Queen of the Damned (2002) - full transcript

After many years of sleeping in his coffin, the vampire Lestat awakens only to find that the world has changed and he wants to be a part of it. He gathers a following and becomes a rock star only to find that his music awakens the ancient Queen Akasha and she wants him to become her king...

There comes a time
for every vampire...

... when the idea of eternity becomes
momentarily unbearable.

Living and feeding in the shadows
with only your own company...

... rots into a solitary,
hollow existence.

Immortality seems like a good idea...

... until you realize
you're going to spend it alone.

So I slept, hoping the sounds
of the passing eras would fade out...

... and a sort of death might happen.

But as I lay there, the world didn't
sound like the place I had left...

... but something different.

Better...



It became worthwhile to rise again
as new gods were born and worshiped.

Night and day, they were never alone.

I would become one of them.

Whether it was the meal or
the 100 years of rest, I'm not sure.

But suddenly
I was feeling better than ever.

My senses so high...

... they led me straight to the
instrument of my resurrection...

... playing in my old house.

Jesus.

Your voice...

Who the hell are you?

The question provoked
an irresistible urge.

I am the vampire Lestat.

It just rolled out of my mouth.



With one sentence,
I betrayed everything about my kind.

Betrayed our code of secrecy.

Vampire?

- That's funny.
- Indeed.

Hilarious.

You're all...

...so beautiful.

- Your hands are...
- Cold as death?

- You're gonna kill us?
- No.

All that you've ever dreamed of,
I'm going to make yours.

This is your lucky day.

It was a bold move, I admit.

But from that moment on they were
my friends, my children, my band.

Giving the world a new god.
Me.

Okay, can I have your attention?
Okay, some questions. One at a time.

- Yeah, you.
- So why here in London?

We go where we're told to, like you.

- How would you sum up your music?
- Sex, blood and rock and roll.

Okay, excuse me.

It's time.

May I present...

...the vampire Lestat.

Good evening.

Sorry I'm late. I was just trying
to catch my breakfast.

Okay, can we keep it short?
One at a time.

Yeah, you.

I may be wrong, but what
I remember about vampires is...

...you generally keep
your identity secret.

Yes. But why hide it
in this day and age?

I've hidden in the shadows
for centuries.

It's time to share myself
with the world.

Could you prove it? You know, give us
a demonstration of your powers.

If you like, I can give you a private
demonstration in your hotel tonight.

Your first and only concert's
in Death Valley, just days away.

- Why just the one?
- I don't like repeating myself.

There are rumors about
the hidden meaning in your lyrics...

...that you're giving away
vampire secrets. Is that true?

Maybe I'm trying to resurrect a few
old friends. Daring them to come out.

Won't these vampires be pissed off
that you're giving away secrets?

I imagine they are, yes.

Do you have anything to say
to the other vampires?

As a matter of fact, I do.

Come out, come out, wherever you are.

See you all in Death Valley.

I heard Lestat keeps all these girls
in his cellar. And it's nice.

They give you food
and cable and weed.

Oh, please.

But you have to let him suck you
on your neck whenever he wants.

- Doesn't sound too bad.
- Done worse.

- I'll say.
- This way, girls.

So this is Lestat's house?

It is this week. We move around a lot.

Why is that?

What can I say? The guy is just...

- Boss. I didn't see you there.
- No. You wouldn't, would you?

These are the girls
that you asked for.

Yes.

Do you want me to take
the girls home later?

No, thank you, Roger.

I'll make sure they're taken care of.

You want some?

Want me?

You hungry?

You hungry for something else?

Come on.

- Don't you want to have some fun?
- Don't do that.

Are you ticklish?

I'm very ticklish.

Come out, come out...

...whoever you are.

Jesse.

Jesse.

A voice...

... calling to me...

... in my dreams.

The same dream I've had
since I was 6.

I have a family of my own.

Not a strange dream, really.

One every orphan has.

I'm sorry, but you must go.

Why can't I stay with you?
Please, Aunt Maharet.

I don't want you to go. But you must.

Aunt, you're bleeding.

You must be with your own.

- I knew things were not normal.
- This isn't the life I wanted for you.

I only knew I was part of them,
and being cast out...

Was I bad?

Had I done something wrong?

I'll always be watching over you.

I want to stay with you forever.

You can't.

I'm Serena Altschul, MTV News.

Vampire turned rocker Lestat
has returned with a new CD, Forsaken.

Although from New Orleans...

... he claims to be an 18th-century
French nobleman...

... who has been asleep
for over 100 years.

Here's a look at the new video
from the debut album, "Redeemer."

Like everyone, I assumed
Lestat was a joke.

A rock star with a gimmick. Then one
of his lyrics caught my attention.

"Take a walk down the aisle
at the end of the mile.

Give your life to my charms
in the Admiral's Arms."

That rang a bell.

I tracked down old leases in London.

It turns out in the late 1600s
there was a pub in Mile End...

...called the Admiral's Arms.

It had a reputation for dealing
with black magic...

...and reports of people vanishing.

Here's where you could find
the Admiral's Arms in old London.

That part of London
is mostly warehouses...

...meat-packing plants and
a private club in the same location.

I think that it's a vampire coven.

And Lestat is leading us to it.

- Who took this picture?
- I did.

You're still an apprentice.
You don't do field work.

The Talamasca has a code.

I know. "Observe the dark realm,
but be not of it."

Well, it's held good for 12 centuries.

We record and observe,
but never interfere.

I had to see it for myself.

Is David aware of this?

Jesse?

Hello, David.

- I was explaining...
- Why don't you see me in my office?

This is a real coven.
In the middle of London.

All the more reason
to have told me first.

Listen, Jesse...

...we know about Lestat.

What he's doing is unprecedented.

So why is he doing it?

Aren't you curious?
Don't you think we should find out?

Let me show you something.

What do you see?

Mid-1500s. Florence.

This one?

- This man is in both.
- Yes.

All the different paint samples...

...all authentic.

Each painted at the time
of their particular style.

His name is Marius.

I've been tracing him for years.

My little obsession.

The closest we've come
to the original vampire.

Marius himself dates back to 400 B.C.

So he's older than Lestat.

He made Lestat.

How do you know that?

Because I have Lestat's journal.

I want to see it.

Promise me you'll never
go back to that place.

It was the winter of 1788.

And I was brought to a Mediterranean
island by the man who made me.

If a man is what you'd call him.

Lestat, welcome.

Who are you?

Do I know you?

I am unknowable by nature,
but you may call me Marius.

I'm the lord of a great manor.
They'll send an army to look for me.

I doubt they'll find you,
Lord de Lioncourt.

You're a long way from home.

You're weak...

...near passing.

I can barely hear your heartbeat.

The future hastens.
An age beyond my antique reason.

You will help me understand
these times.

That's why I chose you.

Chose me for what?

Drink...

...and live.

You've been brave enough
for one night, my son.

Drink...

...and learn.

Good, is it not?

No more. No more, Lestat.

No more!

Don't be afraid.

It's only your body that dies.

More.

I impressed my maker
with my thirst for things.

He set out to educate me
in the unknown.

Taught me all about the world,
its hidden history...

... and about myself.

That's enough, my son.

When you feed, hold back
from the moment of death.

Never take the last drop, or it will
draw you in and you will die.

Appreciate your prey.

Their blood that we take into us
carries with it life...

...their life, their knowledge,
their complexity.

My senses run amuck,
like a newborn child.

And as for my new powers, I was beside
myself with the pleasure of it all.

We've stayed long enough.

But we've spoken to no one.

A vampire's life
is a life of discretion.

Discretion?

Why must we hide, Marius?

We are the powerful,
we are the immortal.

We should walk fearless
in the open, no?

That cannot be.

We're vulnerable during the day.

Mortals must never know about us,
for the sake of all our kind.

So I could never know her?

Not unless you wanted to kill her.

So I can never be known?

You must be dead to the world.

Come on, time to leave.

Sophia, run! Run!

Go! Go...

Lestat...

...stop her!

You must!

We must remain in the shadows.

You still have a few
lingering mortal emotions.

They'll serve you no good, my friend.

Forgive me.

The faces of my victims haunted me,
reminding me of my fate.

For nights and days I played...

... furious that I would never partake
of the simple joys of the world.

I was meant for more than this.

Marius?

Would you like me to play for you?

What have you done, Lestat?

- More!
- I don't think so, my little lord.

- Let me go.
- No.

You've had the purest blood,
seen the oldest things.

- Far too much for one as young as you.
- Her blood is like liquid fire.

Who is she?

She's your mother.

She's my mother.

Akasha, the queen of all
who are damned.

And he's her king.

Akasha and Enkil nearly drank this
earth dry when they ruled over Egypt.

They drank until Enkil
lost his will to drink.

Without her mate beside her, she also
lost hers. They became living statues.

She respects nothing except the taste
of blood, human and immortal alike.

No. Release me!

She made you quite powerful.

You'll not stop me!

Can I hear her blood in your voice?

In all the years of my care,
not once have they moved.

Until tonight. And she chose me.

I chose you.

Where are you going?! Marius!

Many times since, I have called
to Marius. But there was no answer.

Just the endless procession
of days, months...

... years.

My teacher left me
to my darkest lesson.

That in the end, we are alone.

And there is nothing but the cold,
dark wasteland of eternity.

David thought the journal
would satisfy my curiosity.

But it only made me want
to know more.

I had to go back
to the Admiral's Arms.

I had no choice.

This is a fantastic place. I love it.

You sure I can't get you a drink?

Soon.

Hi.

- Hi.
- Come here often?

All the time.

I don't see any marks.

You haven't seen the rest of my body.

Is that an invitation?

Sorry, I'm taken.

And...

...where is your host?

He's here somewhere.

This host, what's his name?

Marius.

Sorry, don't know the guy.

- Of course not. He's an ancient.
- There aren't any ancients left.

They all turned to dust.

So unless you've got him in a bottle
somewhere...

You're brave to joke.
I wish you could meet him.

- And why is that?
- Because you might learn something.

Excuse me.

Going somewhere?

Now this will only hurt a little bit.

In fact, you might even enjoy it.

Don't do this.

Boo.

That was quite a performance.

You should be more careful.

- Thanks.
- For what?

You saved me.

How presumptuous.

So you know Marius?

I know a lot of things.

Not how to stay alive, apparently.

I guess we have that in common.

Although I'm a little ahead
of the race here.

Well, I can fix that.

Your song "Redeemer" is about
the girl with the violin. Isn't it?

Yeah.

Is it?

What else do you think you know?

I...

You're shaking.

Cold.

Still cold?

Go on. Tell me more about me.

You want...

What do I want?

- You yearn.
- What do I yearn?

For what do I yearn?

To walk with the living.

Out of the cold,
dark wasteland of eternity.

Well...

...that makes you
a very clever librarian.

Talamasca.

I knew I left that journal somewhere.

- Was it a good read?
- It touched me.

Did it, now?

Don't worry, Jesse.

Your kind never satisfies my thirst.

Lestat, I know something
that's not in your journal.

What?

You still have the violin, don't you?

No, I understand.

After all, it's only human.

Clever librarian.

David, listen, I'm going
to Los Angeles for the concert.

I met him, David. I talked to Lestat.

What? Jesse?

Listen to me very carefully now.

You are no longer seeing
things clearly.

Lestat told the world that vampires
live among us. They're mad.

They'll be at the concert to kill him.
You've become obsessed with it.

- I'm worried about you.
- Don't worry about me. I'll be okay.

I'll check in and...

I'm sorry. I have to go.

No, Jesse...

The city of Lost Angels already
fed on the blood of youth.

My presence here barely
stirred a ripple.

We had three days till the concert.

I could feel something was coming.

I just couldn't figure out what.

Marius.

Lestat.

It is good to see you, Lestat.

And you.

Still wearing the old fashions, I see.

Old habits die hard.

How did you manage to slip
through the '50s in red velvet?

I slept.

Don't think you missed much.

- Elvis.
- Elvis, yes.

You're bigger than he is now.

So...

After all this time...

...what's the occasion?

You've just become very hard to avoid
these days, at least in conversation.

- What are you trying to prove, Lestat?
- Oh, please.

It's a little too late to come over
all paternal now, Marius.

Two hundred years
and not a word from you.

You almost cost me everything.

Now you've done it again.

This isn't the time to settle
old scores.

Vampires don't settle old scores.

We harbor them.

How did you find me?

I made you.

I've always known where you are.

Besides...

...I just had to look for the most
gauche house on the block.

Come. Let me show you what it means
to live in the light.

Impressive.

Reminds me of old mad druids
running around chanting in the forest.

A return to the primitive.

Out there, my fans...

...they worship me.

Millions of arms reach out to embrace,
beg me to come into their lives.

It's what you always wanted.

With all my black little heart.

Did you think of anyone but yourself?

I only have myself.
You taught me that.

It may be time to get ready
for some company.

- What's that supposed to mean?
- Your music's woken an old friend.

Can't you hear it?

Or is the applause all you
can hear now?

Akasha.

Arisen.

She has taken the king's blood.

Absorbed his power.

Good. Let her come.

Cancel the concert.

Never.

You're no match for her, Lestat.
You're not a god.

We were once mortals too.

It is our heritage we protect.

Such reverence for mortals.

Then you should have left me as one.

Scent is fading.
He was here too long ago.

You like him, do you?

He reminds me of someone.

All he's going to remind you of soon
is a pile of bones.

We're going to dismember him.
Bleed him dry.

Really?

Is that what you're going to do?

Old gods on new streets.

Not only had the concert sold out
among the living...

... it seemed all the undead
were coming too.

There would be angry vampires
out there...

... frightened of the light I was
directing on all our kind.

Do you have anything to say
to the other vampires?

Yes, as a matter of fact, I do.

Come out, come out, wherever you are.

They wanted me dead.

Let them try.

Bring it on.

Better dead than alone.

Hey, honey. Want tickets for tomorrow?

- Going to the show?
- No.

- Come on, I got them for $200.
- $200?! I don't think so.

- What if I say 150?
- 150? You're gonna cut me a deal?

So, listen, just two girls, okay?
So how old are you again?

- Check it out. Champagne?
- Yeah.

Oh, my God, I can't believe
it's really you! I'm your biggest fan.

Boo.

Boo back.

Lestat, I came all the way
from Tarzana.

Really?

- And you?
- London.

A London Goth. I see.

It's funny, I would have pegged you
for a Talamascan.

Maybe in another life.

I'm an Episcopalian.

And I'm a frigging Buddhist.
Lestat...

Roger, would you take our little
Episcopalian back to church?

Just the one tonight? Sure.

- Sweetheart, come on.
- What?

- Come on.
- What?!

- It's a good thing.
- Can I still go backstage?

Why are you following me?

What do you want?

So you come all this way
just to return this to me?

Out of the goodness of your heart?

I want you to show me what it's like.

What what is like, exactly?

To be like you.

I don't have time for this.

- All a vampire has is time.
- Not this one.

Right.

The covens are coming for you.

How are you going to spend your last
night, as you always have, alone?

Why not?

Why not share it with me?

All right.

This may be painful for a mortal.

You're still attached to your skin.

I don't care.

Do you trust me?

Yes.

Then close your eyes.

Marius was right.

But I never understood
until I met you.

What do you mean?

You're beautiful to me
because you're human.

Your frailty...

...your short years...

...your heart...

...even as you think it's breaking.

All that...

...seems suddenly more precious
than anything I have ever known.

I'm not as precious as you think.

Do it.

Please.

Let me be with you.

Let me know everything.

You want to know everything?

Come, then.

I'll show you.

What is it? What are we doing..?

Is she all right?

Get away! Get off me!

Now you see?

Are you ready?

Now do you want it, huh?

No.

Of course you don't.

They're pretty worked-up.
How you feeling?

Hey, girls, come on!

Okay, through here. Let him through!

Back off, fella!

Come on, children.

Okay, guys. Come on!

Let him through.

Jesse!

Jesse!

Hello, David.

I must show you my new
paintings sometime.

Find Jesse.

You want more?

This one's for those
who've come for me.

Akasha.

Akasha?!

Why so surprised, my love?

You called, I have come.

My love?

Never fear me, Lestat.

All your wishes have come true.

My wishes?

For a companion to share eternity.

You're bold, like your music.

You live your life in the open,
like I did long ago...

...when I had a king.

Had a king?

He's no more.

Now you are my consort.

That's why I kept you safe.

Alive.

You?

You thought it was all you?

The ego of a king as well.

Yes.

I know you, Lestat.

I know that you crave to have
the world at your feet.

And I have come to give it to you.

Where are we?

We are home.

We live everywhere
and anywhere we choose.

The world is our garden.

All these years I'd hoped
this place was real.

For the first time in my life,
I feel like I'm home.

Strange that this journey
should lead me here.

This place that's haunted my dreams.

Aunt, you're bleeding.

You must be with your own.

I'll always be watching over you.

I want to stay with you forever.

Forever is a very long time.

Aunt Maharet.

You haven't aged,
you haven't changed at all.

I was once a mortal too.

I bore a child before Akasha took me.
I took care of that child...

...and her children,
and her children's children.

This is our family.

My way of coping with eternity.

You are what keeps me connected
to the world of the living.

When your parents died, I brought
you here to take care of you.

Now is not the time.

You were seeking answers
and now you've found them.

The family is who you are.

Drinking my blood allows you
to live in the light.

And soon the sun will no longer
sting your eyes.

This is but a taste
of what we shall share, my love.

My king...

...behold our kingdom.

A kingdom of corpses?

- Why?
- Why not?

This is why you have risen?

They believed in nothing.

Now they are nothing.

But you and I,
we will change all that.

We will give the world something
to believe in again.

Now come, my love.

We have a score to settle.

Since my mortal death,
I have watched...

...I have guided and cared
for my human family...

...generations beyond memory.

This is why we must fight Akasha.

- For the sake of your great family.
- The world we know is about to end.

The only way to prevent this
is through Akasha's destruction.

But how?

When she gives blood,
she's vulnerable.

Whoever takes the last of her blood
will not survive it.

What about Lestat?

Lestat has joined with Akasha.
He's lost to us now. Forget him.

My children.

It warms my blood
to see you all gathered...

...plotting against me.

- Akasha.
- Maharet.

- You will address my king first.
- Lestat, what has she done to you?

Lestat, step aside.

Never.

The world has changed
since you reigned.

Then we shall change it back.

Humans are animals...

...brute creatures.

- Their destruction can only make sense.
- We've found other ways to coexist.

In silence! In shadows and shame!
And for what?

For respect of mortals?

They are nothing to us.

They are merely food.

Akasha, please...

You think you can change my will?

I've had enough of this discussion.

Join me or die.

I will not.

- I will not.
- I will not.

I will not.

Do you love me?

- Yes.
- Then prove it.

Kill her.

- She's nothing to me.
- Just the same...

...I'd like for you to kill her.

- You will not touch her!
- You still think to challenge me?!

- Now.
- No, it's all right, Aunt Maharet.

It's what I want.

How sweet.

I'm ready.

See, my children?

Remember your real family!

Or join hers.

Now...

...give me my crown.

Spoken like a true king.

Come.

You see how he obeys?

You will...

...or you will all die.

That is enough, Lestat.

That is enough, Lestat! Stop!

You kill me...

...you kill yourselves.

Wait, Lestat.

You must stop.

She drank Akasha's last drop.

She took Akasha's death into herself.

She's not dead.

She sleeps.

Hello?

Oh, my God!

Jesse?

Hello, David.

David, this is Lestat.

- Hello.
- I have something for you.

I believe...

...that you wanted this back.

Yes, thank you. Thank you so much.

- Can I ask..?
- What's it like?

Do you want to find out?

Me?

No, I'm too old to live forever.

Well, if you ever change your mind...

So this is goodbye.

Yes.

Hello, David.