Movie Reviews

The Story: A man has to come to terms with both his father's death and the old man's late-in-the-day admission -- and embracing -- of his gayness, while at the same time trying to understand why he sabotages his own relationships. The Lowdown: A very good movie that's almost a great one. Its problem is…

The Story: After Eeyore’s tail goes missing, it’s up to the denizens of the Hundred Acre Wood to find him a suitable replacement. The Lowdown: Perfectly innocuous family fare that’s solely for fans of Winnie the Pooh, and likely to induce narcolepsy in anyone else.

The Story: The final entry in the Harry Potter series and the big showdown between Harry and Voldemort is here. The Lowdown: A strong, worthy last chapter in the remarkable run of 10 years of Harry Potter movies. Not the best in the series, but not too far off and essential for anyone who cares…

Shoals and the short companion film Waking Things will be shown at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 16, at the Fine Arts Theatre. Bass will be present at the screening.

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Masque of the Red Death at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 17, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas), 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.

The Asheville Film Society will screen Prospero's Books Tuesday, July 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. Hanke is the artistic director of the A.F.S.

Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Andrei Rublev at 8 p.m. Friday, July 15, at Phil Mechanic Studios, 109 Roberts St., River Arts District (upstairs in the Railroad Library). Info: 273-3332, www.ashevillecourtyard.com

The Story: Three friends decide to murder their truly awful bosses. The Lowdown: A solidly entertaining comedy that succeeds solely on the will of its cast.

The Story: A working-glass chambermaid becomes obsessed with -- and proficient in -- the game of chess under the guidance of an older American widower. The Lowdown: A very different kind of romantic drama/comedy that manages to fuse together nontraditional romance with themes of personal growth and female empowerment (that avoids all the pitfalls of…

The Thursday Horror Picture Show will screen The Invisible Ray on Thursday, July 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.

The Story: Talking animals at a zoo attempt to help their friendly zookeeper win the girl of his dreams. The Lowdown: Mostly tedious, rarely funny talking-animal comedy with a couple of nice touches that don't amount to enough to even get near a recommendation.

Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Moulin Rouge at 8 p.m. Friday, July 8 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 Young Racers at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 10, 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 Not of This Earth and Attack of the Crab Monsters on Thursday, July 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.

The Asheville Film Society will screen If I Had a Million Tuesday, July 12, 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 middle-aged man fired from his job decides to go to community college and change his life. The Lowdown: Simple -- sometimes simplistic -- unassuming romantic comedy that's a lot better than it's being given credit for.

The Story: The Autobots and the Decepticons battle once again and the fate of the world -- and Shia LaBeouf -- hangs in the balance. The Lowdown: Childish, annoying, noisy and at least an hour too long.

The Story: In Norway, a group of film students stumble upon a secret government agency tasked with the elimination of out-of-control trolls. The Lowdown: Easily the best film ever made in the found-footage genre, it also comes with all the pitfalls and flaws -- bad camerawork, shaky characterization -- that come along with that distinction.

The Story: While on vacation in Paris, a young woman from Texas is mistaken for an heiress and decides to impersonate her. The Lowdown: Often bloated and predictable, it's also more charming and infinitely better than it has any right to be.

The Story: Documentary on "new school" horse trainer Buck Brannaman. The Lowdown: A surprisingly involving and even moving film that doesn't require any particular interest in horses to work with the viewer.

Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Antonio Gaudi at 8 p.m. Friday, July 1, at Phil Mechanic Studios, (109 Roberts St., River Arts District, upstairs in the Railroad Library). Info: 273-3332, www.ashevillecourtyard.com