Welcome to the ongoing meme, Let's Talk Book to Movie! Books have always been inspirations for film. And it’s no wonder, since novels have lots of plot and character depth, which means scriptwriters and filmmakers have plenty to work with when creating a movie. Below, you’ll find a recent movie adaptation, and the news surrounding it! (Hosted by Little Hyuts)
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| From left: Joe Hill (author,) Daniel Radcliffe, Juno Temple |
Today's talk is all about Horns! Originally a novel written by Joe Hill (Stephen King's son,) Horns is now a motion picture starring Daniel Radcliffe. I have read the book and watched the movie and really enjoyed both of them. Seeing Ig come to life on the big screen was awesome, although I have mixed feelings about Radcliffe filling the role. As far as which to do first, I recommend watching the movie! It has a bit of a lighter feel than the book, plus there is something about the horns that you just need to see with your eyes. So, please welcome back Media Blogger Spencer Blohm, who has a special article for us, all about this recent book to movie adaptation.
Ignatius Perrish spent the night drunk and doing terrible things. He woke up the next morning with a thunderous hangover, a raging headache . . . and a pair of horns growing from his temples.At first Ig thought the horns were a hallucination, the product of a mind damaged by rage and grief. He had spent the last year in a lonely, private purgatory, following the death of his beloved, Merrin Williams, who was raped and murdered under inexplicable circumstances. A mental breakdown would have been the most natural thing in the world. But there was nothing natural about the horns, which were all too real.
Once the righteous Ig had enjoyed the life of the blessed: born into privilege, the second son of a renowned musician and younger brother of a rising late-night TV star, he had security, wealth, and a place in his community. Ig had it all, and more—he had Merrin and a love founded on shared daydreams, mutual daring, and unlikely midsummer magic.
But Merrin's death damned all that. The only suspect in the crime, Ig was never charged or tried. And he was never cleared. In the court of public opinion in Gideon, New Hampshire, Ig is and always will be guilty because his rich and connected parents pulled strings to make the investigation go away. Nothing Ig can do, nothing he can say, matters. Everyone, it seems, including God, has abandoned him. Everyone, that is, but the devil inside. . . .
Now Ig is possessed of a terrible new power to go with his terrible new look—a macabre talent he intends to use to find the monster who killed Merrin and destroyed his life. Being good and praying for the best got him nowhere. It's time for a little revenge. . . . It's time the devil had his due. . .
Media Blogger Spencer Blohm Talks About Horns
Imagine waking up in the dark, damp woods one night to find yourself with horns sprouting from your temples. After the murder and rape of his girlfriend by an unknown killer and a long, drunken night that's exactly what happens to 26-year-old Ignatius "Ig" Perrish in Joe Hill's 2010 dark supernatural novel Horns, which is now being released in U.S. theaters starring Daniel Radcliffe in the lead role.
The plot revolves around 26-year-old Ignatius who is the number one suspect in the rape and murder of his girlfriend since childhood, Merrin (played by Juno Temple). When he awakes to discover the horns protruding from his temples, he believes them to be some sort of curse, but soon realizes that they are accompanied by a strange power: they cause everyone around him to confess their darkest secrets. He soon realizes that no one is who he believes - not his parents, musician and substance abuser brother Terry (played by Joe Anderson) and even best friend and now lawyer, Lee (Max Minghella). Equipped with this new ability, Ig sets out to unearth the truth behind Merrin's murder and bring the killer to justice.
Film production began in British Columbia in late September of 2012, and wrapped three months later in December after being shot in Vancouver, Mission, and Squamish. The lead role was originally meant to be played by Shia LaBeouf, but was later passed over to Daniel Radcliffe. The British actor, 25, has shown a love for darker movies after starring in the 2012 film The Woman in Black. He'll also be starring in the 2015 movie, Viktor Frankenstein. During an interview at the 2014 Comic-Con Convention in San Diego, California, Radcliffe said that he didn't have any reservations in tackling such dark material. According to Radcliffe, he's used to exploring dark themes as they were even present in the Harry Potter franchise. He says that he found the film to be an interesting take on the supernatural, and while others tend to refer to Horns as fantasy or horror, he views it more as "magical realism."
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| L-R Alexandre Aja (Director,) Daniel Radcliffe, Joe Hill |
It's no wonder that author Joe Hill managed to balance the darkness and suspense that makes for a classic thriller and ground it so well in reality. He is, after all, the son of one of the world's most famous authors and king of horror, Stephen King. Also interviewed at Comic-Con, Hill said that he never expected the novel to be adapted into a film, but that he did have an opportunity to review the rough and first cuts and comment on them to director Alexandre Aja. He mentions that in a lot of ways "the film is more fun than the book," and this could in part be accredited to the fact that the film feels slightly more mainstream, as it was tweaked to have that edgy, enigmatic vibe of 21st-century supernatural films. The general premise remains, but I found the heavy sarcasm and ironic humor of the script make the film overall much lighter than the novel, which of course tends to happen when adapting a work of literature that deals with such heavy material for the screen. Despite any small changes made to the setting or order of events for the sake of the movie's flow, the central theme of Horns remains the same: confession, and it's consequences on us and those around us.
The film was released on Halloween in the United States, and so far has been met by mixed reviews by critics. Many have praised Radcliffe for his portrayal of the conflicted Ig, but criticized the originality of the plot itself. Others commented on the aforementioned tone, with one reviewer stating that the film felt indecisive about what it was and wanted to be, and another stating that it held intrigue and mystery for longer than you may expect, but that the climax felt rushed. Viewers will have to judge for themselves. It's true that Horns isn't a movie for everyone, but it does have relatable themes and good acting that make it a decent watch, even if demons or the supernatural aren't usually your thing.
Horns is now in theaters countrywide and available on demand from streaming websites. Thanks so much to Spencer for his superb guest post! I hope you all enjoyed this latest Book to Movie talk.
