“Windfall” (*1/2 out of four) was a stultifying suspense melodrama about a man (Jason Segel) who breaks into the vacation home of a billionaire (Jesse Plemons) but things go astray when he and his wife (Lily Collins) visit unexpectedly. Leaden and talky story actually gets slower as it goes along and for anyone who actually sticks with it all the way through- it doesn’t so much end as stop although believe me no one will likely be complaining. Collins (daughter of music legend Phil) is solid but this is unlikely to provide the “windfall” that her career needs.

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“For The Love Of Money” (** out of four) was a flashy but empty urban melodrama about a hard-working single mom (Keri Hilson) who becomes pushed to her limit when her daughter (Jazzy Jade) is arrested and turns back to the lifestyle of the streets to hold her over and make ends meet but this leads to complications and consequences as well. Best thing about the film is Hilson who is sincere and charismatic in the lead but film otherwise follows a much-too predictable pattern. Jason Mitchell, Keith Sweat, and D.C. Young Fly do what they can in cardboard supporting roles.

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“Manifest Evil” (** out of four) was a not-bad psychodrama about a Marine Corps drill instructor (Leon M. Brown) with a troubled past who falls victim to a malevolent curse put on him by two vindictive recruits and he then spirals into a descending abyss of hallucinations and psychosis and he has to find the root of his curse to restore his sanity and return to real life. Film does have a few jolts and a few unsettling images but is hindered by an overall sense of deja vu, since this territory has been covered many times before (yes in “The Shining” most prominently). Brown also wrote and co-produced.

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“The Exorcism Of God” (** out of four) was a hackneyed horror show about an American priest (Will Beinbrink) working in Mexico who becomes possessed during an exorcism and commits a terrible act and 18 years later this comes back to haunt him and he has to confront both the external and internal demons and send them all straight back to Hell. Yet another quasi-religious horror movie (obviously) ripped off from “The Exorcist” which covers all-too-familiar territory. Having said that, it’s far from the worst of the lot and is well-made with atmospheric cinematography and a few jolts.

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“The Suppression Of Hannah Stevenson” (*1/2 out of four) was an oppressively dull horror thriller about a young couple (Tom Hogan and Hannah Rose) who take their first foreign holiday together but have repressed desires that begin to unfold that lead to all kinds of bizarre complications for them. The title character Hannah Stevenson is actually played by an actress also named Hannah but that’s about it for cleverness; remember when these types of movies used to actually be fun? Film is only an hour-and-15 minutes but is still pretty grueling.

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“Lost Angel” (*1/2 out of four) was a senseless hodgepodge about a young woman (Sascha Harman) who goes on a quest for justice after the news of hearing of the death of her sister (Kim Lyzba) but finds that the path to the truth is a deadly minefield as she has to navigate through the dangerous underworld of drugs and crime. Harman is good in the lead but this story has been told too many times before and better. Let’s see how fast this movie gets “lost” in the shuffle at Redbox.

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“The Adam Project” (** out of four) was a mildly entertaining but overall forgettable adventure comedy about a time-traveling pilot (Ryan Reynolds) who has to travel through time and team up with his younger self (Walker Scobell) and his late father (Mark Ruffalo) to save all their futures. Filled with action, humor, and Reynolds’ what me worry persona but most fans may find this overly reminiscent of “Back To The Future” just without that film’s magic. Certainly watchable but light as a feather. Fans of Reynolds may want to add half-a-star; this marks him and director Shawn Levy’s third collaboration together.

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“The Burning Sea” (** out of four) was a pretty banal suspense melodrama set on the Norwegian coast about an oil rig that suspiciously shuts down and the various crew members and politicians (Kristine Kujath Thorp, Henrik Bjelland, Rolf Kristian Larsen) that realize this is the start of a major ecological disaster and race against time to evacuate. “Deepwater Horizon” told virtually the same story with much more intensity and excitement, so much so that one of the characters even compares this story to that film. Film works best in its final third during the evacuation scenes but is still lost in a “sea” of cliches.

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“Studio 666” (*1/2 out of four) was an utterly stupid horror comedy about the Foo Fighters who move to a mansion in Encino to record their 10th album but this mansion has a grisly history and they soon begin to encounter strange occurrences and gruesome murders. Witless attempt at doing a comic musical documentary crossed with a ’70’s slasher horror movie; where’s Rob Zombie when you really need him? John Carpenter has a small role as well but this is for die-hard fans of the Foos only. As for Dave Grohl and their acting talents, well let’s just be kind and say this won’t exactly lead to an everlong film career.

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“The Last Possession” (** out of four) was a proficiently made but obvious, empty horror thriller about a family (Tom Proctor, Cassie Shea Watson, and Stephen Brodie) who move back to the husband’s childhood home and are immediately terrorized by evil spirits and loud shock noises that threaten to destroy their sanity. Film is well-made and does have some occasional scares but is yet another umpteenth variation on “Paranormal Activity” and gradually decays into sheer corn. Here’s hoping this is “the last” of these thrillers but we all know better by now.

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