Movie Reviews

In Brief: I'd never even heard of Milcho Manchevski or his 1994 debut feature film, Before the Rain, until World Cinema programmed it into their mix. That's not too surprising since stark dramas about the Muslim/Christian conflict in Macedonia aren't likely to get much play in the West — even with a Best Foreign Language…

In Brief: Merry Christmas from the Thursday Horror Picture Show with Bob Clark’s Black Christmas (yes, the same Bob Clark who made A Christmas Story). What better way to celebrate the season than with the original “slasher” picture? Yes, Black Christmas pretty much started it all — predating Halloween (1978), Friday the 13th (1980) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). Though it flopped in 1974 (despite being…

The Story: The "true" story that inspired Moby Dick — at least in theory. The Lowdown: Sure, it's well made for what it is. Unfortunately, what it is ... is a tough slog of epic proportions — and not the kind of epic the filmmakers intended.

In Brief: The Asheville Film Society's "official" Christmas movie is the late Satoshi Kon's animated Tokyo Godfathers (2003) — a variant on Peter B. Kyne's Three Godfathers, the mix of outlaws, Christmas and a baby that had already been filmed six times. (It was also parodied in Bella and Samuel Spewack's 1935 play Boy Meets Girl.) This version…

The Story: The story of Mother Teresa and her life of charity and the personal and spiritual struggles she faced. The Lowdown: A flat, schmaltzy biopic that’s too stone-faced and reverent to work.

In Brief: According to James Whale’s intimates, The Invisible Man (1933) was his personal favorite of his films. This pitch-black comedy in horror-movie clothing is certainly one of his best films and one of his most accomplished, making it one of the great classics in any genre. Working with his friend and frequent collaborator, writer R.C. Sherriff, Whale managed…

In Brief: Jean-Luc Godard's Alphaville (1965) is simply one of the damndest things you're ever likely to see. Godard took a popular noir-ish, pulp fiction detective, Lemmy Caution (Eddie Constantine), and plopped him into a nightmarish sci-fi movie that seems to be part serious, part satire — or possibly one huge practical joke. Is Godard serious or not? Good…

The Story: When a young boy renounces Christmas, the demonic Krampus comes to call. The Lowdown: It's not an outright disaster by any means, but neither is this seasonal horror picture anything to get excited about — unless you're already sold on Krampus.

In Brief: I remember seeing Love Actually (2003) at one of those things they call a “sneak preview” (which are hardly sneaks, since they’re heavily advertised) and seeing the film completely cold in a packed theater. I had no idea what I was getting into — and only the vaguest idea who writer-turned-writer-director Richard Curtis was —…

The Story: Film version of the Shakespeare play. The Lowdown: Shakespeare presented more in visual than verbal terms is an idea that is valid as film, but is on shakier ground as capturing the essence of the work. Still, this is unfailingly interesting and sometimes startling.

The Story: A young dinosaur proves himself on a series of adventures. The Lowdown: If you're old enough to read this, you're probably too old for the very thin story being told in Pixar's latest.

In Brief: World Cinema is revisiting Roman Polanski's Knife in the Water (1962). I do not doubt (or even question) the importance of this film to the career of Roman Polanski, but I’ve never really enjoyed it. I was too young to get it at all when I first saw it in high school on…

In Brief: Notable as the first Amicus Productions horror movie — and the first and best of their anthology films — Dr. Terror's House of Horrors is also, I confess, a kind of sentimental favorite. I saw it when I was nine years old and on my first — and, alas, only — date with…

The Story: The illegitimate son of a boxing legend tracks down his late father’s one-time nemesis and longtime best friend Rocky Balboa to start his climb through the boxing ranks on his own terms. The Lowdown: With no surprises, this film shouldn’t work as well as it does, but a likable cast with some genuine…

The Story: A new take on the Frankenstein story. The Lowdown: Against all odds — and against the tide of critical disapproval — Victor Frankenstein turns out to be a worthy addition to the Frankenstein mythology. It is both fresh and conscious of its history, and anchored to great performances from its stars.

In Brief: It's only in recent years that Mitchell Leisen's Remember the Night (1940) has come into its own as a holiday film — and I'm not at all sure why it took so long. (The generic title, which could easily be confused with at least three other movies, may be part of the problem.)…

In Brief: Though he’d made better movies before this one — and would make better ones after it — Rashomon (1950) is the film that put Akira Kurosawa on the map as a major force in international film. The secret probably lies in the picture’s unusual structure, which not only functions as a hook, but…

The Story: Conclusion to the popular film series. The Lowdown: While it’s not a great film (was that even a possibility?), it’s a satisfying enough wrap-up to the story — one that boasts a sequence of genuine power.  

In Brief: The Asheville Film Society jumps into seasonal mode with Chris and Paul Weitz’s About a Boy (2002) — the film that demonstrated there was a lot more to these guys than Jason Biggs having conjugal relations with baked goods. It’s not, perhaps, standard Christmas season fare, but About a Boy isn’t your standard…

The Story: An unresolved 13-year-old murder case returns to haunt those involved. The Lowdown: Intelligent, and largely effective, Americanized remake of the 2010 Argentinian thriller. Great performances and a respect for the original mostly carry the day, but the plot-driven nature of the story is apt to disappoint viewers who already know where it’s all…

The Story: The tale of a young Irish woman who moves to America. The Lowdown: You will find few better movies this year — and none that are more magical. This is an essential. Saoirse Ronan moves to the forefront of young actresses with this film.