“Pancake Man” (* out of four) was an indigestably awful psychodrama about a man (Michael Della Pia) who goes berserk when he is (!) denied pancakes at his local diner and goes on a killing spree taking on all comers involving the mob and local police (Seth Hart, Dustin Ehrlich, Sarkis Bakalyan, and others). Filled with empty lard and calories of unlikeable characters and a plot that gets more outlandish and ridiculous by the minute. If you make it to the end of this mess, you’ll never want to eat at an IHOP ever again.

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“They Wait In Shadows” (* out of four) was a lifeless psychological thriller about two sisters (Meghan Adara and Jessica Hunt) who return to their family home after the death of their mother (Helen Oakleigh) but soon realize they have accidentally conjured her spirit via a ouija board and (yawn) all Hell breaks loose but not really. Rudderless rehash of routine horror elements with virtually no scares or dramatic interest. There’s a minor surprise at the end but believe me it’s hardly worth “waiting” for.

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“War Machine” (*** out of four) was an absorbing action melodrama about a special-ops boot camp and how one troubled and tough soldier (Alan Ritchson) leads his squadron but soon find they are up against a mysterious and deadly force known as the War Machine and they have to utilize all their survival skills to outsmart it and stay alive. Breathless film is filled with enough hand-to-hand combat, chases, explosions, and jingoistic camaraderie to overcome some of its story and script shortcomings. Ritchson did some of his own stunts and Dennis Quaid is excellent as usual in a minor role as a gunnery sergeant.

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“Normal” (** out of four) was a lukewarm crime melodrama about a small-town sheriff (Ben Odenkirk) temporarily moved to the town of Normal, Minnesota when he is thrust in the midst of a bank robbery that uncovers dark and deadly secrets about the town as a whole. Stark and crisp cinematography from Armando Salas and solid lead performance from Odenkirk keep this on track for a little while but script, story, and characters aren’t really all that compelling. Odenkirk also co-produced and co-wrote.

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“Primate” (** out of four) was a middling horror thriller about a group of friends (Johnny Sequoyah, Jess Alexander, Troy Kotsur, and others) whose tropical vacation turns deadly when a rabid gorilla turns against them and infects them one-by-one leading to their descent into madness. Reasonably well-directed and has a few occasional scares but takes too long to get going and doesn’t pay off enough when it does. Good and spooky music score by Adrian Johnston is a definite plus throughout.

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“Worldbreaker” (** out of four) was a lumbering action adventure about a father (Luke Evans) who hides his daughter (Billie Boullet) on an island away from the rest of the world where he trains her in extensive warfare for the unknown battles ahead. Grand attempt at an old-fashioned adventure story but never gets going and develops the fire and excitement it needs to sustain itself. A disappointing result for director Brad Anderson who directed 2004’s “The Machinist.” Milla Jovovich is wasted as the girl’s mom

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“Obsession” (** out of four) was an overly lurid horror psychodrama about a young man (Michael Johnston) who is granted a pervasive wish in life and is able to win the heart of a girl (Inde Navarrette) he has a crush on but what initially seems like a dream come true turns into a nightmare as he realizes his wish has turned her into an obsessive and menacing killer. Fitfully interesting in parts but soon wears out as film loses itself in cerebral unpleasantness and pretentious plot themes. Another film that (all-too-obviously) shows the influence of early Sam Raimi and also David Lynch. Film won an extensive $15 million bidding war from Focus Features but does not seem to have been worth “obsessing” over.

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“House Sitter” (*1/2 out of four) was an underwhelming horror psychodrama about three friends (Cristina Mendez, Jenna Forcier, Evan Eiglarsh) who are housesitting for a wealthy neighbor (David Varrieur) but soon find that there is (yawn) a brutal serial killer in the house and there is a much a darker conspiracy going on behind the scenes and they all have to band together to escape. Bungled attempts at B-movie humor and some terrible acting make this a chore to watch. No relation to the 1992 Steve Martin/Goldie Hawn comedy of the same name but owes more than a bit to “When A Stranger Calls” and “Desperate Hours.”

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“The Clean Up” (*1/2 out of four) was a pretty grimy urban thriller about a successful drug queenpin (Stacey Nino) who tries to get out of the game and out of the streets and to retire into a successful business but finds that getting out is a nightmare of consequences especially when she falls in love with a new competitor (Devin Lewis). Routine and sleazy story is at least given a boost by Lewis’ strong and stylish supporting turn but is hindered by unpleasant story and mediocre production. Yet another movie obviously inspired by “Belly” and also in particular by Paul Schrader’s 1992 “Light Sleeper.”

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“The Vindicator” (*1/2 out of four) was a vindictively awful pulp horror melodrama dud about a live-streaming podcast on true crime whose host (Chris Maher) and show are invaded by a real-life serial killer (Sean Berube) who challenges and perpetuates the host and a few contestants to nightmarish tasks that lead them all to a deadly battle over who will survive. What initially seems like a lame attempt to parody the irony of reality television and horror turns into a slavish imitation of “Saw” and becomes a heavy-handed mess. Martin Scorcese’s “The King Of Comedy” went over similar elements far more darkly (and entertainingly) over 40 years ago!

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