Looking for Halloween 2014 film recommendations? Well, keep an eye out for Horns, a film adaptation of the book by Joe Hill, the son of horror master Stephen King. Daniel Radcliffe of Harry Potter fame will be appearing as Ig Perrish, the protagonist in this tense horror and mystery tale. The most recent full-length trailer was posted by Lionsgate Films online on August 28th, highlighting a romance gone horribly wrong. You’ll also get to hear Daniel Radcliffe’s American accent, since the film is presumably set in New Hampshire – the location used in Hill’s novel.
Demonic Symbolism
The new trailer is chock full of spooky imagery. Radcliffe’s character sprouts devil horns overnight, which are shown bursting out of his skin and growing into pointed curves. Snakes seem to be attracted to the newly-horned Ig Parrish. Just like Harry Potter and Parseltongue, is it possible that Radcliffe’s new character will also be able to communicate with snakes?
When a slaying rocks Ig’s hometown, citizens point their fingers at him during the aftermath, since he was extremely close to the murdered woman. “I should ask the devil to punish whoever killed her!” Parrish tells his accusers during the trailer. As Parrish searches for the true murder, he comes across scenes of violence, fire, and loads of snakes. There’s no doubt that Horns will be a popular thriller once it’s released on October 31st.
Joe Hill’s Novel
Horns was the second novel by Joe Hill, released in 2010 to critical acclaim. The next year, it received a Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel. It’s no surprise that this grim tale picked up the attention of director Alexandre Aja, who is known by horror film fans for movies like “The Hills Have Eyes,” and Piranha 3D.” According to his press statement shortly after signing onto the Horns project, Aja explained, ” After reading Joe Hill’s cult book, I couldn’t resist temptation to dive into the devilish underworld and reinvent a universal myth.”
A New Type of Role for Radcliffe
If Daniel Radcliffe is trying to distance himself from being typecast as his Harry Potter persona, then he is doing a great job at mixing up his filmography. After leaving the magical world of Hogwarts, this English actor has moved on to tackle some extremely impressive and challenging roles. In 2007-2009, Radcliffe took to the stage as Alan Strang in Equus, playing a troubled youth with an attraction to horses. Radcliffe has also appeared in the 2013 film “Kill Your Darlings,” starring as the college-aged 1960’s Beat Generation poet, Allan Ginsberg. His performance in “Horns” demonstrates that Radcliffe isn’t afraid to experiment with an enormously diverse range of acting roles.
“Horns” is sure to thrill audiences this Halloween, if the footage shown in the most recent Lionsgate trailer is any indication. Watch as Ig Parrish, played by Daniel Radcliffe, attempts to solve a horrific murder mystery as horns grow out of his forehead. If you prefer to check out books before seeing their film adaptations, then now is the perfect time to look into Joe Hill’s literature.