“Teacher’s Pet” (*1/2 out of four) was a trifling suspense psychodrama about a precocious high-school student (Michelle Torian) about to start college at Yale who is suddenly re-assigned to a slimy new teacher (Kevin Makely) who takes a dangerous interest in her and attempts to turn her life upside down while the principal (Richard Handley) and the cops (Sheldon Brigman and Drew Powell) investigate. Thoroughly routine and by-the-numbers programmer feels like it was made off an assembly line. Filmmakers themselves need to go back to school and “teach” themselves some new ideas.

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“Backrooms” (** out of four) was an over-the-top and cerebral exercise in psychological horror about an alcoholic furniture store owner (Chiwitel Ejiofor) who disappears into another dimension of reality found in the basement of his store and his determined psychiatrist (Renate Reinsve) ventures in to go find him but soon finds that her own mental and psychological state may be in peril. Some undeniably eerie moments are obscured by film’s pretentious tone and cold-hearted unpleasantness. Yet another film all-too-obviously inspired by “The Shining” and various other early works by Kubrick and Cronenberg and cannot hold a candle to either.

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“On The Hunt” (** out of four) was a squalid pulp melodrama about a former military woman (Nicky Whelan) who has to spring back into action to rescue her daughter (Maia Sky) when she is kidnapped by a ruthless and brutal sex-trafficking ring (led by Til Schweiger and Cam Gigandet). Fast-paced enough to make it watchable for action junkies but material is a little tough to take and it all worked better when Liam Neeson went through the same motions in “Taken” about 20 years ago. Whelan is rock-solid in the lead

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“Jack Ryan: Ghost War” (**1/2 out of four) was an overall well-done adaptation of Tom Clancy’s blockbuster spy series about the Jack Ryan (John Krasinski) who reunites with his former C.I.A. operatives (Wendell Pierce, Sienna Miller, and others) to take down a treacherous international enemy who seems to monitor and know their every move. A definite improvement over the last 2 Chris Pine/Ben Affleck adaptations, and features enough spy intrigue and action to be engaging, but lacks the serpentine complexity that defined the best Ryan adaptation “Clear And Present Danger.” Pierce stands out and gives the film a big boost as James Greer.

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“Pancake Man” (* out of four) was an indigestably awful psychodrama about a man (Michael Della Pia) who goes berserk when he is (!) denied pancakes at his local diner and goes on a killing spree taking on all comers involving the mob and local police (Seth Hart, Dustin Ehrlich, Sarkis Bakalyan, and others). Filled with empty lard and calories of unlikeable characters and a plot that gets more outlandish and ridiculous by the minute. If you make it to the end of this mess, you’ll never want to eat at an IHOP ever again.

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“They Wait In Shadows” (* out of four) was a lifeless psychological thriller about two sisters (Meghan Adara and Jessica Hunt) who return to their family home after the death of their mother (Helen Oakleigh) but soon realize they have accidentally conjured her spirit via a ouija board and (yawn) all Hell breaks loose but not really. Rudderless rehash of routine horror elements with virtually no scares or dramatic interest. There’s a minor surprise at the end but believe me it’s hardly worth “waiting” for.

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“War Machine” (*** out of four) was an absorbing action melodrama about a special-ops boot camp and how one troubled and tough soldier (Alan Ritchson) leads his squadron but soon find they are up against a mysterious and deadly force known as the War Machine and they have to utilize all their survival skills to outsmart it and stay alive. Breathless film is filled with enough hand-to-hand combat, chases, explosions, and jingoistic camaraderie to overcome some of its story and script shortcomings. Ritchson did some of his own stunts and Dennis Quaid is excellent as usual in a minor role as a gunnery sergeant.

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“Normal” (** out of four) was a lukewarm crime melodrama about a small-town sheriff (Ben Odenkirk) temporarily moved to the town of Normal, Minnesota when he is thrust in the midst of a bank robbery that uncovers dark and deadly secrets about the town as a whole. Stark and crisp cinematography from Armando Salas and solid lead performance from Odenkirk keep this on track for a little while but script, story, and characters aren’t really all that compelling. Odenkirk also co-produced and co-wrote.

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“Primate” (** out of four) was a middling horror thriller about a group of friends (Johnny Sequoyah, Jess Alexander, Troy Kotsur, and others) whose tropical vacation turns deadly when a rabid gorilla turns against them and infects them one-by-one leading to their descent into madness. Reasonably well-directed and has a few occasional scares but takes too long to get going and doesn’t pay off enough when it does. Good and spooky music score by Adrian Johnston is a definite plus throughout.

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“Worldbreaker” (** out of four) was a lumbering action adventure about a father (Luke Evans) who hides his daughter (Billie Boullet) on an island away from the rest of the world where he trains her in extensive warfare for the unknown battles ahead. Grand attempt at an old-fashioned adventure story but never gets going and develops the fire and excitement it needs to sustain itself. A disappointing result for director Brad Anderson who directed 2004’s “The Machinist.” Milla Jovovich is wasted as the girl’s mom

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