Movie Reviews

Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Pather Panchali at 8 p.m. Friday, Mar. 11, 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 Talk to Her Tuesday, Mar. 15, 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 Asheville Film Society.

The Story: A stranded pet chameleon masquerades as a Wild West hero -- and then has to live up to his story. The Lowdown: Beautifully made, perfectly cast, fast-paced, very funny animated comedy blessed with weird and wonderful invention.

The Story: A directionless college grad attempts to woo his high school crush over a night of partying. The Lowdown: A perfectly fine, harmless coming-of-age tale -- as long as you judge it solely on that criteria.

The Story: A politician finds himself entangled with a host of supernatural operatives, whose job it is to ensure that destiny and fate go according to plan. The Lowdown: The rarest of things: a science fiction film about ideas, but nevertheless a movie that lives and dies on how well you can buy into its…

The Story: A narcissistic high-school jerk is transformed into a "beastly" version of himself and has to find someone to love him for himself to break the curse. The Lowdown: Witless, charmless take on Beauty and the Beast with nearly limitless tedium value.

The Story: The story of a couple coping with the death of their young child in an accident. The Lowdown: An unusual -- and unusually schmaltz-free -- study in grief that's distinguished by exceptional performances and sensitive direction.

The Story: Fictionalized version of the rise and fall of super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The Lowdown: Ill-advised attempt to turn the story of Abramoff into a comedy, cursed by a bad script and flaccid direction, but with a strong performance from Kevin Spacey as compensation.

Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present I Am Cuba at 8 p.m. Friday, Mar. 4, 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 Rembrandt at 2 p.m. Sunday, Mar. 6, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas, 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville).

The Story: A couple of guys are given a week off of marriage by their wives, to sleep with whomever they please. The Lowdown: A superfluous attempt at the old gross-out comedy that's moderately painless -- though never, ever good, since it's such a dud.

The Story: Nicolas Cage breaks out of hell to save his infant grandchild from being sacrificed by a cult of Satanists. The Lowdown: Preposterous, trashy, tasteless -- full of sex, skin, gore and violence -- and the most fun I've had in a theater this year.

The Thursday Horror Picture Show will screen The Old Dark House Thursday, Mar. 2, 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 Asheville Film Society will screen Casino Royale Tuesday, Mar. 8, 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 Asheville Film Society.

The Asheville Film Society will screen Shanghai Express Tuesday, Mar. 1, 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 Asheville Film Society.

Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present The Return at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25, 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 Danger: Diabolik at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27, 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 Carrie Thursday, Feb. 24, 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: Teen aliens are on the run from intergalactic killers, who, it seems, have designs on our planet as well. The Lowdown: Reasonably efficient knock-off intended to generate tween and teen heart-throbbery, but with no real identity of its own.

The Story: An FBI agent and his step-son go undercover in drag at an all-girls school to help nail a murderous gangster. The Lowdown: Just painfully awful. And seemingly interminable.

The Story: A botanist traveling in Germany falls into a coma after a car accident, only to awaken and find that someone has assumed his identity. The Lowdown: An occasionally entertaining thriller with a plot that falls apart under the simplest examination and a dull performance from Liam Neeson.