Movie Reviews

Delicatessen, part of a series of Classic Cinema From Around the World, will be presented at 8 p.m. Friday, March 28, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville. Info: 273-3332.

The Story: A single mother down on her luck travels from Chicago to Georgia for the funeral of the father she never met. The Lowdown: Pretty much your standard Tyler Perry movie, but with a few pleasing moments.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Titus at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 30, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community, 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville. (From Asheville, take I-26 to U.S. 64 West, turn right at the third light onto Thompson Street. Follow to the Lake Point Landing entrance and park in…

The Story: After a car accident, a young couple in Japan are haunted by a vengeful spirit that likes to deface photographic emulsion. The Lowdown: Yet another in the seemingly endless procession of rehashed Asian-horror movies. Dull, derivative and dumb, with only a few good moments to break the monotony.

The Story: Three awkward high-school freshmen hire a budget bodyguard to protect them from the psychotic school bully. The Lowdown: Mildly amusing, but thoroughly predictable and unremarkable.

The Story: Two young men living in the slums of Rio find themselves at odds with warring factions of drug lords. The Lowdown: A frequently intense and powerful drama of friendship and becoming an adult under the worst possible circumstances.

The Story: A documentary about U.S. government use of torture and human-rights violations. The Lowdown: A thoroughly cogent, researched and relevant treatment of a hot-button topic that should be seen by everyone.

Salome's Last Dance, part of a series of Classic Cinema From Around the World, will be presented at 8 p.m. Friday, March 21, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville. Info: 273-3332.

The Story: The new kid at school finds himself in the world of underground martial arts and must learn to fight for what he believes in. The Lowdown: Aimed squarely at undemanding teen audiences, this film is a cheesy, melodramatic look at rich kids and martial arts.

The Story: Slices of life captured by security cameras are presented in such a way as to create a series of connected stories. The Lowdown: A daunting idea that sometimes works, but runs aground through bad acting, flat dialogue and the limitations of the approach.

The Story: Horton the elephant finds himself the protector of an unseen world living on a speck of dust. The Lowdown: Dr. Seuss' classic children's book gets the big-screen treatment with mixed, but fairly enjoyable, results.

The Story: A group of soldiers are sent into quarantined Scotland in search of a possible cure for a virus that threatens the rest of Great Britain. The Lowdown: An over-the-top action thriller that's very nearly as entertaining as it is preposterous -- as long as you don't take it seriously.

The Story: A group of film students find themselves up against an outbreak of zombies. The Lowdown: George A. Romero's politically charged and humbling horror film is strong and nasty medicine. It may also be essential viewing -- at least for those who can take the gore.

Contempt, part of a series of Classic Cinema From Around the World, will be presented at 8 p.m. Friday, March 14, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville. Info: 273-3332.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Too Wise Wives at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 16, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community, 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville. (From Asheville, take I-26 to U.S. 64 West, turn right at the third light onto Thompson Street. Follow to the Lake Point Landing entrance and…

The Story: An unemployable governess finds a life-transforming position as a social secretary. The Lowdown: Style, wit and likable characters carry the day in this generally lightweight, but not brainless, comedy.

The Story: An overprotective father takes his daughter on a 700-mile road trip to visit Georgetown University, during which things go awry and supposed hilarity ensues. The Lowdown: A frequently obnoxious, totally unfunny and ultimately pointless family comedy. Exactly what one might expect from a Martin Lawrence movie.

The Story: A fact-based crime story of the 1971 robbery of the Baker Street branch of Lloyd's Bank -- and the cover-up that ensued. The Lowdown: A neat little heist film that's very nearly a lot more than that, but can't overcome the generic conventions of its middle section.

The Story: When his people are kidnapped by slave traders, a young sort of caveman and his friends mount a rescue party. The Lowdown: Simply put: The most amazing amalgam of idiocy your eyes have ever beheld.

The Story: Set in the '70s, a down-on-its-luck basketball franchise tries to turn its season around so that it can merge with the NBA. The Lowdown: A by-the-book sports movie with a couple of good performances that are dragged down by the grafted-on high jinks of Will Ferrell.

The Story: A girl born with the snout of a pig must find true love in order to lift the curse that caused the problem. The Lowdown: A genial little fairy tale that isn't exactly groundbreaking, but is elevated by style, design and above-average acting.