I’ll be the first one to tell you that I am not Tim Burton’s biggest fan…Well, lately anyway. I mean this is the guy who once made films like Pee-Wee Hermans Big Adventure and Edward Scissorhands. Those were two films that really defined my adolescence and continue to stay with me to this day. His shiny new work is less attractive to me as I feel like CGI is used as a distraction for weak story telling. I like dark and violent Tim Burton. Give me Sleepy Hollow and Sweeney Todd every day of the week and I’ll be a happy guy. When I heard he was bringing Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter to the big screen as a producer I was certain Johnny Depp would be our vampire emancipator and Helena Bonham Carter would be Mary Todd. Fortunately for us, he used up his yearly dose on Dark Shadows and Vampire Hunter has a really unique cast of solid actors, led by relative newcomer Benjamin Walker, that work wonderfully on screen together.
Vampire Hunter continues a dark tradition in Tim’s career. In fact, I was surprised that Tim and Timur were able to navigate a very strong R rating for the film. Sadly, when one thinks of vampires you can’t help but think of what Stephanie Meyer has done to these beloved creatures. Fortunately Seth, Tim and Timur brought them back to basics. They are mean and will literally eat you’re face off and we love them for that.
In my brief chat with the visionary director, we talk about the style of the film and why he was drawn to tell another vampire story in the same year he released Dark Shadows. Although he didn’t direct the film, it feels like the dark and lonely Tim I know and love. Keep it up.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is in cinemas today!
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