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nalyra-dreaming · 4 months

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Hi! Love your blog!

We know that made Lestat's abuse of Louis way more prominent in show (decision I still don't agree with but that's not the matter) and we have Jacob saying that s2 is way darker than book. People speculate that it's because they'll include FrankenClaudia who technically wasn't in this particular book but do you think they'll make Loumands relationship more toxic too like they did with Loustat? (I know they added romance to loustat but they also added beating scene that was on way way more smaller scale in book). Do you think they'll add more gaslighting? Emphasize on Armand making Louis turn Madeleine against his will?

Thank you for answering!

Hey nonny!

So glad you like!

I do think that they will heavily lean into that, yes. (And this "interview" is already held with the content of several books, so imho it doesn't really matter where the content comes from... Rolin held 6? or 7 books up to the camera^^). This will be a bit longer^^:

As all things are said to be revisited we will see how s1 will hold up, but of course it will stay correct that they emphasized the abuse vector. And that is a very valid thing for the Vampire Chronicles! There is a LOT in there, especially abuse, but also like... everything else, too. (As the Twitter discourse currently on Marius also... shows.)

So to get back to your actual question: yes I do think they will emphasize this part (though if they add more? We will see.), I think they have already hinted at that in season 1, but the book canon and their chosen promotional posters give us a very poignant hint here as well.

If we look at the "elevator posters" for example, we have Lestat, Louis and Claudia looking sideways at the observer*, in various state of emotions: fear, anger, and aware consternation (maybe), respectively.

And then we have Armand, *the observer, who looks down the length of his nose at them, with an air of superiority and a hint of a smile, clearly the one in charge:

It is also important to note that he is half in shadow but from the front here, not sideways as the others. The other three are almost completely "in the light", visible as it were. Armand... is not.

Now, if you remember the poster of season 1, then this is a direct echo of it, as well as a development from it:

Lestat was only half visible, behind Louis, since we only heard of him through Louis. Now he is in the same "position" as Louis and Claudia, almost fully revealed.

It is interesting that those elevator pictures keep Claudia in this position here, too, but it makes sense when one knows what will revealed only in later books about her and her play (I have talked about the twist from Merrick).

Now the posters sold at SDCC are equally interesting, because they speak their own language:

First off, we have Louis, holding the mask of Lestat in his hand, a mask taken off, and the mask echoes Lestat's "death face". He is looking into space, beyond it, and he seems to be seated in the back of a stage (given that we have a scene photo with Lestat seated on stage that carries ... repercussions^^).

"La mémoire est un monstre". The second half of IWTV is (among other things of course) Louis yearning for Lestat and learning a few... uncomfortable truths. Masks are taken off, and the revelations will be bloody. Louis will be condemned to be a spectator for some of them, and in the book it culminates in a very poignant speech about passivity.

And then there's Claudia. "La famille est un monstre." Dancing as Carmen, the red flamenco dress making her seem older than she is (supposed to be). The dress emulates flames, the audience is dead. She is almost smirking at the beholder, definitely proud of who she is, and her feet are naked.

"Carmen, a searing depiction of a woman who craves love, but creates obsession and jealousy, is one of the most popular operas ever written." (x)

The Carmen reference feels perfect for me, it will be very interesting to see which aspects they take up for the show, who Madeleine will be, given the World War 2 context, and the jealousy of the soldier in the original opera.

Then there is "L'amour est un monstre". Love is a monster. Love is the monster. The lover is the monster. For these vampires all these variations fit, and I do not just mean Loumand here, but generally.

Armand seems to say something to Louis, who is looking into space, with a slight frown.

The movie poster from "Gaslight", a movie about a whirlwind romance and the new husband isolating the wife from the world and "gaslighting" her to make her appear mad and doubt her own sanity to get at what she possesses... now the IWTV people know what they're doing *laughs*

Anyone who has read IWTV and TVA knows that Armand spell-binds Louis on several occasions, and influences him to do things, for example turning Madeleine, as you mentioned.

Interestingly enough there is also a man with a face half in light, half in shadows here - and that is echoed on Louis in the poster, one half is painted red - indicating he doubles with the police officer of the movie, discovering the things that are supposed to be hidden from him.

And, last but definitely not least, the general poster, without caption:

Lestat is "almost" revealed, our "view" of him still restricted somewhat by Louis and Claudia, as well from the theater curtain.

Claudia is engaged with whatever is happening beyond our view, Louis... is not. He is restraining himself, hands in pockets, mouth set and his gaze is dark, somewhere between accusation and anger. Lestat's gaze is open here, carrying a vague challenge, an expectation.

If we take the elevator pictures back into account one could argue they are looking at Armand here - and that would fit with the story:

Lestat will come to Armand hoping for something, expecting something. Louis will come to some very uncomfortable realizations, and events that will make him beyond angry. Claudia will try to move on, leave Armand behind. And even Louis, arguably.

So to wrap this up: I'm not sure they will add more gaslighting. More toxicity.

Because I don't think they actually need to! There is plenty there already. They will however build on what's there, and it has been more than hinted at imho. (Arguably that happened in season 1 as well, as a lot of that ep 5 scene echoes something in later books, and we will know only after season 2 how it will click into place.)

Armand uses his spell-gift on Louis even after promising not to do it (in the book, I talked about it here), and given how this show drags things into the light they will definitely hook into this. I think both definitions of "gaslighting" will apply - given the structure of the show they might make Armand the "villain" (that he was in the first books) this time round, though of course this word doesn't quite fit for these vampires.

Armand is the one who tortures Nicki and chops off his hands. We are getting flashbacks to that time, and we know that we will get to see Lestat and Nicki in that time. I would bet money on it that they will explore that part of their history.

Armand is the one who tortures Lestat, and uses him to pull the mock trial off.

Armand is the one who throws Lestat off a tower, challenging him to love him... a scene many book readers expect to at the very least echo, if not replace the ep5 scene, depending on how they spin it.

Armand is the one who influences Louis to do things, and who lies to both Louis and Lestat about the other.

Armand is the one who has Claudia (and Madeleine) killed, because she was in the way.

I know show only viewers see Lestat as the epitome of toxicity right now, but... he's actually not. Jacob put it well in that interview that Louis is "angry at him and presents him as a monster".

The show made choices, and given that it's Lestat (who is just the tiniest bit important for the following seasons/books after all)... this requires other choices to be made.

And going by the posters they have given us - they do.

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ileftmysoulinnorway · 10 months

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We all had a tough end of the week, so I thought I would put together something about my IWTV set lurking experience in Prague, hopefully to cheer someone up and show you that the people working on our little show are incredible, everything is well thought out, and we have a lot to look forward to.

Locations

I am confident that Prague will be a good substitute for Paris. I love this post comparing Prague's Théâtre des Vampires location with a real Le Grand Guignol in Paris. But similar care is given to other locations as well.

I like to joke that I enjoyed a month-long tour of Prague's most famous landmarks, only to have the actual filming take place in nondescript alleyways right next to them. But it makes perfect sense. They want to capture the nicer and older parts of the city that suit them, but not anything that would tell you it's Prague.

Production design, costumes

I saw them build everything from scratch on several sets. And I'm in awe. From putting up posters that will probably only appear in the background of a single shot, to street names that fit the exact topography of Paris and make sense in the context of the scenes that take place on them, to storefronts that they really didn't have to pay that much attention to, or a menu at Le Dakar Café that you could only read up close, but someone took the trouble to make it anyway?

And maybe this attention to detail is normal, I don't know, but I still think Mara and her team deserve all the praise they get.

S1 showed us how much attention is paid to the costumes. I can assure you that has not changed. All the hats, coats, capes and dresses. I can't tell you how many times I've been pleasantly surprised. By the choice of colors for Lestat. By how beautifully all of Armand's black clothes come to life with little details.

People

There are so many people (and I mean SO many) working on the show and they all know exactly what is expected of them, everything runs like a well-oiled machine. I haven't seen any problems, any conflicts, any excesses.

I'm not under any illusion that everything was trouble-free, but really the only complaints I heard were about the horrendously hellish schedule (I guess that's normal) and then the occasional person wishing they had finished earlier (they never finished earlier).

They are all heroes to me.

Directors

Levan is the only one I saw. He seems so focused and professional. His "rolling...and action" is unforgettable.

Actors

After six locations and about fifteen scenes (and countless rehearsals and takes), I think I managed to get at least some idea of them, and yes, they really seem to be such nice people.

- Jacob, I don't envy him at all the emotional strain of playing Louis, but at the same time I love his portrait of Louis so much.

- Sam's transformation into Lestat is something to behold.

- Assad was the only one present on every set. I don't think we've fully realized how big a role he's going to have (at least in S2).

- Delainey, Ben, Roxane and everyone else 💜

Scenes

They were far from finished when the strike started, but at least (in my opinion) they got to the last block of episodes.

I'm not going to pretend to have a concrete idea of what to expect from S2 based on what little I saw. But I do have a few guesses, and I'm insanely excited and thrilled. And, in the case of the 1700s flashbacks, totally confused. I can't believe they're going to do so many unexpected things, or other things so soon.

I truly believe that S2 will not disappoint any of us. We just have to wait a little longer. But if this strike means that everyone gets a better deal and the studios are forced to change their ways, it will be worth the wait.

#iwtvphotos&asks

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streussal · 7 months

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Claudia Fanvid Recs

I put together a list of my favourite fanvids of Claudia from Interview with the Vampire for Claudia Appreciation Week run by @claudiadelionlac

The first vid is for the 1994 film, while all the rest are from the current television series.

General Trigger Warnings (not all apply to every single vid): violence, blood, murder, some gore, fire, domestic violence, implied sexual assault (off-screen)

Movie: Precious by bironic - Louis’s point-of-view on Claudia and their relationship. (Music by Depeche Mode)

Vids made while season 1 was still airing:

brutal (youtube link) by @castieldean/ angeldeljueves - It is in fact brutal out here for Claudia! Episodes 4 & 5. (Music by Olivia Rodrigo)

Girl anachronism (AO3 link) by @firstaudrina - Behold the world’s worst accident! Made before the season 1 finale, though it uses some promotional clips for it. (Music by The Dresden Dolls)

Vids using footage from the whole season (in alphabetical order):

Body Terror Song (youtube link) by @castieldean / angeldeljueves - I'm very sorry that you have to have a body // One that will hurt you, and be the subject of so much of your fear (Music by AJJ)

Doll Parts by @finalgirlguy - And someday you will ache like I ache (Music by Hole)

Girls just wanna have fun (youtube link) by @lioncunt / wolfkillerlestat - she just wants to have fun !!!111!! (Music by Cyndi Lauper)

I am not a woman, I’m a god by @idontwikeit - I am not a martyr, I’m a problem (Music by Halsey)

Make It Mine by @wellwaterhysteria - Got my list of goodbyes // Cross my heart, hope you die (Music by Rei Ami)

My Body is a Cage (youtube link) by @eleancrvances / gaia - This vid uses a fair amount of dialogue from the show. The youtube link has subtitles for all the dialogue. (Music by Peter Gabriel)

pas de deux (or, when you're the shape they made you) by @firebuggg- Instrumental vid!

Ptolemaea (youtube link) by @idontwikeit/ Viv - I am the face of love’s rage - The Claudia portion of so far three-part series of vids set to portions of Ethel Cain’s Ptolemaea (Lestat and Louis sections are linked in the post, and can also be found on the vidder’s youtube page)

Seashore (youtube link) by @jennaflare - You’re talkin’ to me like a child (Music by The Regrettes)

Terry Gross (youtube link) by @jennaflare - When it comes to the heist, doesn’t feel like a partnership // ‘Cause my accomplice is completely incompetent (Music by Dessa)

#claudiaappreciationweek2023 #claudia de pointe du lac #fanvids #vid recs #vids: iwtv #vampire chronicles #interview with the vampire

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faerywhimsy · 8 months

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For anyone (like me) who is an avid fic writer and wants a selection of pre-drawn maps—complete with Anne's annotations—in order to make sense of place?

Behold!

I bring to you a PSA taken from the back of The Vampire Companion and shows us San Francisco when the 1973 interview took place, Paris in the time of TVL, as well as the Gathering of Immortals occurring in QotD.

(There are several other maps, but those don't contain these kinds of annotations)

That last one, and it's key in the lower left corner? I would have killed for one of these back in the day (just like I'd kill today for one portraying the Gathering of the Elders in Prince Lestat, if I'm being honest).

#vc shitpost #interview with the vampire #the vampire lestat #queen of the damned #fanfic #the vampire companion #katherine ramsland #prince lestat

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xxgothchatonxx · 1 month

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Well, I was certainly about a week early with my "ah I'm so glad the show has allowed Mr. Reid to be as silly and goofy as possible with Lestat" post because-

Behold - The Vampire-Bunny Hybrid Lestat

#interview with the vampire #sam reid #lestat de lioncourt #i mean i know us aussies tend to chew the scenery but we don't usually mean it literally Sam!

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belle-keys · 7 months

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Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire seems to me to be lovechild of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dracula, and No Exit.

Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, because Louis is primarily drawn to vampirism as it awakens the senses and reveals the rich hidden beauty of the world. Louis observes life with an impressionist painter’s eyes and is on a quest to contextualize the beauty of humanity around him, that which he can’t himself partake in. Like Dorian, he’s immortal and invincible, but he has paid for this infinity of living with his soul and his humanity. Borne of evil himself, he can only behold goodness and beauty by gazing at the canvas. Also, gay.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula, because the novel pays homage to 19th-century Gothic literature. This time, the vampiric monster is the protagonist, the Byron, the anti-hero, the person we’re forced to sympathize with. The novel answers questions Jonathan Harker never bothers to ask: Where did Dracula come from? What does he feel? What does he want? What is human within him? Rice’s novel further enriches the vampirical canon by situating Louis, who believes himself to be a child of the devil, as the moral heart of the story. We are left wondering how much of Dracula, Stoker’s villain, had remained human upon his death.

Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit, because the characters are living an undead existence of angoisse and our vampires can’t handle their infinite, solitary existence without companionship. Their loneliness is hell, but we learn through the dynamic between Louis, Lestat, and Claudia that “hell is other people” also. Louis is grappling with the existentialist question of how to give his life meaning, trying to discover the essence of himself and vampirism, struggling to take action and evade cowardice. The Sartrian idea that existence is inherently meaningless and vampires are cursed with the burden of endless consciousness is the hell Louis can’t bear.

#another point is that iwtv humanizes the monster which is exactly what 19th century horror readers didn’t care for lol #rice preys on our morbid fascination with the grotesque by making the monster the protagonist and then she says HAH HE’S A SOFTBOI #when louis burns down the theatre that’s when he learns l’existence précede l’essence #he learns that vampirism has no essence and that only actions can give life meaning and create outcomes #and well his wandering of the globe in search of beauty while fighting with the evil of vampirism deep within?#the most dorian-coded thing ever #iwtv #interview with the vampire #lestat de lioncourt #anne rice #claudia de lioncourt #dracula #bram stoker #tpodg #oscar wilde #dorian gray #jean paul sartre #no exit #huis clos #existentialism #gothic lit #english lit #vampires #spooktober #halloween #iwtv meta #spooky season #book blog

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rebel-revenant · 9 days

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A retelling of the Devil's Minion wherein young San Francisco Chronicle Reporter Daniel Molloy sold his soul to the devil for notoriety as a writer. Daniel instantly rose to infamy after publishing the sensational smash hit Interview with the Vampire Lestat, an autobiographical feature of the 80's glam rockstar-turned-recluse, whose mysterious vitality and beauty seems forever preserved in time. Now, fifteen years later, Armand is the fallen angel who has come to collect on their contract. Enraptured by the final manuscript Daniel has yet to complete, Armand extends him an offer of borrowed time to finish it under his watchful eye.

"Oh, shut your pious mouth and kiss my sinful lips -” Lestat spanned his wicked circle, arms extended, wings too. “You know I cannot. Our borrowed time is over. To kiss a devil now would condemn me.” “Come, coward! Fall with me, fall into my arms, my damning embrace, into these arms that held you once before, are they not your home, Louis?” Lestat’s cheeks florid with the luster of rage, always at home in him, arms animated as he prowled the breadth of Louis’ wingspan like a predator. Enticed, provoked, desperate. “Am I not still your home! Even in death! It was in our vows!” “Til death do we part.” “Technicalities, semantics!” Is this why Daniel had come? To pay witness to a marital spat between interdimensional beings? To serve as an accomplice to Lestat’s vandalism…? Either way, it was mightily entertaining to behold. "Lestat, you knew from the start I was a steward of the Heavens." "You are an immortal wet blanket, is what you are!"

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daedriyth · 7 months

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CAS Challenge Day 6 - Creepy Doll

As I sat thinking about a creepy doll I thought about Claudia from Interview with a Vampire (can you guess my favorite occult?) So I tried to create her as a child, just like when she was turned, and it didn't' work. So I made her as a teenager, and was much happier with the outcome. As I don't remember her having a last name in the movie I gave her the same as Lestat. So, behold, my creepy doll that shall never grow up!! As always, credit for this challenge goes to the lovely @pixeledwings

#ts4 #ts4 cc #simblr #ts4-poses #halloween #ts4 cc shopping #simblreen #the sims 4 cas #ts4 occult #cas halloween challenge #simblreen 2023

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festeringfae · 2 years

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The thing about AMC's Interview with the Vampire is YES, they claim Lestat inspired Jelly Roll Morton to write a piano tune so famous the entire audience recognizes it without knowing its name, because they KNOW it is fucking HILARIOUS to imagine the American songbook was influenced by THE VAMPIRE LESTAT

but then you fucking GOOGLE "jelly roll wolverine blues" and lo and fucking behold, the dude was ACTUALLY FROM NEW ORLEANS and ACTUALLY GOT HIS START ABLIBBING IN BROTHELS and you realize, son of a bitch, this stupid fucking joke required RESEARCH, they are not just Highlighting Historical Atrocities by having THOSE influence the plot, they are HIGHLIGHTING UNDER-RECOGNIZED BLACK HISTORICAL FIGURES by having them hang out with the fucking VAMPIRE LESTAT and having an IN-UNIVERSE FACT-CHECKER be like "yeah bro you can't actually give that white dumbass fop VAMPIRE credit for an actual Black dude's legendary prowess, tysm"

anyway the fact that Mr. Morton stopped playing brothels in 1904 makes this so much funnier to me, AMC Interview with the Vampire knows EXACTLY what they are doing, actual Leaning Tower of Pisa level of skillful balance, what the fuck, more TV like this please

#AMC Interview with The Vampire #there will Actually be no living or unliving with me once Claudia arrives sorry

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eric-the-bmo · 8 months

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Behold, the Neighborhood Watch cast list! Taken directly from my notes document, accurate as of writing this (s2ep4):

Main Cast

Song O’Sullivan [she/they]: We got a witch! Was sent to the town by their mafia father in order to keep them safe, and had a ritual go wrong three years ago. Has a pet snake and never explains what her job is. 6'3. Lives in 1317.

Markus Jones [they/he/she]: (Bugs, bugs, and more bugs.) A very strange person from Romania with an obsession with bugs and no living family to speak of. Will not hesitate to threaten or even stab others. 5’4 and lives in 1313.

Louis Bon Fontaine [he/him]: The Crooked with a protection amulet, a deal with the devil, and a vampire who’s coming after him. 6’1, looks old enough to be someone’s dad, late 30’s-early 40s. Lives in 1303.

John Doe [he/him]: A monster confined to a human form three years ago, trying to keep his nature and hunger for human flesh a secret as he attempts to make friends and be loved. So far he hasn’t been doing too well in both aspects lmao. 6’10. Lives in 1311.

Neighbors

Shelby Waters: John’s roommate. A go-with-the-flow Twitch streamer who’s a total skeptic of all things supernatural.

Philip Moore: A divorced father trying his best to take care of his daughter. Louis’s neighbor. Revealed to be an alcoholic in s1ep5, though he’s been working on recovering.

Jenny Moore: Philip’s daughter. She’s a brat.

Bob Patterson: He and his wife are residents of 1315, and are collectively awful. Owes Markus a favor since they helped his wife, and in s2ep4 it was discovered he’s a monster hunter.

Karen Patterson: Bob’s wife. She has way too many cats, and in s1 was infected by a strange plant. Leader of the HOA, or is at least part of it.

Emmett: Song’s neighbor. Revealed to have uploaded his brain to AI in s1ep3, and was the one who constructed the Dome. Had been researching the Hunter cryptids, and provides us with information.

Arjun Sampath: Fatima’s husband, he’s a brilliant engineer who used to do government work and created Amira. The Sampath family lives in 1319.

Fatima Sampath: Arjun’s wife. She and Arjun had always wanted a child but were unable to, for several unspecified reasons. She made us fruit baskets when we all first moved in.

Amira Sampath: Arjun and Fatima’s daughter. Is on her cell phone a lot. Recognized Shelby and is a fan of her. Was taking archery lessons with Song before it was discovered in s2 she was a robot and lost her memories of the show’s events.

Kenneth Feinstetter: A loud and boisterous conspiracy theorist who claims to know the truth about this town. Revealed to be a prophet in s2ep4. Specifically, physical touch allows him to view memories; he can’t seem to be able to choose what he sees.

William Kreiger: A horribly socially awkward man with a pencil stache and many rats. Knows about Markus’s bug ability, and is implied to have the same talents but with rats.

Bonnie McMurry: John and Shelby’s new neighbor. A sweet old lady who had a son that passed away a few years ago. Loud music came from her basement at night until she decided to have a yard sale.

Heath Clark: An outspoken trans man who enjoys camping and the outdoors. Married to Sammy.

Sammy Clark: He’s totally the Sasquatch. Claims to be Blessed by Nature and can control birds, a little bit- has the same ability as Markus and William.

Lucretius [Lestat]: An incredibly pretty and charming individual who’s actually a vampire- and Louis’s ex. He moved here just to make Louis’ life worse, and is trying to get with Song because of this. Recently changing houses due to a bug infestation.

Townspeople

Walter Havershaft: The cheerful mailman of Greenville. Introduced in the season one finale.

Kathy Green: The florist. She and Walter like each other.

Jack: The local handyman/everyman of town. Runs a store called “Jack of All Trades.”

Laura Brown: The librarian. Likes to read romance novels.

Joseph Miller: The park ranger.

Vincent “Vinnie” Carbone: Runs the pizza shop.

Harold Wells: A bag boy at the grocery store. A “well, Actually-” kind of guy and carries around an anime body pillow (tf?)

Sunny: The ice cream stand man. Does he know they grant wishes..?

Dr. Amis Sutherland: The doctor of the family clinic, as there is no hospital in Greenville. Said to be a miracle worker.

Tawny Evergreen: An older woman with a flower crown and crochet top. She runs the local coffee shop/ cat cafe, Grounded in Nature.

Jewel Green: An employee of the coffee shop. Doesn't care for her job, has many piercings, and is legally not allowed to spell the customer’s names correctly. Granddaughter of the Crestfallens.

The Crestfallens: An elderly couple who runs the Circle general store [which is totally supernatural]. Very joyful, despite their last name.

Clara: An intern for the botanical parade, and also John’s coworker. Seems to have a crush on him, and has lived in Greenville her whole life.

Minister Jebediah Ford: The Minister of the church in town. A nice and well-dressed older man; he has a garden.

Bob Jr.: The Sheriff of Greenville and the Pattersons’ son.

Jason Chen: A cop.

#eric finally speaks #the neighborhood watch #tnw cast list #motw campaign

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nalyra-dreaming · 3 months

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Do you still see lestat on the show as being as emotionally distant as in the books? In the books it’s so drastic and obvious he’s purposely putting up an act of indifference, a coldness, withdrawing affection from Louis if Louis sometimes acknowledges it, right? But in the show he doesn’t hide his light as much so to speak, especially in episode 2 and when he tells Louis much he cherishes him for being himself no matter how challenging. He’s so much more transparent about wanting Louis to return his love. And as for the secret keeping, yes he keeps the Paris coven, Marius, and TTMBK a secret but mysteriously so much is implied by Louis knowing a little about Nicky, it suggests some intimacy about what he was able to share.

How do you think the show might show a difference in lestat when he’s able to have more closeness with Louis?

Okay, so - I do not actually see Lestat as emotionally distant in the books. He's been hurt, abused. He's... dealing. He's also protecting himself and his wounded heart. (I'm thinking of Antoine's report here, for example.) If you refer to IWTV, I mean then it is clear, right, how did Jacob put it? (yes, even in the show:) "it’s clear that Louis is somebody hugely angry with a man he loved deeply and now presents them as a monster…"

If you refer to TtotBT then I have to argue that there is a LOT more going on there, than just "withdrawing". If you mean this in relation to his fear for his light to hurt the ones he loves again, then that... while it certainly has repercussions I don't think that really(*) outlasts the reunion in TVL.

(*) Obviously a lot happens after that reunion, and that in turn has repercussions. But these repercussions, and even the phases where Lestat withdraws later on are not based in him shielding his light from Louis, imho.

As per the show:

Jacob called it "Lestat having more pathos" and I think that fits very well. Lestat has been alone longer. He has been back to Paris at least twice (and we will yet see what happened in-between?! It could very well be for example that he and Armand engaged in a proper relationship too for a while, but that just as a thought). And this pathos, this need permeates every interaction, he focuses it on Louis (which leads to good and to bad repercussions!) and Louis cannot hide it in this second interview. (The contrast to the first interview that we only hear parts of is very stark in this respect, imho. Like Louis definitely sounds harsh there.)

We only see Lestat through Louis right now. There is no way to judge how Lestat's views all that's been told (or even a more neutral view through Daniel might be).

There is no way to tell how much of his "light" Lestat let shine through either - there is no way to tell how much he hinted at, or how much Louis surmised. I don't think Louis missed half the clues he was supposed to, because he tells Claudia very early on that Lestat has secrets. So there is awareness of that fact at the very least. And he knows Paris is a red flag, too. Louis knows that vampires can be raped into vampirism.

Right now, with what already has been hinted at wrt certain manipulations, there is no way to judge Louis' and Lestat's life together outside the most basic facts. How much "light" Lestat might have let Louis see in the beginning at least. Given how deeply Louis fell? I would argue he didn't hold back much.

And with regards to the closeness...

We will get other POVs. Armand's and Louis' in s2, with a bit of Daniel's, I bet. Lestat's in s3 and then we'll see what other POVs might pop up. But the experience of what happens is always in the eyes of the beholder, that won't change.

I believe it will be very intense when we will get to see Louis and Lestat in a more neutral POV (i.e. in Dubai). The Lestat in the books is usually overcome by Louis, sometimes so much he cannot express (t)his love, but he always draws near, touches, pulls him in, kisses. Needs, fatally. What did Sam say? "He cannot take his hands off Louis." :)

Since the show elevated the supposed subtext there is no need to pull back on touches, or kisses, or generally physical closeness. Of course it will depend on the adventures the show will choose to depict what their relationship status will be, but I don't see him hiding anything from Louis as soon as the truth is out (once more^^).

I bet Lestat will go full in :)

PS: If I misinterpreted or if you want to talk about details in the books re emotional distance, please hmu again. I'll happily explain my view^^

#Anonymous #asks #ask nalyra #amc iwtv #iwtv #amc interview with the vampire #interview with the vampire amc #iwtv amc #iwtv 2022 #interview with the vampire #lestat de lioncourt #louis de pointe du lac #loustat #the vampire chronicles #vc #vampire chronicles

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queenoftheimps · 1 year

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Lestat: Behold! I have turned Antoinette into a vampire to thwart your scheme Lestat: That's how I solve all of my problems, by turning people into vampires. Louis: Has that ever actually worked? Lestat: Lestat: Lestat: Lestat: once Lestat: maybe Lestat: that's not the point

#interview with the vampire #iwtv #the vampire chronicles #lestat de lioncourt #louis de pointe du lac #i've only read the first few books #but in the first two books i think gabrielle was the only case where it mostly turned out fine #the rest resulted in either attempted murder or a really traumatizing situation involving hands

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bidyke · 1 year

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We need to talk about Interview With the Vampire’s biphobia (Part 1: Bi erasure)

Amid rave reviews, praising the new AMC series for “finally letting the vampires be gay”, the conversation about the show’s treatment of bisexuality is silenced. To describe the show’s take on bisexuality in one word, it is complicated. Simultaneously erased, elevated, trodden down, associated with evil, seductiveness, villainy, privilege, freedom, and queerness. Laden with rich meaning, some of the scenes form a master class in cinematic storytelling through bisexuality, while others are the epitome of classic biphobia.

This is going to be a series of articles in which I show how Interview With the Vampire takes the source material’s bisexuality and turns it into ambivalent biphobia, by depicting it as simultaneously oppressive and liberatory. I’ll explore bisexual erasure, the meanings given to bisexuality, and explain how these ultimately reveal bisexuality’s subversive power against dominant social structures.

Let me start with a disclaimer.

Just so we’re clear – this is a great show

Though much complaint is heard from fans of the Anne Rice books for deviating from the original, critics have been praising this show to no end – and justifiably so. The show’s irreverent treatment of the source material is nothing short of a stroke of genius. The showrunners took the original book and ran with it. They spun it into a retelling that is fresh and original, standing on the shoulders of a giant to create something new, while still preserving the core, the heart of the story.

Specifically, the choice of making Louis – originally a slave plantation owner – black, brings a whole new level of meaning, depth, and complexity into the narrative. It exposes the viewers to a culture and experience that the source material could never dream of. It also makes for a brilliant solution to the problem of depicting a white plantation owner as the romanticized protagonist of the story, by literally turning the book’s racism on its head.

Even as its own text, without regard to the source material, this show does its job incredibly well. It’s well narrated, written, and acted. Its beautiful cinematography makes every episode a delight to behold. It is completely legible to people who haven’t read the book, while still adding easter eggs and meta commentary on the original that both enriches and subverts it.

On the whole – I fucking love it.

And therein lies the problem – when something that does so very well on literally every level fails so hard in this.

Bisexuality in the book

[Book spoilers]

Interview With the Vampire is a very bisexual book. Though very little is explicit and on the surface, the subtext is rich with it. From the outset, the interview itself between Louis and Daniel takes place after they cruise each other and then go to Louis’ apartment. Most of the book/the interview itself focuses on his relationship with Lestat, starting with courtship and ending with an embivalent breakup. In addition, Louis tells about his love for a woman named Babette Freniere, which continues even after Lestat turns him into a vampire. When Louis and Lestat turn Claudia, Louis’ feelings towards her aren’t just fatherly, as in the show, but also romantic (yes, Anne Rice has a penchant for p*dophilia). Their relationship is consistently described in terms that blend and obscure the boundary between fatherly and romantic love. At one point in the book, while talking to Louis, Armand calls her “Your lover”, to which Louis replies: “No, my beloved”, emphasizing the complexity and multiplicity of Louis and Claudia’s relationship and feelings for one another. All the while, during this part of the book, Armand also is trying to court Louis (ultimately successfully, once Claudia dies). So, Louis is bisexual.

Moving on, both Interview With the Vampire and the Vampire Chronicles book series in general, make it abundantly clear that Lestat is bisexual. In Interview, he continues to feed on men and women, where bloodsucking is invariab;y described as erotic in Anne Rice’s books – both with the refrain that feeding replaces sex for vampires, and through the erotic language used to describe the act. Lestat is the one to seek out the relationship with Louis and turn him into a vampire. And throughout the Vampire Chronicles, Lestat has relationships, both romantic and erotic, with several women and men.

Daniel is also bisexual. During the Vampire Chronicles, he is shown to have relationships with Armand and Marius, and Anne Rice has spoken multiple times to the fact that all her vampires “transcend gender in their orientation”.

The book is not biphobic in its representation and storytelling. Don’t get me wrong, one can certainly make a case about the fetishization of male bisexuality in the books. It also, of course, links between bisexuality and vampirism, a well rich with meanings that by association imagine bisexuality as innate (the problematic notion that “everyone is bisexual really”), and as predatory and monstrous, dejected and dangerous. The latter meanings, though lovely when reclaimed, carry negative cultural meaning, therefore revealing a negative attitude and fear of bisexuality (=biphobia)*. But because Anne Rice’s vampires are all bisexual, and because they are humanized, romanticized, and eroticized, this doesn’t carry over to a strong negative characterization of bisexual vampire characters.

The show messed this up. And it starts with bisexual erasure.

[* Saying this is not, in fact, biphobic, nor is it a form of respectability politics. It becomes respectability politics when in response, we demand that bisexual characters be made respectable. Pointing out biphobic tropes , in itself, is not biphobic. Honestly this shouldn’t need explaining, but here we are..]

One bi character left standing

Out of three bisexual main characters, only one is left. Where it had the choice of staying true to the bisexual source, the show chooses to erase both Louis and Daniel’s bisexuality – Louis is made gay while Daniel is made straight. First and foremost, this change betrays somewhat of a bifurcated perception of bisexual identity and attraction, i.e. imagining it as “half gay” and “half straight”. One can imagine that the showrunners thought this change made sense as they chose which “half” to go with for each character.

We can only guess what motivated the showrunners to make this change. One option is that they wanted to tick more representation boxes. They knew the series would receive greater acclaim if one of the characters would be “fully gay” rather than just “half”, i.e. bisexual. They may have also felt they were being more faithful to the source material by doing so – as the rave reviews say, letting the story be “actually gay”. Similarly to the above, these two notions also reflect the belief that bisexuality is only “half”, that it is not “fully queer”, or that it’s a “cop out”.

Another reason why leaving Lestat as bisexual while making Louis gay might have made “more sense” to the showrunners is that Lestat is to a large extent the villain while Louis is the victim. The range of meanings associated with bisexuality in culture means people feel more comfortable seeing bi characters in villainous roles, it “makes sense” for people to associate bisexuality with evil. Whereas this has also been the case for representations of gay people in the past, this has overwhelmingly changed over the last 20 years. Though queer coding villains is still a prevalent practice, explicitly gay characters are not so often cast in such a role anymore. But bi characters are.

Yet another possible reason for this is the association between bisexuality and whiteness. After making Louis black, it might have made “less sense” to the showrunners for him to be bisexual, since bisexuality is widely perceived as a white identity (ironically enough, as statistically, bi people are disproportionately people of color). Meanwhile blackness, like gayness, is an oppressed identity that is actually perceived as oppressed. Therefore it makes “more sense” for the black character to bear a gay identity, while the white character is allowed to remain bisexual an imagined marker of “privilege”.

On a more sympathetic note, one can also imagine the showrunners may have wanted to avoid the “everyone is bisexual” trope which is broadly present in the source material. As I noted above, this trope suggests that everyone is actually bisexual. It consigns bisexuality to an eternally latent status, always lurking underneath, but never present in the here and now. Combined with vampirism, it suggests that bisexuality is only possible when one exists outside of society and is able to live a long life. It also imagines bisexuality as supernatural and inhuman.*

[* Again, pointing this out is not biphobic, see above.]

[TW: discussion of p*dophilia]

Another valid reason why the showrunners may have chosen to do this is avoiding the p*dophilic tones in Louis and Claudia’s relationship. Anne Rice was openly supportive of p*dophilia, which is deeply disturbing. In the 1994, there is actually a scene where Kirsten Dunst and Brad Pitt kiss. She was 12 at the time, while he was 29. So I’m genuinely glad and relieved that they decided to leave that part out. However, they absolutely could have done that while letting Louis stay bisexual.

[End of TW]

Whatever the reason, making Lestat the only bisexual character makes him the focal point of bisexuality in the show. He remains to represent it alone, meaning that his depiction, his actions, and his function in the plot make up the whole of the show’s commentary on bisexuality. And the meanings given to his bisexuality in many ways echo the points made above.

In the next part, we’ll delve into the many and complicated meanings that the show attributes to bisexuality through Lestat’s character.

#bisexuality #bi tumblr #bi characters #bisexual characters #interview with the vampire #anne rice #bi media representation

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