No no, don’t turn away. Keep reading. This isn’t a joke. Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter is the first film made from the wealth of historical/horror spoofs that have been hitting bookstores over the past few years (Sense and Sensibilities and Seamonsters, anyone?) Thankfully, Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter rises above it’s one-joke premise and delivers a spine-tingling rush of action that makes it a perfect summer treat.
“History prefers legends to men”, Lincoln says in voiceover as the film begins, and it’s the truth regardless of our current obsession with reality television. We love to stare at the glorious enormity of the Lincoln Memorial, but beyond the stovepipe hat & trusty axe, what do we really know about the man? The screenplay (and novel on which this film is based) from Seth Grahame-Smith (The Hard Times of RJ Berger) gives us a possibility. Sure, it’s a far-out fabrication, but there’s also a love of country and a desire for the freedom of all people tucked in there that got to me. Sure, it’s produced by Tim Burton, but it doesn’t have the wacky Burton/Depp-ness that has fallen flat of late (Dark Shadows anyone? Anyone?)
