Since premiering at London’s FrightFest earlier this year, Douglas Schulze’s Thorns has been causing quite the stir on the festival scene with its gloopy gore and cosmic horror themes – and we’ve got an exclusive clip for you today to get you in the mood for some truly eye-watering practical effects.
Starring Hellraiser‘s Hell Priest himself Doug Bradley, Thorns is Schulze’s tribute to some of the most beloved horror classics, including The Thing, The Exorcist and of course, Clive Barker’s aforementioned classic Hellraiser. The “retro-vibed monster movie” follows:
[…] an ex-priest working for NASA who is sent to investigate a remote observatory that went silent after receiving a radio signal from deep space. Upon arrival, he discovers the signal has set in motion the biblical end of times. The former priest must now summon his lost faith to stop the signal from spreading hell on Earth.
In our exclusive interview with director and star, the always-eloquent Bradley spoke more of what drew him to Thorns and its themes of religious horror:
[…] mythological ideas, especially as they are contained within Thorns, interest me. The Book of Revelations, for example, is an extraordinary, poetic vision. It’s a fertile, imaginative sandpit to play in. I felt that Douglas was playing in it with happy abandon, and was happy to get in and join him!
The iconic Mr Bradley is also set to be presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the NYC Horror Film Festival next month (December 7 – 10), which will also be holding the North American Premiere of the film. Thorns makes its North America wide theatrical premiere in early 2024, so make sure you catch it when it’s playing near you! Now, onto that exclusive clip – might wanna keep some eye drops handy…
