One of the most satisfying movies I’ve seen at Fantastic Fest so far has been Michel Bassett’s Solomon Kane. After all, it’s a pretty ballsy movie considering that Bassett has decided to take an iconic character (with a small, but dedicated fan base) and attempt to create an origin story for said character that doesn’t appear in any of the original source materials. Without pandering to fans and without alienating them completely, Bassett has managed to take a fun, dark character and introduce him to a larger audience by concentrating on making a great film while focusing on the tone of Solomon Kane – who he is and what his world look like.
And mostly that world looks like shit.
It’s been raining for years, violence is all around and the good people are hammered almost out of existence by cruelty. Out of the darkness comes a man with a buckle on his hat.
I was lucky enough to meet up with Bassett during the festival, so we took a quick walk around the Alamo Drafthouse with a quick detour into the new Alamo-owned Highball bowling alley. Even better, I’ve gotten it all on tape so you can see it. You can thank me later.
What struck me most about talking to Bassett – besides his innovative use of pig carcasses for swords and science – was how much of a movie fan he is. It’s clear that he’s a geek for film and has this intense joy to be doing what he’s doing. That passion definitely translates into his work.
Solomon Kane doesn’t have distribution in the United States all nailed down just yet, but the buzz about the movie has been building, and I’d expect the details to be worked out fairly soon. Bassett himself thought it might hit theaters as early as January 2010 in time for everyone to crouch down in the mud and fight evil with a hell-bound hero.
What do you think?
Related Topics: Alamo Drafthouse
