“The Relaspe” (*1/2 out of four) was a sordid underworld melodrama about a group of friends (Alex Javo, Marlon C. Hayes, Aaliyah Sheffield, and others) who lie, cheat, and double-cross one another with sex, drugs, and murder. Yet another character drama in which none of the characters are likeable (or even interesting) so you don’t care about anything that happens to any of them. Film is only about 53 minutes long but this really is one case where less is more.

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“Do Not Open” (*1/2 out of four) was a flat-footed timewaster about a married couple (Shawn Ray and Marisol Ray) that rent a solitary cabin and are warned to not open a locked door at the end of the hall; as their curiosity and intrigue gets the best of them, the eventually open the door and (yawn) all Hell breaks loose. Well-produced on a low budget but doesn’t save the film from being a bore. “Do Not Watch” would be a better title for this trifle.

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“The Mother’s Eye” (0 stars out of four) was an excruciating mess about a woman (America Sossi) who spends her days wandering around her estate but soon realizes she is not alone and is being stalked and hunted by a vindictive killer (Jamie Grefe). Film mostly consists of nothing more than Sossi wandering around and doing nothing and saying nothing and if that doesn’t sound like anything exciting or terrifying- you wouldn’t be wrong. Star/writer/director/producer/cinematographer/etc Grefe bears almost all of the blame for this unendurable film.

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“This Way To Hell” (*1/2 out of four) was a clunky horror show about a woman (Nikki Carlson) left for dead who makes a demonic pact and seeks revenge against all those who killed her family and goes down the list one-by-one and making sure everyone feels her wrath and pain. Potentially fun story is undone by ham-handed direction and dreadful screenplay. Film is comprised of spare parts of “I Spit On Your Grave”, “Mother’s Day”, and too many others to mention but offers almost nothing in the way of sick thrills or scares.

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“Savage Vengeance” (* out of four) was a savagely awful “reimagining” of the 1993 cult classic about two friends (Roni Jonah and Jasper Evans) who encounter a group of redneck cannibals (Khran Alexander, Adam Freeman, and others) on the run and have to fight to the death for survival. If you make it to the end of this mess, you’ll know exactly how they feel. Terrible filmmaking and low-budget production is matched by equally awful acting. It’s movies like these that make you wish “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Deliverance” were never made.

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“Dragon Wasps” (** out of four) was a cheeky but cheesy B-movie adventure story about a lovely scientist (Dominika Juillet) who ventures deep into the Amazon jungle to investigate the disappearance of her father and becomes swept up in a battle with a brutal guerilla army and giant mutated wasps with only one rogue soldier (Corin Nemec) by her side. Imagine a cross-pollination of “Romancing The Stone” and “The Swarm” and also “Raiders Of The Lost Ark” and you know what to expect of the proceedings. Never escapes or transcends mediocrity but at least it’s relatively fast-moving and engaging.

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“Heart Of A Killer” (*1/2 out of four) was a severely unpleasant pulp psychodrama about a group of friends (Alexander Aiken Jr., Epiphany Anderson, Jazzmon Baker, and others) who lie, cheat, sell drugs, and exploit their way through life to get ahead but soon turn on one another because they soon realize only one can be at the top. Since all of the characters are unlikeable, though, it doesn’t matter who reaches the top or who stays alive or much of anything else. Lots of sex and violence for those who want it but you may feel like taking a shower afterwards.

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“Single Black Female 3: The Final Chapter” (**1/2 out of four) was an engagingly done third entry in this series about Monica (Raven Goodwin) who has been released from prison for wrongfully convicted murder and the focus shifts to new suspect Simone (Amber Riley) but a hard-nosed police detective (K. Michelle) still thinks she may be guilty and is hard on both of their trails. Overall the best entry in the series, thanks to proficient direction and solid acting all around, although contrivances and plot holes prevent it from fully connecting. Could a sequel to “Single White Female” be next?

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“Cold Moon” (*1/2 out of four) was a soulless supernatural suspense thriller about a young woman who is murdered in a small town which leads to a series of distrust amongst the town residents (Josh Stewart, Frank Whaley, Robbie Kay, and others) over whose guilty and who may be hiding secrets. Full of mumbo-jumbo and pretentious gothic themes that result in film drowning in its own dreary excesses. Christopher Lloyd is wasted as a wheelchair-bound elderly. Watch “Bitter Moon” again instead.

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“Unrequited” (** out of four) was a slick but shallow, empty suspense psychodrama about a hotel maid (Zulay Henao) with a dark past who falls in love with a co-worker (Flex Alexander); they immerse themselves in a steamy and erotic affair but this soon leads to a series of consequences of duplicity and deception that makes them and everyone around them second-guess one another. Directed with some style and suave flair by Chris Stokes but is hampered by its routine script and storyline. Never rises above the mire but is better-than-most of its kind.

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