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Nelsan Ellis, “True Blood”‘s Lafayette, Dies at 39

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7 years ago

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It is truly a sad day for fans of “True Blood”.  Nelsan Ellis, who played the sassy, out and proud Lafayette Reynolds, has died from complications due to heart failure.  The actor was 39 years old.

Ellis grew up between Illinois and Alabama due to his parents’ divorce when he was a child.  The actor ultimately settled in Dolton, Illinois, however, to finish out the remainder of his high school education.  He graduated in 1997 and was accepted into the prestigious Julliard school where he studied acting.  During his time at the school, Ellis wrote a play called “Ugly”.  The subject was domestic abuse, and Ellis wrote it in response to the death of his own sister, who was shot to death by her husband.  Not only was the play performed, but it also won the Lincoln Center for the Arts’ Martin A. Segal Award.

From Julliard, he began developing his career with smaller roles on film and guest appearances on television before taking on the role that would cement his name in the horror history books.

Lafayette Reynolds burst onto the screen in the series premiere of the hit HBO series “True Blood”, based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris.  What had been a barely mentioned character in the source material became fully alive in Ellis’s hands.

Lafayette was bold and unapologetic for his sexual orientation despite the constant opposition he faced in the small town Louisiana setting of the series. Fans would be hard pressed to forget this scene in which he confronts the homophobic comments made by some of Sam’s bar patrons.  They men implied that they didn’t want to get AIDS from Lafayette’s cooking, and well, you can see how he handled it.

By the end of season one, it was clear that Lafayette was a character the fans were passionate about and so the writers decided to stray from the book, one of many times they did so, and kept Lafayette alive even though he’d been scheduled to die in the series finale.

Though many things wavered in the seven seasons of the series, Lafayette remained a driving force, and Ellis infused each moment with sensitivity, charm, humor, and honesty.

Due to the character, Ellis was often asked about how he felt about issues the LGBTQ community faced.  In an interview with “Vibe” magazine, when asked what he thought on the subject of gay marriage, he was quoted as saying:

“I support it. I think anybody should – I mean – I have my religious views, but I don’t choose to oppress them on anybody. I think in this country, anybody can do whatever they want to do as long as it’s not hurting anybody else or violating the laws of society. If you want to get married to a man then get married to a man. If two women want to get married they should get married. It’s not hurting me. The beautiful thing about this country is that I can be a Christian and feel free to do so. Or somebody cannot be a Christian and do whatever that entails. Or somebody can be a Christian and still be gay and I support it. Let gay people get married.”

Ellis’s “True Blood” co-stars took to Twitter to remember their fallen comrade.

We here at iHorror send our thoughts and condolences to Ellis’s family and friends during this time of tragedy.  Rest well in the light, and thanks for Lafayette.

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Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

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5 hours ago

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April 25, 2024

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The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.

Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.

The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.

Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”

Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.

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Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

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6 hours ago

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April 25, 2024

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lizzie borden house

Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.

The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.

“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.

Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.

Inside the Lizzie Borden House

The prize also includes:

An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings

A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear

A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room

A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course

The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II

Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two

“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”

Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.

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’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power

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8 hours ago

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April 25, 2024

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28 years later

Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.

Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes

Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.

Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.

There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.

28 Days Later

The original film followed Jim (Cillian Murphy) who wakes from a coma to find that London is currently dealing with a zombie outbreak.

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