“Lumina” (** out of four) was an overlong, overly derivative sci/fi shock thriller about four friends (Emily Hall, Andrea Tivadar, and others) who search for their friend who has been abducted which takes them from various U.S. deserts to the sands of Sahara and brings them in contact with evil and otherworldly forces. Writer/director Gino McKoy shows some colorful talent and film is well-lensed and produced but outwears its welcome and wears thin at two hours. Eric Roberts picks up a couple of bucks in another token cameo role.

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“The Blue Rose” (**1/2 out of four) was an initially enrapturing melodrama about two rookie detectives (Olivia Scott Welch and George Baron) who attempt to solve a homicide but wind up in an alternate reality made up of their worst dreams and nightmares and have to come to terms with their new reality in order to escape. Writer/director/star Baron works in a hallucinatory style obviously inspired by David Lynch (and “Blue Velvet” in particular)………but like some of Lynch’s work, it veers off after a while and becomes overly weird and pretentious and doesn’t fully recover. Still, film has enough dazzling stylistics and macabre touches to make Baron someone to keep your eye on.

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“Murder Company” (**1/2 out of four) was a modestly well-done WWII melodrama set in the midst of the D-Day invasion in which a group of American soldiers (Kelsey Grammer, William Moseley, Joe Anderson, and others) are given orders to smuggle a soldier of the French resistance (Gilles Marini) behind enemy lines to help them assassinate a Nazi leader (Roman Schomburg). Undeniably limited in scope and grandeur due to its low budget but packs enough action and intrigue to make it worthwhile for history buffs. Grammer is especially commanding as the U.S. army general.

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“Deadbolt” (** out of four) was a thuddingly predictable suspense thriller about a young woman (Rebecca Liddiard) who starts to lose her sanity as she meets a new guy (Jamie Spilchuk) and encounters a series of unexplained disappearances and chilling nocturnal echoes in her home that keep her up at night and keep her nerves on edge. Relatively well-made and with a solid lead performance from Liddiard but film lacks suspense and narrative momentum. Film reunites Liddiard and Spilchuk who were previously in the similarly mediocre “Danger In The House”.

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“Space Sharks” (* out of four) was an almost completely inept sci/fi thriller about a military experiment conducted on a space station that goes awry and sends a breed of weaponized and ravenous sharks down to Earth to destroy humanity while a group of doctors and military personnel (Eric Roberts, Brinke Stevens, Scott Schwartz, and others) try to save the world. Sounds like trashy fun but trust me it isn’t and is sunk by shoddy filming and horrendous special effects that would make Ed Wood proud. Roberts picks up another easy paycheck with a token role.

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“Longlegs” (** out of four) was a jagged but jaded suspense melodrama about an FBI agent (Maika Monroe) who is in pursuit of the title vicious serial killer (Nicolas Cage) and she has to uncover a series of clues to find out his whereabouts to end his reign of terror. Initially suspenseful and compelling with a tense atmosphere of malevolence and rot but soon sputters as it winds up one more pale imitation of both “Seven” and (especially) “The Silence Of The Lambs.” Recommended only for those who want to see Cage as never before, as he looks unrecognizable and chews and throws up the scenery as the killer.

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“Faye” (**1/2 out of four) was an intermittently interesting documentary of legendary actress Faye Dunaway whose career rose to fame with “Bonnie And Clyde”, “The Thomas Crown Affair”, and “Chinatown” but began to gradually wane in the 1980’s as she battled alcoholism, mental health issues, and seclusion but still became a generational icon and inspiration to a series of new film actresses. Compelling at times especially for an actress who has rarely done interviews although it tends to wander at times. Film features interviews with also Sharon Stone, Barry Primus, and Mickey Rourke.

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“Twisters” (**1/2 out of four) was a decent sequel to the 1996 blockbuster “classic” about a retired tornado-watcher (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and a hotshot meteorologist (Glenn Powell) who travel to Oklahoma to track a deadly tornado that is ripping through the Midwest and find themselves in for the ride of their lives. More-or-less a remake, and not a sequel, to the (overrated) original and similar to its many imitations over the years but spectacular visual effects, good action scenes, and good performances and chemistry between the leads (Powell and Jones) make it watchable. Final half-hour will have you holding on to your seat.

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“Last County” (*1/2 out of four) was an uninvolving melodrama about an alcoholic woman (Kaelen Ohm) who finds herself under siege from corrupt small-town cops (Nicholas Campbell, Dayton Sinkia, and others) in her rural home and finds an unlikely ally in a wounded drug mule (Gord Rand) as they both need one another to fight back and stay alive. Leisurely story meanders over all-too-familiar terrain and turns out to be a desperate rehash of “Desperate Hours”. Matthew Kohnen’s crisp and moody cinematography is one of film’s few assets.

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“The Inheritance” (*1/2 out of four) was an insufferable horror thriller about a billionaire (Bob Gunton) on the eve of his 75th birthday who invites all of his estranged children (Peyton List, Austin Stowell, and others) out of fear someone or something is about to kill him and he puts each of their inheritances on the line unless they help him but this leads to spooky distrust and paranoia amongst all of them. Intriguing storyline goes nowhere thanks to stuffy direction and plodding pace. Film is only 1 hour and 25 minutes but feels much longer than that.

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