Interview with a Vampire MPAA Rating: R Entertainment: +3 Content: -3

In the present decade, Malloy (Christian Slater), a young reporter, is invited to interview Louis (Brad Pitt), who tells Malloy how he became a vampire. His story begins in the 1700s in New Orleans where Louis meets LeStat (Tom Cruise), who offers him immortality by drinking blood from LeStat's punctured wrist. LeStat begins to teach Louis the hunting tricks of a vampire. During a plague, Louis bites a young girl, Claudia (Kirsten Dunst), and LeStat also turns her into a vampire. As time passes, Claudia notices she doesn't mature into a woman. Angered, the girl tries to kill LeStat, then flees to Europe with Louis. In Paris, Louis meets Armand (Antonio Banderas), the proprietor of the Vampire Theatre who lives under the theatre with a group of vampires. When these other monsters punish Louis and Claudia for killing LeStat, Armand can only save Louis, and Louis seeks revenge. But is LeStat really dead? And will reporter Malloy escape being transformed into a vampire? While INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE is breaking records at the box office, it's difficult to understand public demand for such gore.

The subject matter lends itself to severe violence, and the graphic gory detail is shocking and gratuitous. Vampire legends call for necks to be bitten. However, to watch the vampires biting necks of rats and poodles as well as people will sicken and repulse discerning viewers. So will the frequent scenes of blood flowing. A tortuous death comes into play when Claudia and another woman are trapped in the sunlight, which slowly destroys them. Louis' revenge includes burning the theatre along with the vampires. He cuts the head off of one and cuts another in half, all shown in graphic detail. Although LeStat and Louis frequent bordellos, it's for biting, not sexual activity. Breast nudity and side nudity are shown when Claudia observes a woman bathing. The vampire theatre features full female frontal nudity. This film is remarkably free of obscenities, probably because of its 1700s setting. Louis refers to LeStat as the father of lies, and LeStat states that "God kills indiscriminately and none is so like him as us." Even without the subject matter, the overall violence and gore are enough reason to stay away.

Preview Reviewer: Paul Bicking
Distributor: Warner Brothers, 4000 Warner Blvd., Burbank, CA 91522