If the concept of badass presidents was taken to its logical conclusion by a computer, it might look something like Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. The novel (by Pride And Prejudice And Zombies’ Seth Grahame-Smith) and its film adaptation take as their premise the question, “Wouldn’t it be awesome if Abraham Lincoln killed vampires?” Without having to worry about things like continuity or logic, director Timur Bekmambetov turns Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter into an excuse to see Honest Abe wielding a silver-coated ax. The faux-secret history raises some serious questions about the historical Lincoln (in particular, making the real motivation for emancipation cutting off the vampires’ food supply), and there isn’t much attention to anything that isn’t an over-the-top action scene of Abraham Lincoln killing vampires. But sometimes, all Americans really want from their president is the slaughter of vast hordes of the undead, and that’s okay, too.
