AMC Interview with The Vampire

"There," says Louis. "I took something from you you'll never get back. We're even now. Just like you always wanted."

The whole interview, Daniel had been riding on a sort of psychotic confidence. He knew he could die, of course, had fed his editor that stupid line about the most dangerous man in the world, which of course Louis isn't, not by a long shot. Louis can kill basically the same number of people at a time as any normal guy, which is one; not very many, compared to plenty of people. The only difference between him and the average human is… something about the method, perhaps. Everyone knows they could be shot in the street almost anywhere in the world, but most people don't expect to be exsanguinated.

And for most of the interview, Daniel didn't, either. For one, he'd already been attacked once by a vampire and survived, which is a bit of an ego boost. But also, Louis had never seemed particularly interested in killing or maiming him. He seemed like a guy who wanted to have his story told, and would inevitably be disappointed that you can't tell a story without losing control of it, just like all the others. It turned him mean sometimes, sure, but his meanness is the human sort.

Now, for the first time, Daniel is very aware of being in the room with a monster. Only it's not aimed at him. All that worry, setting the apartment in order in case it had to be cleaned out if he never returned to New York, and when the mask finally comes off, all that rage right in the room with him, and he's completely irrelevant.

Armand doesn't answer. He lies there, looking at Louis. And then Louis turns around, walks back into the room.

There is no reason for Daniel to be frightened. This has nothing to do with him. But he is, like the feeling they say you have right before you're hit with lightning. Louis stands over Armand again, and without looking back at Daniel, holds out his hand back towards him. "Give me your knife," he says.

“Claudia, come have a look.”

Daddy Lou is in the courtyard and he’s got a big box. He’s gesturing for her to come outside, looking around with a twinkle in his eye, like he’s got a secret to share.

It’s Christmas Eve and Claudia has already changed into her new dress. Uncle Les bought it for her and it’s perfect. It’s cream-colored with gold trim and matching gold slippers, and he said it makes her look like a little cherub of death, which made her feel real special.

Uncle Les understands her in ways Daddy Lou doesn’t.

Uncle Les also said not to get the dress dirty and it rained earlier so maybe she shouldn’t go outside. She doesn’t want to get him grumpy, not at Christmas.

But she really wants to see what’s in the box.

Interview with the Vampire has made me reconsider what it means when one says that adaptation was “faithful.” AMC’s version of this story, with its attention to detail in production design, its beautifully written dialogue and smart plot, a cast of actors who are giving everything they have to this story, makes me feel the way I feel when I read Anne Rice’s books. It isn’t just that it recreates everything I’ve seen before in the same order, just like I imagined it. It shows me the sides of Rice’s story that I never imagined, but that were always there. The changes made in this adaptation are the way that Rolin Jones as showrunner show their reverence for the source material. In AMC’s Interview With the Vampire, even longtime fans get to see this story from all new dimensions.