Movie Reviews

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Man Hunt at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, 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 rock guitar masters -- Jimmy Page, The Edge, Jack White -- discuss their beginnings and get together to discuss their art. The Lowdown: A simple concept that works because the film at least offers the feeling that you're seeing its subjects at their most unguarded.

The Story: A womanizer takes his two best friends on an ill-fated trip to a strip club for a bachelor party. The Lowdown: A dull attempt at R-rated comedy that’s crude in every sense of the word.

The Story: A young boy runs away from home after a fight with his mother and travels to a magical island inhabited by fantastic creatures that mirror himself and his real life. The Lowdown: An ambitious, not entirely successful attempt to flesh out the children's book by Maurice Sendak. Rarely less than fascinating, but somehow…

The Story: A seemingly ordinary man takes revenge on the justice system that let the murderer of his wife and daughter walk free. The Lowdown: Pointlessly gory and patently absurd, the movie might have worked as pulp, except that it’s too full of itself to even work as mindless entertainment.

The Story: A serial killer marries into "perfect" families, and when his plans go awry, resorts to murder. The Lowdown: Idiotic, unpardonably slow and totally lacking in thrills.

The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, part of a series of Classic Cinema From Around the World, will be presented at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville. Info: 273-3332.

The Story: A group of couples head off for a vacation in a tropical paradise only to be bamboozled into couples counseling. The Lowdown: An uninspiring romcom centered around more of the same from Vince Vaughn that’s short on insight and overlong.

The Story: An aging widower takes a group of young boys under his wing to teach them about the Bible. The Lowdown: Heavy-handed Bible-thumping mixed with amateurish filmmaking make for a movie that will test your credulity and your endurance.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show North by Northwest at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 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 and…

The Story: A former cellist ends up taking a job for an outfit that prepares the dead for cremation. The Lowdown: Pleasurable, perceptive drama with an unusual, thought-provoking premise that’s used to explore some universal themes.

The Story: An Albanian immigrant becomes involved in a plot to obtain money that involves citizenship papers, convenient marriages and possibly murder. The Lowdown: A deep-dish drama about human nature that works as a kind of crime thriller -- one that's held together by the performance of Albanian actress Arta Dobroshi.

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

The Hendersonville Film Society will show The Gods Must Be Crazy at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 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…

The Story: In a world where no one can lie, one man discovers he has this ability -- altering both his life and the lives of everyone else. The Lowdown: What could have been a fairly standard high-concept comedy is transformed into something much more intriguing because of the philosophical questions it raises.

The Story: A group of anthropomorphic toys -- who come to life when no one is looking -- go on various adventures. The Lowdown: The same sweet, solid family entertainment that you remember, now polished with some not-so-exciting 3-D work and packaged as a double feature.

The Story: A look inside the world of Anna Wintour and Vogue magazine as she masterminds their all-important title issue. The Lowdown: A nicely made documentary that suffers from an impenetrable central character, but scores points with its portrait of that character's creative visionary associate.

The Story: After a zombie plague, a group of mismatched survivors make their way through what remains of the world in search of a safe place. The Lowdown: A pretty funny zombie comedy that gets points for reveling in its gruesomeness, decent characterizations and clever touches along the way.

The Story: A teenage girl finds herself when she lies about her age and joins a roller-derby team. The Lowdown: Thoroughly predictable and completely successful at doing what you want such a movie to do -- but with good performances and without insulting your intelligence.

Pierrot le Fou, part of a series of Classic Cinema From Around the World, will be presented at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville. Info: 273-3332.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Basquiat at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, 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…