I have been anxiously awaiting Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Seth Grahame-Smith's follow up to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Seriously, any literary mash-up combines my two favorite things, which are english lit and campy B movie monsters. I mean, Does it get any better?
AL:VH looks promising, despite mostly tepid reviews. Personally, I love a good slayer -- makes me a reminiscent of Sunnydale's finest. Based on the few reviews I've seen, it seems like Honest Abe has the essential slayer elements -- namely, strength and fighting skills, a nice-guy vamp which serves as his tourguide into all things fangy, plus a motive and setting which makes slaying pivotal to mankind's future in this instance, since the vampires are trafficking slaves in addition to feeding on the living. The stakes are high, if you will, for Abe Lincoln to kick some vampire ass.
Plus, I love anytime we are given another identity for John Wilkes Booth. One of my favorite references from Zoolander:
J.P. Prewitt: The truth is male models have been assassinating world leaders for over 200 years. Abe Lincoln wanted to abolish slavery, right? Well, who do you think made the silk stockings and powdered wigs worn by our early leaders? Derek Zoolander: Mugatu! J.P. Prewitt: [pauses] Slaves, Derek. So they hired John Wilkes Booth to do Mr. Lincoln in. The first model/actor! Dallas. 1963. John F. Kennedy. Matilda: Lee Harvey Oswald wasn't a male model. J.P. Prewitt: You're goddamn right he wasn't, but the two lookers who capped Kennedy from the Grassy Knoll sure as shit were!
I also want to thank the makers of the seriously awesome trailer below, since this story could possibly land in camp-movie history.
As I've been watching my new Buffy DVD's (Thanks Santa) I realized that Xander Harris reminds me of Bruce Campbell. Now, I don't know if that comparison has been made, but, let's study the facts. Both are the handy comic relief in tense supernatural situations, both are quite inventive and clever under fire, and darn it, they kinda look alike. [I mean, young Bruce of course -- "Ash" Bruce. And, do I see just a little bit of Peter Petrelli in there too? I digress...] Not to mention also that both have taken some serious injury for the team. Ash's arm, Xander's eye. Shame really. However, Ash is nothing if not inventive, and the chainsaw arm really allowed him to handle that boomstick.
What I admire most about Bruce Campbell is that he is the epitome of a humble and humorous B-movie actor who knows and embraces the genre. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him, and the man cracks me up. Bruce has the gift of being likeable during some of the most ridiculous scenes ever put onto film. I feel that type of humor is very indicative of Xander's self-depracating character throughout the Buffy series. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a fantastic show because it dabbled in so many genres: horror, comedy, adventure, and all of these were handled beautifully by Joss Whedon, who wrote the quick dialogue and relateable characters to root the supernatural stories in normal adolescence. Xander too, is always likeable, even in the face of danger. All I'm saying is, I'd like one of these guys on my side slaying demons.
Here are just a few great lines from the boys:
Well hello Mister Fancypants. Well, I've got news for you pal, you ain't leadin' but two things, right now: Jack and shit... and Jack left town.
-- "Ash" Army of Darkness 1992
"I laugh in the face of danger. Then I hide till it goes away."
―Xander, Buffy season 1
There I was. Face-to-face with the mother of all ugly. So I say "Come get some", and BLAM, no more Mr. Nasty Face.
--"Ash" Evil Dead: Fistful of Boomstick 2003
I'm sick of being the guy who eats insects and gets the funny syphilis. As of this moment, it's over. I'm finished being everybody's butt-monkey!"
I love College Humor's take on the Vampire takeover of all media. This one's got appearances by all my fav's. Too good not to keep on here for posterity. :)
Excellent counterpoint -- not only is the Vampire mythology always changing, so is the mythology of those who defend the human race...
Addendum: After posting this I did a little more thinking about how the myths involve both humans and vampires, and plus with all the literary mashup going on, when I stumbled accross MTV's "Adapt This" segment of "Pinocchio the Vampire Slayer" it seemed oddly appropriate.
I've arrived, at long last -- new to the world of blogging, but not the world of blogs. I'm finally stepping out of the shadows after many years of silently reading and scheming one of my own. Now the hard part... getting down to business and writing!
As an avid fan of both literature and pop culture, it's been a slippery slope into embracing my passion for mythology within the vampire & horror genre. It's all about re-invention while riffing on a theme -- kinda like jazz, only having crawled out of a fresh grave.
