Editorials
The Writer of ‘Beetlejuice’ Almost Penned ‘Hellraiser II’
Clive Barker wasn’t able to write the sequel to Hellraiser, although he still gets story credit on Hellbound: Hellraiser II. At a Screamfest Q&A with Doug Bradley, director Tony Randel, and screenwriter Peter Atkins, the filmmakers revealed Atkins was not the first writer on the sequel. During the Q&A they said another writer had to leave due to tragic circumstances before he ever wrote a page, but they did not name the former writer.
So after the Q&A I approached Atkins and Randel and asked who their first writer was. They shared that it was Michael McDowell, whose partner died before McDowell could begin. That’s Michael McDowell, the writer of Beetlejuice!
The rush to find a new screenwriter gave Atkins the chance to break into screenwriting. “Clive called me and said, ‘Funny question. Have you ever written a screenplay?’” Atkins shared. “And I said, honestly, ‘No, I haven’t, Clive.’ He said, ‘Well look, if a producer calls you in five minutes and asks you the same question, are you prepared to lie?’ And I said equally honestly, ‘Oh yes, Clive.’ The thing is, screenplay form is just laying it out. Any idiot can learn how to format a thing. Chris is a great producer. What he responds to as all smart producers should, is enthusiasm, smartness, quickness and a modicum of talent. I’m certainly enthusiastic, smart and quick. I don’t know about the talent, so he said yeah.”
Barker did give Atkins the ideas for the screenplay, but it wasn’t quite as formal as “outline” suggests.
“I’m sure Clive told the executives that he had an outline but what happened was he said, ‘Come around to the house. I’ve got a bottle,’” Atkins said.
“We just jammed over an increasingly empty bottle of vodka. Then they put me on a train back to Liverpool and I wrote a 10 page, based on the drunken conversations we had. Then they brought me back to London, put me in a hotel and I wrote the screenplay. That’s not to downplay Clive’s involvement at all. Obviously, he originated the entire series. He’s quite smart and has many ideas. It was reminiscent of the theater days, workshopping.”
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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