“Expelled” (** out of four) was an occasionally funny teen comedy about a perpetual wiseguy (Cameron Dallas) who gets expelled from high school after numerous pranks and hatches a scheme with his best friend (Matt Shively) to hide it from his strict parents and blackmail his school principal to get back in! Overly silly and contrived although there are some laughs and some sharp dialogue that you don’t normally find in teen high-school comedies. Dallas ranges from charismatic to smarmy in the lead. Not a bad try but not a sufficient reason not to watch “Mean Girls” or “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” instead.

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“Absolutely Fabulous” (*1/2 out of four) was an absolutely awful comedy about two senior citizen socialites (Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley) who attract both legal and media attention for (!) accidentally knocking Kate Moss into the River Of Thames (no that’s not a misprint) and attempt to hide in the French Rivera but still find they can have the time of their lives! No such luck for any viewers who waste their time on this irritatingly stupid and unfunny comedy. French Riviera scenery is pretty but otherwise you’ve been warned. Jerry Hall, Kate Moss, Emma Bunton and other various celebrities show up in pointless cameos.

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“Don’t Think Twice” (*1/2 out of four) was a clunky romantic comedy about a NYC couple (Keegan Michael Key and Gillian Jacobs) who work as an improv group in comedy clubs but have their own individual aspirations of appearing on a weekly and popular television show. Irritatingly unfunny comedy rings false at every turn and makes one appreciate the rich writing and originality of Woody Allen which this was obviously inspired by. Ben Stiller has a needless and unnecessary cameo. Don’t think once about wasting your time on this trifle.

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“100 Streets” (** out of four) was a drab story about three separate lives (Tom Cullen, Gemma Atherton, Idris Elba) in London and how they are separate from one another but eventually coalesce as all go through various degrees of personal struggle. Unfortunately, none of the characters or their plights are interesting so story never develops spark, momentum, or involvement. Even the usually dynamic Elba fails to be able to inject much life into his character and just seems to be going through the motions. Multi-character study harks back to early period Robert Altman and Jonathan Demme but is a multi-disappointment.

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“Jack Goes Home” (*1/2 out of four) was a lifeless horror melodrama about a young man (Rory Culkin) who travels home to Colorado after his father is killed in a car crash and attempts to reconcile with his mom (Lin Shaye) and nurse her back to health but he begins to uncover scary family secrets from the past that threaten their future. Umpteenth movie about exorcisms, demonic possession, and a haunted house proves sometimes you really can’t go home again. Culkin looks wasted and co-stars Britt Robertson, Nikki Reed, and Natasha Lyonne are wasted in nothing supporting roles. Luminous cinematography by Austin Schmidt is film’s only asset.

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“Trash Fire” (*1/2 out of four) was an apt title for this horror movie trash about a young man (Adrian Grenier) and his girlfriend (Angela Trimbur) who seek refuge from their various problems by living with his bizarre grandmother (Fionnula Flanagan) who turns out to be a serious sicko who watched one too many re-runs of “Mommy Dearest.” Heavy-handed horror show is done in by well-worn story and Grenier’s weak performance. One sequence involving a snake in the toilet provides movie’s only scares.

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“1st Strike” (*1/2 out of four) was a strike-out about a young Latino kid (Johnny Ortiz) growing up in gang-infested L.A. who is arrested for the first time for a crime he didn’t commit and is torn between loyalty to his former gang-banger uncle (Danny Trejo) and taking his “1st strike” in the criminal justice system. Well-meaning story about loyalty, ethics, and the reality of life on the streets is also preachy and artificial. By now, we’ve been down these L.A. streets one-too-many times in the movies and so has Trejo who could easily play this role in his sleep.

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“Operator” (** out of four) was a stale romantic comedy that makes you want to hang-up after about 45 minutes about the relationship between a programmer (Martin Starr) and a comic performer (Mae Whitman) who attempt to use one another in their work to bolster their careers but naturally, complications arise. One wishes more complications would arise from the script which is too predictable and dry. Good cast and production helps keep this watchable but it’s mediocre at best.

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“Advance And Retreat” (** out of four) was a thoroughly predictable romantic comedy about a yuppie executive (Riley Voelkel) who reconnects with an old flame (Casey Diedrick) who now owns the summer camp where they originally met and rediscovers that (shucks) she misses him and misses her old life. Quite a change of pace from the director of “I Spit On Your Grave” (both 1 and 2) but this feels like warmed-over Nicholas Sparks, without his spark or conviction. Voelkel’s sincere performance is just about all that keeps this afloat.

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“The Monster” (** out of four) was a glum horror thriller about an estranged mother and daughter (Zoe Kazan and Ella Ballentine) who are besieged by a terrifying monster when their car breaks down on an isolated road. Derivative and sluggish thriller alternates between the monster stalking them and flashbacks to the mother-daughter relationship and why they dislike one another. A game attempt by director Bryan Bertino but doesn’t have enough scares or thrills to sustain a feature-length film. Extremely stylish cinematography from Julie Kirkwood is a definite plus.

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