The Story: A completely amoral, world-weary hit man goes to Bangkok for a final job, only to discover morals and the price that comes with them. The Lowdown: An unbearably stupid action picture that wants to be a profound neo-noir character piece, but winds up completely missing the mark.

The Story: Another in a series of movies filled with random pop-culture references from the same guys who brought you Meet the Spartans. The Lowdown: A home-lobotomy kit would be more fun and possibly less detrimental.

The Story: A man who may or may not be a double agent aligns himself with a terrorist group who are out to make a devastating attack on the U.S. The Lowdown: Don Cheadle -- and to a lesser extent, Guy Pearce -- provide the main reason to see this overly complicated terrorist movie that…

Live Flesh, part of a series of Classic Cinema From Around the World, will be presented at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville. Info: 273-3332.

The Story: A mercenary attempts to transport a girl with mystical powers to her mother who heads up a religious order in New York City. The Lowdown: Vin Diesel -- complete with an extra chin -- is back. Why is open to question. Rent Children of Men instead.

The Story: An examination of the complexity of the years-long relationship between an aging college professor and his former student. The Lowdown: Rich performances, a literate script and quietly precise direction anchor this character study that offers significant rewards to the viewer looking for something of substance.

The Story: A dying man returns to his old neighborhood, where overly friendly neighbors and a stain that may or may not be of religious significance intrude on his elephants' graveyard approach to death. The Lowdown: A reasonably pleasant, but undistinguished examination of faith and the nature of faith. It's unlikely to persuade anyone of…

The Hendersonville Film Society will show The Passion of Joan of Arc at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7, 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…

The Story: In the near future, a former race-car driver is railroaded into participating in the lethal Death Race television show -- with both his freedom and his life at stake. The Lowdown: A competently made, violent action movie that delivers what it promises and little else.

The Story: A Brit wine snob with a failing shop in Paris arranges a blind wine-tasting competition between French and California wines -- with an all-French panel of experts. The Lowdown: Based on fact and drowned in TV-movie level dramatic embellishments, this little indie offering has one thing going for it -- Alan Rickman --…

The Story: An overage rock drummer gets another chance at stardom by playing for his nephew's high-school band. Marginal mirth ensues. The Lowdown: Like the character he plays in the film, Rainn Wilson gets a shot at stardom in this blandly inoffensive comedy. Unlike the character, he doesn't make it.

The Story: When a Playboy bunny gets thrown out of the mansion, she finds a purpose in life by becoming housemother to a sorority in need of her special knowledge. The Lowdown: Derivative, predictable, indifferently made and not terribly funny, still The House Bunny has such a sweetness of spirit that it's hard to actually…

Volver, part of a series of Classic Cinema From Around the World, will be presented at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville. Info: 273-3332.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show The Wind and the Lion at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 31, 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…

Deadly Prey will be shown by TV Eye's Weird Wednesdays on Aug. 27 at 9:30 p.m. at Asheville Brewing Company on Coxe Ave.

What Have I Done to Deserve This?, part of a series of Classic Cinema From Around the World, will be presented at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville. Info: 273-3332.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Limelight at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24, 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: A suspended cop gets a job guarding a burnt-out department store, where the mirrors are not your average mirrors. The Lowdown: Supremely stylish and atmospheric horror -- with a fair gore quotient -- that doesn't always work as well as it might, but gets extra points for being genuine horror and not another…