Empire Magazine – February 1995 – Tom Cruise – Interview With The Vampire – Demi Moore – 1995 Film Guide

Original Vintage British Film Magazine | February 1995 | Tom Cruise Cover | Hollywood Cinema Collectable

An original February 1995 edition of Empire Magazine, featuring a striking full-cover photographic portrait of Tom Cruise, promoting his performance in the gothic horror film Interview with the Vampire (1994).

This vintage British cinema magazine carries the prominent cover headline "I Need Blood!", followed by "Tom Cruise – Depraved and Desirable in Interview with the Vampire".

The edition also features a major 1995 film preview guide, introduced by Demi Moore, together with cover promotions for Shallow Grave, Jean-Claude Van Damme, film reviews and home-entertainment recommendations.

An interesting original publication from the mid-1990s, especially for collectors of Tom Cruise, vampire cinema, Hollywood films and vintage Empire Magazine covers.

Main Cover Feature – Tom Cruise

The principal attraction is the large portrait of Tom Cruise, photographed during the period surrounding the release of Interview with the Vampire.

Front Cover Photography

Tom Cruise dominates the front cover in a close-up colour portrait.

The image shows Cruise facing almost directly towards the camera, wearing a serious, intense expression.

His dark brown, shoulder-length hair is loosely styled, with strands falling around his face and extending towards the collar of his clothing.

He has light facial stubble across his cheeks, chin and upper lip, contrasting with the cleaner-cut image associated with several of his earlier film roles.

He wears dark clothing, with the upper portion of a black shirt or jacket visible at the bottom of the photograph.

His blue-grey eyes and direct gaze are particularly prominent.

The photographic background features contrasting grey and dark-blue areas, with the blue section extending down the right-hand side of the cover.

The portrait occupies most of the magazine, making it an appealing display piece for collectors of Tom Cruise photographs and film memorabilia.

Main Cover Headlines

"I Need Blood!"

TOM CRUISE

Depraved and Desirable in Interview with the Vampire

These headlines directly connect Cruise with his portrayal of the vampire Lestat in the 1994 film.

The wording reflects the film's gothic themes, supernatural characters and unsettling atmosphere.

The main article is promoted as a substantial feature about Cruise and the film, although its exact length and complete contents cannot be confirmed from the front cover alone.

Interview with the Vampire (1994)

Interview with the Vampire is a 1994 gothic horror drama directed by Neil Jordan, based on the novel by Anne Rice.

The film features an ensemble cast including:

• Tom Cruise as Lestat de Lioncourt.

• Brad Pitt as Louis de Pointe du Lac.

• Kirsten Dunst as Claudia.

• Antonio Banderas as Armand.

• Christian Slater as Daniel Molloy.

• Stephen Rea as Santiago.

Tom Cruise as Lestat

Cruise portrays Lestat, a charismatic and manipulative vampire whose relationship with Louis forms an important part of the story.

Lestat's personality combines charm, arrogance, power and cruelty.

His elaborate appearance and dramatic behaviour make him one of the film's most memorable characters.

The film explores immortality, morality, loneliness, companionship and the darker aspects of vampire existence.

Cruise's performance represented a notable departure from some of his earlier mainstream leading-man roles.

The Film's Place in 1990s Cinema

Released in 1994, Interview with the Vampire became a major addition to the vampire-film genre.

Its elaborate period settings, gothic visual style, costumes and performances helped distinguish it from conventional horror films.

The film is also notable for bringing together established Hollywood stars and younger performers during a particularly successful period for American cinema.

This February 1995 issue of Empire was published close to the film's original theatrical release period, making it a contemporary piece of promotional and editorial memorabilia.

The magazine is particularly interesting for collectors of:

• Tom Cruise.

• Interview with the Vampire.

• Lestat de Lioncourt.

• Anne Rice adaptations.

• Gothic horror cinema.

• 1990s vampire films.

• Hollywood film memorabilia.

• Original cinema magazine covers.

The Ultimate Guide to 1995 – Demi Moore

A large yellow promotional banner runs across the bottom of the cover.

It announces:

DEMI MOORE KICKS OFF THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO 1995

More Than 150 New Films Exclusively Previewed Inside

The banner includes a smaller photographic portrait of Demi Moore.

Demi Moore Cover Photograph

Demi Moore is pictured standing in a relaxed pose, wearing a grey tailored jacket over a white collared shirt.

Her dark, shoulder-length hair is worn loose, and she is positioned against a pale background.

The photograph appears in the lower-left corner of the magazine, immediately above the yellow film-guide banner.

1995 Film Preview Guide

The cover promotes an extensive guide to upcoming cinema releases, advertising more than 150 new films.

This feature is particularly appealing as a historical record of the films being anticipated by the British cinema press at the beginning of 1995.

The guide would have been published when readers relied heavily on magazines for release information, interviews, production news and early film previews.

The large red 1995 lettering is one of the most prominent elements of the cover design.

The specific list of films covered within the guide cannot be fully confirmed without viewing the internal pages.

Shallow Grave – British Cinema Feature

The top black banner includes the headline:

SHALLOW GRAVE: THE BRITISH RESERVOIR DOGS?

This refers to the 1994 British crime thriller Shallow Grave.

Directed by Danny Boyle, the film stars:

• Ewan McGregor.

• Kerry Fox.

• Christopher Eccleston.

The story centres on three flatmates whose discovery of a large sum of money leads to suspicion, greed and increasingly disturbing consequences.

The cover's comparison with Reservoir Dogs reflects the contemporary interest in dark crime films and unconventional British filmmaking.

Reservoir Dogs, directed by Quentin Tarantino, had become an influential film during the early 1990s.

The feature is therefore relevant to collectors of both British cinema and independent crime films.

This issue appeared during an important period for Danny Boyle and Ewan McGregor, before their subsequent success with Trainspotting (1996).

Jean-Claude Van Damme Feature

Another headline appears at the upper-right of the front cover:

VAN DAMME SPEAKS!

This promotes an article or interview involving Jean-Claude Van Damme, the Belgian martial artist and action-film star.

Van Damme was particularly well known during the early and mid-1990s for his action films.

His notable productions from this period included:

• Universal Soldier (1992).

• Hard Target (1993).

• Timecop (1994).

• Street Fighter (1994).

The headline suggests an opportunity for contemporary insight into Van Damme's career and Hollywood action cinema.

The exact subject of the interview has not been established from the front cover.

Film Reviews and Ratings

A gold circular graphic towards the lower-right of the cover states:

Every New FILM Reviewed & Rated

Empire was widely recognised for its film reviews, interviews, features and coverage of cinema releases.

The February 1995 issue reflects the magazine's role in documenting contemporary film culture.

The cover confirms an emphasis on film criticism and ratings, although the individual films reviewed cannot be identified from this photograph.

For collectors, original Empire issues provide an interesting perspective on how films were promoted and discussed at the time of release.

Television, Video and CD-i Features

A black oval graphic on the left side of the cover advertises:

The Month's Best Movies On TV, VIDEO AND CD-i

This is a particularly interesting detail for collectors of 1990s home-entertainment history.

Television and Video

During the mid-1990s, films were commonly viewed at home through television broadcasts and VHS videocassettes.

Magazine recommendations helped readers identify films worth watching or renting.

Philips CD-i

The CD-i (Compact Disc Interactive) was an interactive multimedia format developed by Philips.

The system was marketed for entertainment, educational software and interactive disc-based media.

Its inclusion on the Empire cover is a distinctive period detail, reflecting the experimentation with multimedia entertainment during the 1990s.

This makes the issue potentially interesting to collectors of early multimedia technology as well as film magazines.

Original Front Cover Design

The February 1995 cover uses a strong photographic design and prominent editorial typography.

Visual Features

• Large red EMPIRE masthead across the top.

• Black drop-shadow effect behind the masthead lettering.

• Full-cover photographic portrait of Tom Cruise.

• Shoulder-length dark hair and light facial stubble.

• Serious, direct facial expression.

• Contrasting grey and blue photographic background.

• Large black TOM CRUISE headline.

• Gothic-themed Interview with the Vampire promotional wording.

• Black top banner featuring Shallow Grave.

• Gold upper-right banner promoting Jean-Claude Van Damme.

• Black oval highlighting TV, video and CD-i coverage.

• Gold circular film-review graphic.

• Small Demi Moore photograph towards the bottom-left.

• Bright yellow 1995 film-guide banner.

• Oversized red 1995 lettering.

• Original barcode near the lower-left area.

• Original February 1995 publication details above the masthead.

The combination of a close-up celebrity portrait, striking red typography and vivid yellow promotional graphics gives the magazine a recognisable mid-1990s appearance.

Publication Details

Magazine: Empire

Issue Date: February 1995

Original UK Cover Price: £2.25

Publication Type: Film and Cinema Magazine

Country: United Kingdom

Language: English

Main Cover Star: Tom Cruise

Main Cover Film: Interview with the Vampire (1994)

Additional Cover Personality: Demi Moore

Other Advertised Subjects: Shallow Grave, Jean-Claude Van Damme, 1995 Film Preview Guide, Film Reviews, TV, Video and CD-i

Format: Original Printed Magazine

SKU: 1589

Condition – Important Information

Pre-owned vintage magazine showing visible age-related wear and signs of previous handling.

The supplied photograph shows the actual item being offered for sale.

Front Cover

The original photographic cover remains present, with Tom Cruise's portrait clearly visible.

The red Empire masthead, main cover headlines, yellow promotional banner and barcode remain readable.

There is visible wear consistent with a magazine dating from 1995.

Visible Wear and Imperfections

• Light surface rubbing and general handling marks across the front cover.

• Small surface scratches and scuffs, particularly noticeable in darker photographic areas.

• Minor colour rubbing or tiny marks towards the right-hand side of the cover.

• Slight age-related discolouration around the white and cream sections.

• Light wear along the upper edge.

• Minor rubbing around the top-left corner.

• Slight wear to the upper-right corner and edge.

• Small scuffs and handling marks along the left-hand spine area.

• Light edge wear along the right-hand side.

• Minor handling creases or pressure marks near the lower edge.

• Small amounts of rubbing around the lower corners.

• General surface imperfections consistent with long-term storage.

Top Edge and Spine

The top edge shows minor handling wear.

The top-left section of the masthead area has some light rubbing and unevenness.

There is also visible wear along the left-hand spine edge, particularly around the upper portion.

Main Tom Cruise Photograph

The portrait remains clear and visually attractive.

The dark hair, facial features and clothing are well defined.

Small surface marks and minor scuffing are visible, but they do not significantly obscure the photograph.

Some marks in the darker blue background may be more noticeable under direct lighting.

Lower Cover

The yellow promotional banner remains bright and readable.

The smaller Demi Moore photograph is visible, together with the red 1995 lettering.

Minor edge rubbing and handling imperfections are present near the lower corners.

Interior Pages

Only the front cover has been provided for inspection.

The internal pages have not been individually checked, so their complete condition and the presence of any writing, tears, missing pages or other imperfections cannot be confirmed.

Overall Condition Assessment

Good used vintage appearance based on the visible front cover, with light to moderate surface and edge wear.

The magazine presents well as a collectible cover featuring Tom Cruise, although it is not being described as mint or immaculate.

Please study the supplied photograph carefully to assess the condition for yourself.

Important – Original Free Gifts and Additional Items

MAGAZINE ONLY.

Any free gifts, promotional items, loose supplements, cover-mounted extras, or additional items that may originally have accompanied this magazine are no longer included.

Only the original printed magazine shown in the photographs is being offered.

No separate accessories, tapes, discs or other promotional items are included.

Packaging and Delivery

The magazine will be carefully packaged to help protect it during shipping.

UK Orders: Dispatched in a protective hardback envelope.

International Orders: Dispatched in a sturdy cardboard mail-size box for additional protection during overseas delivery.

Collector Appeal

This original February 1995 issue may appeal to collectors of:

• Empire Magazine back issues.

• Tom Cruise memorabilia.

• Interview with the Vampire (1994).

• Lestat de Lioncourt.

• Anne Rice film adaptations.

• 1990s gothic horror cinema.

• Vintage vampire-film memorabilia.

• Brad Pitt and Kirsten Dunst film history.

• Demi Moore memorabilia.

• Jean-Claude Van Damme.

• Danny Boyle and Shallow Grave.

• British cinema history.

• Vintage Hollywood magazines.

• 1995 movie previews.

• Film journalism and criticism.

• VHS home-video history.

• Philips CD-i and multimedia entertainment.

• Original 1990s film magazines.

Summary

An original Empire Magazine dated February 1995, featuring a large and distinctive photographic portrait of Tom Cruise, promoting his role as Lestat in Interview with the Vampire.

The front cover features the prominent headline "I Need Blood!" and advertises additional content covering Shallow Grave, Jean-Claude Van Damme and an extensive preview of more than 150 films planned for 1995.

The lower section includes a photograph of Demi Moore, introducing the magazine's major film-preview feature.

Also promoted are contemporary film reviews and recommendations for films on television, video and CD-i.

Condition: Pre-owned vintage condition with visible surface marks, light rubbing, minor scuffing, edge and corner wear and general age-related handling imperfections. Interior completeness and condition have not been verified.

Included: Original magazine only. Any originally accompanying free gifts or promotional extras are not included.

UK Packaging: Protective hardback envelope.

International Packaging: Sturdy cardboard mail-size box.

SKU: 1589