Editorials
Happy 49th Anniversary to ‘Rosemary’s Baby’!
“We’re your friends, Rosemary. There’s nothing to be scared about. Honest and truly there isn’t!”
Today marks the 49th anniversary of the theatrical release of Rosemary’s Baby‘s, Roman Polanski’s terrifying slow burn of a film based on Ira Levin’s equally chilling 1967 novel. This happens to be one of my favorite horror films of all time and it is a true testament to classic horror that has stood the test of time.
Rosemary’s Baby is just as effective today as it was when it first terrorized audiences on the big screen in 1968, and for good reason. Polanski’s masterfully measured approach to tension, suspense, and paranoia still resonate with many horror fans; the film doesn’t feel particularly out of place alongside some of the modern paranoia-fueled horror flicks of late like The Witch, It Follows, and this weekend’s It Comes at Night, to name a few. No matter your thoughts on the director, whose career has often been overshadowed by his personal controversies, it is hard to deny the brilliance of Rosemary’s Baby and its lasting effect on modern genre cinema.
The film, which stars Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, and Ruth Gordon, tells the story of Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse, a hopeful young couple who move into an apartment building, only to find it inhabited with odd neighbors and host to unsettling events. After becoming pregnant under concerning circumstances, Rosemary begins to suspect that something is very amiss in her newfound community and starts to fear for the life of her unborn baby. Paranoia begins to overtake Rosemary’s life, and despite her husband’s attempts at quelling her fears, she is sure that a sinister plot is in place and that she and her baby are the targets.
The film–which notably grossed more than 10 times its $3.2M budget–was recently adapted to a television miniseries starring Guardians of the Galaxy star Zoe Saldana in 2014, though the adaptation was (unsurprisingly) not as warmly received as Polanski’s original film. That same year, the movie was selected for preservation in the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry, an honor reserved for films that have been deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Check out the trailer for Rosemary’s Baby below, and if for some reason you have yet to do so, treat yourself and give the flick a watch this week!
Editorials
‘The Vampire Lestat’ Concert Event Launches New Season With The Ultimate Expression Of Fandom
There are thousands of passionate fans decked out in gothic chic and champing at the bit like feral creatures. They’re screaming for Lestat, a legendary vampire-turned-rock star, as if the entire crowd has been glamored into submission.
The entire experience is magic, but not because some supernatural thrall has been activated. What’s going on is even more special. It’s the power of the effusive fandom that’s been authentically assembled by AMC’s sublime Immortal Universe, namely Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, now, The Vampire Lestat.
The Vampire Lestat is far from the first Anne Rice adaptation, and it’s not as if there’s been a lack of erotic vampire material for audiences to sink their teeth into. On June 2nd, during a one-night-only spectacle, New York City’s prestigious Beacon Theatre shook from Sam Reid’s bravado performance and an audience full of adoring fans who had already memorized Lestat’s songs.
It’s clear that The Vampire Lestat just hits differently than its predecessors. It’s become more than just a TV series at this point, and this opulent display of ego, swagger, and pure sex is the perfect way to premiere the new season and give back to the fans who helped make Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat such a breakout success. It’s exactly the sort of hyperbolized hedonism that would make Lestat cackle.
For all intents and purposes, AMC has successfully created the illusion that this concert/premiere is just one of the many destinations on Lestat and his band’s 54-stop tour that is simultaneously playing out on this season of television. It’s such a sophisticated and thorough level of interactive fan engagement that the audience doesn’t just understand, but also manages to accentuate through its involvement.
It’s a level of seamless synergy that’s not unlike the give-and-take relationship of vampire and victim.
Before the concert started, “LeStans” were sitting in the Beacon and flipping through a fake Rolling Stone issue with Lestat emblazoned on the cover, complete with interviews with the undead frontman inside. Other fans were admiring the vinyl pressing of Lestat’s EP as they walked past a section of undead band merch. Fandom and fantasy blur together, and it all becomes this elaborate, immersive experience. Fan celebration, erotic gothic fantasy, and a lavish rock concert transform into one beautiful thing.
To this point, AMC Global Media’s Chief Content Officer and President of AMC Studios, Dan McDermott, introduced the event by reiterating to fans, “You are the heartbeat of the series.” That’s abundantly clear on nights like this as that heartbeat collectively pulses to this performance. In terms of how AMC engages with The Vampire Lestat’s fans, it’s as bold a reinvention as the season itself.
This intuitive gamble speaks to AMC’s creativity in this department and a fandom that is eager to seize such opportunities. It’s the same innovation that led to zombie walks for The Walking Dead and real-life Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant pop-ups from Breaking Bad. It’s a great way to pump up the audience for The Vampire Lestat and then maintain that enthusiasm for the whole season.
For most series, a rock ‘n’ roll concert just doesn’t make any sense as a promotional tool. The Vampire Lestat finds itself in a very unique position where it can deliver an excellent concert at an iconic theater, but also use it to showcase The Vampire Lestat’s music by Daniel Hart (who was shredding on stage alongside Reid and the rest of their band) and, more than anything, Sam Reid’s endless charisma.
The way in which Reid feeds off of the crowd’s energy, modulating his performance and giving different sections of the Beacon life, is a perfect distillation of the series’ thoughtful relationship with its audience and how it’s become such a breakout success for AMC. AMC Studios President Dan McDermott emphasized that the fans are the reason that the show is still here and why an event like this is even possible. It’s rare to see a series in which every single cog in the machine is so perfectly attuned to its fans. Reid’s fans already cheer whenever they see him, so why not translate that to a concert setting?
It’s clear in this season of television that Reid was born to be a rock star, but it’s surreal to see him effortlessly command the stage — and the audience — at every step of the concert. He recites Shakespeare monologues and bitches out Armand between songs, all while the audience screams in support. For the duration of this concert, Reid is Lestat, and he’s given thousands of fans a memory that’s as immortal as any vampire.
Now bring on the encore and get this show on the road!
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