I recently had the pleasure of talking to filmmaker Nash Edgerton about his film The Square, which opens in Asheville on Friday. I have to say I understood the film a little better after our conversation, especially as to why it’s so short on dialogue. Why? Well, Nash Edgerton isn’t the most talkative person I’ve […]
Author: Ken Hanke
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The 2010 Twin Rivers Media Festival
Once again, the Twin Rivers Media Festival is upon us. And once again, festival director Carlos Steward (the man behind World Cinema) has managed to line up an impressive array of films for the event, which runs from Friday, May 28, through Sunday, May 30, at the Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St., in downtown Asheville. […]
Cranky Hanke’s Weekly Reeler May 26-June 1: Sand, sex and some good stuff, too
Yeah, you got sex in the city and sand in the desert this week. Come to think of it, you’ve got sex in the sand, given that the Sex and the City ladies venture into exotic desert locales for Sex and the City 2. I can’t say I’m all that jazzed about either it or Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, but there are a couple non-mainstream items that more than make up for it.
Cranky Hanke’s Screening Room: As promised—more on the Asheville Film Society
I don’t know when the idea first came up, or if it came to me in a passing hallucination or what. I do know that for years I’ve posed the question, “Why doesn’t Ashevile have a film society?” The response has always been the same: it won’t work, it’s been tried, it’s bound to end in tears, etc. Being stubborn by nature I never quite bought that answer.
Robin Hood
The Story: The story of how Robin Longstride came to be Robin Hood. The Lowdown: A good cast, solid production values and spectacular battle scenes can't really overcome the fact that the movie spends two-plus hours to establish what earlier versions of Robin Hood did in a scene or two.
Just Wright
The Story: A romantic comedy about a woman who loses a potential NBA-star boyfriend to her golddigging best friend -- until an accident changes things. The Lowdown: A truly pleasant romantic comedy with nicely drawn characters, stylish direction and one luminous star.
Mid-August Lunch
The Story: A beleagured man with a demanding aged mother finds himself babysitting three additional elderly ladies over a holiday weekend. The Lowdown: A leisurely, but utterly charming and true little comedy that hits all the right notes without trying too hard.
Gothic
The Thursday Horror Picture Show will screen Gothic Thursday, May 20, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of the Carolina Asheville and will be hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther.
Matewan
Classic Cinema From Around the World will present Matewan at 8 p.m. Friday, May 21, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St., in downtown Asheville. Info: 273-3332.
Arranged
The Hendersonville Film Society will show Arranged at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 23, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas), 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.
Blood Simple
The Asheville Film Society will screen Blood Simple Tuesday, May 25, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of the Carolina Asheville and will be hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther.
The Asheville Film Society Takes Flight
The idea of a local film society has been flying around for years, but for one reason or another, it has never gotten off the ground. Now – in part due to the response to the Thursday Horror Picture Show – the Asheville Film Society is finally a reality. The AFS is being set up […]
Cranky Hanke’s Weekly Reeler May 19-25: What’s big and green and in need of redemption?
Well, Robin Hood gave Iron Man 2 competition, but it fell short of unseating it. And somewhat disappointingly, Robin Hood didn’t even turn out to be dressed in green. That won’t be a problem this week: We’ve got a character who is himself green.
Cranky Hanke’s Screening Room: So we started this podcast—and a couple random musings
Indulge me this week as I indulge myself by addressing—in a wandering manner—a few unrelated topics instead of focusing on something specific. It may seem like a lack of inspiration, but it really has more to do with working on a couple of more elaborate Screening Rooms that have yet to have permitted themselves the luxury of being completed.
Iron Man 2
The Story: Iron Man returns to take on new villains, new personal complications and government pressure to co-opt his technology. The Lowdown: A vastly entertaining movie with strong characters and wit to keep it as -- or more -- interesting in its plotting as in its action set pieces.
Vincere
The Story: The story of Benito Mussolini's discarded and disowned early lover, possible first wife and mother of his first son, and her obsession with the Fascist dictator. The Lowdown: A rich, wildly creative, boldly operatic, almost phantasmagorical film that is a must-see despite a few notable flaws.
Cromwell
The Hendersonville Film Society will show Cromwell at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 16, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas), 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.
Blind Shaft
Classic Cinema From Around the World will present Blind Shaft at 8 p.m. Friday, May 14, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St., in downtown Asheville. Info: 273-3332.
The Exorcist III
The Thursday Horror Picture Show will screen The Exorcist III Thursday, May 13, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of the Carolina Asheville and will be hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther.
Cranky Hanke’s Weekly Reeler May 12-18: Can a guy in green tights take down Iron Man?
Probably the best thing opening this week is Vincere, which starts Friday at the Carolina and the review for which is in this week’s Xpress. I won’t say more here except to note that it’s remarkable. The big deal in terms of mainstream releases, however, is Robin Hood—and the question of whether he can go best two falls out of three with Iron Man.
Cranky Hanke’s Screening Room: On hating movies
We’re all guilty of saying it, I think. “God, I hated that movie” is a phrase that just rolls off the tongue. I’ve certainly said it myself, but isn’t “hate” an awfully strong word—and an even stronger emotion—to expend on a movie? Step back for a moment and think about it. Isn’t this giving a lot of bad movies simply a lot more power than they could possibly deserve?