#+ Sam Reid playing another gay asshole

[mangle-my-mind]

the Sam Reid brainrot is getting intense so now I'm watching The Riot Club, and it's so funny to see Lestat and Olly from Years and Years being friends in scenes together

[akajustmerry]

yes people also don't take into account how lestat cheated on louis with a woman and how that is also another form of privilege he has over louis!

sure he's definitely a cheating asshole but uh this feels....vaguely biphobic?? lestat also cheated on louis with a bunch of guys and famously had a whole double-standard meltdown over it when louis kissed his crush from high school. it's not so much that lestat cheats on louis with women that's the issue but that he cheats, period, and gaslights louis about it which he did with both men and women. Also listing privileges lestat has over louis, him being white, uber rich, French, a hundred years old, AND being his maker all come before the fact he can fuck women when he wants. like....idt the American soldier shouting gay slurs at louis and lestat gave a fuck that lestat also fucks women lmao. I do have strong feelings about lestat being bisexual and how the show handles it, all of which is more to do with how Anne Rice kinda baked a lot of biphobic ideas into this character when she wrote him half a century ago and now we're stuck here. but i hate the idea of talking about it because at the end of the day when it comes to things I hate about lestat him being shitty bi representation is the lowest ranked item of importance. besides, sam reid personally balanced that out in the universe by playing dale in the Newsreader, and the answer to any bad representation of anything is just that there should be more representation. not to mention, everyone in this show is some kind of horrible person and also gay. still, I can't lie, the fact you'd send me, a bisexual, this is kinda upsetting. both because I am bisexual and also do you know how distressing it is to be a professional lestat hater who then has to DEFEND him from biphobia? crying screaming throwing up honestly

[themightyaliendwarf]

First thoughts on the Interview with a Vampire series

It's going to be a long one, so get ready.

From the moment I heard about the details of this project, I was sceptical. After all, to change Louis from a late XVIII century plantation owner to a black man and the owner of brothel houses living in the early XIX century is quite a jump. However, we've seen bigger changes being done and sometimes not only would they not make the story worse, but even go as far as make it better (I find Forrest Gump to be a perfect example). So, how did it go here?

Well... I'm confused.

Which isn't a bad thing in itself! I'd say I enjoyed this first episode, but it certainly felt more like fanfic rather than an adaptation.

If you have read the book you know it has one significant feature: it's melancholic. Rice wrote it after she lost her daughter and each page is filled with incredible grief that is so characteristic of Louis's story. On the other hand, the second book - Vampire Lestat - while still similar in style, it's definitely a lot lighter. I strongly believe showrunners decided to combine those two books and that's why it seems the style is a bit confused at times. After all, how much grief can you put in and still feel genuine if you want your flamboyant Lestat to be Lestat, do Lestat things and steal the show?

Because I don't think you can quite do it. Even the movie from 1994, despite being a very good adaptation, is significantly less painful than the book.

And they actually have Claudia being played by an incredible child actress!

But let's talk about the series. I think they wanted this show to be connected to the book and have Lestat. I doubt Louis as Louis was their priority. Yes, of course, his family story is actually pretty similar to the book... but obviously they decided to add racism to his long list of things he can whine about (for the record, yes, I do think book Louis is rather whiny). While I do think it provides something new to the story (I also think Jacob Anderson is doing a very good job and is giving us something different from what Brad Pitt did), I don't think it improves the story. I love the 1910' aesthetic and jazz, but is it something I want from Interview with a Vampire? Not really. However, if you are able to fully separate it from the novel and the 1994 book and treat it as its own thing, I think you will enjoy it a lot.

Ok, but I can't finish this post without talking about Lestat. I told my friend that this series can be shit, but if Lestat is done well, it's at least a 7/10. And you know what?

Of course, Lestat is amazing.

Again, Sam Reid is giving us something different from Tom Cruise (this Lestat actually speaks French!). I like how they are taking elements from Vampire Lestat - tho, for now mostly in the form of Lestat talking about his family - and that this fabulous bloodsucker is as much of a dandy and asshole as I want him to be.

I mean, the scene of Louis' brother's funeral when Lestat straight up tells him "Nice coffin. Where did you buy it?" is kinda hilarious.

Reid has a very strong screen presence and he absolutely steals every shot. Not gonna lie, I want this show to go for another season purely to see him as a 1980's rockstar Lestat.

I think most people know how important the 1994 movie was for the LGBT+ community. I mean, clearly, gay (or bi) vampires are being played by 3 known actors? That's not something you see every day in the 90s'. A clear difference between the movie and this series is that they are a lot hornier. I don't think we've seen an on-screen kiss in 1994 (I don't think you even have them in the book). Louis doesn't want to give the reader juicy details - you need to wait for Vampire Lestat to read how everybody was Lestat's boyfriend.

This series is not subtle at all with the romantic tension.

So, would I recommend it? The first episode was pretty good. I expect to be disappointed by Claudia's story, tho. Overall, if you can easily separate this series from the original novel, I think you will enjoy it.