Movie Reviews

The Story: Two old college buddies decide to make a gay porn film, despite not being gay. The Lowdown: A bold and potentially illuminating idea that fails due to sketchy characterizations and a seeming lack of conviction.

The Story: Michael Moore takes aim at the concept of capitalism and the meltdown of the economy. The Lowdown: Is it propaganda? Sure. All activist documentaries are. But it's entertaining, thought-provoking, conversation-starting propaganda. That's the difference.

The Story: In a futuristic world where people live vicariously through robotic counterparts, murders begin to take place, and it’s up to a hard-nosed detective to solve the case. The Lowdown: A cobbled-together mix of sci-fi’s greatest hits wrapped inside a murder mystery that never quite adds up, creating one mediocre film.

The Story: Awakened from deep sleep on a spaceship, a couple travelers try to discover what happened, remember their mission and complete it. The Lowdown: Incredibly derivative sci-fi horror that's never very horrifying, but occasionally unintentionally funny.

The Story: Four years spent following students at New York's School for the Performing Arts. The Lowdown: A few bright moments and a director with a nice touch when handling musical numbers can't overcome an undeveloped story with bland characters.

The Fine Arts Theatre will show The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, and at 1 p.m. on both Saturday, Sept. 26, and Sunday, Sept. 27. The film is being presented by Andie McDowell (who will introduce all showings) as a benefit for Our Voice.

And the Ship Sails On, part of a series of Classic Cinema From Around the World, will be presented at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville. Info: 273-3332.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show The Debussy Film at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27, 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 man -- who is being pursued by a maniac whose face is hidden beneath bandages -- flees to the supposed safety of a nearby laboratory. The Lowdown: An unusually clever and intelligent time-travel yarn with a good share of scares and brain teases.

The Story: Documentary film on the Australian exploitation film. The Lowdown: Cheeky, loud, irreverent, very R rated and colorful -- just like its topic.

The Story: An actor convinced that his soul is holding him back professionally has his soul removed, only to discover that he needs it back. The Lowdown: Surreal comedy and metaphysical concerns mix to brilliant results in this strikingly unusual film.

The Story: A self-help guru falls into a relationship with a florist while still dealing with the baggage of his wife's sudden death three years earlier. The Lowdown: A slickly-made adult romance marred by gooey sentimentality and an inability to find the right pitch.

The Story: Fact-based story of Mark Whitacre, who turned FBI informant on the company he worked for. The Lowdown: A funny (in a very dry sense), bitter and very unusual movie about a delusional man whose specialty is duplicity.

The Story: A divorcée -- and her two sons -- goes on a journey to find a new husband to support her. The Lowdown: An utterly charming, often very funny little movie that re-establishes Renée Zellweger as an actress of note.

The Story: The love story of the poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne. The Lowdown: A nicely made, very restrained biopic of the traditional school that's enlivened by a light tone and a superb supporting performance from Paul Schneider.

The Story: A failure by a quack inventor leads to a machine that causes food to rain from the sky, which is all well and good until the machine starts to malfunction. Disaster strikes and things begin to get out of hand. The Lowdown: A generally odd family film that’s more bizarre -- namely in…

The Story: The hottest girl in school becomes possessed by a demon and it's up to her nerdy best friend to set things right. The Lowdown: Neither entirely successful as horror or comedy, Jennifer's Body is still an interesting film with more on its mind than its detractors claim.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Otello at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20, 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…

Shoot the Piano Player, part of a series of Classic Cinema From Around the World, will be presented at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville. Info: 273-3332.

The Story: A documentary on the 1974 concert that was intended to precede the Ali-Foreman heavyweight championship fight in Zaire. The Lowdown: A fascinating look at a once-in-a-lifetime event showcasing some of the biggest names in soul music. The only downside is that there's just not enough music.

The Story: An Australian teen starts a musical group in a local prison as a means of getting into music school. The Lowdown: A schmaltzy uplifting drama that's generally painless.