Queen of the Damned
(2000)
Roadshow Entertainment
98 minutes
M15+
Director: Michael Rymer.
Cast: Stuart Townsend, Aaliyah, Vincent Perez, Lena
Olin, Paul McGann, Marguerite Moreau, Matthew Newton.
Format: Widescreen. Ratio 2.35:1, 16x9 enhanced. Single-sided,
double-layer disc.
Language: English. Dolby Digital 5.1.
Subtitles: English for Hearing Impaired.
Extras: Extended concert scenes, 13 deleted scenes,
theatrical trailer, director, producer and composer's audio
commentary, behind the scenes, Aaliyah Remembered, interviews.
music videos.
Comments: The audio commentary is pretty good and Anne
Rice fans - if they have got this far - will be happy to hear
Michael Rymer fessing up to how much he changed the author's
work and how various scenes were drastically different from
the book. The deleted scenes are really interesting and the
13 add up to half-an-hour's worth of extra footage. The nicest
thing about them is the written introduction to each one explaining
the whys and wherefores of the decision to cut/delete/shorten
them. Mostly, it was down to the pacing of the film or maintaining
the tone. The look behind the scenes only goes for 10 minutes
but is very good value. You get to see the work involved in
getting the vampires to fly, some of the special effects makeup
and how digital technology was used in finishing off the immolation
scenes and the vampire movement trails. There is a three-minute
tribute to Aaliyah - which is remarkably dignified - and interviews
with the composers. A pretty good package.
