Author:   Ken Hanke

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Copying Beethoven at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 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…

The Story: The Fantastic Four must defeat the Silver Surfer who has come to prepare Earth for destruction by his master. The Lowdown: Old-style comic-book cheese that might appeal to fans of the comics, but is of doubtful value to anyone else.

The Story: Teen sleuth Nancy Drew sets out to solve an old murder mystery in Hollywood. The Lowdown: Neither as bad as it looked from the trailer, nor as good as a Nancy Drew movie might be, the movie tries too many identities and has none of its own.

The Story: A collection of short films by an array of world-class directors and actors on the topic of love in the city of Paris. The Lowdown: A thoroughly delightful, beautiful film with scarcely a false note. A must-see for lovers of movies.

Robert Rauschenberg: Man at Work will be presented for one show only at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 21, at the Fine Arts Theatre.

Y Tu Mamá También is part of a series of Classic Cinema From Around the World being presented at 8 p.m. Friday, June 22, 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 Hendersonville Film Society will show The Arrangement at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 17, 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…

The Story: Three American tourists are bamboozled into going to Slovakia where they're slated to be tortured to death by jaded rich guys. The Lowdown: Basically it's Hostel all over again, with all the mind-numbing torture and sadism that implies.

How I Won the War is part of a series of Classic Cinema From Around the World being presented at 8 p.m. Friday, June 15, 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: Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and the gang go into action to get even with an unscrupulous gambler-casino boss who crossed an old friend. The Lowdown: A clever, witty, soufflé of a movie that rights all the wrongs of its immediate predecessor and then some.

The Story: A young penguin pursues his dream of becoming a champion surfer in this faux documentary. The Lowdown: Clever, but only occasionally inspired, this latest penguin-centered animated film affords quiet amusement and the usual life lessons.

The Story: A serial killer who has kept himself in check for two years is goaded back into action by his alter ego. The Lowdown: Overplotted to the point of insanity, Mr. Brooks starts out as a kind of thinking man's thriller before descending into entertaining nonsense.

The Story: When an upscale professional woman gets pregnant thanks to a one-night stand with an unmotivated slacker, she decides to try to make a go of a relationship with him. The Lowdown: An often very funny film that goes on too long for its own good. Pay attention to the title and the R…

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Royal Flash at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 10, 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…

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

Walk-In Theater presents So I Married an Axe Murderer at dusk on Friday, June 8, in the parking lot behind the Bledsoe Building in West Asheville. Admission is free. Please leave pets and alcohol at home. Sponsored by Orbit DVD and the merchants of the Bledsoe Building. Info: 251-1337.

The Story: A car park attendant is paid to pose as the boyfriend of a model in order to throw a wealthy businessman's wife off the track of her husband's infidelity. The Lowdown: A little gossamer confection from French filmmaker Francis Veber that more than gets by on style and wit.

The Story: A pregnant waitress -- and creator of fanciful pies -- with an abusive husband finds herself in a relationship with her married obstetrician. The Lowdown: A film of some charm that overcomes its sometimes significant mistakes thanks to its leads and an often fresh point of view.

The Story: A delusional Gulf War vet and a lonely woman forge a mutually destructive bond and descend into insanity. The Lowdown: Extremely well made and acted, William Friedkin's Bug is a sometimes brilliant, always compelling film that's probably too depressingly effective for its own good.

The Naked City is being screened at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 2, and Sunday, June 3, at the Asheville Art Museum, 2 Pack Square South. Admission to the museum is $6. Students and Seniors are $5. Movies are free with museum admission.

O Lucky Man! is part of a series of Classic Cinema From Around the World being presented at 8 p.m. Friday, June 1, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville (enter at Walnut next to Scully's or at 13 Carolina Lane).