if vampire tale be your cup of blood and then this goth fest base on the anne rice vampire chronicle should prove to be a satisfying experience . a veritable consortium of the undead in a contemporary setting and ` queen of the damned and direct by michael rymer and be a story of shadow and darkness and and of the unfortunate soul who dwell therein for eternity . the vampire lestat ( stuart townsend ) and bore with a world that no long excite him and have be ` asleep for many year while but suddenly and the sound of that world he hear from his extended slumber change and and like what he hear and he venture forth to investigate . what he find be a world fill with new sound and a new kind of music driving and penetrate sound that assault the sens and make him feel alive and welcome . and he know that at long last his time have come and that it be time for him and those like him to come out into the open and face the world on their term . toward that end he become the front man for a band a singer and performer unlike any the world have ever know . he present himself a a vampire and and very quickly amass a following that extend far beyond london ( where it all begin ) and and will ultimately take him to death valley and california and where he plan to give a concert that promise to be beyond anything anyone have ever see or experience . lestat be powerful and without question and but there be those of his kind who do not take favorably to the fact that he have reveal them and one of whom be marius ( vincent perez ) and a vampire powerful in his own right the vampire and in fact and who ` make lestat so many year before and they be gather and come together and make their plan to meet lestat at the concert . and they be not go for the music . but there be something else and as well represent at one point lestat have inadvertently awaken the ` mother of them all and the most powerful of all the vampire and akasha ( aaliyah ) and who be about to make her presence know to all and and especially to the one she have choose to rule by her side a her king represent lestat . and at the concert and rest assure and akasha will be in attendance and without fail . make no mistake and this be lestat story and and rymer present it amid a setting rich with atmosphere and with some exquisite moment and though his film have less bite to it than say and ` interview with the vampire and or ` bram stoker dracula . he set a good pace and and there be some scene that provide some real thrill and but overall the film isn not a soak in menace a it could be and or as much a one might expect . in the final tally and in fact and the amount of flesh that be incinerate win out over actual blood letting and though there be more than a taste of gore and and more than a fair share of lip and mouth drip with the red stuff . there some good f or x on hand and too and especially in the sequence that accentuate the speed of the vampire and a they move and hurtle through the air faster than the naked eye can discern . it a decent job by rymer and but he could have put more teeth into it have he play up the alienation hint at by lestat while a it be and you get a sense of his detachment and but not enough to get you totally involved . in ` interview with the vampire and tom cruise bring some charismatic star power to the role of lestat and but townsend be even more effective and with a look and an attitude that capture lestat perfectly . he play him with a sense of acceptance and and under close scrutiny you may even find a hint of remorse and longing . it a good performance and and one that sell his character convincingly . a marius and vincent perez do a nice job and too he be and in fact and one of the strength of the film though his character be a bit ambiguous while that and however and have more to do with the way he be write than with perez performance and which be quite good . turn in noteworthy performance and as well and be marguerite moreau and a jesse and a young woman too curious for her own good while and the gorgeous lena olin a maharet and jesse aunt and who ultimately play a pivotal role in the outcome of the drama involve lestat and akasha . and a akasha and aaliyah be an absolutely rivet presence . what more can one say about her other than she be a gifted performer and with tremendous talent and beauty . and and tragically and she have leave u much too soon . the support cast include paul mcgann ( david ) and christian manon ( mael ) and claudia black ( pandora ) and bruce spence ( khayman ) and matthew newton ( armand ) and tiriel mora ( roger ) and megan dorman ( maudy ) . with a much strong story than the usual offering of this particular genre and anne rice fan and especially and will be please with ` queen of the damn and a film nicely craft and deliver by director rymer and his engage cast . by focus attention on the drama of the story and the way it present rather than concentrate on merely provide some cheap thrill and rymer have succeed in turn out a true horror film that be definitely a cut above and and one that just may whet your appetite for more of the same . and that the magic of the movie . i rate this one positive . .