“Behave” (*1/2 out of four) was a clunky horror thriller about a group of friends (Washim Abdul Gafoor, Eleonara Bindi, David Bourne, and others) who are reeling from the death of one of their friends and go to a villa in London to party and let loose when a psychopathic killer follows them and havoc breaks loose. Nothing you haven’t seen one million times before and you won’t see again done better; the killer dresses like Ghostface and the movie pays homage to (i.e. rips off) “Scream.”

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“Rebel Ridge” (*1/2 out of four) was an ungainly suspense melodrama about a former marine (Aaron Pierre) who shows up in a small town to post bail for his incarcerated cousin but this escalates into an all-out war with the local police (led by Don Johnson) as he attempts to expose their corruption and criminal behavior and escape town with his cousin. Good performances do all they can to elevate this slight story but it goes on forever at 2 hours and 11 minutes and never takes off. John Boyega originally was cast in the lead and shot multiple scenes and then left midway through production with his scenes re-shot with Pierre.

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“First Shift” (**1/2 out of four) was a reasonably compelling suspense melodrama about a veteran alcoholic cop (Gino Anthony Pesi) who is paired with a rookie partner (Kristen Renton) as they attempt to navigate the dangerous streets of NYC and solve a murder. Not much plot per se and is hindered by routine framework but does have some strong hard-boiled dialogue and flavorful NYC atmosphere and succeeds in conveying the dangerous job of police work. An unusual film for schlock horror filmmaker Uwe Boll and also one of his better works.

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“Out Come The Wolves” (** out of four) was a pretty toothless suspense melodrama about a group of friends (Missy Peregrym, Joris Jarsky, Damon Runyan) who go on a hunting trip in the wilderness where they are all besieged and attacked by a ravenous pack of wolves and they have to draw upon their own killer instincts for survival. The attack scenes with the wolves are vivid and terrifying but the human drama and story in between is pretty dull. It’s a film like this that makes you appreciate even more how majestic “The Revenant” was.

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“The Deliverance” (*1/2 out of four) was a cliche-ridden horror shocker about an Indiana family (Andra Day, Anthony B. Jenkins, Caleb McLaughlin, and others) who discover (yawn) strange occurrences in their household that leads them and their community (Glenn Close, Mo’Nique, Omar Epps, and others) that the house is a portal to Hell. Allegedly based on the Latoya Ammons family possession but seems more based on “Poltergeist”, “The Gate”, and “The Amityville Horror” among countless others. What the hell is Close doing in this movie?

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“Dinosaur Hotel 3” (*1/2 out of four) was a tacky horror melodrama about a group of people (Gaston Alexander, Alexandra DeCaluwe, Lila Lasso, and others) who wake up in a hotel infested with dinosaurs and find that they have to play a series of interconnected games to stay alive and survive the night. If you ever wanted to see a cross between “Jurassic Park” and “Saw”, then look no further but it’s pretty tired and dumb. Dinosaur visual effects aren’t bad considering film’s threadbare budget but don’t make this third time entry the charm.

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“Borderlands” (*** out of four) was a colorfully done adaptation of the Gearbox video game about a group of mercenaries (Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis, Cate Blanchett, and others) on a mission to save a young girl (Ariana Greenblatt) who holds the key to unimaginable powers that could save the world. Thin storyline and script are outweighed by eye-candy cinematography from Rogier Stoffers and a cast that has good camaraderie together and seem like they’re having fun. Most importantly also, it never stops moving. A change-of-pace from director Eli Roth but this is a lot more entertaining than most of his horror junk.

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“The Lockdown” (** out of four) was a relatively routine prison melodrama about a brother and sister (Leo Howard and Caity Lotz) who are stuck in incarceration for a crime they didn’t commit and reconnect with their estranged father (Michael Biehn) who trains them for televised kickboxing fights against other inmates that could potentially result in their freedom. Predictable movie covers a lot of familiar territory from multiple other films but hard-hitting kickboxing fight scenes give this a boost and make it watchable. Biehn is solid as usual as their father and trainer.

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“Hell Hole” (** out of four) was a modest horror thriller about a fracking crew (Olivera Perinucic, John Adams, Bruno Veljanovski, and others) who discover a French soldier frozen in time who they soon realize all-too-late hosts a parasitic organism that threatens them all. Never quite transcends its origins and roots from “Alien” and never escapes the feeling of routine but does offer some minor scares and creepy imagery. Not a remake whatsoever of the 1985 horror cult film of the same name which was Godawful.

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