Vampire movie has some bite

Queen of the Damned, the movie version of Anne Rice's book about vampires, is now playing in theaters. Starring Aaliyah (as Akasha) in her final film, and with Stuart Townsend (as Lestat), the movie skips four chapters of the book that explain quite a bit of background. Specifically, they discuss the creation of the first vampires and provide a history of the main characters in the movie. The movie begins with Lestat awakening from a century long sleep. He is driven by the remnants of his human emotion, which is expressed through his love of music. Lestat organizes a band and a concert in "Death Valley." Enter Jessie (Marguerite Moreau), a young woman who has a history with vampires that she can't even remember. Jessie works for a group in London that "monitors" paranormal activity. She becomes obsessed with Lestat and his formerly taboo public persona, since vampires usually stick to the shadows. Her boss shows her Lestat's old journal and it is then the audience discovers how he was made. Jessie reads of his curiosity about Akasha, the "Queen of the Damned" and one of the first vampires. Akasha was an Egyptian queen. She and her king husband were endowed with unquenchable thirst and nearly drank the blood of the entire world. They drank until the king no longer wished to drink, then turned into statues. When Lestat plays his violin for the statue of Akasha, she responds and allows Lestat to drink her own blood, giving him a taste of her awesome power. When Lestat awakens and his rock music spreads, Akasha awakens, kills the king and comes to find Lestat. A battle between good and evil ensues. Although the plot seems convoluted and silly at times, the film itself is visually stunning. The costumes are amazing and the setting, shot mostly in Australia, is also wonderful. The attempted Transylvanian accents are interesting but flawed, although it is worth noting that neither an Egyptian vampire queen or an 18th century French vampire aristocrat would speak with a Transylvanian accent. All in all, Queen of the Damned is an interesting film and worth going to see for the superb acting of Moreau, if nothing else. Rating: B-