Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, discovers vampires are planning to take over the United States. He makes it his mission to eliminate them.

Director:

Timur Bekmambetov

Writers:

Seth Grahame-Smith (screenplay by), Seth Grahame-Smith (based on the novel by)

Stars:

Benjamin Walker, Rufus Sewell, Dominic Cooper

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Benjamin Walker	...	Abraham Lincoln
Dominic Cooper	...	Henry Sturges
Anthony Mackie	...	Will Johnson
Mary Elizabeth Winstead	...	Mary Todd Lincoln
Rufus Sewell	...	Adam
Marton Csokas	...	Jack Barts
Jimmi Simpson	...	Joshua Speed
Joseph Mawle	...	Thomas Lincoln
Robin McLeavy	...	Nancy Lincoln
Erin Wasson	...	Vadoma
John Rothman	...	Jefferson Davis
Cameron M. Brown	...	Willie Lincoln
Frank Brennan	...	Senator Jeb Nolan
Lux Haney-Jardine	...	Young Abraham Lincoln
Curtis Harris	...	Young Will

Storyline

At the age of 9, Abraham Lincoln witnesses his mother being killed by a vampire, Jack Barts. Some 10 years later, he unsuccessfully tries to eliminate Barts but in the process makes the acquaintance of Henry Sturgess who teaches him how to fight and what is required to kill a vampire. The quid pro quo is that Abe will kill only those vampires that Henry directs him to. Abe relocates to Springfield where he gets a job as a store clerk while he studies the law and kills vampires by night. He also meets and eventually marries the pretty Mary Todd. Many years later as President of the United States, he comes to realize that vampires are fighting with the Confederate forces. As a result he mounts his own campaign to defeat them.

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Plot Keywords:

vampire hunter | undead | hanging upside down | chopping down a tree | shopkeeper | 

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Taglines:

Are you a patriot or a vampire?

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Genres:

Action | Fantasy | Horror | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence throughout and brief sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the time of this film's release, Benjamin Walker was married to Mamie Gummer, daughter of Meryl Streep. Streep presented the Best Actor award to Daniel Day-Lewis for playing Lincoln (2012) this same year.

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Goofs

Several times during the movie, the second floor balcony of the White House is shown. The balcony however was not added to the house until the Harry S. Truman renovation circa 1950.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Abraham Lincoln: [voice-over in his journal] History prefers legends to men. It prefers nobility to brutality, soaring speeches to quiet deeds. History remembers the battle and forgets the blood. Whatever history remembers of me, if it remembers anything at all, it shall only be a fraction of the truth. For whatever else I am - a husband, a lawyer, a President - I shall always think of myself as a man who struggled against darkness.

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Crazy Credits

During the closing credits there are drops of blood seen racing and zigzagging across white fabric, until the camera zooms out and the trails of blood are seen to have formed a map of America divided into states.

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Connections

Referenced in Home Bound (2014)

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Soundtracks

Mouret's Rondeau
Written by Novi Novog
Courtesy of 5 Alarm Music

User Reviews

A terrific action summer movie with a fresh visual style.

After watching Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter at home I asked myself why I didn't go to see it in a movie theater during the summer. I should have but I guess the reason was that I thought the premise was silly. Too bad because this is a terrific action film. It's very entertaining but I stress that it's not dumb. All the actors deliver good performances. Benjamin Walker creates a fantastic hero in Abraham Lincoln, a secret vampire hunter and the 16th President of the United States. Walker is good in the action scenes as well as at delivering Lincoln's historic lines. He begins hunting vampires as a young man with the assistance of his mentor Henry Sturges (Dominic Cooper). Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Lincoln's wife Mary Todd and Anthony Mackie plays his closest friend William Johnson. Rufus Sewell as Adam is the film's main antagonist, a powerful vampire with an interesting story. The film is based on Seth Grahame-Smith's mashup novel of the same name. It plays very much like a comic book movie, and it takes liberties with the facts of Lincoln's life while poking fun at some of them. Director Timur Bekmambetov has a talent for creating impressive visuals, but here with the assistance of cinematographer Caleb Deschanel the look of the film is often stunning. The scene in which Lincoln fights Jack Barts on horseback at sunset is just one amazing highlight. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter earned almost twice its budget at the box office but it should have been a bigger hit. It's serious fantasy horror. I won't be surprised if it becomes a cult movie. It's one of the best films of 2012, and I definitely recommend seeing it.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA Russia

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 June 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Filming Locations:

Second Line Stages, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$69,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$16,306,974, 24 June 2012

Gross USA:

$37,519,139

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$116,471,580

Company Credits

Production Co:

Abraham Productions, Bazelevs Production, Genre Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Datasat SDDS Dolby Surround 7.1 Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1