“Hazenhurst” (** out of four) was a routine horror show about a recovering alcoholic (Julie Benz) who is released after completing an inpatient program and takes up residence in a gothic-style apartment building in which strange occurrences and even stranger tenants inhabit and she tries to maintain her sobriety and sanity and break out. Benz is solid as usual but this derivative thriller owes too much to “Poltergeist” and “The Shining” and is in too conventional a framework to carry much charge. Danielle Harris has a key cameo at the beginning and Fionnula Flanagan is creepy as the building landlord.

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“Pumpkin Pie Wars” (*1/2 out of four) was a treacly family melodrama/love story about two rival bakery owners in Ohio whose children (Julie Gonzalo and Eric Aragon) decades later go head-to-head in a pumpkin-pie contest which starts out as a bitter rivalry but (to the surprise of no one) they gradually fall in love. Made of artificial ingredients and lots of sugary sentiments that make this a really gooey pie to digest. A real surprise from the director of “I Spit On Your Grave” but based on this- he may want to stick with movies about sexual assault and revenge instead of family dramas.

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“Girls Night Out” (**1/2 out of four) was a better-than-average thriller about a woman (MacKenzie Mauzy) about to be married whose bachelorette party turns into a nightmare when a psychotic former boyfriend (Jacob Blair) kidnaps her fiance and sends her and her friends out on a deadly scavenger hunt to race against time or he will be killed! Story is preposterous but it’s very stylishly directed by Phillipe Gagnon, well-acted, and features some genuine surprises towards the end. Story is molded from spare parts from “Fatal Attraction”, “Single White Female”, and also “Die Hard With A Vengeance” but is far better than most other direct-to-DVD schlock.

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“Secrets Of Deception” (*1/2 out of four) was a murky and sleazy melodrama made only for those who’ve never watched “Body Heat” or any other film-noir from the last three decades. When a wealthy man (Chris Degner) discovers his wife (Sydney Black) has been cheating on him, he goes down a dangerous path of revenge which leads to a multitude of consequences for the both of them. Endless double crosses leads to endless confusion and tedium, since you don’t care about any of the characters. Solid supporting cast including Tom Sizemore, Noel Gugliemi, and Lorenzo Lamas are wasted.

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“Dead West” (** out of four) was a heavy-handed serial killer melodrama about a charismatic drifter (Brian Sutherland) who drives cross-country and murders numerous women who he encounters whom he deems unworthy of living but problems ensue when he falls in love with one of his potential next victims whom he attempts to save from a drug dealer, cleverly named Suge White (are you laughing yet?). Sutherland is good in a very difficult role and the movie is far from the worst of its ilk but the central story is still very unpleasant and it’s fatally overlong at nearly two hours. Eerie and effective music score by Samih Tareen.

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“Candiland” (* out of four) was an incomprehensible drama about a former tennis star (James Clayton) who meets a fellow lost soul (Chelah Horsdal) one night at a bar and for reasons known only to them, they decide to isolate themselves in their own apartment and existence; his father (Gary Busey) tries to break through to them both physically and emotionally with less-than-exhilarating results. Since none of the characters are likeable and none of their relationships make any sense, this goes nowhere slowly. Seeing great character actor Busey wasting his talent on this junk is more saddening than the characters and their plight.

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“Hunters” (0 out of four) was an unwatchable horror freak show set for no particular reason in 1987 about a group of film students and bad actors who go to the abandoned wilderness in Pennsylvania and are (yawn) terrorized and preyed upon by a group of savage rednecks who apparently watched “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” one too many times. This sick and disgusting mess looks like someone’s bad home movies and isn’t so much edited as scotch-taped together. Avoid at all costs.

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“Dark Resonance” (*1/2 out of four) was a dark bore about three childhood friends (Muse Watson, Vanessa Ore, Lacy Champ) involved in paranormal activity who become frightened and overwhelmed after one particular incident gives them all the jitters. 12 years later, they subsequently reunite to sort out the mystery of this and unravel the truth. They should have all unraveled a better script and more original story instead. Yet another movie about a haunted house and possessions but there’s nothing of “resonance” or originality here.

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“Cross Wars” (*1/2 out of four) was an irritatingly dumb, disjointed comic book story about a noble rogue (Brian Austin Green) who teams up with a burned-out detective (Tom Sizemore) and his team to prevent a villainous warrior (Vinnie Jones) from overtaking Los Angeles. Good cast including Danny Trejo as (what else?) an underworld enforcer are wasted in this unimaginative, by-the-numbers timewaster. “Cross” this one off your list unless you’re a comic-book diehard.

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“Day Of Reckoning” (** out of four) was a mediocre post-apocalyptic horror thriller about the return of evil flying carnivores who 15 years prior had eliminated mankind and how a group of survivors struggle to defeat them and to stay alive. Yet another mash-up of “Aliens” and “28 Days Later”, with elements of “Starship Troopers” and “Independence Day” thrown in the mix as well. Opening scenes are harrowing and feature some impressive special effects but story starts to drag around the halfway mark and you’ve seen this done much better, much before. ’80’s villain Raymond Barry who seems to have disappeared for the last 15 years also makes a solid return as one of the survivors.

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