robert e. howard Tagged Articles at Cinematical

I have this pet theory about movies, and that is sometimes I think it's much more fun to watch everything go wrong than go right. What I mean by that is that when you get that feeling that the film had every intention of being a straightforward action, drama, whatever, and instead winds up as a comedy. Call me crazy, but it makes me like a film just a little bit more. The reason I mention this is that after watching the first English language trailer for Solomon Kane, in two minutes flat I was able to figure out that this film might look silly, but I don't mean that it looks bad. Instead, this particular flick shapes up to what I like to call a 'Cornball delight' -- and to give you an idea of what I mean, think of a movie like Reign of Fire.

Kane is based on Robert E. Howard's series, and stars James Purefoy (clad in an leather coat and hat combo that looks like a reject from the Van Helsing costume department) as a cursed swordsman tasked with defeating an evil wizard and saving a village from a demonic army.

Usually for a film to earn the 'Cornball' moniker from me, it comes down to my personal tastes. But sometimes you have to respect a movie more for being willing to take it so far over the top that you can't see the ground anymore. Then again, maybe I'm wrong, because in the midst of all the silliness, the film is chock full of respectable actors like Pete Postlethwaite (The Omen) and Max von Sydow (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly). But I'm going to go with my gut and saying that, yes, the cheese factor might be strong with this film, but I'm kind of digging it ... how about you?

After the jump: the English language trailer for Solomon Kane...

Even though we reported a few months ago that New Line Cinema had acquired the rights to Robert E. Howard's famous sword-fighting Cimmerian Conan the Barbarian, it now appears that news was a bit premature. According to Variety, production/distribution company Millennium Films has finally won the rights to the character after New Line could not close the deal -- even after getting the exclusive right to negotiate for the franchise back in June.

According to the article, rights-holder Paradox Entertainment president and chief executive officer Fredrik Malmberg finally chose Millennium Films after extricating the rights from Warner Brothers last spring -- where the franchise had languished for several years under various directors including The Wachowski Brothers and Robert Rodriguez. With New Line unable to come to final terms this week, Malmberg went with Millennium in a seven-figure deal allowing the company to produce a slate of films based on the character.

Malmberg will produce the new films along with Millennium's Avi Lerner, Boaz Davidson, Joe Gatta and George Furla. The company intends to start production on the first of the films by next spring. Reading this news I have to say I'm a bit concerned. As a huge fan of the original Robert E. Howard books and many of the subsequent print and cinematic versions of Conan -- with the notable exception of Red Sonja -- I worry that the cinematic future of this great character is now in the hands of the people responsible for films like Alien Hunter, The Shepherd and Blonde Ambition.

Although, to be fair, Millennium has also turned out some good films too, including, um, well help me out here . . At least, according to the article, they say they intend to be more faithful to the original source material than the series of films featuring His Honor the Governor of California. I hope they stick to that and the films turn out great because the character and the story deserve it. Although, I have to say I'm not particularly optimistic about the chances of that actually happening.

Despite all the rumors and confirmed reports last year that Warner Bros. was making a new Conan movie, the studio failed to get the project going by its spring 2007 deadline. So, the rights to Robert E. Howard's character were put up for auction. Fortunately for Time Warner, the parent company of Warner Bros., the goods were picked up by its other subsidiary, New Line Cinema. Now, New Line has an 18 month option and one extension, so unless it wants to throw away the money it just spent, the studio will hopefully have something to deliver to theaters in the next few years. Considering Warners couldn't get something off the ground with big-deal talent like the Wachowski Brothers, Robert Rodriguez or Conan the Barbarian director John Milius, it is hard to imagine who, if anybody, could make this happen. Of course, now, thanks to the success of 300, it may be possible that any script featuring swords and loincloths will get a greenlight. Plus, New Line only needs to put the words 'the studio that brought you Lord of the Rings' to get people in seats. The studio could hire the worst filmmakers out there and probably still do alright.

But then the fans might put up a fuss. Still, the fans will likely be disappointed enough if Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't return to the role. And since he's just begun his second term as Governor of California, I don't think he'll be available before New Line's deadline. If you grew up in the '80s, though, your first idea of Conan was probably Schwarzenegger's portrayal, and it may be difficult to imagine another actor taking on the part. Despite the fact that Conan was in novels and comics and elsewhere for decades before Milius' film, accepting a substitute in the next movie would be like accepting another actor as The Terminator, or as Danny DeVito's twin brother. Personally, I think that without Mako, who died last year, there's already no point in trying to associate the new Conan film with the old ones, so I welcome all new faces.