June (2015) film review

 

Year: 2015
Running Time: 84 minutes
Director: L. Gustavo Cooper
Writers: Sharon Y. Cobb and L. Gustavo Cooper
Cast: Kennedy Brice, Victoria Pratt, Casper Van Dien, Eddie Jemison, Lance E. Nichols, Juliette Beavan, Addy Miller

June is now available on DVD and VOD in the United States and Australia.

June takes the somewhat tired horror cinema concept of evil spirit possession and breathes unexpected new life into it. With a young title character who is both sympathetic and terrifying simultaneously, L. Gustavo Cooper exquisite film making enables the creation of a horror film that is suspenseful with a welcomed emotional edge that sets it apart from other films of it's genre.

As a baby, June's (Kennedy Brice) parents offered her as a sacrifice in a cult ritual that went horribly wrong and the result was the supernatural being, Aer entering June and using her body as a vessel. At nine years old, June is being moved from home to home as a result of the strange and dangerous happenings that occur when she is around and her extreme introvert nature which immediately makes her an outsider. When she is fostered by Lily (Victoria Pratt) and Dave Anderson (Casper Van Dien), it seems as though she has finally found the perfect home with a loving and understanding family. However, June's past is about to catch up with her and the terror is only just beginning.

On first glance, June may draw comparisons to a number of other films of the horror genre including Firestarter, The Exorcist and Carrie, but it has it's own sense of identity and originality. June is continuously fighting the spirit, Aer within her and struggling to find which parts of herself are actually her and which are Aer. June is a story about finding out who you really are and fighting against your inner demons to overcome the obstacles that are preventing you from being yourself. However, this does not prevent the film from being extremely suspenseful and terrifying at times. The empathy that one has for June and her situation only makes the suspense greater as nobody wants to see someone so young who has had so much sadness in her life be the subject of these dreaded supernatural occurrences.

Cooper's film making style shows hints of Alfred Hitchcock, especially in regards to his use of montage in the opening sequence and range of camera shots throughout the film. June is really a beautifully shot film with some exquisite shots of nature and intriguing camera angles. The beauty of the nature shots forms an extreme contrast to the mayhem of the rage scenes in the film, symbolising the opposites of June and Aer. The original musical score by Sean and Juliette Beavan (who also plays the Priestess in the film) adds to the atmosphere of the film and it's versatility supports the two sides of June.

Kennedy Brice is perfectly cast in the lead role of June. June is an extremely complex character as her possession by Aer is not all-encompassing of who she is and is something she fears and dreads as much as anyone else, which is unique in a horror film about possession. From early on, June is established as a poor little girl who is aware that she is not only different, but also dangerous and keeps her distance from people for fear of hurting them. June is a particularly relatable character for this reason, as many people have a part of them that they are afraid will lead to someone being hurt if they expose them to it, whether it be something from their past or a condition they have. It is an unique thing to find such a character in a horror genre film that can be so relatable. One understands how Lily can form such an attachment to her as there is an immediate sympathy felt for this poor little girl who wants so badly to be loved, but is afraid to. Brice evokes this sympathy from the audience superbly and manages to be sweet and lovable, yet terrifying.

Lily and Dave Anderson, who are portrayed by Victoria Pratt and Casper Van Dien, are the perfect parents for a troubled child like June. Pratt's performance is incredibly emotional and heartfelt and she provides a maternal and nurturing side to Lily that makes her extremely likable. Van Dien's Dave is a character that one also feels sympathy for as he really has done nothing wrong and seems completely reasonable, but feels the wrath of Aer who he believes is June.

June has greater depth and character than many of the other films it is pooled with and compared to in the horror genre. Well made and tightly written to encompass emotion and suspense, June pleasantly surprises and pleases.

8/10

Death Valley (2015) film review

Year: 2015
Running Time: 88 minutes
Director: T.J. Scott
Writers: Brad MacPherson and T.J. Scott
Cast: Katrina Law, Lochlyn Munro, Victoria Pratt, Nick E. Tarabay, Juliette Beavan, Jeremy Ratchford, Kelly Hu

Death Valley will be available in the United States on October 20 on DVD and VOD.

Death Valley is a clever psychological thrill ride that surprises and outsmarts right till the end and mesmerises with it's stunning visuals of the rugged landscape. After a wild night which results in a an impulsive dash to Las Vegas for a shotgun wedding, the joyous road trip takes an awful turn when they hit a woman alone in the middle of the road with a gun pointed straight at them. When it is realised that they have killed the woman instantly and their car is no longer drivable, opinions are divided regarding what they should do between Hollywood heavy-weight Billy Rich (Lochlyn Munro) and his little muse Annie (Katrina Law), and married couple Jamie (Victoria Pratt) and Roy (Nick E. Tarabay). As the heat starts to mix with the alcohol and other chemicals the four have ingested, personalities start to clash, paranoia sets in and cracks start to show in relationships leading to the conclusion that there is more than one way to die in Death Valley.

Tense and unpredictable, Death Valley is wonderfully thought provoking and intelligent. It teases it's audience by allowing them to believe that they are aware of all the characters flaws and motives before slowly revealing itself just as the characters are showing their true colours. The film's haunting nature leaves a lasting impression with it's air of dread and danger which is a result of both the remote location and the tricks it can play and the underlying themes. The actual Death Valley is, as it's name suggests, not the safest place on Earth to be stranded and with the assistance of drugs and alcohol heightens the stress and emotion of the experience. For some it means not taking the situation seriously and others not being able to handle the stress of the situation, but for everyone it means the experience is one of high emotions and it becomes not just the heat that is the danger, but each other.

The evil lurking underneath picture perfect Hollywood is also exposed in Death Valley. On the surface, the Hollywood lifestyle is what everyone wants with it's money, success and parties, but underneath it can sometimes not be as attractive as it seems. Once away from their lives which exist in Los Angeles, the characters realities are exposed and nothing and nobody is what they seem. This leads one also to contemplate how well we know the people we are with, as in Death Valley it seems as though each of the four believe they have the others figured out, but they are far from the truth.

T. J. Scott's direction is exquisite and he works with the elements to perfection. The extreme heat and aridity of the desert radiate off the screen using the appropriate cinematography for the location. Yet despite the pain and suffering that is attached to Death Valley, the film also captures it's beauty with some incredible shots of the rugged landscape. The soundtrack by Sean and Juliette Beavan (who also plays the doomed Holly Fields) is extremely enigmatic and fitting for the film.

The character development of the individuals in the film who are part of the unfortunate journey in Death Valley is strong and extremely well done. Each of the characters change and open up to who they really are during their trek across the desert and their pasts and true selves are revealed. When we first meet Lochlyn Munro's Billy Rich, he is arrogant and rather unlikable, but little by little he reveals his insecurities and becomes more endearing as the film progresses. Katrina Law's Annie is much the same, as she starts off making everyone believe she is a ditzy Hollywood starlet, but she is so much more than that. Law has the wonderful ability to play a number of different roles within one character. Victoria Pratt gives an incredibly emotional performance and is incredibly strong in her role as Jamie, as is Nick E. Tarabay who has so many facets to his performance that he appears to be terrifying in himself.

Death Valley comes to symbolise the relationship between dangers of the land and the intensifying of dynamics between individuals. It is a terrifying in the best of ways and unpredictable till the very end.

8.5/10