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Actor Joseph Sikora Takes iHorror Behind the Scenes of ‘The Intruder’

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Joseph Sikora

Most people nowadays might recognize Joseph Sikora from his work on the Starz series Power, but the actor will tell you he’s been in the business of acting for over 30 years, now, and there are few things he loves more than disappearing into a character.

His most recent film, The Intruder, is out on DVD and Blu Ray today and Sikora took a few minutes to chat with iHorror about his experiences making the film, and what it was like to work with a screen legend like Dennis Quaid.

**This interview contains spoilers toward the end.**

In the film, Scott (Michael Ealy) and Annie (Meagan Good) decide to move from the city into Napa Valley and end up purchasing a home from an older man named Charlie (Dennis Quaid). Charlie is being forced to sell, and he’s really not keen to give up the home which has been in his family for multiple generations and we soon find out just how far he’ll go to have it once again.

Sikora plays Scott’s best friend, Mike, and he says it was a twist of luck and fate that led him to the role.

“The second unit director, Omar Joseph, knew they were looking for someone who could bring both gravity and levity to the role of Mike,” he explained. “He’s a fan of Power and he brought me to the table with the idea that because I often bring levity to the character of Tommy, even in those really strained situations I find myself in on the show, that I could do it.”

It didn’t take long for producer Mark Burg and director Deon Taylor to sign off on the actor’s involvement in the film and he soon found himself with an offer. It was an unusual situation for the actor who says he’s accustomed to going through the audition process rather than receiving such an offer.

He soon found himself on set in Vancouver with his co-star Michael Ealy, with whom he’d already worked with on the highly-anticipated remake of Jacob’s Ladder due out later this year. The rapport that they had already established was a boon on shoot that Sikora admits was very fast-paced.

“I think it was 28 days, maybe even less,” he said. “We had to really trust each other, and Michael had a certain amount of trust in me. That kind of permeated through the rest of the cast and crew, and we were able to get a lot of quality work done in a short amount of time.”

Part of that filming involved squaring off with the Quaid’s character, Charlie, and Sikora says it was an honor to work with a screen legend, especially one who was so ready and willing to work with his fellow actors.

“Dennis Quaid doesn’t know who I am from a hole in the wall,” he said laughing. “And yet, if you show up and you’re ready to play ball, and the other actor shows up and isn’t just trying to be “the star,” you can have a great scene together. Dennis is that actor, and it’s great that we were able to have that connection. He allowed me to challenge him as a character and I think that’s one of the reasons why it worked.”

One of those showdowns, in particular, sticks out when Mike and Charlie have a very tense conversation in which, to drive his point home, Mike stubs his cigarette out on one of the rather gorgeous estate’s statues. The actor said the moment wasn’t in the script, but was instead, a last minute decision by the director.

The estate, itself was a character, and in Sikora’s mind, it was a central symbol of the entire film.

“It was a perfect find. At first you’re like, oh it’s just an old estate,” the actor explained, “but actually that works so well as a symbol of this old establishment. It’s a representation of the old guard and the changing of the guard.”

Since the film’s release, Sikora has had a chance to see the film a couple of times in theaters, once for a screening in New York and a second time in Atlanta.

Watching people yell at the screen and talk to the characters reminded the actor of his time growing up as a teenager in Chicago.

“I’d forgotten how fun that was,” he said. “When Dennis Quaid is about to lead me to my ultimate demise someone yelled, ‘Hey Tommy, you’re better than that!'”

As the interview came to a close, Sikora, again, expressed how lucky he was to have landed this role and he also thinks the success of the film paved the way for Jacob’s Ladder to find a release date and he gave us a taste of what to expect in the upcoming film.

“I think it’s going to surprise people,” he said. “I play one of Michael’s best friends again but I’m totally unrecognizable, I think, and I love that. I’ve been doing it my whole career. It’s the best way to explore the human condition.”

You can see Joseph Sikora in The Intruder now. It’s out on Blu Ray and DVD today and it’s a hell of a twisting, turning thriller. Check out the trailer below!

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The Original ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel Had an Interesting Location

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beetlejuice in Hawaii Movie

Back in the late ’80s and early ’90s sequels to hit movies weren’t as linear as they are today. It was more like “let’s re-do the situation but in a different location.” Remember Speed 2, or National Lampoon’s European Vacation? Even Aliens, as good as it is, follows a lot of the plot points of the original; people stuck on a ship, an android, a little girl in peril instead of a cat. So it makes sense that one of the most popular supernatural comedies of all time, Beetlejuice would follow the same pattern.

In 1991 Tim Burton was interested in doing a sequel to his 1988 original, it was called Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian:

“The Deetz family moves to Hawaii to develop a resort. Construction begins, and it’s quickly discovered that the hotel will be sitting on top of an ancient burial ground. Beetlejuice comes in to save the day.”

Burton liked the script but wanted some re-writes so he asked then-hot screenwriter Daniel Waters who had just got done contributing to Heathers. He passed on the opportunity so producer David Geffen offered it to Troop Beverly Hills scribe Pamela Norris to no avail.

Eventually, Warner Bros. asked Kevin Smith to punch up Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, he scoffed at the idea, saying, “Didn’t we say all we needed to say in the first Beetlejuice? Must we go tropical?”

Nine years later the sequel was killed. The studio said Winona Ryder was now too old for the part and an entire re-cast needed to happen. But Burton never gave up, there were a lot of directions he wanted to take his characters, including a Disney crossover.

“We talked about lots of different things,” the director said in Entertainment Weekly. “That was early on when we were going, Beetlejuice and the Haunted MansionBeetlejuice Goes West, whatever. Lots of things came up.”

Fast-forward to 2011 when another script was pitched for a sequel. This time the writer of Burton’s Dark Shadows,  Seth Grahame-Smith was hired and he wanted to make sure the story wasn’t a cash-grabbing remake or reboot. Four years later, in 2015, a script was approved with both Ryder and Keaton saying they would return to their respective roles. In 2017 that script was revamped and then eventually shelved in 2019.

During the time the sequel script was being tossed around in Hollywood, in 2016 an artist named Alex Murillo posted what looked like one-sheets for a Beetlejuice sequel. Although they were fabricated and had no affiliation with Warner Bros. people thought they were real.

Perhaps the virality of the artwork sparked interest in a Beetlejuice sequel once again, and finally, it was confirmed in 2022 Beetlejuice 2 had a green light from a script written by Wednesday writers  Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The star of that series Jenna Ortega signed on to the new movie with filming starting in 2023. It was also confirmed that Danny Elfman would return to do the score.

Burton and Keaton agreed that the new film titled Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice wouldn’t rely on CGI or other other forms of technology. They wanted the film to feel “handmade.” The film wrapped in November 2023.

It’s been over three decades to come up with a sequel to Beetlejuice. Hopefully, since they said aloha to Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian there has been enough time and creativity to ensure Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will not only honor the characters, but fans of the original.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will open theatrically on September 6.

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Russell Crowe To Star in Another Exorcism Movie & It’s Not a Sequel

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Maybe it’s because The Exorcist just celebrated its 50th-anniversary last year, or maybe it’s because aging Academy Award-winning actors aren’t too proud to take on obscure roles, but Russell Crowe is visiting the Devil once again in yet another possession film. And it’s not related to his last one, The Pope’s Exorcist.

According to Collider, the film titled The Exorcism was originally going to be released under the name The Georgetown Project. Rights for its North American release were once in the hands of Miramax but then went to Vertical Entertainment. It will release on June 7 in theaters then head over to Shudder for subscribers.

Crowe will also star in this year’s upcoming Kraven the Hunter which is set to drop in theaters on August 30.

As for The Exorcism, Collider provides us with what it’s about:

“The film centers around actor Anthony Miller (Crowe), whose troubles come to the forefront as he shoots a supernatural horror movie. His estranged daughter (Ryan Simpkins) has to figure out whether he’s lapsing into his past addictions, or if something even more horrific is occurring. “

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New F-Bomb Laden ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Trailer: Bloody Buddy Movie

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Deadpool & Wolverine might be the buddy movie of the decade. The two heterodox superheroes are back in the latest trailer for the summer blockbuster, this time with more f-bombs than a gangster film.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Movie Trailer

This time the focus is on Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman. The adamantium-infused X-Man is having a bit of a pity party when Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) arrives on the scene who then tries to convince him to team up for selfish reasons. The result is a profanity-filled trailer with a Strange surprise at the end.

Deadpool & Wolverine is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It comes out on July 26. Here is the latest trailer, and we suggest if you are at work and your space isn’t private, you might want to put in headphones.

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