NINETOES VS. THE VAMPIRE LESTAT

Ninetoes was prepared to sink his fangs into The Vampire Lestat, but he was not prepared for Sam Reid’s performance as Lestat.

A vampire tells his epic story of love, blood, and the perils of immortality to a journalist.

Created by Rolin Jones

Starring: Sam Reid, Jacob Anderson and Eric Bogosian

Hey there, television lovers. It is your old pal, Ninetoes, coming to you from Ninetoes HQ. Today I am looking at AMC’s The Vampire Lestat. I have coffee in my system, and my thinking cap on, so let’s get to it!

I have to be honest, I read this book (what year is it?…carry the one…)37 years ago, and all I remember is Lestat was, for lack of a better term, a spoiled bitch. Yeah, that was my takeaway. Forget the trauma, the “romance”, the death, and blood. I remember the attitude.

Now, in 2026 (the show premiered on June 7^th, a day before my birthday….and what a gift it was!), Mrs. Ninetoes and I sat down for our weekly intake of Sam Reid as the title character and the rest of the merry crew.

Louis got to tell his story (see Interview With A Vampire Seasons 1&2), now it is Lestat’s turn. In the spirit of reinvention, Lestat wants to be a rockstar. Yeah, you read that right (and I remember that from the book, too) and the hell of it all is he pulls it off!

Here’s the thing, Sam Reid inhabited the spirit of David Bowie (voice), David Lee Roth (stage presence) and Freddie Mercury (antics) to give us a rockstar of the ages. When is he out among his building fan base at night, he moves with the grace of a lion, and it seems that he is always on the prowl.

Daniel Malloy (Bogosian) is in tow, and he is now a vampire as well. He wants the whole story of Lestat de Lioncourt, and he (and we as well) gets it! We see Lestat as a boy up through to when he was turned. We also see the loves of Lestat’s lives (he redefines the term “Momma’s Boy in a very Oedipal manner), and those he despises. What we get is one hell of a show soaked in history, blood and rock and roll.

The first six episodes are business as usual. I am Lestat, love me! When you get right to it, he wants to be worshipped and adored, that is all.

Then we get to the last two episodes and the wheels on the bus falls off! Episode 8 brings everything together in a “man behind the curtain” manner that surprised me and it exhibited just how devious one of the main characters actually was. It was the kind of thing that totally caught me off guard, and my wife even more so.

The acting was award worthy. Seriously, I will be disappointed if Sam Reid does not get some recognition for this one. The whole cast was fantastic, but Reid stole the show and filled the screen.

The story was exceptional. There was not a single moment of lag, it flowed effortlessly. This is a story of the difficult life of Lestat as a human and a vampire from beginning to end. We see his mistakes, loves, failures. In fact the entire season is told through a series of records recorded by Lestat called “The Failures”, and there are somewhere in the neighborhood of ninety albums. As much of a brat as Lestat is, he is also a very tragic character.

The sets were sublime. We got the seedy dive bar, tour bus, lovely home, and various hotel rooms that you would expect from a rock god, in a fantastic blend that was a feast for the eyes.

This show is perfect for vampire fans, Anne Rice fans, rock and roll fans, and anyone who love great story telling and acting.

Until the next time, I bid you happy viewing!

Darren “Ninetoes” Perdue is a book and media reviewer. When he is not reading, he is watching true crime shows, cooking for his family, or working on a plan for universal domination. If you see him on his porch, say hi. He does not bite…much.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing, nor do the views or opinions of Crystal Lake necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or its staff. Thank you for understanding.