“The River Wild” (*1/2 out of four) was an inferior in-name-only remake of the 1994 “classic” about a pair of distrustful siblings (Leighton Meester and Taram Killam) who go on a white-water rafting trip with a group of childhood friends, one of whom (Adam Brody) turns out to be a treacherous psycho who makes this into a very long and dangerous expedition. Film takes forever to get going and covers all-too-familiar terrain once it does; there was more nuance and character development and fierce action in the original even though that had weaknesses of its own. Meester is solid in the lead but obviously won’t make anyone forget Meryl Streep.

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“Assault On Hill 400” (*1/2 out of four) was a lumbering historical WWII drama about a group of misfit American soldiers and lieutenants (William Baldwin, Michael Madsen, Eric Roberts, Collin Arend, and others) who are tasked with overtaking Hill 400 which was the Reich’s highest ground for artillery and death. Pretty standard and basic war drama without much human dimension or visceral excitement; of interest to war-film completists only. Good character actors Madsen and Baldwin and Roberts are wasted in minor roles.

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“Haunted Mansion” (** out of four) was a thinly conceived horror comedy about a single mom (Rosario Dawson) who hires a variety of religious and spiritual folks (Danny Devito, Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, and others) to exorcise her new mansion when she finds it’s inhabited by ghosts. Lots of expensive effects but little story or wonder (or laughs) to hang them on. Game cast helps to try to keep it watchable but film itself is “haunted” by the memories of the similar (and better) “Casper” and “Ghostbusters.”

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“Beware The Night Nurse” (*1/2 out of four) was a stultifying pile of used thriller cliches about a family (Bryce Jones and Vittoria Setta) who hire a nurse (Maeve Quinlan) to attend to their child but soon realize that she is a sociopathic sicko who wants the child for herself. Hard to believe almost the same story could be recycled by 2 separate movies in the same week but seeing is unfortunately believing. Some scenes here may actually remind you of William Friedkin’s “The Guardian”!

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“Devious Deeds” (*1/2 out of four) was a deviously dull thriller about a nanny (Valentina Andrade) who is hired by a wealthy family (Dawn Nagazina and D. Adam Jamieson) to care for their child but soon comes to realize there is something sinister and vindictive underneath their friendly veneer. Yet another by-the-numbers thriller made for those who’ve never seen a thriller or are desperate to watch anything in Redbox. Originally titled “Don’t Kill The Babysitter” but probably should have been titled “Don’t Bother” instead.

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“Sympathy For The Devil” (* out of four) was a grating misfire about a mysterious passenger (Nicholas Cage) who holds up a driver (Joel Kinnaman) at gunpoint and forces him to drive him around to a destination unknown and the driver has to find a way to physically and psychologically turn the tables on him and survive. In-your-face and irritating performance from Cage harks back to his earlier works (“Vampire’s Kiss”, “Peggy Sue Got Married”) and Kinnaman is blank and bland. Tough going all the way. For a far better execution of the same story, watch Michael Mann’s “Collateral” instead.

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“The Unseen” (*1/2 out of four) was a vapid horror thriller about a law student (RJ Mitte) with significant medical and mental health issues who finds himself mired in a web of deceit and murder brought on by a dark force from his past that he needs to bury once and for all before it destroys his future. Earnestly directed but overall pretty plodding and dull. Mitte is good in a difficult role but this one will deservedly be “unseen” by most moviegoers. No relation to the same-titled film which was only released last month.

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“Mother, May I?” (*1/2 out of four) was a misbegotten suspense thriller about a woman (Holland Roden) who starts behaving erratically like the deceased mother of her fiancee (Kyle Gallner) which incurs him to realize that she may need the strengthening of an exorcism to expunge her spiritual demons and send them back to Hell. Yet another recycled amount of claptrap hooey from “The Exorcist”, “Paranormal Activity”, and too many others. Good for some unintentional laughs but not much else. Time for this genre to go back to Hell once and for all where it belongs.

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“Splinter” (** out of four) was a half-hearted psychological melodrama about a recluse (Bill Fellows) who retreats from the rest of the world after the murder of his wife and son into his large house but soon becomes convinced that someone in there is watching him. Is he losing his mind or are these delusions based on reality? Strong lead performance from Fellows and some undeniably poignant moments are stifled by film’s overall tedium and meandering pace.

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“Limbo” (** out of four) was a muted mystery melodrama about a burned-out detective (Simon Baker) who arrives in the title town to investigate and re-open the case of a murdered girl 20 years ago and finds that various new truths and identities begin to unveil themselves and he has to battle his own psychological demons while trying to solve the case once and for all. Moody black-and-white cinematography by director Ivan Sen is a highlight but is only window-dressing for what is otherwise a plodding and routine story. Baker is sold in the lead but is drowned out by film’s solemnity and torpor.

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