Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter directed by someone and staring some people who all have one thing in common with this movie: they believed in what they were doing and it showed. 

I think this film is the perfect companion piece to the Spielberg’s movie Lincoln as the movie tells the untold story of Lincoln. 

This movie is so absurd, but it’s that belief in the absurd that makes this a great movie to watch. I love the title of the movie because it explains the whole the movie and with that title comes a certain amount expectations, which this movie lives up to. The title is great here's why: it features Abraham Lincoln and it features, said man, hunting vampires. One thing about this movie I didn’t know was how much the history of America was mired in vampire lore, how much the sixteenth president of our America knew about it, and did something to fight that onslaught of darkness. Who knew Lincoln was such a talented man when it comes to welding axes? I must say the choice of an axe (not just any axe mind you but an axe with a single barrel shotgun in its handle and whose blade is coated with silver) as Lincoln’s weapon was pure genius, because of all the history involved with Lincoln and an axe, it just made sense for him to have an axe as a weapon and not a shot gun or a six barreled pistol or some other crazy, insane weapon. It was a simple and good choice.  I also like the fact they made Lincoln a master welder of the axe, as he flips it around, spinning it, like some martial artist welding nun chalks or a bo staff. 

Another thing that makes this movie so good, is that the makers of this movie just go full tilt with the absurd, which is what you’re supposed to do when you have such an insane idea like they do. You’ve got to revel in the absurd and bath in it every day. It has to be part of your everyday life if you want your movie to be absurdly good, which this movie is. This is such an original idea for such an absurd idea but it works on every level possible. Loved one (Lincoln's mother) killed by said vampires: check. Mentor training sequence: check. Words of wisdom spoken throughout said training sequence: check, no wait that’s a double check. 

This movie almost feels like Michael Bay directed it such are the insane actions sequences set in that western time period. But I think the Lincoln versus the vampire fight during the horse stamped was by far my favorite insane/absurd scene in the film. The absurd levels this fight sequence reached were truly epic even by absurd standards, but like I said if you’re going to go absurd you’ve got to go all the way, there can’t be any going just half way, you’ve got to fully commit to the absurd. And this scene proved they were committed to their job. 

 I liked about every minute of this movie and found myself laughing out loud a lot because of all the absurd things that just happened. It was one of the more entertaining times I’ve spent watching a movie that wasn’t actually labeled a comedy, but the people making it knew it was going to be seen as such because of the absurdness of it so they just continued to play everything straight (much like Kubrick did with Strangelove and I know it seems strange to compare a Kubrick movie with this movie but the parallels of the absurdness of both of these films fits together nicely). This movie is destined for cult status and is easily going down as one my favorite guilty pleasure movies of all time. I might even find myself buying it, but only if they come out a super deluxe edition with commentaries from the production crew, set designers, and grips. They’ve also got to have so many making featurettes on the discs…no wait this movie needs a full length 90 minute making of documentary that would be even better with cast and crew interviews.  That would just to make it sweeter.