Queen of the Damned (2002)
If you’re into nu-metal and the late, great Aaliyah, then you’re into Queen of the Damned. This is another one of the movies on this list that isn’t necessarily good but it is an important entry into the lexicon of vampire cinema. It follows iconic vampire Lestat (Stuart Townsend), a rock star in the modern day whose nu-metal concert wakes up Akasha (Aaliyah), the ancient queen of vampires who wants to make him her king consort.
It’s based on a book in Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles series (and is technically a sequel to Interview), and it is as horny and absurd as all good vampire movies should be. There’s ancient vampire meetings, sexual subservience, and a quest for world domination, all powered by music by Disturbed, Papa Roach, and Chester Bennington. Hot Topic was never the same. — AM
