Movie Reviews

The Story: A mentally ill man finds an outlet to express himself in the form of a beaver hand-puppet. The Lowdown: A weird premise and the prospect of Mel Gibson playing a character that seems an extension of his own persona can't keep this trite, bland and ultimately silly movie going.

Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present The Decalogue Parts 1 thru 3 at 8 p.m. Friday, June 17, at Phil Mechanic Studios, 109 Roberts St., River Arts District, upstairs in the Railroad Library). Info: 273-3332, www.ashevillecourtyard.com

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Finding Neverland at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 19, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas), 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.

The Asheville Film Society will screen I'm No Angel Tuesday, June 21, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of The Carolina Asheville and will be hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther. Hanke is the artistic director of the A.F.S.

The Story: A young Hollywood writer with a nostalgia for the 1920s Paris art scene finds himself introduced to his heroes at midnight in an obscure part of town. The Lowdown: Whimsical, magical, delightful and about as perfect as it's possible for a movie to be. A major must-see.

The Story: Filmmaker Werner Herzog takes us on a 3D tour of the prehistoric wall paintings in the Chauvet caves of France -- and expounds on their meaning and history. The Lowdown: Fully as idiosyncratic as you expect from Herzog, this is one of the few must-see documentaries to come along of late -- one…

The Story Kids making a Super 8mm zombie movie run afoul of a monster from outer space and a governement conspiracy. The Lowdown: It starts out pretty well and it's never exactly bad, but it's finally pretty underwhelming.

The Story: A preteen tries -- and usually fails -- at having the best summer ever. The Lowdown: A grating, shrieking, obnoxious attempt at family entertainment.

The Thursday Horror Picture Show will screen From Hell Thursday, June 16, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of The Carolina Asheville and will be hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther.

The Story: A mother's strange will sends her children -- against their own desires -- on journeys to find people they thought were dead or never even knew existed. The Lowdown: A compelling, riveting drama that's built around a shewd mystery structure. Easily one of the year's best.

The Story: A hobo rolls into town on a train with an eye toward settling down, but finds nothing but despair and depravity. After reaching his limit, he buys a shotgun and proceeds to clean the place up. The Lowdown: Outrageous, over-the-top and extremely gory film that seeks to reinvent the old drive-in exploitation movies…

The Hendersonville Film Society will show That Championship Season at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 12, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas), 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.

Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Talk to Her at 8 p.m. Friday, June 10, at Phil Mechanic Studios (109 Roberts St., River Arts District, upstairs in the Railroad Library). Info: 273-3332, www.ashevillecourtyard.com

The Asheville Film Society will screen Stardust Memories Tuesday, June 14, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of The Carolina Asheville, and will be hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther. Hanke is the artistic director of the A.F.S.

The Story: The first meeting of Professor X and Magneto -- and the origins of the X-Men -- are detailed. The Lowdown: Solid, enjoyable superhero movie with better-than-average performances. Not up to the best in the series, but much better than the lower-tier offerings.

The Story: A look at the life and work of long-time fashion photographer and New York Times columnist Bill Cunningham. The Lowdown: A wonderful little documentary that won’t wow you as filmmaking, but may be one of the most purely enjoyable things you’re likely to see all year.

Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Hiroshima Mon Amour at 8 p.m. Friday, June 3, at Phil Mechanic Studios (109 Roberts St., River Arts District, upstairs in the Railroad Library). Info: 273-3332, www.ashevillecourtyard.com

The Hendersonville Film Society will show The Kremlin Letter at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 5, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas), 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.

The Asheville Film Society will screen The Magic Christian Tuesday, June 7, at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge of The Carolina Asheville and will be hosted by Xpress movie critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther. Hanke is the artistic director of the A.F.S.