New Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter Trailer!

Wonder Con was this week and at the Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter panel they showed a clip and the new Trailer for the film! Unfortunately, the clip hasn't made its way online, but the trailer HAS, and its even better than the Teaser that was released last month.

I have to say, for a film to make a simple axe as interesting as this one has is quite a feat. Not only does Lincoln wield it in a completely organic way (Like he's a super hero or something) but the axe itself has more to it than is evident at first. I won't spoil anything, you'll have to watch the trailer, but its very cool. I REALLY hope this film is good.

Also, if you are interested, a short synopsis of the Wonder Con panel can be found HERE.

Ill post more Abe Lincoln stuff as its released!

Tom Hardy to hunt Vampires in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter?

For one reason or another I haven't reported on the book and impending film version of Seth Grahame-Smith's Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter yet. I guess I was thinking it isn't really a "Western" so it doesnt really fit in here at the Emporium. Its pretty East coast (About as East Coast as it gets with it being Washington DC and all) and even with Lincoln growing up in Kentucky and Illinois it doesn't get much further then the Mid-West.....but it's a Civil War-era Vampire Hunting movie and, when put that way, I had to say something about it.

The book was written by Seth Grahame-Smith, who also wrote Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and takes a look at the Lincoln no one knew about, the Lincoln that was a highly accomplished Vampire hunter. As I looked through it at the book store I expected a fictional narrative of Lincoln's life except with the added addition of him being a Vampire Hunter.....but the book is structured more like a true life account, using doctored photographs, journal entries, and written accounts to paint a "true" portrait of Lincoln's secret life.

Before I knew about the book, however, I'd heard about the movie, which is being produced by Tim Burton and directed by Timur Bekmambetov (who directed Night Watch, Day Watch, and Wanted) and last week they reported the first bit of casting. Tom Hardy is being pursued for the role of Henry Sturgess, a vampire who rescues sixteen year-old Abraham Lincoln from a vampire attack and trains him in the ways of vampirism to help him become a more effective hunter. Sounds VERY interesting!

I'll report more on this as I hear it but until then have a look at the trailer they did for the book back in February, hopefully the movie will be this good!

Bloodrayne 2.....Vampires With Guns

I never understood why people hated Uwe Boll's movies so much. It always seems that whenever a new film of his comes out there is hemming and hawing from the haters. All of the hubbub even came down to Uwe Boll himself saying, online, that he was never going to direct another film again if the public demanded it. They were supposed to sign a petition that he created asking him to retire and if it reached 1,000,000 signatures he would never make another movie again (it didn't); all of this went over my head. Of course I had never seen a Uwe Boll movie, so my opinion was more based on "leave the poor guy alone" than anything fact based. That was until I found out about Bloodrayne 2: Deliverance....the sequel to original Bloodrayne that came out in 2005 and had an all star cast (for the most part)....Bloodrayne 2 is not Bloodrayne.

From Chris Walker on IMDB:

It's a hundred years later, and the dhampir Rayne has arrived in the town of Deliverance, Montana where a group of vampire cowboys have emerged. Led by Billy the Kid, hell-bent on creating is own kingdom, he slaughters townspeople and rounds up children. He spares the life of Chicago Chronicle reported Newton Pyles. Rayne aligns herself with Pat Garret, a member of the long-thought-dead Brimstone society, a dishonest preacher, and a low life named Franson, to stop Billy the Kid and show the world how the West was really won.

Throughout Bolls' very strange audio commentary (which he ends 2/3 into the movie leaving nothing but silence) he mentions that they didn't have much money for the movie and that conditions were pretty terrible during the filming. You can see that the conditions were VERY terrible during filming....but it adds to Western feel of the film, especially a scene inside the church were you can see the preachers breath whenever he speaks....it looks VERY cold. That part of the film I liked. However a lack of money in your budget is no reason to film your movie like a Sci Fi Channel TV movie.....which pretty early into this I felt like I was watching. Lots of wide shots, and the attempts at making a stylish Spaghetti Western feel falls flat at every turn. Boll, in his commentary, stated that that was the feel they were going for...and you can hear it in the music they chose. But you never get the feeling that you are watching a Vampire Leone film....which is too bad, because that would have been cool.

About halfway into the film, Rayne and Pat Garrett go out looking for a couple men to help them take down Billy and his crew. The problem is, we know nothing about these guys or why they (in particular) are the men for the job..Its sloppy writing, especially when, at the end, the two men have their death scenes and it feels like we are supposed to care....but we don't even know who they are except a crazy preacher and criminal. This feels like a film made by a bunch of friends who really wanted to make a Spaghetti Western but only have a passing knowledge of what that even means, and it was kind of a disappointment, because as readers of this blog know good Weird Western films are very hard to come by.

Someone online had mention the silliness of having Vampires take over a town, but then have them involved in guns fights instead of biting people......as I was watching this, I felt the same way. Why is "Vampire A" firing a gun at that guy? Why not just bite him or attack him? If you'll excuse the pun, it really takes the bite out of the Vampires in this movie, sometimes I forgot they were Vampires....very silly.

Check this one out at your own risk....a definite renter.


1 out of 5 Bloody Spurs.

Stephen King to Write Weird West Vampire Comic!

The book is called American Vampire and Newsarama is reporting that King will be involved with the first 5 issue story. The official word, from The DC/Vertigo Blog Graphic Content is this:

Celebrated short story writer Scott Snyder and artist Rafael Albuquerque will launch a new monthly comic book series from Vertigo in March 2010 with a unique contribution from New York Times bestselling novelist Stephen King. The new ongoing series, AMERICAN VAMPIRE, will introduce readers to a new breed of vampire—a more muscular and vicious species of vampire with distinctly American characteristics. The series’ first story arc, to be told over the course of five issues, will feature two different stories, one written by Snyder, the other by King.

Snyder’s storyline is one of decadence and deception and Jazz Age glamour. Pearl is an ambitious modern woman with starlet dreams. She frequents Hollywood’s speakeasies and dance-halls searching for her first big break, only to find something far more sinister waiting for her.

King’s story provides the origin of the very first American vampire: Skinner Sweet, a bank robbing, murdering cowboy of the 1880s. Skinner is stronger and faster than previous vampires; he has rattlesnake fangs and is powered by…. the sun?

Following the conclusion of the first story arc, Snyder and Albuquerque will trace Skinner’s bloodline through various decades of American history.

I'm already on board! I love the idea of a breed of Vampire that has adapted to the distinct American climate; and starting the line in the Old West is perfect! We've always just had European Vampires, now we have a Vampire breed all our own.....well, for as long as this comic is out anyway.

I suggest you mozie on over to Newsarama for even more in depth details on the book (and some more art work as well) and also check out the Graphic Content blog for links to other sites reporting the story....if ya still haven't gotten enough, that is!

Mark your calenders, the first issue of American Vampire comes out March 2010.

I'll report on this some more when I hear stuff.

Darkwatch: The Dead will Rise!

Not a new game, but definitely something worth checking out when you have the chance. Darkwatch, is a first person shooter that takes place in the Old West...and its a VERY dark version of the era.

Wikipedia describes it as this:

The game follows the exploits of Jericho Cross, an outlaw-turned-vampire, and his employment in the titular organization, an ancient vampire-hunting order known as The Darkwatch. After unwittingly releasing the Darkwatch's greatest enemy, a vampire lord named Lazarus Malkoth, Jericho is conscripted into the Darkwatch as an elite operative.

Jericho, however, is slowly turning into a vampire himself, after being bitten by Lazarus. The game outlines either Jericho's struggle for humanity or his descent into darkness, depending on the player's actions; the player's actions will unlock new powers. Along with the arrival of these powers, one meets many enemies and a discovers a wide variety of weaponry from the Redeemer to the Coyote Steam-Wagon.

Its actually a lot of fun, and at rock bottom prices on Amazon, it's completely worth picking up a used $5 copy for the PS2 or Xbox. Here is a really fun trailer I found on Youtube.



GAH! I LOVE Heavy Old West Revolvers! Sigh.... :LOVE: