[spoiler]I would agree with that, but the part where he is turned to a believer is due to what he witnessed, not who he did/did not talk to. In fact, had he met Abe at that point, I think the preface would have worded it differently. this is in part 3 of the preface -
[/spoiler]
No, I think part of what he witnessed was Abe himself. It was worded cagily so as not to give the game away.
I haven’t read the book, so I’m wondering if it explains something from the movie. There are several characters who get bit by a vampire, and endure a short period of illness and then die, but do not become vampires. I realize that this is an excuse to explain some real life historical deaths by illness as being vampire related, but I don’t think I’ve seen other vampire stories use the trope of “poisonous bite that makes you sick but doesn’t turn you into a vampire” before. Was there any more information on this?
I did love the movie - it was cracktastic and pretty much exactly what you would expect from the trailer. I was hoping for more bromance with Joshua considering the real life rumors, but Joshua probably would have had to have been played by someone more attractive to pull that off. Henry ended up fulfilling that role a bit better.
In the book -
they called this the “milk sickness” (how it was reffered to before it is revealed what it really is) - basically, you were given just enough of the vampires blood (less than a mouthfull, described as a few drops) that you ingested - which was just enough to start the process but not enough to finish it - and the death as described was especially unpleasant.
In Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire series, didn’t the vampires have to actively try to turn you into a vampire for you to become one? Otherwise, you were just a meal.
As for the rumors with Joshua Speed, I thought those had been discounted. See Cecil’s column on the subject. Of course, he probably also wasn’t really a vampire hunter in real life, but that didn’t stop them from portraying him as one.
Yeah there are plenty of popular vampires that kill without turning you. But this was the first time I saw vampires that could make you sickly for days before you die.
Oh it’s doubtful they were actual lovers, and of course, relationships between men back then were just generally more comfortable than they are now, but certainly they at least had a fantastic bromance going.
I have a question for the book readers, especially if you’ve seen the movie.
I just saw the movie, never read the books, and I’m wondering about just HOW vampires are made. Or not made. <Movie Spoilers Inc> but feel free to answer without looking if there’s an answer within the books.
[spoiler] Specifically, in the movie, why did Henry ‘turn’ so fast, from just a bite, while others were bitten and just wasted away? There was a comment that Henry had obviously led a bad life, while his sweetheart was pure, and at first I thought maybe only ‘bad’ people turned and innocents didn’t. But I think there’d be lot more vampires around if that were true.
So how does that work in the book? The movie never explained it. [/spoiler]
In the book, Henry has no sweetheart. He and his wife were among the ill-fated Roanoke settlers, with the colony actually being wiped out by a vampire. Henry was the sole “survivor” due to the vampire deciding he would need some company. But apparently you have to intend for someone to turn into a vampire and make an effort to see that they do. (Have not seen the movie yet. It opens here soon.).
I saw it this afternoon – a fun summer president-fights-monsters movie! (not that I’ve seen too many others…:p)
I laughed when I noticed that the silver train was powered by Locomotive #1 (the precursor to Air Force One, perhaps?)
Ah, ok, thanks 
Of course not all presidents were the good guys…
I think Timur Bekmambetov should go screw up some Russian history and make a sequel called Alexander Nevsky:Vampire Hunter. I think the Teutonic Knights would make excellent vampires.
Saw the movie over the weekend. Barely recognized it as the same story. The wife has not read the book yet, and I told her she still could, because it will still be new.
The book is better by far.