I actually originally wanted to watch this not because I loved Interview with the Vampire but ‘cos it features Marnie Reece-Wilmore – Debbie Martin from “Neighbours” at a time when a) I used to watch it and b) I swear, just the greatest period of soaps ever, ever lol. I’d kind of convinced myself her role was pretty minor, though, and I doubted that a Vampire Chronicles movie that involved none of the talent of Interview could even come close to being as mesmerising.

I was right on the Marnie front – her appearance is recognisable in a “Keisha Castle-Hughes in Revenge of the Sith” kinda way, and for a fan clutching at straws (she’s really not done a lot since Neighbours), it’s worth waiting for. And overall, though like I said it couldn’t touch Interview, and I haven’t read the book yet so I can’t comment on the adaptation quality, it’s still a much better movie than I expected. Stuart Townsend is just about as perfect as the rock star Lestat as Cruise was originally, and Aaliyah is a pleasant surprise as the queen. I really can’t imagine who else could’ve played her. The music is mercifully decent too.

Even more lavish in the visual department than the first, at first I worried this would be at the expense of continuing what looked like a really nice story in the first movie. The second part in a trilogy is like the worst kind of second act in a regular movie – you’ve really gotta have something to pass the time. What better surprise, then, could I ask for here than a very well done gender-based body-swapping subplot, lol. Sometimes the humour in this part gets in the way of more poignant matters; sometimes, in fact, I fear it’s lost in translation entirely. But this is still a rip-roaring ride, if only for the visuals, and since there’s 2 years to wait for Twilight Watch, it’s mercifully wrapped up neatly in the end, so neatly in fact that I wonder how the story will continue. Can’t wait to find out, though.

I’m kinda glad I saved this till I had Day Watch in hand to follow it, because this isn’t the kind of first installment of a trilogy that wraps things up neatly at the end just in case it’s not successful enough for the story to continue. It’s even more visually impressive than I expected, and again it’s a movie where there’s simply far too much to take in on one viewing. The ending is stunning and really clarifies what is really the sole purpose of this movie: to set up the rest of the story.

Well if anyone complains about this one not delivering, they should be sent to bed without any supper, lol. To be blunt, this blew me away and I’m kicking myself for not seeing it back when it previewed on Halloween. This is an absolutely stunning kick in the vampire genre’s shins, beautifully shot, genuinely scary, and mercifully it also has an ending to make what originally seemed like “20 minutes too long” when I glanced at the running time well worth the wait. I don’t know if it’s just me having a thing about sun this year, but the ending here really has me comparing it in my mind to Sunshine and between the two of them, till Sweeney at least, I’ve two clear favourite movies of the year. With its glorious violence and surprising depth of meaning, I also wanna call it this year’s Silent Hill ... I know a lot of people didn’t like that movie but I loved it, and I loved this one too. I mean, when even Melissa George is good, you know you’re watching something good.