Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter— Immersive

Abraham Lincoln. Vampire Hunter. The very words simply evoke a juxtaposition that is totally unexpected, if not downright bizarre. Sure, it sounds like a really absurd idea: take the life of Abraham Lincoln, often cited as the greatest US president, and throw in some nasty, bad-ass vampires. It's certainly going to be very different from the Lincoln bio-pic that Spielberg is currently working on. When I first heard about the whole premise, I completely dismissed it just on principle, but the more I hear about the upcoming film, the more it seems like it takes itself as seriously as possible, using the vampires as a device to create a very social, yet character driven feature. Yet it's an idea to which the filmmakers have fully committed. Their work is a portrait of the man and leader we've all studied and the seminal events that defined him and our nation— interwoven with the immersive, visceral action of an adventerous vampire story.

At the same time, ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER presents the Great Emancipator as the country's first superhero. Notes producer Tim Burton: "Lincoln's entire life mirrors the classic comic book superhero mythology. It's a duality: during the day he's the president of the United States; at night, a vampire hunter." That dichotomy is at the core of the Lincoln we meet in the film. "He was both ordinary and extraordinary at the same time," says director Timur Bekmambetov. Adds screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith, who adapted his best-selling novel of the same name: "Lincoln's life story is an archetypal superhero origin story. He's as close to an actual superhero as this country's ever seen. Forget about vampires. Lincoln had neither family name nor money. His mother died when he was a youngster. In fact, everybody he loved had died. With no education, and armed with just his mind, he became president and saved the nation."

These themes grabbed the attention of Burton, his fellow producer Jim Lemley, and Timur Bekmambetov. Even before Grahame-Smith had completed the novel, Burton heard the title and his mind kicked into gear. "It sounded like the kind of movie I wanted to see," Burton claims. "It felt like it could have the crazy energy of the films of my youth, which had a lot of weird mash-ups of horror movies." Lemley, who had produced with Burton and Bekmambetov the animated film "9," says that Burton's sensibilities were a perfect match for this type of material. "What Tim does so brilliantly is to take conventional imagery and stories and turn them on their heads, and examine them from an unexpected perspective."

The "vampire hunter" portion of the story offers explosive thrills, scares, and stunts, but the filmmakers never forgot that they were also presenting a portrait of a beloved figure, as well as the monumental events that shaped our nation and continue to define contemporary discourse. "Everything had to be presented in a very straightforward way," says Grahame-Smith. "We never wink at the audience; not even once. Tim Burton really supported us and protected that vision." Grahame-Smith notes that his idea for his book Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter came from an observation he made during a 2009 tour to promote his previous tome, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, another unexpected connection between disparate cultural entities. The author/screenwriter recalls: "That year marked the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth, and many of the bookstores on my promotional tour had two displays: one featured books about Lincoln's life; the other was a vampire-themed display, including the Twilight and Sookie Stackhouse books [upon which the television show "True Blood" was based]. It led me to think about combining the two subjects."

Grahame-Smith's vampires were polar opposites to the romantic figures captured in the pages of the books he saw on display. His creatures of the undead pay proper reverence to the classic tradition of vampires in the movies. "The vampires in our movie aren't romantic or funny, and they certainly don't sparkle," he notes. "Our vampires are bloodthirsty, viscious and cunning— and most frightening of all, they've become a part of the fabric of everyday life, working as blacksmiths, pharmacists, and bankers." The vampires' principal foe is one of history's most beloved figures, whom many consider our greatest president. This story covers 45 years in Abraham Lincoln's life, from 1820 to 1865, and is set in Kentucky, Illinois, and Louisiana and, of course, the nation's capital. So, who would follow in the footsteps of some of our most accomplished actors, and play the iconic leader and fearless vampire slayer? The nod went to stage actor Benjamin Walker, who coincidentally already had accrued some "presidential" experience as the lead in the play "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson," which had a Broadway run in 2010.

"Ben brings humanity and a mischievous quality, which felt very real, to the role," says Tim Burton. Adds Jim Lemley: "Ben captures Lincoln's honesty, integrity, courage and sense of purpose." Most important to Walker was the opportunity to portray not only what made Lincoln a giant, but also a relatable human being. "What's dangerous about playing an icon is not allowing the character to be human," says the actor. "You must allow the character to be vulnerable or even silly. Luckily, Tim and Timur were open to making Abraham a flawed, funny and conflicted man."

"The human side is always the most important thing," Burton concurs. "And the character has to have a sense of humor because no one could survive as a vampire hunter without it." Walker, a 6'3" Juilliard-trained actor certainly had the physical stature to portray the lanky Lincoln. But could the young actor, 29 at the time, convey, physically, the Civil War-era figure whose iconic, aged visage graces our history books and currency? Bekmambetov, Burton and Lemley put Walker to the test— a screen test— during which the actor donned prosthetics that aged him to 55, and delivered one of the most renowned speeches in history, the Gettysburg Address. Walker more than impressed the filmmakers. "My reaction was, 'Oh my God, it's Abraham Lincoln delivering the Gettysburg Address!" Lemley exclaims. Looming ahead for Walker was the imperative to drop 30 pounds to achieve the requisite Lincolnesque leanness, as well as hundreds of hours of weapons training to turn him into the ultimate hunter of the undead.

Before Walker takes center stage as Abraham, we meet the character as a child. His journey begins when his mother Nancy is stricken with a disease of unknown origin— but recognizable to young Abraham as resulting from a vampire's bite. Nancy was a woman of intelligence and heart, imparting on her son the notion that, "until everyone is free, we are all slaves." Abraham never forgot those words, which came to define his views toward slavery. Nor would he ever forget the eternal evil responsible for his mother's death: a vampire (and local businessman) named Jack Barts, portrayed by Marton Csokas, against whom Abraham swears revenge. But his first attack against Barts fails, and Abraham narrowly escapes with his life. He is rescued by the charismatic Henry, a high-living and refined ladies' man. Henry, portrayed by British actor Dominic Cooper, is not interested in Abraham's simple quest for revenge. Instead, he instructs Abraham to control his rage, become stronger, and fight for the greater good of mankind. "It's a choice," Henry tells Abraham, "between doing something extraordinary or being satisfied with simple vengeance."

The combination of rich period atmosphere, a unique perspective on our 16th president, and the army of the undead he's hunting, makes for a motion picture experience like no other. For the writer who gave birth to it all, Seth Grahame-Smith, the film's release caps a journey that began with his best-selling book. A key element in capturing Lincoln's personality was making sure his humor came through. "He could be the life of the party, and was an exciting and entertaining man," Grahame-Smith sums up. "I think he'd love our movie."

The Borgias— A Clever Game of Complicity

If you haven't been watching Showtime's Epic Original Series, The Borgias, then you're avoiding the brilliance that places history into a dark and manipulative game. The Borgias were an actually family. The name Borgia is synonymous with the corruption, nepotism, and greed that were rife in Renaissance Italy. The powerful, voracious Rodrigo Borgia, better known to history as Pope Alexander VI, was the central figure of the dynasty. The Borgias is a complex, unvarnished portrait of one of history's most intriguing and infamous dynastic families. Oscar(r)-winning actor Jeremy Irons returns in his Golden Globe(r)-nominated role as the cunning, manipulative patriarch of the Borgia family who ascends to the highest circles of power within Renaissance-era Italy to become Pope Alexander VI. Seeking to consolidate his power, Alexander enlists his family to take an oath of revenge on the great noble houses that dared to stand against him, causing his Papacy to face political turmoil once again. But Alexander's real problems lie with his children, all of whom are growing up and defying his authority. Lucrezia forges an unlikely alliance between Vanozza and Giulia, and together they plot to battle Vatican corruption. The sibling rivalry between Cesare and Juan will soon turn to hatred as their father's unwavering favoritism toward Juan triggers Cesare to engage his dark side. Elsewhere in Rome, Alexander's old enemy Della Rovere has entered the city incognito and conspires to assassinate him. The story of the Borgia family's unlikely dramatic rise from its Spanish roots to the highest position in Italian society is an absorbing tale.

While rats, disease and poverty festered outside the Vatican walls, the infamous Rodrigo Borgia and his notorious family ruthlessly held all power through the Papal throne during the turbulent Bacchanalian decadence of 15th century Rome. They always ruled via intimidation and violence, crushing their enemies and fomenting fear, division, and revulsion among anyone who would dare challenge their power. They were the original "one percent." But as season two of the SHOWTIME hit drama series The Borgias truly unfolds, the greatest existential threat to Alexander's Papacy may not come from foreign adversaries or ambitious political operatives, but may linger within his own brood. His inevitable fall from power could come from the duplicitous deeds of his most trusted inner circle— his family. "The Pope has insisted that there be no family rivalry," says the Academy Award®-winning series star Jeremy Irons. "He knows rightly that if the family is to be powerful, it has to be powerful because it's united."

Filmed entirely on location in Budapest, Hungary, the series stars Oscar® winner Jeremy Irons, in his Golden Globe®-nominated role as Pope Alexander VI, a Spanish outsider whose political cunning and ruthless ambition elevated him past his rivals. "The first year, I felt the need to lay out the historical tableau with a great amount of clarity," says executive producer, writer and director Neil Jordan. "So when we came to the second season, it was like, suddenly you've got all these characters, and you can let them rip. It was a lot of fun." The Academy Award®-winning Jordan penned five scripts this season, then handed the reins over to executive producer David Leland to write four, and Guy Burt (Kingdom) to write one. Jordan (Byzantium) directed episodes 1 and 2; Jon Amiel (Creation) directed episodes 3 and 4; Kari Skogland (Endgame) directed episodes 5 and 7; John Maybury (Edge of Love) directed episodes 6 and 8; and Leland (Band of Brothers) served as director for the final two episodes.

Fraternal strife boils over. Sexual proclivities of the Pope blossom. Women unite in a new display of power. Borgia enemies multiply. As season one ended, the Pope’s beloved daughter Lucrezia had just given birth, and the family celebrated together. Almost like a happy new beginning. Almost. "All of the characters are going to darken this season," says Jordan. The cunning Cesare, engages his dark side, becoming much more like The Prince Machiavelli wrote about; the profligate Juan is ostracized by his family and turns murderous; and the increasingly independent Lucrezia refuses to be just a pawn in her family's continued quest for power. Meanwhile, the Pope faces unrelenting struggles: The French return with a vengeance, having been tricked into invading a plague-infested Naples in season one. Various Italian clans plot his demise. The devious antagonist Cardinal Della Revere trains an assassin; while in Florence the puritanical Friar Savonarola's grip on power tightens and the Borgia fortunes, deposited with the Medici Bank, are jeopardized.

Cesare begrudgingly continues serving as Cardinal per his father's edict and coveting Juan’s job as head of the Papal Army, which suffers a humiliating defeat this season. Juan's erratic and violent behavior has become a threat to the Borgia throne and the Pope senses the dangerous discord. Though competition rages between brothers, when it comes to the Pope's affection, Juan wins hands down, much to the chagrin of an increasingly cynical Cesare, who is fast becoming the "dark horse" his sibling always knew him to be. "He's not looking for his father's love as much as he did in the first season," says Francois Arnaud. "He's not even looking for his father's approval anymore. He just kind of decides to go rogue, and more often than not, knows that his ideas are just better."

As the season opens, Lucrezia is now mother to a love child, having survived a disastrous marriage to Giovanni Sforza, who betrayed her family politically, and violated her personally as a wife.  Says actress Holliday Grainger, "I think family members expect Lucrezia to sit back and resign herself to marriage, to being bullied by her brother. But she doesn't. She stands up for herself, and says, 'eah, I'm a woman, but I'm a strong woman." Though Lucrezia's innocence of season one has faded, she's not quite the monster as depicted in history books— which were often written by Borgia enemies. "Those who vilified her, without exception, were all men," says Zoltan Rihmer, Papal consultant. "That speaks for itself." In another interesting twist taken from the history books, known as in loco parentis ("in place of a parent"), Pope Alexander places Lucrezia on the throne while he leaves Rome on business, a very taboo act during those times. But it wasn't just the Papal stint that emboldens Lucrezia this season. When Juan crosses her, we learn that she too is capable of dark deeds, a Borgia trait she shares with Cesare.

Amidst the dramas of torture, warfare, and turbulent times surrounding the Borgia Papacy, at the central core is the family. "What I love about The Borgias is that it's a huge, epic tale of wars, and power, and God, and faith, and poverty, and riches," says Joanne Whalley. "But at the center of that, it's a family. It humanizes everything." Says Irons, "An audience will always be engaged by the human condition. Battles are great, political movements are great— they give tension, and they're interesting to watch... But certainly what I care about, as an audience, are people. How they interact. And I think what we're seeing is how this pretty wild family is dealing with one other. How each character is developing, getting stronger or weaker. And it's them we watch, and them, hopefully, we love, in a strange way."