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Jonathan Lipnicki is All Grown Up and Kicking Ass in “Circus Kane”

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Jonathan Lipnicki wants you to put your phone down when you watch Circus Kane.

It’s an ironic request considering the film revolves around a group of social media stars invited to witness the rebirth of a horror circus made famous by a man named Balthazar Kane, but the actor thinks it’s important.

“This is a roller coaster ride of a movie,” the actor points out.  “Things happen fast, and if you’re looking down at your phone, you’re going to miss something…maybe something important.  Watch the movie; Tweet about it later.”

Circus Kane is equal parts horror and comedy with something for everyone, and Lipnicki’s character, Scott, is right in the middle of everything.  The role afforded the actor to not only explore the horror genre from the inside, but also allowed him to show off some of the martial arts skills he’s been developing for years.  And it all started with a phone call from screenwriter James Cullen Bressack.

“I’d worked with James before on another movie called Limelight,” Lipnicki related.  “So, he calls me up and said, ‘I’ve written this thing about evil clowns; and there’s a role in it that makes me think of you.’  Then I get the script and start reading and the character is a total brat! I told James that I wasn’t sure if it was an insult or a compliment, but I was ready to take the job.”

As is the case with most independent films, there wasn’t a lot of time for rehearsals, but the producers knew they’d need a cohesive ensemble when they started filming Circus Kane.  So, the week before production was set to begin, they got the actors into a group and put them in an Escape Room.

“We had to work together, you know?  We had to be a team and collaborate,” he says, “and I think that went a long way to helping us once filming began.”

As I said before, the film centers on a group of social media stars who are invited to witness the rebirth of the infamous Circus Kane.  In a very House on Haunted Hill homage, the participants are promised $250,000 each, should they stay and survive the entire evening.  Of course, in horror films, things are never that easy, and the guy who sends the invitations never intends to pay.

One by one, the group is whittled away in campy horror fashion by killer clowns, deadly over-sized toys, and booby traps from hell.  Through it all, Lipnicki insists he was having the time of his life, especially when the production crew allowed him to incorporate his marital arts training into one of his big scenes.

“I got to help and really collaborate with the stunt men to incorporate some of the Jujitsu and Muay Thai that I’ve been studying for years into those scenes, man, and it was really cool that they trusted me to do that.”

It was a nice turn for the young star who still feels his role from Jerry Maguire looming over his shoulder some days.  In fact, the actor thanked me when I told him I intended to leave the subject completely out of the interview.  I will tell you that, at a pivotal point in Scott’s arc, another actor ad libbed the line “The human head weighs eight pounds” and Lipnicki admits they all had a good laugh about it on set.

So, will we be seeing more of Jonathan in horror?

“If I could just go from movie to movie for the rest of my life, I’d be perfectly happy,” the actor says, “and I’ve always been interested in the ‘horror space’ because it’s so varied with so many different elements.  Horror has some of the best and most dedicated fans and I love that.  It’s something I’d definitely want to do more of in the future.”

You can catch Jonathan Lipnicki in Circus Kane on demand!

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Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

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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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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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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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