I think this year the reflection process has been ramped up by virtue of the death of film historian and collector Forrest J Ackerman at the beginning of December.
Author: Ken Hanke
Showing 3277-3297 of 5225 results
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Story: Benjamin Button is born with all the attributes of a man in his 80s, but the catch is that he ages in reverse, becoming ever younger as the years pass. The Lowdown: A sometimes charming fantasy made with a good deal of technical panache, but one that's strangely lacking in the kind of…
The Tale of Despereaux
The Story: A fearless little mouse sets out to make big changes in the dismal land of Dor in order to please a princess. The Lowdown: A perfectly acceptable, but far from exciting animated film that should be fine for kids and reasonably painless for those accompanying them.
Doubt
The Story: The head nun at a Catholic school in 1964 harbors suspicions -- that become confirmed in her own mind -- about the relationship of the priest and one of her students. The Lowdown: A wholly intelligent, entertaining and thought-provoking film showcasing a powerhouse of acting talent at their best.
Seven Pounds
The Story: A guilt-ridden IRS agent tries to find salvation for his past by helping others. The Lowdown: A patently ridiculous weepie that constantly mistakes contrivance for profundity and has little connection to even marginal reality.
‘Pink Floyd The Wall’ comes to town
Don’t ask me how or where they got it, but Asheville Pizza and Brewing has come up with a 35mm print of Alan Parker’s Pink Floyd The Wall.
Cranky Hanke’s Screening Room: Christmas with Jolie (the real one)
For the past several years I’ve been asked to come up with holiday viewing suggestions at this time of year. This year you’re on your own. Instead, I’ll tell you what I’m planning on watching and let it go at that.
Synecdoche, New York
The Story: A would-be visionary tries -- for years -- to stage his ever-growing, ever-changing masterpiece. The Lowdown: A singularly strange movie that requires both patience and considerable work from the viewer. Only for those looking for a film that challenges them -- and whether you like it or not, it's hard to deny that…
Nothing Like the Holidays
The Story: A Puerto Rican family gets together at the family home in Chicago's Humboldt Park for Christmas. Things are revealed. The Lowdown: Predictable, flat, rather boring waste of a good cast in a trite dysfunctional-family yarn.
Let the Right One In
The Story: The life of a bullied, put-upon, lonely 12-year-old boy is changed forever when he gets a new neighbor who turns out to be a vampire, more or less his own age. The Lowdown: A brilliant, chilling, often sad and thoughtful horror film that delivers the genre goods, while offering considerably more in the…
Slumdog Millionaire
The Story: A poor young man -- a "slumdog" -- goes on a game show and proceeds to win a fortune, but the question arises as to whether or not he cheated. The Lowdown: A truly magnificent film to be savored -- funny, intense, moving, warmly human and done with enough style for at least…
The Day the Earth Stood Still
The Story: A visitor from outer space lands in Central Park to make way for the destruction of humanity. The Lowdown: A low-grade -- and incredibly unexciting -- attempt to cash in on a famous title by "improving" it with more special effects, color photography and colorless characters.
Camila
Camila, part of a series of Classic Cinema From Around the World, will be presented at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville. Info: 273-3332.
Cranky Hanke’s Screening Room: My 20 most memorable movie characters, pt. 2
As promised last week, here is the top half of my top 20 characters/performances.
Nobel Son
The Story: An egomaniacal Nobel Prize winner finds his $2 million in prize money being lost as the ransom for his kidnapped son. The Lowdown: A tragically unhip attempt at hipness that misunderstands everything it tries to copy in terms of quirky dark comedy. Its watchability factor depends entirely on one's fondness for Alan Rickman.
Milk
The Story: Biographical film about gay activist Harvey Milk that charts his life from San Francisco camera-store owner through his rise to political office holder to his assassination at the hands of former council member Dan White. The Lowdown: A spectacularly detailed, warmly human and emotionally charged film centered on an astonishing Sean Penn performance…
Punisher: War Zone
The Story: The Punisher goes after master criminal Jigsaw to protect the widow of an FBI agent and prevent an influx of terrorist-ready weapons from entering the hands of New York City's apparently thriving community of Islamic extremists. The Lowdown: Trashy, overstated, witlessly violent, borderline incoherent and predictable to the point of boredom.
The Son of the Bride
The Son of the Bride, part of a series of Classic Cinema From Around the World, will be presented at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville. Info: 273-3332.
Cranky Hanke’s Screening Room: My 20 most memorable movie characters, pt. 1
The results are certainly not geared to maximum recognition value. But they do reflect 20 movie characters I find indelibly imprinted on my cinematic psyche.
Four Christmases
The Story: When their holiday getaway flight is canceled, a couple is forced to spend Christmas with their improbable families. The Lowdown: Now's the time to unwrap that fruitcake your aunt sent five years ago. It is bound to be fresher than this.
Australia
The Story: A prim Englishwoman teams up with a rough Australian drover to save her murdered husband's cattle ranch from financial ruin. Romance and World War II follow. The Lowdown: A deliberately unrealistic, larger-than-life old-school epic that's constantly engaging, beautiful to look at and more emotionally engaging than it probably has a right to be.…