Editorials
‘Solomon Kane’ – Appreciating the Pulp Horrors of an Underrated Dark Fantasy Film
With the exception of J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert E. Howard is likely the most influential author in all of fantasy fiction, with his beloved Conan the Barbarian stories transporting avid readers to the thrilling days of high adventure. However, the character also has a surprising link to the horror genre due to Howard’s occasional use of Cosmic Horror elements, something that was at least partially influenced by his long-time friendship with H.P. Lovecraft. Luckily for horror fans, the man-eating beasts and indescribable Elder Gods of Conan weren’t the author’s only foray into spooky tales about steadfast heroes encountering supernatural terror.
Years before Conan first rode out of Cimmeria, Howard was already a well-known figure in the world of weird fiction because of his other popular creation, the demon-hunting puritan known as Solomon Kane. First published in 1928, the swashbuckling hero became incredibly popular with fans of horror and pulp adventures alike, eventually making the leap to comic-books and audio-dramas as his legend grew.
But despite the massive success of John Millius’ Conan the Barbarian adaptation, it would be decades before a studio would succeed in bringing Solomon Kane to the big screen, with the character’s darker brand of horror-fantasy making him slightly less appealing to general audiences. In fact, even though Wandering Star acquired the rights to the character back in 1997 with the intent of producing a LOTR-style trilogy, a finished film would only be half-heartedly released in North America in September of 2012 after a series of complicated legal hurdles and a botched marketing campaign.
This is incredibly unfortunate, as MJ Bassett’s grim-dark take on Kane remains one of the most fun and faithful adaptations of 1920s pulp fiction, with the film’s gloomy atmosphere and compelling main character making it a must watch for fans of medieval horror. The movie was actually positively received by most critics (many of whom viewed the film as far back as 2009), but limited screenings and little-to-no marketing meant that the flick never found the audience it rightfully deserved.
That’s why I think it’s high time that we look back on one of the most underrated dark fantasy films ever made.
“You can tell your master that I am not yet ready for hell!”
A French, Czech and British co-production, Solomon Kane stars James Purefoy as our troubled lead character, with the story serving as a somber origin story and describing Solomon’s quest for redemption after leading a life of sin. When a Puritan’s daughter is sequestered by possessed fiends, Solomon embarks on a rescue mission that leads him back to his noble roots in a classic combination of swords, sorcery and undead shenanigans amid a plague-ridden 1600s England.
Naturally, Purefoy gives his all in what should have been a career-defining performance, allowing the gruff adventurer just enough edge to keep him likable while maintaining the character’s ruthless demeanor and excelling in the film’s vicious fight sequences. While some of Solomon’s lines may come off as trite after decades of similar fantasy films – many of which were influenced by the same source material – Purefoy’s intensity more than makes up for the script’s bluntness.
The actor is also backed by more than a few genre veterans, such as horror royalty Alice Krige in a surprisingly non-villainous role, as well as The Exorcist alumni Max Von Sydow in his second appearance in a Robert E. Howard adaptation (having previously portrayed King Osric in 1982’s Conan). We also get some creative monster designs by Underworld’s Patrick Tatopoulos, with the artist coming up with nightmarish demons as well as a slasher-inspired main villain that adds even more genre flair to an already stylish flick.
And on the subject of monsters, MJ clearly draws from her previous genre experience (specifically on the equally underrated Deathwatch) when crafting moments of increasing dread. From an insane preacher that feeds his ghoulish flock with human flesh to Solomon’s cringe-inducing crucifixion, the film is peppered with genuinely scary sequences that you just don’t see in typical fantasy movies.
There’s also plenty of good old-fashioned gore, with neither Purefoy or the effects artists holding back when Solomon slices through throats and impales villains on his deadly rapier. And the best part is that most of the blood sprays are practical, with CGI fluids reserved only for spicing up some of the larger battle scenes. The movie also has a near-post-apocalyptic vibe going on due to its bleak and diseased depiction of England, making everything even creepier.
“There was a time when the world was plunging into darkness. A time of witchcraft and sorcery, when no one stood against evil.”
Despite inventing much of this tragic backstory, I really appreciate how the movie commits to its dark atmosphere while staying true to Howard’s vision of Kane, as it’s not every day that we see a hard-R fantasy flick with this much love for its source material. I mean, can you imagine what Netflix’s The Witcher would have been like if they had taken the books this seriously?
Admittedly, the experience isn’t perfect, with the film suffering from a mostly predictable script and some budgetary issues (most of them related to hastily rendered CGI creatures), but you’ve got to admit that the filmmakers are getting a lot of mileage of their $40 million budget. Solomon Kane may not have the epic scale of Conan, but it’s only a couple of million dollars away from feeling like a blockbuster experience.
Hell, I’d even argue that the story’s reduced scale sometimes works in the film’s favor, forcing the narrative to take a more introspective approach as we focus on Solomon’s internal demons instead of constant battles and overused fantasy tropes.
The film’s dark subject matter and high levels of violence mean that it likely wouldn’t have connected with audiences even if it had benefited from a wide release, but I believe that Solomon Kane would eventually have been saved by online word-of-mouth had it come out during the age of streaming. However, while this woefully underseen movie was once cursed to inhabit bargain bins and decrepit rental stores, it has recently developed a sizable cult following as Robert E. Howard fans search for other adaptations of the author’s work and stumble upon this labor of love.
While we can only imagine what the proposed follow-ups would have been like (I personally believe that they would have been even better than the first film, benefitting from more varied mythologies and settings), the mere fact that this loving tribute to dark fantasy even exists is already a small miracle in and of itself.
That being said, it’s never too late for a streaming giant to pick up the rights for a long-awaited sequel so that Purefoy’s Kane might ride again…
Editorials
Before ‘The Blair Witch Project’, ‘Alien Autopsy’ Showed How Real Found Footage Could Feel
The line separating artist from con man is a lot thinner than you might initially believe. While I think we can all agree that lying for the sake of profit is actively malicious behavior, isn’t it also true that the faux documentary aspect of The Blair Witch Project is half the reason why that film became such a cultural phenomenon? After all, if there’s one thing filmmakers have in common with stage magicians, it’s that misleading and misdirecting audiences is simply part of the job.
That’s why I’ve developed a habit of mostly ignoring the moral quandaries behind many of film and television’s biggest “hoaxes” in favor of appreciating the narrative elements that drive productions like Mermaids: The Body Found and even Animal Planet’s highly underrated The Cannibal in the Jungle. However, if there’s a definitive case of a highly publicized broadcast fooling the world into taking it seriously, it has to be Fox’s infamous 1995 TV special Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction.
It’s been over three decades since that eerie footage first haunted television screens right at the peak of the ’90s ufology craze, and in that time, the video has taken on a life of its own. From countless parodies and references in everything from The X-Files to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater (as well as John Dower’s recently released tell-all documentary The Alien Autopsy Scandal, which I’d highly recommend to genre fans everywhere), there’s no denying the legacy of the Alien Autopsy video. However, I rarely see the tape discussed as what it truly is: a highly convincing found footage film directed by a passionate stage magician and brought to life by masterful practical effects work.
That’s why I’d like to invite readers to join me on a deep dive into one of the most infamous broadcasts of all time in an attempt to reevaluate the footage as a fascinating narrative experience rather than a complete hoax.
The TV Special That Convinced Millions It Was Real
Ray Santilli next to Extraterrestrial replica in ‘The Alien Autopsy Scandal’
For starters, regardless of whether or not you believe that there was in fact an extraterrestrial crash in Roswell during the summer of 1947 and that some form of autopsy was performed on the victims, the producers behind the black & white recordings, Ray Santilli and Gary Shoefield, insist that their video was a “restoration.” Though I’d argue that the proper word is “remake”of genuine footage that was too damaged to air on television. That’s why the duo went on to recruit filmmaker and eccentric magician Spyros Melaris and sculptor/monster designer John Humphreys to bring their version of the autopsy to life and sell it to the highest bidder.
This is where the story of the Alien Autopsy as a narrative experience really begins. Melaris claims that his approach to the faux recording consisted of striving for extreme period accuracy in both shooting equipment and setting while also planting subtle details that would initially seem like mistakes but could later be revealed to actually fit the time period. That being said, the filmmaker was under the impression that the short would be released for free as a PR stunt, with the team later producing and selling an informative documentary chronicling exactly how the footage was faked and commenting on how easy it is to manipulate public perception with a good old-fashioned magic trick.
This obviously isn’t how things went down, and that’s likely the reason why Melaris has since distanced himself from everyone else involved with the project. Yet, no amount of behind-the-scenes drama can undermine the genuine effort that went into making the short as impressive as it is. From the sourcing of real animal organs from a local butcher to make the organic part of the creature more lifelike to the highly detailed sculpt that made use of a hollowed-out underlayer that could be filled with fake blood and assorted viscera, there’s a reason why so many Hollywood specialists are still impressed with the artistry on display here.
Of course, the believability is only half the story, as I think that the best part of the autopsy is how Melaris builds on the existing tension by obscuring certain details and often embracing the chaos of what a real examination of extraterrestrial life could feel like. The camera often goes out of focus at just the right time to make certain effects hit even harder, and we can only speculate as to what the hazmat-suited doctors are gesticulating about during the operation. There’s a real air of mystery to the whole thing that almost makes it feel like a cosmically terrifying, cursed film containing forbidden knowledge that civilians were never meant to see.
So when Fox’s Fact or Fiction brings in the specialists to comment on the film and its otherworldly subject, it’s no surprise that we end up with one of the most memorable mockumentaries of all time – albeit one where the participants are unaware that the footage they’re commenting on is basically a large-scale practical joke. A joke that the network was obviously in on, as many participants claim that the TV special cut out significant portions where guests point out that they believe the footage to be an elaborate hoax.
The Lasting Impact of the Hoax Turned Cultural Event
Regardless, I remember going to bed terrified after watching reruns of the special and thinking about the respected pathologist who claimed that the body was almost certainly inhuman, with even effects maestro Stan Winston commenting on how difficult it would be to recreate some of these visuals through practical puppetry. That’s not even mentioning Jonathan Frakes’ dramatic hyping up of the disturbing imagery as if he was talking about the tape from The Ring, with his spooky demeanor here likely being responsible for his later role as the host of Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction a few years later.
Personally, I’d argue that the Alien Autopsy phenomenon had just as much of an impact on me as a horror fan as The Blair Witch Project, a film that was almost certainly influenced by the success of this immensely popular hoax (to the point where they even produced their own TV special commenting on Heather’s found footage). Even if Fox didn’t intend to produce a narrative feature about the aftermath of the Roswell crash, the end product still holds up remarkably well as a highly entertaining mockumentary exploring the idea that we may not be alone in the universe.
While neither Santilli nor the rest of the production team has ever commented on this, I also think it’s very likely that the idea of a faux Alien Autopsy could have been influenced by Dean Alioto’s The McPherson Tape/UFO Abduction. I’ve already written about how this granddaddy of found footage was co-opted by rogue ufologists who began selling bootlegs of the tape at conventions as if it were real evidence of a close encounter, so it’s not that much of a stretch to imagine that Santilli and company could have heard about this phenomenon and been inspired to come up with their own highly profitable hoax.
At the end of the day, it’s unlikely that the Alien Autopsy film is recreating any real footage from Roswell, but I can still appreciate the short and the accompanying television event as a standalone horror story that still influences the way we see found footage to this very day.
After all, the possibility that something could be real is often much scarier than finding out for sure – and that’s why I think Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction is still worth revisiting three decades down the line.
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