August at the box office can be a terrible, terrible time. Last week's abysmal opening of "Fantastic Four" certainly proves the theory. But if you're looking for movie solace on home video, you better dig past the slate of worthless new releases.

Like I did at the beginning of the summer, here's a brief rundown of all the lousy things I saw on DVD recently.

Seventh Son

Two Oscar winners make a slew of horrible acting choices in this limp fantasy epic about witches and the surly men who hunt/love them. Hey, Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore: I hope the paycheck was worth the embarrassment. Grade: F

Insurgent

Part two in the "Divergent" series and just as forgettable as the first film. Great actresses Shailene Woodley, Kate Winslet and Naomi Watts have nothing to do in this "Hunger Games" wannabe franchise. Grade: C

Jupiter Ascending

Everything bad you've heard about this science-fiction epic from the Wachowskis (creators of "The Matrix") is true. Channing Tatum plays an alien dog man who helps a human housekeeper (Mila Kunis) take over the throne of some random CGI world. Newly minted Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne also gives an awful performance as some pencil-necked baddie with a weird voice. Still, the Wachowskis know how to craft unique set pieces, and the script is more funny-bad than boring bad. Grade: B-, but I'm guessing most people will hate it.

Get Hard

While Kevin Hart continues to be a hilarious and energetic presence onscreen, his movies continue to wallow in mediocrity. Will Ferrell strains for laughs as a corporate drone framed for white collar crimes. He falsely assumes Hart has been to prison and asks for tips in avoiding all the stuff you saw on that HBO show, "Oz." A few crude laughs here and there, but mostly it's another uneven entry for the two funnymen. Grade: C+

Run All Night

Another day, another mildly entertaining Liam Neeson thriller. He plays a drunken ex-hitman trying to keep his son safe from a ruthless mobster bent on revenge (Ed Harris). At least Neeson and Harris share a few good scenes, and there's a solid car chase in the middle of the movie. Grade: B-

The DUFF

A preposterous teen comedy about the made-up concept of the Designated Ugly Fat Friend, who serves as a buffer between weirdos and the hot people in a group of friends. A few problems: Mae Whitman ("Arrested Development," "Parenthood") is neither ugly or fat (the movie explains away the harshness of the phrase), and the script is riddled with annoying social media references that will be outdated in six months. Whitman is charming though, and the adult cast, including the great Allison Janney, have a few moments. Grade: C

Barely Lethal

Hailee Steinfeld is a teenage spy who just wants to go to high school and kiss boys. Samuel L. Jackson (practically asleep) is her handler. Take out the occasional swear word and this thing belongs on the Disney Channel. Fun fact: Both "Barely Lethal" and "The DUFF" contain a clothing-related montage set to the song, "Bad Reputation." Grade: C

Project Almanac

A group of smart/hipster teens (Ugh) discover plans for a time-travel machine in this found-footage (double UGH) thriller produced by Michael Bay (Ugh x3). Time travel movies can be fun as long as you don't hyper-focus on the nonsense "rules." This one is diverting nonsense hindered by its shaky, pointless found-footage style. Grade: C+

Unfinished Business

Vince Vaughn stars in this comedy (?) about three salesmen of a startup company competing for a deal against their old employers. The movie plays mental disability for laughs in the form of Dave Franco's young salesman character. Take him out of the equation, and the movie is still terrible. Grade: D+

"It Follows" and

"Ex Machina"

For a change of pace, here are two excellent genre films best seen while knowing as little as possible about them. "It Follows," is an unnervingly tense horror film that makes some interesting statements about teenage relationships. "Ex Machina" is a slickly made drama about advanced robotics and nothing less than the human condition.

You'll thank me for the vague descriptions later. Watch these movies and nothing else listed in this column. Summer is too short for lousy movies.

Tyler Wilson can be reached at [email protected].