“Courier X” (** out of four) was a tepid underworld thriller based on the true story of Trenlin Polenski (Bron Boier) who was solicited by the C.I.A. to help cover up a blackmail attempt on the government after the release of a Pulitzer-prize winning book by Gary Webb and how this led to him becoming involved with multiple NYC thugs and mob connections while trying to save his own life. Murky story of various underworld connections, backstabbings, and shootings has too many subplots and characters. The kind of story that practically cries out for the dazzle of Martin Scorcese or Francis Ford Coppola. Boier is somewhat blank in the lead role but Anthony Mangano and Gary Francis Hope really make their mark as hard-hitting thugs.

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“Bad Santa 2” (*1/2 out of four) was a dismal sequel that was a Christmas present the equivalent of a lump of coal. This time around, the drunken Santa Claus (Billy Bob Thornton) teams up with his midget sidekick (Tony Cox) and his foul-mouthed mom (Kathy Bates) to rip off a charity business in Chicago. Scattershot chuckles are defeated by ugly, stupid, and repellent characters who are enough to make anyone say humbug. I wasn’t a huge fan of the 2003 original but this is one more bad sequel where more is less. A major disappointment from director Mark Waters who in better days directed “Mean Girls”.

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“Equity” (**1/2 out of four) was a diverting but derivative melodrama set in NYC about a Wall Street senior investment banker (Anna Gunn) whose affluent life gradually is becoming undone by a financial scandal and corruption and is being investigated by her former friend (Sarah Megan Thomas) who is now a federal prosecutor. Adrenalized story of wheeling-and-dealing among the rich and powerful holds your attention with its good performances and storytelling but is never enthralling or engrossing as it could have been, because we’ve seen much of this story before in “Wall Street”, “Boiling Point”, and “Margin Call” among many others. A good attempt by Meera Menon which may have been more timely and original 10 years ago.

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“Sorority Party Massacre” (*1/2 out of four) was a trashy and dumb horror comedy about a psychotic killer on the loose who happens to find sanctuary at a sorority house where the bodies start piling up, and a local redneck sheriff (Ed O’Ross) and city cop (Thomas Downey) investigate. Not exactly the worst of its kind but not scary enough, gory enough, or frankly- bad enough- to make it entertaining. Horror fans will enjoy seeing fallen ’80’s stars O’Ross and Leslie Easterbrook (and porn star Ron Jeremy!) in supporting roles but this is a reminder again of when these movies were much more fun.

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“Search Engines” (* out of four) was an excruciating romantic comedy about a family (Joely Fisher, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Grace Folsom, Daphne Zuniga and others) who decide to resolve their problems over a long Thanksgiving holiday by turning off and surviving without their cell phones. You’d be much easier turning the movie off instead. Aimless, witless, and charmless movie features annoying characters you can’t wait to get away from. Any episode of “Leave It To Beaver” has more brains and laughs than this. Fallen ’80’s star Zuniga (“Spaceballs”) looks great but she should immediately start “searching” for better scripts.

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“Seed 2” (*1/2 out of four) was a grimy sequel to the 2006 horror show which I don’t think anyone other than freaks, masochists, or the immediate family of Jeffrey Dahmer was waiting for. A young girl (Natalie Scheetz) and her friends are driving back from her bachelorette party in Las Vegas but become stranded in the desert and are stalked to the death by psychopathic killer Max Seed from the original who is resurrected and bloodthirsty. Strictly for the 42nd street grindhouse crowd or those who thought “Saw” was too tame and articulate. The catering budget on “Saw” was probably higher than the whole cost for this low-budget mess.

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“Who Killed Jonbenet?” (** out of four) was a mediocre true story about the infamous murder of a young girl Jonbenet Ramsey (Phoebe Lawrence) in 1998 and the various infrastructures of the local police and the media who focused on the parents’ guilt (Julia Campbell and Lane Edwards) instead of following other leads and solving the crime. Attempt to tell a murder mystery with various finger-pointing at the justice department and the media for serving their own personal agendas instead of finding the truth is watchable but cries out for a sharper and stronger director like David Fincher or Christopher Nolan who might have made this story more galvanizing. Not bad but never as arresting or powerful as it should have been.

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“Vanishing: Left Behind- Next Generation” (*1/2 out of four) was a slapdash post-apocalyptic horror melodrama about a tough 15-year old (Amber Frank) who is thrust in the midst of a worldwide crisis when a billion people suddenly disappear without a trace, forcing her and her friends to fend for survival and quickly develop their adult instincts while enjoying the remainder of their youth. Film attempts to be a zombie horror thriller, a coming-of-age story, and a relationship drama and succeeds at none of these. You have to admire director Larry McLean for trying something different within this genre but the result is lumpy and forgettable. This one should “vanish” from Redbox machines pretty quick.

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“Almost Christmas” (*** out of four) was a winning holiday comedy about a dysfunctional family (Danny Glover, Kimberly Elise, Gabrielle Union, Omar Epps, Mo’Nique, Romany Falco and others) who gather together for the first time since their mother died. First-rate cast led by Glover makes this a fine Christmas present. Smoothly directed and written by David Talbert who balances a large cast with multiple characters and storylines but blends them all together very easily.

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