Movie Reviews

Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present The Spirit of the Beehive at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 21, 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 Dragnet at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 23, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas), 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.

The Story: When his son dies walking the Camino de Santiago, a father decides to finish the spiritual journey for him. The Lowdown: A thoroughly nice, well-meaning, but completely predictable little movie that will appeal to audiences in tune with its themes.

The Story: Three birdwatchers head out to attempt a “big year,” where each attempts to see more different species of birds than the others. The Lowdown: Harmless in the dullest sense of the word, and a comedy only in the loosest sense.

The Story: A teen moves from Boston to rural Georgia and finds that the town has outlawed dancing. The Lowdown: A faithful remake of Footloose that’s a natural extension of director Craig Brewer’s previous films, but lacks anything that makes it truly special.

The Story: A prequel to the 1982 The Thing, detailing the discovery of the creature. The Lowdown: It won't harm you or rot your brain -- but unless you're easily amused by gory creature antics for their own sake, there's nothing new here.

The Story: The story of one woman's lifelong struggle with her religious beliefs. The Lowdown: An outstanding directorial debut for Farmiga resulting in a noteworthy, if ultimately flawed, examination of faith.

The Story: An idealistic young campaign staffer learns that politics isn't what he envisioned, and that the candidate he believes in isn't flawless. The Lowdown: Rock-solid filmmaking, good drama and a splendid cast all fall just short of adding up to the powerful political exposé the film wants to be.

The Story: An imagining of the life of Mozart's older sister, Maria Anna 'Nannerl' Mozart, and her thwarted musical ambitions. The Lowdown: A solid -- if highly fictionalized -- biographical drama that is actually at its best when it is the most fictional. The ideas are intriguing throughout, but the approach is ultimately too intellectualized…

The Story: A down-on-his-luck dad and his estranged son try to turn a junked sparring robot into a robot-boxing champion. The Lowdown: Sure, the premise is nothing new, but the film still works because of a likable cast, perfect pacing and a willingness to be a cheesy, uplifting sports flick.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show part one of The Cat's Meow at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 16, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas), 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.