James Purefoy in Solomon Kane trailer

If it’s R.E. Howard, we have to talk about it at BSC because we are talking about the roots of American speculative fiction, especially of the asskicking variety. I’m an avid Weird Tales (though that’s more for Conan) collector, but I dig most of Howard’s characters on some level. We’ve noted the film before when we put up some images and its poster, most of which features the titular character being played by James Purefoy (HBO’s Rome–and let’s not forget A Knight’s Tale!)

     
Synopsis:

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.

Directed by Michael J. Bassett (Deathwatch, Wilderness), Solomon Kane (along with Purefoy) stars Max von Sydow, Rachel Hurd-Wood and Pete Postlethwaite.