The Incantation

2018 American film
  • February 28, 2018 (2018-02-28) (Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival)
Running time
98 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglish

The Incantation is a 2018 American independent film and the feature film directorial debut of Jude S. Walko. The film stars Sam Valentine as a young American girl who travels to France for a funeral, only to discover a family history intertwined with witchcraft and occult practices.

The film had premiered at The Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival in 2018.

Plot

Lucy Bellerose, a young American millennial, travels to France from San Diego, California after receiving some mysterious correspondence from her mother regarding the death of her great uncle.

After a taxi ride through Paris and then rural France, she arrives at the ominous Borley Castle. There she meets a vicar and chambermaid who seem to have no social skills and speak with archaic verbiage.

At her great uncle's, the Blood Rose Count's, funeral, she is introduced to J.P., a local French gravedigger, whom she takes a liking to. Soon J.P. takes her for drinks and tells her of the areas strange history, before he is pulled away after one of his relatives is involved in a fatal car accident.

After finding a mysterious book entitled "The Sortilegia" Lucy begins to encounter strange entities and experience supernatural occurrences. These include ghostly sightings of a "black-eyed" ghost girl, an out-of-place traveling insurance salesman, and an ethereal crone who give her ominous warnings.

After a short stay in the castle, and several warnings from the locals, Lucy learns of her family's checkered past and their involvement in witchcraft, devil worship and the occult.

Cast

  • Dean Cain, as Abel Baddon[citation needed]
  • Sam Valentine, as Lucy Bellerose
  • Dylan Kellogg, as Jean-Pierre, the gravedigger
  • Jude S. Walko, as The Vicar of Borley
  • Beatrice Orro, as Mary, the chambermaid
  • Caroline Gatouillat, as Little Rose
  • Jerome Marchand, as taxi driver
  • Alexandre Majetniak, as drunkard
  • Dan Campbell, as Lieutenant Dan
  • Margie Clark, as Ethereal Crone
  • Sophie "Sweet Shop" Malki, as Ms. Montparnasse

Production

Director Jude S. Walko came up with the idea for the film while working on another film. Walko noticed a photograph of a castle and upon asking its owners, discovered that they had purchased it with the intent to renovate it into a bed and breakfast. They also reported rumors of strange occurrences, which prompted Walko to write a script based around the location. The film marked the directorial debut of director Jude S. Walko and was the first original content film produced by Blue Falcon Productions LLC, co-owned by Walko and producer Dan Campbell.[1] Walko also drew inspiration from the Hammer Horror films.[2]

Most of the filming took place in the Loire Valley in the Cher region of France with primary locations being in La Guerche-Sur-L'Aubois, Nevers and Bourges.[3][4][5] In Paris, the production shot several exteriors including Charles de Gaulle airport and the Eiffel Tour. They also spent a day shooting in the Capuchin Quarry adjacent the Catacombs beneath the streets.[citation needed]

Release

The Incantation premiered at The Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival in Los Angeles on 28 February 2018, after which it continued to screen at film festivals throughout 2018.[6][7]

The film was optioned by Gravitas Ventures for the United States and Canada and on July 31, 2018 The Incantation was released to home video and VOD.[8]

Reception

Film Threat criticized The Incantation, writing that "the movie is undone by a number of elements, not the least of which are the profoundly bad performances and stilted dialogue."[9] Freddy Beans of Ain't It Cool News was mixed, as they felt that "While I can’t recommend this one completely it does have its charms."[8]

Max Deacon of Scream Horror Magazine and Tracy Palmer of Signal Horizon were more favorable, with the former noting "The Incantation may be a flawed film, but – thanks to the talents of Walko, Valentine and Cain – still frequently has the power to weave its spell."[10][11]

Awards

  • Best Narrative Feature at the Calcutta Cult Film Festival (2018, won)[12]
  • Best Director at The Eclipse Awards (2018, won - Jude S. Walko)[13]

References

  1. ^ unclecreepy (2018-02-03). "The Incantation - First Look Poster and Trailer". Dread Central. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  2. ^ Kopsky, Jordan (2018-07-30). "Local Film Company Releases Paranormal Thriller". Grand Rapids Magazine. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  3. ^ "THE INCANTATION - Horror Film - Starring SAM VALENTINE & former TV SUPERMAN - DEAN CAIN". ScreenAnarchy. 2016-10-24. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  4. ^ "THE INCANTATION – Horror Film – Starring Dean Cain Early Details". Horror News | HNN. 2016-11-03. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  5. ^ "Fort Oglethorpe native releases feature film". Times Free Press. 14 March 2018. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  6. ^ "HRIFF 2018 Program Guide". The Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  7. ^ "UV Film Festival: THE INCANTATION". Unrestricted View : The Hen & Chickens Theatre. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  8. ^ a b Beans, Freddy. "Freddy Beans studies THE INCANTATION!". Aint It Cool News. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  9. ^ Gidney, Norman (2019-01-10). "The Incantation". Film Threat. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  10. ^ "THE INCANTATION: Film Review". THE HORROR ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE. 2018-02-04. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  11. ^ Palmer, Tracy (2019-10-29). "Incantation Movie Review-A Witch's Brew of Horror-Lite Beauty". Signal Horizon Magazine. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  12. ^ "April 2018 – CICFF". Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  13. ^ "2018 Eclipse Awards". Eclipse Awards. Retrieved 2021-02-02.

External links

  • The Incantation at IMDb Edit this at Wikidata