Without cobwebs, creaks, or Victorian parapets, “The Pact” manages to make a grim haunted house out of an average, modern home in suburban California.

The material is ultimately so narrow that I can’t help but feel as though “Killer Legends” is like four half-episodes of “48 Hours Mysteries” strung together for a feature-length film.

“Cropsey” bears all the trappings of a traditional horror tale. Except this is a true-crime thriller with a deeper theme of what takes place when myth melts into materiality.

It doesn’t have anything “new” to say regarding the same human survival scenario that horror has been exploring since Ben and Barbra first went into that Pennsylvania farmhouse in 1968.

Viewers have to prepare for a middling horror anthology that is at least better than “Creepshow 3,” but still leagues below top tier efforts like “V/H/S/2.”

The movie comes close to competing on a level with “The Descent” ... although some subtle missteps keep “Beneath” on a mostly steady simmer instead of allowing it to heat up to a full sizzle.

In being so patently rote and broadly bland, it misses out on having any bite, wit, or snap that can otherwise make a mediocre monster movie moderately charming.

If the dumb hiking woman forced me at gunpoint to watch one of these films again, I would choose “Bunnyman” simply because its idiocy is mildly laughable, whereas the sequel’s is just annoyingly pointless.

“City of Lust” is flawed, occasionally bewildering, and often cheesy.  Yet somehow, it has a “je ne sais quoi” appeal I can’t quite put my finger on.

The B-movie interludes are the primary creative hook for the story, and they don’t do anything to increase interest in the film, much less read as authentic period pieces.

Previously known by the title “Rehab,” “The Addicted” doesn’t just waste the viewer’s time, it also wastes its own.

“Deep in the Darkness” won’t have you reaching for a pen and paper to write mom a letter, but it is a better thriller from Chiller Films than the usual beast beneath the sea/trees/earth mill runner.

I’ve already written over 1,300 words, which is about double my average review length, (and) I still have two more pages of notes on everything wrong with “Bunnyman.”

“Oculus” is not a movie about visceral violence or showcasing frights for eyes only. I anticipated thoughtful psychological drama, and that is what “Oculus” delivers in spades.

With production design, sound, and cinematography carefully developed for teeth-clenching mood, ("Inside" crafts) an exquisite horror show of sensational sights featuring horrors both eye-popping and eye-covering.

“Hunting the Legend” has little to show for originality or wow factor, but it does have respectable heart from filmmakers wisely avoiding a reach beyond their means.

... what we have instead is a “nothing more, nothing less” movie about two handfuls of nondescript characters patiently waiting their turns at being eaten alive by a monster with no purpose other than to rend human flesh.

By its end, “Alpha Alert” settles into a groove as an average thriller with a few minor highlights, yet no compelling reason to ever watch or mention it again, if it is even worth seeking out the first time.

“Avenged” has something to say about predatory behavior and racism, and says it in a way that is respectful of the content while remaining effective as horror entertainment.

By concentrating on strong scripting and well-plotted design that can outmatch the restrictions of its production scope, “Absentia” never steps outside the reach of its modest capabilities.