If I’ve to see yet another variation of “why didn’t anyone inform me Interview With the Vampire was this good?” on social media I would lose it. As a result of, bestie, we tried! So many people—journalists, followers, everybody—tried to inform you to look at this present. The AMC manufacturing, which aired to extremely excessive rankings, essential acclaim, and an enormous fandom response, actually took over my life for 2 months. Am I glad that individuals are discovering the present now that it’s airing on Max? Sure. However we tried to inform you when it was occurring! We tried so onerous! I’m going to take a step again although; you’re right here now, and that’s what issues.
Why Are Vampires Related With Queerness?
And, look, perhaps it’s not your fault. When Interview With the Vampire got here out final 12 months, no person actually knew the sort of status present AMC had on its fingers. AMC didn’t even know what sort of present it was attempting to market. The messaging was blended, and most of the people—even longtime followers of Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles followers—didn’t know what to anticipate till they watched the present themselves. Was Interview With the Vampire going to be a supernatural monster of the week, a twisted Vampire Diaries-style romantasy, or one thing much more campy? No person knew till the primary episode dropped.
That first episode is, by the best way, probably the most gorgeous, inimitable first episodes of any season that I’ve ever watched. I’m not exaggerating once I inform you that I received midway via the episode and knew that this wasn’t simply going to be particular, it was going to be transcendent.
Picture: AMC | Alfonso Bresciani
The model of Interview With the Vampire that was launched final 12 months was a lush and cruel exploration of queerness and reminiscence. It took the unique materials and shone a light-weight on the latent queer subtext, giving voice to generations of homosexual individuals who noticed themselves mirrored within the characters of Louis, Lestat, and Armand, even when they didn’t fairly notice why. A lot of the guide collection is thinly veiled implications of homosexuality that an up to date, trendy present based mostly on the Vampire Chronicles needed to discover that explicitly, and did so with context. The writers took complete chunks of the unique textual content and transcribed them into the script, giving AMC a present that was trustworthy to the books and nonetheless occupied with some facet items. The tv present, trapped in between the (typically litigiously) revered canon and the notorious movie, needed to do one thing completely different. And as an alternative of letting itself be burdened by expectation, it ate followers alive and left us wanting extra.
For those who’re unconvinced that this social media phenomenon is occurring, don’t fear, I preserve receipts. It’s not too late to get began on this unimaginable present, and if these new followers are something to go by… you received’t remorse it.
Please. Please. I’m begging you, as one style present enjoyer to a different. Watch this present. It’s on Max till the top of October. You received’t remorse it. As a cute little moral bonus, AMC signed an interim contract with SAG-AFTRA permitting season two of Interview With the Vampire to proceed capturing. It’s time to expertise this Darkish Present for your self.
Interview With the Vampire is streaming on HBO Max via October 31.
This piece was written throughout the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. With out the labor of the writers and actors presently on strike, the film being lined right here wouldn’t exist.
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