Movie Reviews

The Story: A guilt-and-redempton story set against the sci-fi premise of the discovery of a doppelganger Earth. The Lowdown: A brilliant concept that the film seems less inclined to explore than the human drama that accompanies it. The forced indie-production style doesn't help, but the film remains intriguing if not wholly realized.

The Story: An exploration of the difference between the official version of the story of the three Mossad agents tracking down a Nazi in 1966 and what really happened. The Lowdown: Well cast and solidly made, The Debt is a hard film to fault on any specific grounds, but it's equally hard to get as…

The Story: Top-secret footage of the moon mission no one ever heard of. The Lowdown: Drab, dreadful and dull entry in the dismal "found footage" sub-genre.

The Asheville Film Society will screen Swing Time Tuesday, Sept. 13, 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.

Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Early Summer at 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 2, at Phil Mechanic Studios, 109 Roberts St., River Arts District (upstairs in the Railroad Library). Info: 273-3332, www.ashevillecourtyard.com

The Story: Documentary assembled from footage shot in 1964 of Ken Kesey and the band of Merry Pranksters' legendary LSD-infused bus trip across America. The Lowdown: It may not quite do what it sets out to do, but this assemblage of footage is invaluable as a fascinating record of its time.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show part one of The Birth of a Nation at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 4, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas), 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.

The Asheville Film Society will screen Foreign Correspondent on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 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 Thursday Horror Picture Show will screen The Ghost of Frankenstein on Thursday, Sept. 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.

The Story: Mysterious creatures -- with evil intentions -- coerce a lonely child into releasing them from the pit in which they've been imprisoned since the late 1800s. The Lowdown: A methodical horror film that relies on tension and mood to generate a disturbing atmosphere that may not be appreciated by audiences wanting shocks and…

The Story: A female assassin attempts to get back at the criminals who slaughtered her family. The Lowdown: Terminally dumb movie that lacks enough action or cleverness to be entertaining.

The Story: A young woman moves into an apartment and begins receiving phone calls from the past. The Lowdown: A cheap attempt at high-concept horror that isn’t thought out enough to be effective.

The Story: A good-natured clueless boob fresh out of jail wanders through the lives of his self-absorbed sisters causing chaos that turns out to make them better people. The Lowdown: The same old load of clams about the dim bulb who's really smarter, happier and better than the smarter characters. Fairly painless, but hopelessly derivative…

Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present L'Atalante at 8 p.m. on Friday, August 26, 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 Wuthering Heights at 2 p.m. on Sunday, August 28, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas), 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.

The Story: An illegal immigrant's hopes for building a future for his son are imperilled when the truck he relies on for his business is stolen. The Lowdown: A surprisingly compelling and entertaining film that is never preachy or treacly, but gains its emotional power honestly.

The Thursday Horror Picture Show will screen Shaun of the Dead on Thursday, August 25, 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 couple of kids must stop a supervillain from stopping time and ending the world in the bargain. The Lowdown: A rough-around-the-edges -- but worthy -- successor to the first two Spy Kids films.

The Story: Everyone’s favorite sweaty barbarian is back, as he attempts to stop an evil king from raising the dead. The Lowdown: Noisy and overlong, and -- eventually -- just kind of dull sword-and-sorcery epic.

The Story: Documentary on 1970s-'80s tabloid "star" Joyce McKinney. The Lowdown: Riotously funny, only barely believable tale of an improbable, yet strangely likable, woman who, in her own mind, "did it all for love" -- and then some.

The Story: A look at the relationship of two people over a span of 20 years. The Lowdown: A good movie that ought to have been great. Approach it with that in mind, and you may find much to admire.