Movie Reviews

The Story: A group of plane-crash survivors in the frozen Alaskan wilderness battle the elements, wolves and their own failings and fears. The Lowdown: It's got some decent action, some not so decent action, and way too much low-rent philosophizing.

The Story: A neophyte bounty hunter gets mixed up in a dangerous case. The Lowdown: Lackluster version of an apparently popular novel resulting in a film that's not quite bad enough to hate, but certainly not good enough to like.

The Story: An escaped convict appears to be attempting suicide, but it’s all part of an elaborate plot to prove his innocence. The Lowdown: A hodge-podge of ideas from other movies, wrapped inside in a far-fetched plot.

The Story: A close look at a Manhattan businessman's struggle with his sex addicition. The Lowdown: The most sexually frank -- and sexually audacious -- film to come around in some time, and an admirable piece of filmmaking that rises and falls on how in tune you are with its arthouse sensibilities.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Black Sunday at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 5, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas), 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Gaslight at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 29, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas), 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.

The Story: A woman passing for a man in 1800s Dublin decides to pursue the possibility of having a wife and a normal home. The Lowdown: An odd -- and oddly appealing -- small movie with touching performances and a generous heart. Quite remarkable in its own way.

The Thursday Horror Picture Show will screen Scanners on Thursday, Jan. 26, 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: The trials and tribulations of the African-American Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. The Lowdown: Certainly well-intentioned, but too cliched and corny to be taken seriously.

The Story: A privately contracted covert operative goes on the run -- and out for revenge -- after being double-crossed. The Lowdown: While never attempting to reinvent the revenge flick, this is a beautifully crafted film and exactly what you want from an action movie.

Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Strike at 8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 27, at Phil Mechanic Studios, 109 Roberts St., River Arts District (upstairs in the Railroad Library). Info: 273-3332, www.ashevillecourtyard.com

The Story: Historical drama about the origins of psychoanalysis, and the relationship between Freud and Jung. The Lowdown: Compelling speculative drama with strong performances that is a lot more subversive than it at first appears. It's also something different for Cronenberg -- or maybe not so different.

The Story: It's humans versus werewolves and vampires in this fourth entry in the Underworld series. The Lowdown: In its favor, it's sometimes unintentionally funny, but otherwise this is just another lame entry in an already lame horror franchise.

The Asheville Film Society will screen Lisztomania on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 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 Hendersonville Film Society will show Cinema Paradiso at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 22, 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 House of Frankenstein and House of Dracula on Thursday, Jan. 19, 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 Tommy on Tuesday, Jan. 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. Hanke is the artistic director for the A.F.S.

The Story: A silent movie star finds himself left behind when talkies come on the scene, while the girl whose career he helped launch becomes a big star. The Lowdown: The very fact that a silent movie -- done in period style -- is coming out today is cause for some celebration, and while The…

The Story: In order to keep his family safe, a former smuggler must come out of retirement for one last run. The Lowdown: A decent cast isn’t enough to save the film from its own incredibly convoluted plot and shoddy photography.

The Story: Two strong-willed women fight for control of a choir. The Lowdown: The film mostly wastes the talents of Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton -- who are what makes the movie watchable in the first place -- but it's not so much bad as it is corny and mediocre.

Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present A Grin Without a Cat at 8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 20, at Phil Mechanic Studios, 109 Roberts St., River Arts District (upstairs in the Railroad Library). Info: 273-3332, www.ashevillecourtyard.com