Movie Reviews

Dark Habits is part of a series of Classic Cinema From Around the World being presented at 8 p.m. Friday, May 18, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville (enter at Walnut next to Scully's or at 13 Carolina Lane).

The Story: Spider-Man is back for more adventures -- and personal angst -- with a new set of villains. The Lowdown: Unless you're a dyed-in-the-wool fan, this is an overstuffed, underdeveloped, overlong, lumbering behemoth of a movie that just never takes flight.

The Story: Estranged father and son, both compulsive gamblers, face off against each other in the World Series of Poker. The Lowdown: A wayward, badly conceived gambling drama that thinks it's a romantic comedy and ends up wasting a good cast.

M*A*S*H, Nashville and The Player comprise a Robert Altman retrospective being hosted by film historian Peter Loewer in Lord Auditorium at Pack Memorial Library. M*A*S*H screens Monday, May 14; Nashville Tuesday, May 15; and The Player Wednesday, May 16. All films begin at 6 p.m.

M*A*S*H, Nashville and The Player comprise a Robert Altman retrospective being hosted by film historian Peter Loewer in Lord Auditorium at Pack Memorial Library. M*A*S*H screens Monday, May 14; Nashville Tuesday, May 15; and The Player Wednesday, May 16. All films begin at 6 p.m.

M*A*S*H, Nashville and The Player comprise a Robert Altman retrospective being hosted by film historian Peter Loewer in Lord Auditorium at Pack Memorial Library. M*A*S*H screens Monday, May 14; Nashville Tuesday, May 15; and The Player Wednesday, May 16. All films begin at 6 p.m.

Last Stop for Paul is being presented by the Twin Rivers Media Festival as its winning feature at 8 p.m. Friday, May 11, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville (enter at Walnut next to Scully's or at 13 Carolina Lane). Short film winner, the quirky Moondance, will also be screened at this…

The Twin Rivers Media Festival Short Films will be shown at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 5, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville (enter at Walnut next to Scully's or at 13 Carolina Lane). A selection of animated films will also be shown from 3 to 5 p.m. and from 5:30 p.m.…

The Story: A cheesy Vegas magician who can see two minutes into the future is recruited by the FBI to thwart a terrorist attack on L.A. The Lowdown: Another silly Nicolas Cage movie. Maybe even sillier than Cage's recent turn as Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider, and because of that a little more fun.

The Story: A woman becomes an animal rights activist after her dog dies. The Lowdown: A depressing muddle of a movie full of unpleasant characters and phony situations.

Talking Tall will be shown for one show only on Thursday, May 3, at 9:30 p.m. at Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company, 675 Merrimon Avenue.

The Superhero is being presented by the Twin Rivers Media Festival at 8 p.m. Friday, May 4, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville (enter at Walnut next to Scully's or at 13 Carolina Lane).

The Story: A freak break-dancing accident lands a kid in a coma from which he awakes at the age of 32 to a very changed world. The Lowdown: Flat, insipid, uninspired, unfunny and frankly pathetic.

The Story: A young man is attacked and left for dead by a gang of thugs, leaving him in a limbo state that can only be fixed if his spirit -- which no one can see or hear -- can lead someone to his body. The Lowdown: Mismarketed as a horror picture (it isn't one),…

The Story: A sleazy TV producer gathers a group of death-row convicts and places them on a remote island, where they must fight to the death so that their exploits can be broadcast over the Internet. The Lowdown: A surprisingly competent film from World Wrestling Entertainment Films that's fine for what it is, though that…

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Broken Blossoms at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 6, 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: A Jewish girl becomes a spy for the Dutch resistance during World War II. The Lowdown: A wildly entertaining, exciting WWII thriller with complex characters and a fresh outlook.

The Story: A divorce-bound couple trapped in a motel room discover they're next in a long line of guests to participate in the manager's snuff film enterprise. The Lowdown: A down and dirty thrill ride that could have been worse, but is pretty undistinguished.

The Story: A Russian boy set to be adopted by an Italian couple sets out to find his real mother. The Lowdown: Small-scale drama with comedic touches that's enlivened by sharp characterizations and terrific performances.

The Story: A young man nursing a broken heart goes to take care of his grandmother and becomes involved with the family across the street. The Lowdown: A predictable, sometimes awkward film, but not without its pleasures, thanks to likable characters and a good cast.

The Story: Hotshot police officer Nicholas Angel is transferred to a peaceful English village where he discovers a lot of murder most foul being passed off as a rash of accidents. The Lowdown: Hysterical, splattery fun that spoofs action movies -- and then some.