“Safe Space” (**1/2 out of four) was a predictable but efficient suspense thriller about a mother (Nicole Ari Parker- who looks like a stoned Halle Berry) and her autistic son (Nik Sanchez) who hide in a safe room at their house when their home is invaded by intruders (Mackenzie Austin and Drea de Matteo) who are looking for evidence and they have to turn the tables on them and escape and survive. More-or-less a remake of the Jodie Foster/David Fincher cult classic “Panic Room” but having said that- it’s tensely directed and well acted and holds you in its grip. Matteo in particular is fierce and stylish as the female thug.

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“The Reunion” (*1/2 out of four) was a schizophrenic comedy melodrama about a twenty-something out of work actor (Dave Rosenberg) with significant mental health issues on a spiritual quest in NYC when he runs into a childhood nemesis (Jim Norton) and is encouraged by his best-friend (Andrea Modica) to confront him and challenge him at their pending high-school reunion to achieve new fulfillment and enlightenment in life (or something like that). Rosenberg also wrote this bizarro movie which changes mood and tone with practically every scene. If you went to school with flakes like this, you wouldn’t want to attend a “reunion” either.

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“COVID-19: The Invasion” (*1/2 out of four) was a junky action potboiler about a group of redneck militants (led by Kevin Nash) who set out to kill the local homeless population that are living in a deserted school in order to prevent the spread of a lethal strand of COVID; when the homeless people fight back and the COVID strand continues to spread, they realize they are in a fight for their lives. Yet another low-rent action thriller that exploits the COVID name and pandemic but it’s really more-of-the-same and resembles a video game more than a film.

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“Damon’s Revenge” (0 stars out of four) was an absolutely dreadful horror potboiler about a group of friends (Chelsea Vale, Tom Dinnucci, and others) who spend a weekend at a friend’s house at a lake but them and the local sheriff (Tom Sizemore) soon encounter the return of the horrific masked killer (Michael Madsen) and also a copycat killer who is also on the loose. So incomprehensible you could almost watch this backwards and it would likely make just as much sense but film is so sleazy, unpleasant, and boring that’s by no means a recommendation. Somehow, Godsmack singer Sully Erna has a supporting role in this which figures because this film is Godawful. He should have taken a cue from his own song library and just “kept away” instead.

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“Clifford The Big Red Dog” (*** out of four) was a very likeable adaptation of Norman Briswell’s children’s book series about a young girl (Darby Camp) who falls in love with a small red dog named Clifford who soon grows to enormous size resulting in a greedy scientist (Tony Hale) wanting to capture it and the chase is on throughout NYC. Paper thin script and characters and broadly done in the vein of 50’s and 60’s Disney movies but makes all the right moves to entertain its children and family audience and animal lovers (like me) and is overall winning. John Cleese has a small but key role as Clifford’s original master also named Bridwell.

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“The Ledge” (*** out of four) was a hair-raising action thriller about a mountain climber (Brittany Ashworth) whose climbing and survival skills are put to the test when she witnesses a murder and is chased up a mountain by four killers (Ben Lamb, Nathan Welsh, and others) and she has to both evade and outsmart them one-by-one. Acting is OK and there are more than a few implausibilities but genuinely scary climbing footage combined with solidly built story tension make this a winner. No “Cliffhanger” or “Rambo” but still keeps you on the edge-of-your-seat.

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“In The Forest” (*1/2 out of four) was a by-the-numbers timewaster about a mother (Debbon Ayer) out on a camping trip with her family (Lymon Ward and Kaitlyn Dias) which turns horrific when they are terrorized by an angry landowner (Don Baldaramos) and she stumbles onto his property and uncovers a terrifying secret. Yet another “Deliverance” ripoff that fails to deliver; no suspense and hardly any surprises or scares. Nice to see Ward back on screen but he would have been better off collecting his “Ferris Bueller” royalties.

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“Dracula: The Original Living Vampire” (*1/2 out of four) was an anemic horror thriller about detective Amelia Van Helsing (Christine Prouty) investigating a series of increasingly grisly murders and all clues point to the powerful Count Dracula (Jake Herbert) but she soon finds that this investigation puts her and her dying father (Michael Ironside) in the crossfire. By the standards of the library of “Dracula” films, this one sucks- with poor pacing and stuffy and dull characters. Rabid horror fans would best watch the “Dracula” films from the 1940’s- they have a lot more life and scares than this unoriginal timewaster.

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“The Requin” (*1/2 out of four) was a boring suspense thriller about a couple (Alicia Silverstone and James Tupper) on a romantic getaway when a tropical storm destroys their villa and leaves them lost at sea while a ravenous shark swims around and puts them in even more bloody jeopardy. Umpteenth killer shark movie is more-or-less a remake of “Open Water” and is cheaply done and plodding. Silverstone proves she can scream with the best of them but this role isn’t quite the comeback she is looking for.

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“Run And Gun” (*1/2 out of four) was a wearily derivative action melodrama about a reformed underworld criminal (Ben Milliken) who is blackmailed to do one final job to collect a mysterious package and then is double-crossed by a ruthless assassin (Mark Dacascos) who wants him dead and he has no choice but to turn to his past impulses and instincts in order to survive. Film recycles and regurgitates from so many other (and better) underworld action thrillers that it runs on exhaust fumes. Adam Lee’s vibrant cinematography is a definite plus but don’t “run” to the Redbox machine for this one.

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