“Sentinel” (**1/2 out of four) was a better-than-average sci/fi melodrama set years after an alien invasion in which a group of heroes (Jason R. Moore, Ellie Patrikios, and Neil Cole) embark on a time travel to save the survivors but are unaware that the title evil function is waiting for them resulting in a battle for survival. Full of imaginative and striking visuals from director Stefano Milla and eye-candy cinematography from Alessandro Caldana and Juan Rolando which easily overpower the pedestrian screenplay and story. Still worthwhile especially for sci/fi fans and features some homages to “Event Horizon.”

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“The Scout” (** out of four) was a minimalist horror comedy about a group of low-budget filmmakers (Anastasia Elfman, Kenneth Guertin, Eric Marq, and others) who go off on a horror shoot when a masked killer shows up and crashes the shoot and kills them off one by one and they have to use their survival smarts from their own horror films to outsmart him and stay alive. Never surpasses mediocrity but marginally better than others of its ilk thanks to some sharp and ironic dialogue about past horror films. Shot and made in all of 4 months! Needless to say, this is not a remake of the 1994 Albert Brooks-Brendan Fraser “cult classic” of the same name.

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“Beautiful Friend” (** out of four) was an off-putting character melodrama about a mentally unstable and socially isolated young man (Adam Jones) who veers out into the world and tries to find a compatible partner who will accept him in spite of his limitations and emotional problems and baggage. Film is aloof and weird, much like its central character. Not completely without merit and has a few scenes of intensity and insight but pretty tough-to-take as a whole.

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“Weekend Deadaway” (*1/2 out of four) was a tired slasher thriller about a group of friends (Susan Slaughter, Jim Nieciecki, Emily Sue Bengton, and others) who converge upon a lake vacation house and find that (yawn) an uninvited guest is on the prowl to kill everybody. Clever title for a movie that seems practically spit out of a computer and made up entirely of spare parts. You know a horror movie is in trouble when you’re rooting for the killer to put everyone out of their misery.

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“Night Of The Harvest” (** out of four) was a fizzled horror story about a young woman (Jessica Morgan) who survives a brutal attack; about a year later, her sister plans a Halloween party for her but a killer is roaming in the party and planning and enacting a further attack. Give star/co-writer/co-director Morgan points for trying to tackle subjects like PTSD and trauma but results are meager and also fatally overlong. A few minor jumps help but there’s otherwise not much worth “harvesting” here.

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“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” (**1/2 out of four) was an agreeably done sequel to the 1988 cult classic about the return of the Deetz family (Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, and others) and their daughter (Jenna Ortega) accidentally opens a portal to the afterlife leading to the return again of Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton). Wholly unnecessary sequel to a film that came out over 36 years ago still features enough madcap humor, macabre touches from director Tim Burton, and visual eye candy to make it satisfying although it starts to wear thin after a while. Fans of the original (I wasn’t) may want to boost my rating a little.

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“Lowlifes” (*1/2 out of four) was an aptly titled horror melodrama about a family (Amanda Fix, Matthew MacCaull, Brenna Lewellyn, and others) whose survival skills are put to the test when they have to spend the night at a remote homestead where all Hell breaks loose. Yet another redneck horror story inspired by “Deliverance” and also “Ten Little Indians” but maybe the word “inspired” doesn’t quite equate to- or describe- this movie. Professionally made but larded with cliches and used story elements.

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