginning of a great series, I'd imagine.