Nu Blood

I've mentioned that Ms. Spenser wants to see more horror movies on the queue. I haven't mentioned that she's a fan of Korn. So when I heard that The Queen of the Damned (2002) featured music written by JD of Korn, of course I queud it right up - with the understanding that it would not be very good.

Based on the second and third books in the Anne Rice's Lestat stories, this is somewhat of a sequel to Interview with the Vampire, but Tom Cruise does not return in the lead role - nor did Neil Jordan return to direct. Because Warner Bros. option on the books was running out, they rushed this movie out with Stuart Townsend as Lestat, and Michael Rymer directing.

Townsend as Lestat has been sleeping in his tomb for centuries since the last movie, until one day he hears music, a new sound, like nothing he's heard in all that time asleep: Nu Metal. So he wakes up and heads to his old New Orleans mansion, where a band has been squatting. He tells them right off that he's a vampire and their new lead singer. That seems to be his plan: he'll tell everyone he's a vamp, and become the world's greatest rock star. It works.

I think there is the idea that this may bring some of the older, scarier vampires out of hiding, especially Marius (Vincent Perez), who turned him long ago. I'm not sure why he wants this - lonely? Planning some sort of revenge? It isn't clear. What is clear is that all this activity awakens the oldest, original vamp, played by Aaliya (who died between filming and release).

Aaliyah is the best thing about this movie (if you don't care for nu metal). She is gorgeous, slinky, and very scary. Too bad she's only in it for a few minutes.

It all ends in a big concert in Death Valley (get it?). Then there's a big fight between Lestat, the other vamps and a secret vampire hunting organization, who are secretly really horny for vampires. Aaliyah gets put down by one of those made-up rules of vampire lore someone mentions in the second act. And Lestat lives to be undead another day - I mean night. There will be no sequels.

Ms. Spenser kind of liked the music, but wanted more JD. It turns out he was playing a scalper, and we didn't even notice him.