Movie Reviews

The Asheville Film Society will screen All About My Mother Tuesday, Jan. 4, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of The Carolina Asheville. Hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther. Hanke is the artistic director of the Asheville Film Society.

The Story: A goofy New Yorker gets sucked down a whirlpool in the Bermuda Triangle and transported to a world of very tiny people in this update of Jonathan Swift's classic. The Lowdown: A pretty unfunny film that might rise to the heights of mediocrity if you can handle the overload of Jack Black's usual…

The Thursday Horror Picture Show will screen The Wolf Man Thursday, Dec. 30, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of The Carolina Asheville. Hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther.

The Story: Feeling his own mortality, series regular Jack Byrnes decides to appoint son-in-law Greg Focker as his successor as family patriarch. The Lowdown: A mostly tedious, occasionally tasteless attempt to milk more money out of this tired situational premise. Unfortunately, it will probably succeed in that aim.

The Thursday Horror Picture Show will screen Black Christmas Thursday, Dec. 23, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of The Carolina Asheville. Hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther.

The Asheville Film Society will screen The Thin Man Tuesday, Dec. 28, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of The Carolina Asheville. Hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther. Hanke is artistic director of the Asheville Film Society.

The Story: The story of Britain's King George VI and his attempts -- with the help of an unorthodox therapist -- to overcome his speech impediment to become the wartime voice of his people. The Lowdown: An improbable subject becomes a magnificently enjoyable and moving film experience that needs to be seen.

The Story: A fact-based story of the romance between a con man and the young man he meets in prison. The Lowdown: An unusual and very good movie that will ruffle some folks' feathers, owing to its unabashed gay content, but if that isn't a problem for you, catch this one.

The Story: A young girl, a drunken U.S. Marshal and a self-satisfied Texas Ranger pursue the murderer of the girl's father into Indian Territory. The Lowdown: A stunner of an entertaining movie from the Coen Brothers -- one of their best and one of the best films of the year.

The Story: A woman whose pro softball career is over has to choose between a pathologically unfaithful pro baseball player and a nice guy who might be going to jail for corporate fraud. The Lowdown: Flat, uninspired, uninvolving, unfunny, unromantic and mostly just unlikable.

The Story: A young man -- in an attempt to track down his long-lost father -- gets trapped in a digital world. The Lowdown: Short on plot, but heavy on style -- and less corny than the original -- the movie manages to be engaging, thanks, in part, to a good performance by Jeff Bridges.

The Story: A greedy mayor wants to sell off Jellystone Park to logging interests. The Lowdown: A hardly inspired TV cartoon is turned into an even less inspired feature film.

Classic Cinema From Around the World will present Fanny and Alexander at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17, at Courtyard Gallery, 109 Roberts St., in the Phil Mechanic Studios building, River Arts District. Info: 273-3332.

The Asheville Film Society will screen The Boat That Rocked Tuesday, Dec. 21, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of The Carolina Asheville. Hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther. Hanke is the artistic director of the Asheville Film Society.

The Thursday Horror Picture Show will screen The Magician Thursday, Dec. 16, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of The Carolina Asheville. Hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther.

The Story A ballerina in a Lincoln Center opera company lands the lead role in a production of "Swan Lake" -- and the experience threatens her sanity. The Lowdown: A rewarding, disturbing, full-blooded essay in psychological horror of a kind we rarely see -- and one of the best films of 2010.

The Story The real-life story of boxer "Irish" Mickey Ward and his rise to fame against all odds -- including the help of his family. The Lowdown: A good, creatively made boxing biopic that never breaks through into actual greatness, despite fine work from Mark Wahlberg and Amy Adams.

The Story An American tourist meets a mysterious woman on a train and finds himself plunged into a web of intrigue. The Lowdown: It ought to be an effervescent bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne, but this supposed romantic thriller is more flat ginger ale than anything else. Neither the stars nor the scenery can save…

The Story The two younger Pevensie children are whisked back to Narnia for further adventures. The Lowdown: Dull adventure, debatable religious themes and childish fantasy are doled out in massively halting slabs in this third installment in the Narnia series.

Classic Cinema From Around the World will present Babette's Feast at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10, at Courtyard Gallery, 109 Roberts St. in the Phil Mechanic Studios building, River Arts District. Info: 273-3332.

The Asheville Film Society will screen A Night at the Opera Tuesday, Dec. 14, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of The Carolina Asheville. Hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther. Hanke is artistic director of the Asheville Film Society.