Home Entertainment Loki is a grungy vampire in these first look pics for ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE

Loki is a grungy vampire in these first look pics for ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE

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When your most famous role is playing an immortal demigod who nearly beat all of Earth’s mightiest heroes (had it not been for the annoyance of being ragdolled a not so jolly green giant), any role of that could be considered a step down. Luckily, Tom Hiddleston is such an insanely talented actor that even when he’s supposed to suck, he doesn, well, suck.

I’m of course referring to his new movie, Only Lovers Left Alive, in which he and Tilda Swinton play a centuries old vampire couple who get their lives turned upside down. And now thanks to these pics from The Playlist we get our first look at the eternal pair. And they’re not looking so good.

Set against the romantic desolation of Detroit and Tangier, an underground musician and vampire (Tom Hiddleston), deeply depressed by the direction of human activities, reunites with his resilient and enigmatic lover (Tilda Swinton). Their love story has already endured several centuries at least, but their debauched idyll is soon disrupted by her wild and uncontrollable younger sister (Mia Wasikowska). Can these wise but fragile outsiders continue to survive as the modern world collapses around them?

Everybody knows about the “no direct sunlight” rule for vampires, but I really wasn’t aware of the “no shampoo or brushing” rule. That one’s new. And according to writer-director Jim Jarmusch, hair care is not the only thing that’s different about Only Lovers Left Alive.

“Only Lovers Left Alive is an unconventional love story between a man and a woman, Adam and Eve. (My script was partially inspired by the last book published by Mark Twain: The Diaries of Adam and Eve — though no direct reference to the book is made other than the character’s names.) These two lovers are archetypal outsiders, classic bohemians, extremely intelligent and sophisticated — yet still in full possession of their animal instincts. They have traveled the world and experienced many remarkable things, always inhabiting the shadowed margins of society. And, like their own love story, their particular perspective on human history spans centuries — because they happen to be vampires.

But this is not your usual vampire story. Set in the very distinct cities of Detroit and Tangier, and taking place almost entirely at night, Adam and Eve must have human blood to survive. But they now live in the world of the 21st century where biting the neck of a stranger would be reckless and regressive — for survival, they must be certain the blood that sustains them is pure and free of disease or contamination. And, almost like shadows, they have learned long ago to deftly avoid the attention of any authorities. For our film, the vampire is a resonant metaphor — a way to frame the deeper intentions of the story. This is a love story, but also the story of two exceptional outsiders who, given their unusual circumstances, have a vast overview of human and natural history, including stunning achievements and tragic and brutal failures. Adam and Eve are themselves metaphors for the present state of human life — they are fragile and endangered, susceptible to natural forces, and to the shortsighted behavior of those in power.”

Only Lovers Left Alive is currently showing at Cannes, where it’s been nominated for the coveted Palme d’Or, but there’s currently no general release date set for it.

Last Updated: May 24, 2013

One Comment

  1. Still one of my favourite scenes in Avengers where Hulk SMASH Loki.

    lulz indeeeed

    Reply

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