The history of Abraham Lincoln has been set out in hundreds of different biographies and movies over the years.
There are two different takes on him hitting the screen in 2012, in fact.
I think this summer’s take on the venerable American president is going to be just a little different, however.
‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ hits theaters – in 3D no less – on June 22. This is the first so-called “mash-up” to make it to the big screen.
What is a mash-up?
It’s a book that has fallen into the public domain that has been updated with a “new twist.” In this case, Seth Grahame-Smith turned the beloved leader into a butt-kicking vampire hunter. Ironically, most people thought that ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ would be the first mash-up to make it to the big screen (not until 2013 folks). After all, it was the first mash-up to get national attention.
However, it is ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ which suddenly started getting all the attention – and it won the race to the theater in the process.
‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ features Benajmin Walker as honest Abe, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Mary Todd Lincoln and Dominic Cooper as Henry Sturgess.
I have to admit this movie was flying under my radar until I happened across the trailer this past week online. If a trailer is any indication of a movie’s quality (which we know it isn’t), then ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ is going to be a rollicking good ride.
Right from the start, the dark atmosphere and high flying action looks to be a hoot.
This is not a movie that’s going to win an Oscar, though, and I have a feeling there are a lot of political killjoys out there who are going to jump all over this movie for historical inaccuracies. This is clearly a movie for people who have a sense of humor. Yes, we know Abraham Lincoln wasn’t honestly a vampire hunter – that’s what’s fun about the story.
This is only the first story about Abraham Lincoln coming out this year, though – although I bet it’s the most entertaining, but I digress.
The other is Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln” – which I’m sure will be a more faithful adaptation of our beloved 16th president’s history. Starring Daniel Day Lewis, James Spader, Tommy Lee Jones, and Sally Field – among a bevy of others – “Lincoln” is clearly going to be the more seriously regarded movie.
It’s got the pedigree of multiple award winning actors (plus the always awesome Walton Goggins and Joseph Gordon-Levitt) to boast about – but, call me crazy, I’m still looking forward to ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ a lot more.
The good news for those that don’t have a sense of humor, Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln’ isn’t slated to hit theaters until December – so you’ll have plenty of time to forget about ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ – or at least get all the vitriol out of your system.
What do you think? Which ‘Lincoln’ movie are you most looking forward to this year?
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