Movie Reviews

The Story: Retired CIA agents band together when it turns out that they've been targeted for assassination by orders from on high. The Lowdown: The plot is not much. The direction is adequate. But the seasoned cast of actors makes RED worth seeing, even if it can't make it into the great action spoof it…

The Story: A controlling stick-in-the-mud slowly spirals out of control after he discovers his fiancée has cheated on him. The Lowdown: An amateurish production that's a checklist of every wrong way to make a movie.

The Story: The gentlemen of Jackass once again submit themselves to all types of disgusting and dangerous stunts. The Lowdown: Exactly what you would expect from a Jackass movie, now even more unpleasant and gross.

The Story: Ray Griggs lectures viewers about the evils of liberals, while an animated Ronald Reagan lectures an animated Barack Obama on why universal health care would be wrong. The Lowdown: A painful 92 minutes (that seems much longer) of simplistic lecturing that perfectly defines preaching to the choir -- and a dearth of fact-checking.

The Story: A look into what's wrong with the public-school system -- and some ideas about fixing it. The Lowdown: Activist documentary-making at its finest. Yes, it simplifies and omits, but it also raises the right questions and opens the floor for debate.

The Asheville Film Society will screen The Cat and the Canary Tuesday, Oct. 26, 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 Fine Arts Theatre will show Alison and the short Men of Persuasion at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 14, and at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 16. The director will be present at both screenings.

The Asheville Film Society will screen Gods and Monsters Tuesday, Oct. 19, 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 Bride of Frankenstein Thursday, Oct. 14, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of The Carolina Asheville. Hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther.

The Story: The experiences -- good, bad and in-between -- of a teenage boy during a five-day stay in a psychiatric ward. The Lowdown: A sweet, but surprisingly tough and emotional film that isn't easy to categorize, but belongs on the must-see list.

The Story: A serial killer either returns from the dead, never was dead or has taken up residency in the body of one of seven teenagers who were born at the presumed moment of his demise 16 years ago. The Lowdown: It's silly and sloppy, but those very factors make My Soul to Take kind…

The Story: A recently released ex-con and his wife must battle an affluent couple for the rights to the son they gave up for adoption. The Lowdown: Vaguely treacly, morally shaky and wrought with the worst kind of heart-tugging melodrama, the film is too overly earnest and predictable to be effective.

The Story: Two friends who can't stand one another are forced to raise the child of their deceased best friends. The Lowdown: More formulaic romcom trappings, but now with the added hilarity of baby vomit.

The Story: The story of the title racehorse and his journey from birth to becoming a Triple Crown-winning legend. The Lowdown: Crowd-pleaser style filmmaking with loads of schmaltzy moments built around a strong central performance by Diane Lane. For those who like traditionalist, unadventurous movies, it will likely satisfy.

Classic Cinema From Around the World will present Kwaidan at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 15, at Courtyard Gallery, 109 Roberts St., in the Phil Mechanic Studios building, River Arts District. Info: 273-3332.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Breaker Morant at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 17, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas), 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.

The Thursday Horror Picture Show will screen Cemetery Man Thursday, Oct. 7, 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 Golddiggers of 1933 Tuesday, Oct. 12, 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.

Classic Cinema From Around the World will present Wings of Desire at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 8, at Courtyard Gallery, 109 Roberts St. in the Phil Mechanic Studios building, River Arts District. Info: 273-3332.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Lemon Tree at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 10, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas), 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.

The Story: The story of the espionage efforts that helped bring about the fall of the Soviet government. The Lowdown: A truly compelling -- yet largely character-driven -- spy film that's as stylish and suspenseful as it is thoughtful.