MovieChat Forums > Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) Discussion > Where does their money come from?

Where does their money come from?

posted 9 years ago by glenwoodave
15 replies | jump to latest

I'm fascinated by everything about this movie; hauntingly beautiful visuals and themes, great music, humor, and the compelling, enduring love between Adam and Eve who, IMO, are a perfect, mated, pair. When they are dancing together I find myself smiling and deeply touched by their closeness.

However, on a mundane note, every time I watch it I wonder where they get their money. Adam hands over great wads of it to Ian. Do they sell stuff they've collected over the centuries? I suppose a scribbled note from Byron or one of the "French *beep* he used to hang out with" would fetch a good price. But they just run off to Tangier and leave a house full of amazing possessions behind, not to mention all those expensive instruments. Eve says it's okay because the world is full of instruments; sure, but they still need money to buy them. I suspect they've had to leave everything behind many times over the centuries. So, where do vampires get their income?

Another vampire question: they don't need bathrooms, even to wash themselves?

I guess I'm on a roll now: where in Detroit is there an unguarded river of acid that you can just drive up to and use to strip flesh off of bodies?

Apart from these quibbles, I do love this movie.

[–] little_wing 9 years ago

I'm fascinated by everything about this movie; hauntingly beautiful visuals and themes, great music, humor, and the compelling, enduring love between Adam and Eve who, IMO, are a perfect, mated, pair. When they are dancing together I find myself smiling and deeply touched by their closeness.

Viewers of this film have such polarized opinions. I feel the same; the film is very sensual in that it seems to pervade your every sense. I was surprised when I came to this board and read so many negative comments.

However, on a mundane note, every time I watch it I wonder where they get their money. Adam hands over great wads of it to Ian. Do they sell stuff they've collected over the centuries? I suppose a scribbled note from Byron or one of the "French *beep* he used to hang out with" would fetch a good price. But they just run off to Tangier and leave a house full of amazing possessions behind, not to mention all those expensive instruments. Eve says it's okay because the world is full of instruments; sure, but they still need money to buy them. I suspect they've had to leave everything behind many times over the centuries. So, where do vampires get their income?

I thought they were kind of like Conner in The Highlander; antique dealers. They must have gathered quite a collection of antiques through the years.

I guess I'm on a roll now: where in Detroit is there an unguarded river of acid that you can just drive up to and use to strip flesh off of bodies?

Why? Did you have anyone in mind?...

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[–] glenwoodave 9 years ago

I guess I'm on a roll now: where in Detroit is there an unguarded river of acid that you can just drive up to and use to strip flesh off of bodies?

Why? Did you have anyone in mind?...

Ha! Now that you mention it.....

Glad you feel the same way about this movie. No film will please everyone of course, but happily this little gem does seem to have touched a chord with a lot of people.

[–] dba741 9 years ago

this little gem does seem to have touched a chord with a lot of people.

I believe it's become a cult classic already.

[–] dba741 9 years ago

So, where do vampires get their income?

Good investments, LOL?

[–] ScottNichols 9 years ago

Yeah, imagine interest compounding over hundreds/thousands of years!

Actors do not have a job...they have a blast!

[–] spank-my-17 9 years ago

Not sure about your last two questions, but to answer your first one: Didn't they make it known that Adam is a musician that is publishing his work anonymously and that Ian is kind of his manager, exporting his music to the masses and keeping him unknown? But he is apparently still big enough that his fans are out looking for him, so I'm sure that his royalty checks are pretty big. :)

[–] spookyrat1 9 years ago

I'm sure that his royalty checks are pretty big. :)

That's what I thought. An influential musician/producer/writer; he'd have a regular income.

I thought they were kind of like Conner in The Highlander; antique dealers.

I was thinking the same thing watching this film. Eve is likely to be making continual money buying and selling antiquarian books.🐭

[–] chicago85 9 years ago

She said you couldn't just chuck bodies in the river like back in the plague and TB days. He had earlier showed her an abandoned Chrysler plant. They drove into a building and I felt it was an abandoned factory of some sort. Maybe the auto plant. It appeared to be an open concrete tank of some sort.

I don't know everything. Neither does anyone else

[–] mysticnox 8 years ago

If you live forever, and have everything you could ever want, and can steal anything you want, money would be easy to get.

[–] hexrecords 8 years ago

I feel like there are so many different ways they could be rich it isn't necessary to go into it. Like others have said, if you live for thousands of years, just making a few investments way back when could have them covered for life now.

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ncrawford82 8 years ago

Money changes over times and if you have the skills, you can get a hold of it.

My question is how Eve and Adam can bypass airport security. I don't care if they're flying first class at night with only some luggage. They're not entirely anonymous and their passport photos show up frequently (not to mention someone having to process a bunch of passports with obvious fake names).

I love this movie, but I'm as much of a nitpicker as anyone. It works for the story, but it's something we can certainly discuss if we're talking about money and the availability of body destroying acid.

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[–] GuyOnTheLeft 7 years ago

I kept thinking one of those plane flights was going to get delayed and be stuck on the tarmac or in the air past dawn. That would have been an interesting scenario: do they just bust right out of the plane? If they can't be killed except by very particular methods, I assume they could survive a few thousand-feet fall?

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[–] esskayess 8 years ago

No idea, but I'm sure it's all...blood money.

My people skills are fine. It's my tolerance of morons that needs work.

[–] blakkdog 8 years ago

I assumed that pit of acid was battery acid (sulfuric acid) that was either used for making car batteries in the plant when it was in operation or the waste acid from old batteries that were stored there and leached out over time. I have my doubts that they would keep it in an open pit like that but I guess thats more of the artistic license this ridiculous movie takes with things.

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