Abe Lincoln vampire hunter!

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

Say what? Go ahead and laugh at the title. But then do yourself a favor and read the book. I must admit that the only reason I even decided to read this book was because I saw that it was being made into a movie.

The book was quirky enough to be incredibly interesting but serious enough (without being over the top!) to scare the crap out of you if you were reading alone at night time. One thing that surprised me about this book is that it is a serious horror/historical mash-up. It is not written in a way that is campy or silly, it is written as if Lincoln really did hunt vampires. That made the book fun to read. Anyone who loves Abe Lincoln and wants to know more about him (which should be every American, in my opinion) should read this book. It is a fun way to learn more about one of the greatest men to ever live! 

Come on, I know you want to!

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Investigative journalist Mikael (Daniel Craig) has just lost a libel case for an "unflattering" article he wrote which has put him and his publisher in financial ruin. Mikael is summoned to a meeting with Henrik(Christopher Plummer ), a wealthy businessman, who presents him with the opportunity to investigate the suspected murder of his niece Harriet almost forty years ago. It soon becomes clear that he is in over his head and needs a second pair of eyes to piece together the mystery. Cue Lisbeth(Rooney Mara), a skilled investigator with a personality as unique as her dragon tattoo.

First let me say the opening of the film was a bit unanticipated. The “Immigrant Song” cover by Trent Reznor and Karen O plays over these really fluid visuals that are difficult to describe. As my significant other and I sat down to watch The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo the opening credits baffled us so much so that we weren't really certain what, if any,did it have to do with the movie?

The further we settled into the movie the more we noticed that the movie is extremely dialogue driven. So prepare yourself for a lot of extremely long discussions. The movie does, however keep you engaged while purposefully unfolding the mysteries. To describe this film as dark is putting it mildly. There are a few disturbing scenes that will no doubt make you squirm(they did me). However the flip-side to this is that it's gripping and those scenes pay off in spades later. However director (David Fincher) never glorifies the violence, he simply allows the horror to play out naturally without editing it which in turn forces you to look away (comparable to real life)

I will say that even though the film will take you down a very dark road it is worth the trip. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo remains a rarity. I would also recommend watching the foreign movie version as well as the foreign novel by Stieg Larsson.