Movie Reviews

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, part of a series of Classic Cinema From Around the World, will be presented at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 16, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville. Info: 273-3332.

Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People will be presented by the Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition and Southwings at Diana Wortham Theater Friday, Jan. 16. The event starts with a reception with filmmakers Jamie Ross and Ross Spears at 6 p.m., followed by a 7 p.m. panel discussion and the screening of the film. Admission…

The Hendersonville Film Society will show So Ends Our Night at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 18, 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…

The Story: A composer for advertisements goes to London for his daughter's wedding where he finds a shot at a new life thanks to a perpetually disappointed woman he meets. The Lowdown: A low-key romantic charmer that knows the wisdom of brevity and the power of charismatic stars.

The Story: Two best friends, who have a falling out over a mistake in booking a wedding venue, proceed to sabotage each other's wedding. The Lowdown: Unfunny, unromantic, unlikable and seemingly interminable even at a scant 91 minutes.

The Story: A girl finds herself plagued by strange visions and learns that an evil entity is determined to take over her body. The Lowdown: An interesting concept falls prey to stock exorcism shenanigans, unintended humor and laughably enjoyable shock effects.

The Story: A fact-based story centered around the Bielski brothers and their attempts to save Jews from the Nazis in the Belarussian woods during WWII. The Lowdown: At once too earnest and too prone to being an action/adventure movie, Defiance works in bits and pieces, which may be enough for many viewers.

The Story: An aging racist Korean War vet becomes attached to the troubled Asian family that moves in next door. The Lowdown: More myth-busting drama from Clint Eastwood. A strong concept, but it's mired in clichéd scripting, bad dialogue, indifferent filmmaking and some unpersuasive performances.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show The Elephant Man at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11, 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…

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