Solomon Kane-----Hunting Hell's Mad Fetid Curs with Blade and Shot

Before "The Dark Knight",....was Solomon Kane;
F-ing Satan in the A "OLD SCHOOL" !
Description-
Spend your life cutting men down with your blade and robbing them of their wealth, and word of your exploits is sure to reach the devil, who is always on the lookout for new souls. Meet Solomon Kane, the invention of Robert E. Howard, the legendary creator of Conan the Barbarian. Howard published his sword-and-sorcery stories in the Depression-era pulp magazine Weird Tales, and his influence on the fantasy genre is rivalled only by J. R. R. Tolkien.
Armed with a rapier and flintlock pistols, Solomon Kane dresses in black, his pale face and cold eyes shadowed by a hat. He is a true rogue, blasting and slashing forward on a mission of pillage and plunder in war-torn North Africa in the late 1500s. When the devil lays claim to his hopelessly corrupt soul, Kane escapes only to face the sobering truth: in order to seek redemption, he must renounce his wicked ways and devote himself wholly to a pious life. His new-found piety is put to the test when he is forced to return to his murderous ways to save England from the grasp of evil.
Under the fine direction of Michael J. Bassett, James Purefoy brings this swashbuckling hero to life on the big screen, eliciting more depth and intrigue from Kane than Arnie was able to deliver in Conan. His bare flesh scarred with spiritual symbols and a cross branded on his back, Purefoy (known for his role as Mark Antony in HBO's Rome) as Kane has looked into the fiery pits of hell and is ready to take on the demonic hordes. Purefoy is backed by the solid casting of Jason Flemyng, Max von Sydow and Pete Postlethwaite.
Shot in a gritty manner that embraces the story's mud, filth and blood, Solomon Kane evokes Michael Reeves's The Conqueror Worm, starring Vincent Price. However, our hell-bent hero never takes his valiant quest too seriously, marking a glorious return to high-spirited action and adventure.
-----------Colin Geddes
The movie tells the origins of Solomon Kane and is hoped to be the first of a trilogy of movies. When the story opens Kane is a mercenary of Queen Elizabeth I fighting in Africa, but after an encounter with a demon, The Reaper, he realizes he must seek redemption or have his soul damned to Hell. He returns to England and lives a life of peace, converting to puritanism, but soon the doings of an evil sorcerer upset his plans and he must take up arms again.[1]
“James Purefoy has been cast as puritan [sic] swordsman Solomon Kane in a movie of the same name to be made from the stories of “Conan the Barbarian” creator Robert E. Howard. Kane is a 16th century soldier who learns that his brutal and cruel actions have damned him but is determined to redeem himself by living peacefully. But he finds himself dragged out of retirement for a fight against evil.”[2]
Great Sword & Sorcery Film, 18 October 2009
--------------Author: Crossplain Pilgrim from United States
I actually saw "Solomon Kane" at the Alamo Draft House screening in Austin. Terrific film. It was a real thrill to see a high adventure film with strains of horror and fantasy. These days films like this are far and few between. I can't think of a S&S film since the first Conan film that has taken this serious, respectful approach to the genre. It's an origin story that Robert E. Howard never wrote, but in the opinion of this long time REH reader it is Howard's Solomon Kane up there on the screen. Michael J. Bassett's direction is classic in style and many of the shots are beautifully framed. James Purefoy gives a haunting, powerful perfromance as Kane and the supporting cast, which includes Max Von Sydow, is excellent.
The film boasts surprisingly high production values with great sets, costumes, special effects, and many well-staged sword fights. If you consider the Rings films heroic fantasy rather than the more down and dirty Sword and Sorcery genre, this dark and gritty "Solomon Kane" may be the be he best S&S film ever made.
I wouldn't put too much stock in that "Bloody Disgusting" review. It is so wildly out of sinc with even the other negative reviews as to lack credibility. The positive reviews greatly outnumber the bad ones, by the way. Reading that review, I was thinking to myself, what film did this guy see?
If you like great rousing adventure mixed with some horror and fantasy, do yourself a favor and be your own judge. Go see "Solomon Kane" when it comes to a theater near you.

http://tiff.net/livefromthefestival/mediagallery/2306/default.aspx
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/films/solomonkane
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_Kane_(film)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0970452/