Chris Thompson   Chris Thompson on the internet

We went to the cinema to celebrate today, because it was my dad’s birthday. And it really was rather nice. Nice because it was a sort of throwback, wonderful time. Nice because all the family were together. And nice, too, because there has been a new cinema complex built nearby, and it meant we didn’t have to travel very far.

The film of choice was Solomon Kane, which I hadn’t even heard of before today. But apparently it’s based on some fantastic stories by Robert E. Howard. I don’t think things often work like this, but I’m certainly going to check out the fiction after having seen the movie. It was a brilliantly dark, gothic tale of retribution and love, with some really striking imagery.

Of course, I won’t spoil it for anyone who has yet to see it, but I will say that the scene with the Devils Reaper was particularly effective.

And yet, one of the best moments wasn’t even the film itself. It was before the film, while we were watching trailers. For the most part the adverts were dull, or gruesome. The films weren’t particularly appealing. But then came an advert for Clash of the Titans, and, instantly, I was hooked.

The music pounded out of the speakers, a booming, rock soundtrack that somehow seemed fitting.

A bearded Liam Neeson portrayed Zeus, and the actor who plays Lord Voldemort was Hades. That alone had me interested. The monsters, the action, the mythical tale and setting solidified it in my mind as something to watch out for.

It’s the sort of film that’s right up my street. I loved the original, and that only really got by on its special effects – in its time, probably revolutionary, and now almost a source of comedy. So I’m not overly concerned that this remake will be ruined by any lack of story that seems a common theme among modern cinema.