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The Lincoln Memorial gets a makeover in new 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter' poster

Our 16th president isn't playing around anymore

  • Critic's Rating C
  • Readers' Rating n/a
The Lincoln Memorial gets a makeover in new 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter' poster
Credit: 20th Century Fox

Honest Abe doesn't look like a person you'd particularly want to mess with in the new poster for "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter", the forthcoming period monster film starring Benjamin Walker, Dominic Coooper, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Anthony Mackie and Rufus Sewell that's based on the bestselling book by Seth Grahame-Smith (the author who also wrote "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies", a mash-up novel whose own film adaptation is currently stuck in development hell).

The one-sheet essentially follows the simplistic M.O. of the first two posters (which were released awhile back and one of which I've embedded below for comparison purposes), and while its "reimagining" of the famed Lincoln Memorial is clever enough I guess, it pales somewhat next to its far-moodier and more evocative predecessors.

That said, all three posters actually highlight a larger problem with the film's ad campaign thus far: Fox's too-narrow focus on marketing the film's one-joke premise. Particularly for people who aren't familiar with the book, doing so could actually deter them from seeing the movie. Indeed, it's hard to shake the feeling that the concept (a.k.a. the title of the movie itself) essentially makes it sound like a $70 million "SNL" skit stretched out to feature length.

Going forward the studio may want to take a more imaginative overall marketing approach that doesn't rest so completely on the easy-sell central idea. It'll be interesting to see if they change course with the as-yet-unreleased trailer, but in my opinion the posters (particularly this new one) just feel lazy.

My grade for the second poster: C. Check it out below and then rate it for yourself at top left!

The official poster for

One of the two original (very similar) posters:

The first poster for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

 "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" is scheduled for release on June 22nd.

Chris-eggertsen-sm
A former contributor to sites including Bloody-Disgusting and AfterElton, Eggertsen enjoys rock music, rainy days and smelling the pages of old books. You should read all of his articles and follow him on Twitter because it's the right thing to do.
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    Dave I

    Maybe that is part of a larger problem? I have not read the book (yet, that and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies are on my list of books to read), however it is at least billed as more of a historical fiction. With Tim Burton, and the mood set by the posters, maybe they are doing it more of a Abe Lincoln: Action Hero role without playing to him being a believable man of duality. So less Bruce Wayne or even Dr. Jeckyl/Hyde and just over-the-top barely contained cartoon(ish) character that they pay lip service to the whole President angle. The book has been described as plausible. I wonder if the movie will simply be unabashedly over-the-top.

    One of those movies appeals to me, the other does not. Perhaps they are going with the latter instead of the former and the poster is indicative of larger problems. Hopefully not, however I am a bit skeptical.

    -Cheers

    January 17, 2012 at 12:28PM EST Reply to Comment

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