Author:   Ken Hanke

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Becket at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 22 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 model is kidnapped and tortured by an unknown madman. The Lowdown: Low on scares, high in laughs that oughtn't be there and tarted up with random gore and perversity.

Playing at 9:30 p.m. only July 20-26 at Fine Arts Theatre.

Tortilla Soup is part of a series of Classic Cinema From Around the World being presented at 8 p.m. Friday, July 20 at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville. For more information call 273-3332.

The Story: An alcoholic hit man has to get his act together or face extinction by the mob who can no longer depend on him. The Lowdown: Black comedy -- with a touch of refreshing romance -- that scores on nearly every point with standout performances by Ben Kingsley and Tea Leoni.

Walk-in Theatre is presented by Orbit DVD and the merchants of the Bledsoe Building, in the parking lot behind the Bledsoe Building in West Asheville at dark on Friday, July 13. Free.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Cyrano de Bergerac at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 15 in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community, 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.

The Story: New developments take place at Hogwarts School as the Ministry of Magic sets out to discredit Harry and headmaster Albus Dumbledore and their claims that Lord Voldemort has returned. The Lowdown: Rich, dark and very sinister, this is a terrific addition to the series.

If... is part of a series of Classic Cinema From Around the World being presented at 8 p.m. Friday, July 13 at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville. For more information call 273-3332.

The Story: In order to get married in the church of their choice, a young couple have to submit to the pastor's peculiar pre-marital course. The Lowdown: Monumentally unfunny and even downright disturbing. Hostel: Part II had more laughs.

The Story: A Dublin street musician meets a young Czech woman and the two become a song-writing duo. The Lowdown: A sweet, simple, charming film that overcomes its limitations to become a truly fine work.

The Story: Giant robots from outerspace battle each other to either save or destroy the earth. The Lowdown: Unbearably long, loud and pointless exercise in CGI destruction aimed at '80s nostalgia for a popular line of toys.

The Story: A dying woman (Vanessa Redgrave) remembers the life-defining events of a wedding of a friend 50 years earlier. The Lowdown: Pretty pictures and a powerhouse cast can't overcome the lack of dramatic tension in this noble failure of a movie.

The Story: Detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) teams up with a geeky computer hacker (Justin Long) to bring down an evil genius out to destroy the U.S. via computer. The Lowdown: A preposterously fun, adrenalin-rush-oriented actioner that's probably the summer's most pleasurable guilty pleasure.

The Story: Michael Moore takes on the U.S. health care system. The Lowdown: Entertaining, but more sober-minded and subdued than usual, Moore's latest continues to prove he knows how to make documentaries that work.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Sleuth at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 8, 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…

A Zed and Two Noughts is part of a series of Classic Cinema From Around the World being presented at 8 p.m. Friday, July 6, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville (enter at Walnut next to Scully's or at 13 Carolina Lane.) Info: 273-3332.

The Story: An author of books that explore hauntings finds much more than he bargained for in room 1408 of an old hotel. The Lowdown: Largely unsurprising, but a finely crafted and effective horror thriller that succeeds in being creepy without being repellent.

The Story: The life story of iconic French singer Edith Piaf. The Lowdown: Despite a sense of trying to cover too much ground, this biopic has moments of true greatness centered around a wholly remarkable performance by Marion Cotillard as Piaf.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Babe at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 1, 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…

Character is part of a series of Classic Cinema From Around the World being presented at 8 p.m. Friday, June 29, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville (enter at Walnut next to Scully's or at 13 Carolina Lane.) Info: 273-3332.