https://dlepik.com/2026/06/26/night-shift-out-of-four-was-a-predictable-prefabricated-suspense-melodrama-about-a-museum-security-guard-apryl-jones-whose-night-shift-turns-deadly-when-a-group-of-high-tech/dlepikcomen2026-06-26T10:35:09+00:00“Night Shift” (** out of four) was a predictable, prefabricated suspense melodrama about a museum security guard (Apryl Jones) whose night shift turns deadly when a group of high-tech criminals (led by Chris Moss) force her to assist in a robbery or her husband (Stephen Barrington) at home will be executed and killed. Slickly made and directed but overly pat and protracted and never catches fire. Jones is solid in the lead. Incidentally, this is not a remake of the 1982 zany Michael Keaton/Henry Winkler classic of the same name.https://dlepik.com/2026/06/26/hungry-out-of-four-was-a-haphazard-action-thriller-about-a-group-of-vacationers-joaquin-de-almeida-madison-davenport-tracey-bonner-and-others-in-the-louisiana-bayou-who-are/dlepikcomen2026-06-26T10:34:33+00:00“Hungry” (** out of four) was a haphazard action thriller about a group of vacationers (Joaquin de Almeida, Madison Davenport, Tracey Bonner, and others) in the Louisiana bayou who are besieged by a ravenous hippo who’s on the loose and determined to chew them up one at a time. Lukewarm mix of cliches and plot points from “Alligator”, “Anaconda”, and too many others to mention; has a few moments but never fully detonates and gets going. Based (believe it or not) on the Hungry Hippo children’s board game.https://dlepik.com/2026/06/26/main-street-meats-1-2-out-of-four-was-a-grisly-horror-melodrama-about-a-struggling-family-owned-butcher-shop-morgan-boland-kenny-fayas-steve-golia-and-others-who-figure-out-the-only-way-to/dlepikcomen2026-06-26T10:33:53+00:00“Main Street Meats” (*1/2 out of four) was a grisly horror melodrama about a struggling family-owned butcher shop (Morgan Boland, Kenny Fayas, Steve Golia, and others) who figure out the only way to stay afloat in their competitive marketplace is by slaughtering humans but unexpected complications arise when this turns their shop into a blockbuster success. Film itself is unlikely to be a blockbuster success in itself and was filmed in 2017 and barely released now. Potentially humorous idea is defeated by ham-fisted direction and even worse acting. A few macabre moments of dark irony but by the end this’ll likely make you want to become a vegetarian.https://dlepik.com/2026/06/26/the-cigarette-1-2-out-of-four-was-a-noxious-comedy-melodrama-about-a-young-girl-jasmin-flores-who-is-struggling-financially-and-starts-selling-cigarettes-laced-with-a-series-of/dlepikcomen2026-06-26T10:33:15+00:00“The Cigarette” (*1/2 out of four) was a noxious comedy melodrama about a young girl (Jasmin Flores) who is struggling financially and starts selling cigarettes laced with a series of hallucinogens which results in her becoming a blockbuster success but leading to a series of agonies and ecstasies amongst users and dealers in NYC. Amusing material is ripe for a sharp-seeded satire or parody but is undone by witless screenplay and leaden direction. “Half Baked” told more-or-less the same story (and much funnier) nearly 30 years agohttps://dlepik.com/2026/06/26/citizen-vigilante-1-2-out-of-four-was-a-stirring-pulp-crime-melodrama-about-a-man-armie-hammer-who-becomes-enraged-and-fed-up-with-lenient-courts-and-legal-stipulations-and-be/dlepikcomen2026-06-26T10:32:44+00:00“Citizen Vigilante” (***1/2 out of four) was a stirring pulp-crime melodrama about a man (Armie Hammer) who becomes enraged and fed up with lenient courts and legal stipulations and becomes a one-man vigilante crime force on the streets of England turning him into a public hero and leading to a battle with an Interpol police chief (Costas Mandylor) who wants him stopped at all costs. A “Death Wish” updated to contemporary progressive times; film attracted obvious controversy in its filming and release but grabs you by the collar and does not let go. Punctuated by some violent scenes of shock and enhanced by numerous intelligent analogies about the pros-and-cons of both vigilantism and progressivism and anchored by Hammer who is rock-solid in the lead. A real wallop of a movie from director Uwe Boll in what is easily his best film ever.https://dlepik.com/2026/06/26/the-stepfather-out-of-four-was-a-misbegotten-remake-of-the-classic-1987-suspense-thriller-about-a-deranged-sociopath-psychopath-taye-diggs-in-search-of-the-s/dlepikcomen2026-06-26T10:32:03+00:00“The Stepfather” (** out of four) was a misbegotten remake of the “classic” 1987 suspense thriller about a deranged sociopath/psychopath (Taye Diggs) in search of the seemingly perfect family and thinks he’s found it with a mother (Tamar Braxton) and her young daughter (Kalani Jules) and they don’t realize the imminent danger they are in. Tepid rehash of a story that honestly wasn’t that scary or suspenseful to begin with. Diggs is solid and charismatic as usual but can’t hold a candle to original “Stepfather” Terry O’Quinnhttps://dlepik.com/2026/06/26/piercing-screams-1-2-out-of-four-was-a-paint-by-numbers-horror-thriller-set-in-1978-about-a-group-michael-jason-allen-elley-ringo-milena-suboya-and-others-on-a-road-trip-home/dlepikcomen2026-06-26T10:31:23+00:00“Piercing Screams” (*1/2 out of four) was a paint-by-numbers horror thriller set in 1978 about a group (Michael Jason Allen, Elley Ringo, Milena Suboya, and others) on a road trip home from a trip to a recovery center who stop in the middle of the woods and (what else) are terrorized and traumatized by a group of hillbilly rednecks. Seedy 1970’s photography and design is impressive and harks back to “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” but this is all unfortunately window dressing for a stale and routine horror story. Allen also wrote and directed