Queen of the Damned

Now I’m gonna take the leap here and suggest (as it probably has been, being a film out for 10 years now) that Anne Rice didn’t understand where this film was coming from or going. A little later, I’ll explain why. But it is sad for me to see that Rotten Tomatoes (or any other reviewer) thought that this film was so poor. I have reasons for liking it, but there’s truly really only one. But plot first.

In a modern day world with the rise of Nu Metal in the early 2000’s, Lestat the Vampire (Stuart Townsend) rises to a new sound he had never heard before. A sound that rises him from the grave. Upon encountering the goth band making all the racket, Lestat

Townsend as Lestat. Anyone see Dorian Gray?

reveals himself to be a centuries old vampire comes to make all their wishes come true. Now he just broke the unspoken agreement all vampires tailor themselves to. Don’t talk about being a vampire, or that vampires exist. But he is doing this for a reason.

To break the monotony. His silken and brooding voice (sung by none other than Jonathan Davis of Korn) charms all the goths in the entire world, a la Deathklok from Adult Swim. Pronouncing proudly that he is a vampire, Lestat hopes that other vampires will come out of hiding, even if it is only to get him. He has the world on a string, and he’s shaking it to find out where they’re hiding.

The beautifully frightening Aaliyah.

Meanwhile, at the London paranormal research building, Talamasca…

Jesse Reeves (Marguerite Moreau) is a young researcher, looking into whether or not Lestat is actually a vampire. Analyzing his lyrics, she feels she’s stumbled onto something real. With a colleague of hers confirming that it’s true, David Talbot (Paul McGann, you Dr. Who fans out there may know him as the 8th Doctor… personally, I don’t care.) hands her a diary of Lestat’s pasts and beginnings. When the two intertwine, a evil, ancient presence arises, leading to a new world order. Unless it can be stopped. I’m talking about Aaliyah as Akasha, the vampire Queen of Egypt. Word.

So you have your wondefully sexy and fierce R&B singer that I said I loved from Romeo Must Die. She takes on this role with as much grace before her tragic end (this film is dedicated to her). You have Stuart Townsend, the man who was almost destined to play Aragorn before Peter Jackson up and said he didn’t want him. You may ask, where have I seen Townsend before in a similar film? Look no further than the suave Dorian Gray in The League of Extraordinary

Some pimpin’ old vampires.

Gentlemen. Badass. He was a great addition to the film and really had the whole “Metal Sex God in Leather Pants” look going on. And Jonathan Davis backing him up on vocals. He’s Irish too, so you can’t hate. Marguerite Moreau was beautiful as ever in the film, giving Lestat a reason to fight for humans. And can I say again that Jonathan Davis makes a cameo in the film? Look out for him.

The Moreau factor.

And this is where I come to why I liked the film. Nu Metal. The early 2000’s framed my pathway into teenagery. That means I was frustrated and awkward. And what better music to listen to than Deftones, Static-X (my favorite bands), Disturbed, and the almighty Korn? Nothing in the world soothes my soul more than death metal. And you get all new hauntingly original songs from Korn? This movie is a package deal. It could’ve almost worked out as a rock opera. I’d be down.

And this is also the point where Anne Rice doesn’t get it. Goths/metal have forever been linked with vampires. It’s a fact now at this point. And a woman who was 58 at the time of this movie should’ve keeled over dead at the use of music in this film. New age music that’s not from my early years? Noooooooo! Understandable response. The movie is nothing she’s seen because it’s meant for the goth scene. The punk and metal scene. Because that strain of music has adopted the vampire image and feel. And, in that way, this movie works for me as a metal fan.

Jonathan Davis on his throne of Korns.

There are those out there who think that Korn is a hack band. They’re original, true, that can’t be denied. But, for some people, they’re washed up, or not hard enough for a lot of hardcore metal fans. They’re like Limp Biskit (I don’t even care to look up his name…) But that’s all wrong. And they hate old Limpy boy. Korn has been around since 1993. It is now 2012. They are infusing techno methods now, into their music. They were ahead of the curve when it came to electronic music back in the day, before all this started. They’re metal, they’re rap metal, they’re nu metal. They. Are. Korn. They can do whatever the shit they want. They are the original when it comes to everything. They are groovy and they are hard. And they hate the world. What could be better?

Now that you know my secret obsession with Korn, you know why this movie works for me. But it’s just my opinion. The acting was fine (I thought Stuart Townsend really stood out), and I pooped myself the second I heard him sing and I knew it was Jonathan Davis. It just

Can’t get enough of the sexy darkness.

clicked with me. It doesn’t have to with you. That’s why I specially recommend this to fans of Nu Metal and all things dark. For those of the 90’s and 2000’s who want to relive a bit of angst. And maybe suck some blood. 7.1 out of 10.

Momento Mori: The One About the Diary

What's with the water? Never got that...

If you guys are keeping up with my blogs and are familiar with Korean horror films, you may have found some discrepancies in my post on the prequel to Momento Mori, Whispering Corridors. I had mentioned the interesting voyeuristic quality of the journal in Whispering Corridors. I watched these movies back to back a little while ago and they kind of became one movie to me. That statement on the journals holds true to this movie and not the other one. In truth, these movies have nothing to do with each other. Sorry for the confusion, and on to the review!

So this movie stood out to me a lot more than its predecessor (despite the two being unrelated). Momento Mori is the story of gossip and alienation among an all girls school. In this movie, two girls, Yoo Shi-Eun and Min Hyo-Shin are the focus of ridicule and spite around their school. The pressures placed on these two girls due to their lesbian relationship are almost insurmountable for the two. Through a roller-coaster of  emotions and problems, Shi-Eun and Hyo-Shin face the ridicule of those around them with a brave face. Until everything goes wrong.

The relationship of these two is weird...

And that’s where the horror element comes from. Coming from a more thriller/suspense angle, this movie lacks terror and horror you would expect from a movie like this. A lot more of the tension and jumpiness comes from the voyeuristic element of Soh Min-Ah, the third party participant who finds their journal/diary. With the discovery of the journal lost by the lovers at any moment, Min-Ah must walk on eggshells around school, knowing what is truly going on between the two girls. And then things start becoming strange around the school, and the entire school must suffer for their treatment of two different kinds of lovers.

About as frightening as it gets.

This movie really did leave a lot to be desired in the horror department. It’s plot was well done, but the elements you would expect in the semblance of a horror movie really didn’t come out. With a few surreal elements that didn’t necessarily fit, I found a lot of the movie interesting more for its characters and scenes than its terror and suspense. There is quite a creepy element that exudes from the two lesbian lovers, which I don’t necessarily think comes from the acting as it does from the lack of skill. There’s not much else to say about this less than remarkable film, but I will give it at least an attempt to watch for anyone who is interested in the toned down style of Asian horror films.