WALL-E (G)
1:00, 4:00, 7:00
Pineapple Express (R)
10:00
Please call the info line for updated showtimes.
An American Carol (PG-13)
1:00, 3:10, 5:20, 7:40, 9:50 (no 5:20 or 7:40 show Wed Oct 15)
Beverly Hills Chihuahuah (PG)
12:45, 1:05, 3:00, 3:20, 5:15, 5:35, 7:30, 7:50, 9:45
Blindness (R)
1:45, 4:30, 7:15, 10:00
Burn After Reading (R)
10:00
Cirque de Soleil: Delerium (NR)
7:00 Wed Oct 15 only
The Express (PG)
1:00, 1:15, 4:00, 4:15, 7:00, 7:15, 10:00, 10:15
Fireproof (PG)
1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:45
Miracle at St. Anna (R)
1:30, 4:50, 8:10
Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist (PG-13)
1:00, 3:10, 5:20, 7:30, 9:40
Nights in Rodanthe (PG-13)
1:00, 3:15, 5:30, 7:45, 10:00
Beverly Hills Chihuahua (PG)
12:55 (Fri-Sun), 3:55, 6:45, 9:45
Body of Lies (R)
1:00 (Fri-Sun), 4:00, 7:00, 10:05
Eagle Eye (PG-13)
12:50 (Fri-Sun), 3:50, 6:55. 10:00
Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist (PG-13)
1:30 (Fri-Sun), 4:10, 7:30, 10;10
Nights in Rodanthe (PG-13)
1:20 (Fri-Sun), 4:20, 7:20, 9:55
An American Carol (PG-13)
2:15, 4:20, 7:00
Beverly Hills Chihuahua (PG)
2:05, 4:25, 7:00, 9:20
Billy: The Early Years (PG)
1:45, 4:15, 7:05, 9:25
Blindness (R)
9:05
Body of Lies (R)
1:35, 4:30, 7:20, 10:05
City of Ember (PG)
1:50, 4:10, 6:30, 8:50
Eagle Eye (PG-13)
2:00, 4:40, 7:20, 9:55
The Express (PG)
1:30, 4:20, 7:05, 9:55
Fireproof (PG)
2:00, 4:45, 7:30, 10:10
Flash of Genius (PG-13)
1:50, 7:15, 9:55
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (R)
4:35
Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist (PG-13)
2:20, 4:30, 7:25
Nights in Rodanthe (PG-13)
2:15, 4:40, 7:10, 9:30
Quarantine (R)
2:05, 4:15, 6:25, 8:30, 10:30
The Duchess (PG-13)
1:20, 4:20, 7:20 (no 7:20 show Thu Oct 16), Late show 9:40
Eraserhead (NR)
7:00 Thu Oct 16 only
Religulous (R)
1:00, 4:00, 7:00, Late show 9:20
Burn After Reading (R)
7:00
The Women (PG-13)
4:00
Henry Poole Is Here (PG)
2:00 (Sat-Sun), 4:30, 7:15
Journey to the Center of the Earth 2-D (PG)
2:00 (Sat-Sun), 4:30, 7:20
Mamma Mia! (PG-13)
2:00 (Sat-Sun), 4:30
Swing Vote (PG-13)
7:15
WALL-E (G)
2:00 (Sat-Sun), 4:30, 7:00
An American Carol (PG-13)
1:10, 3:20, 5:40, 7:55, 10:20
Appaloosa (R)
1:45, 4:35, 7:50, 10:30
Beverly Hills Chihuahua (PG)
1:30, 4:05, 7:10, 9:35
Billy: The Early Years (PG)
1:35, 4:45, 7:45, 10:10
Blindness (R)
2:00, 7:05
Body of Lies (R)
1:25, 4:20, 7:25, 10:25
City of Ember (PG)
1:50, 5:00, 7:35, 10:00
Eagle Eye (PG-13)
1:20, 4:00, 7:00, 9:45
The Express (PG)
1:15, 4:10, 7:20, 10:15
Fireproof (PG)
1:40, 4:30, 7:15, 10:05
Ghost Town (PG-13)
4:15, 9:40
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (R)
4:25, 9:50
Igor (PG)
12:55, 3:10, 5:25
Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist (PG-13)
1:00, 3:15, 5:30, 7:50, 10:00
Nights in Rodanthe (PG-13)
1:55, 5:05, 7:30, 9:55
Quarantine (R)
1:05, 3:25, 5:45, 8:00, 10:35
Appaloosa (R)
1:20, 4:10, 7:10, 9:50
Body of Lies (R)
1:10, 4:20, 7:20, 10:10
City of Ember (PG)
1:45, 4:40, 7:40, 10:00
Eagle Eye (PG-13)
1:00, 3:45, 7:30, 10:05
Flash of Genius (PG-13)
1:15, 4:00, 7:00, 9:45
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (R)
1:40, 4:30, 7:50, 10:25
Quarantine (R)
1:30, 3:50, 8:00, 10:15
Pick of the Week:
Appaloosa (R)
Ken Hanke | 10/08/2008 | 6 Comment(s)
Genre: Western
Directed by: Ed Harris (Pollock)
Starring: Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Renée Zellweger, Jeremy Irons, Timothy Spall
The Story: A pair of lawmen for hire come to the western town of Appaloosa to “clean up” the place.
The Lowdown: A western that is both traditional and untraditional, Appaloosa is solid filmmaking with some unusually strong characterizations and performances, as well as a sense of moral and psychological complexity.
Reviews:
An American Carol (PG-13)
Justin Souther | 10/08/2008 | 15 Comment(s)
Genre: Political Spoof
Directed by: David Zucker (Scary Movie 4)
Starring: Kevin Farley, Kelsey Grammer, Jon Voight, Dennis Hopper, Trace Adkins
The Story: An anti-American filmmaker is visited by three ghosts who aim to teach him the importance of America.
The Lowdown: Another in a long line of recent unfunny spoofs that also has the added drawback of simpleminded political heavy-handedness.
Ken Hanke | 10/08/2008 | 4 Comment(s)
Genre: Talking-Dog Comedy
Directed by: Raja Gosnell (Scooby Doo)
Starring: Drew Barrymore (voice), George Lopez (voice), Andy Garcia (voice), Piper Perabo, Manolo Cardona
The Story: A spoiled chihuahua is lost in Mexico and has to find her way back to Beverly Hills through much danger.
The Lowdown: Admirers of talking dogs and those not bothered by rampant (and of variable quality) CGI may find this passable. Everyone else, be warned.
Blindness (R)
Ken Hanke | 10/08/2008 | Comment here
Genre: Science-Fiction Allegory
Directed by: Fernando Meirelles (The Constant Gardener)
Starring: Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Danny Glover, Gael García Bernal, Alice Braga, Yusuke Iseya
The Story: A mysterious epidemic of blindness occurs in a city, causing the authorities to try to contain the situation by quarantining the victims under barbarous conditions.
The Lowdown: A powerful—and powerfully unpleasant—allegorical work that’s definitely worth a look if you’re up to its grim, unflinching portrait of the events at hand. However, it’s never quite the masterpiece it could have been.
The Express (PG)
Justin Souther | 10/08/2008 | Comment here
Genre: Uplifting Sports Drama
Directed by: Gary Fleder (Runaway Jury)
Starring: Rob Brown, Dennis Quaid, Darrin Dewitt Henson, Omar Benson Miller, Charles S. Dutton
The Story: The true story of Syracuse running back Ernie Davis, the first African American ever to win the Heisman Trophy.
The Lowdown: A completely formulaic sports biopic that drags out every trope of the genre while at the same time feeling excruciatingly long.
Flash of Genius (PG-13)
Justin Souther | 10/08/2008 | Comment here
Genre: Inspirational Drama
Directed by: Marc Abraham
Starring: Greg Kinnear, Lauren Graham, Dermot Mulroney, Alan Alda
The Story: A college professor invents the intermittent windshield wiper, only to have his design stolen by the Ford Motor Company, causing him to spend the next decade fighting for the credit he’s due.
The Lowdown: An utterly harmless little film, with a strong central performance by Greg Kinnear. Still, it can’t quite overcome the inherent unlikable nature of Kinnear’s character and an overall unexciting premise.
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (R)
Ken Hanke | 10/08/2008 | Comment here
Genre: Romantic Comedy With Satire
Directed by: Robert B. Weide
Starring: Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst, Danny Huston, Jeff Bridges, Megan Fox, Gillian Anderson
The Story: This mildly satirical comedy catalogs the misadventures of a socially disastrous British journalist, who hits the big time when he receives an offer to work for a New York City celebrity magazine.
The Lowdown: Simon Pegg and Kirsten Dunst—and a number of agreeable bits and pieces—elevate this slightly flat romantic comedy, which never quite comes together as it should.
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (PG-13)
Ken Hanke | 10/08/2008 | 5 Comment(s)
Genre: Teenage Romantic Comedy
Directed by: Peter Sollett (Raising Victor Vargas)
Starring: Michael Cera, Kat Dennings, Aaron Yoo, Rafi Gavron, Ari Graynor, Alexis Dziena
The Story: Two rather mopey high-school kids find themselves thrown together, discover awkward chemistry and have various adventures in New York City over the course of the evening.
The Lowdown: Michael Cera and Kat Dennings (in roles they could play in their sleep) keep this uninspired teen flick barely afloat.
Religulous (R)
Ken Hanke | 10/08/2008 | 6 Comment(s)
Genre: Irreverent Comedy/Documentary
Directed by: Larry Charles (Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan)
Starring: Bill Maher
The Story: Bill Maher travels around the world trying to get people to explain religion to him.
The Lowdown: Deliberately provocative and confrontational, Maher’s irreverent look at religion—primarily Christianity, Judaism and Islam—is often wildly funny, thought provoking and apt to offend a lot of people.
Special Showings
Cats (NR)
Ken Hanke | 10/08/2008 | 6 Comment(s)
Genre: Musical Theater
Directed by: David Mallet (Cirque de Soleil: Delerium)
Starring: Elaine Paige, John Mills, Ken Page, Michael Gruber, John Partridge
The Hendersonville Film Society will show Cats at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community, 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville. (From Asheville, take I-26 to U.S. 64 West, turn right at the third light onto Thompson Street. Follow to the Lake Point Landing entrance and park in the lot on the left.)
Chocolat (PG-13)
Ken Hanke | 10/08/2008 | Comment here
Genre: Romance Comedy/Fantasy
Directed by: Lasse Hallström (The Cider House Rules)
Starring: Juliette Binoche, Lena Olin, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina, Leslie Caron
Pack Memorial Library will show Chocolat on Thursday, Oct. 9, at 6 p.m. in Lord Auditorium. Kilwin’s of Asheville and the French Broad Chocolate Lounge have kindly donated chocolates and fudge to make the event indulgent. Info: 250-4700.
The Found Footage Film Festival (NR)
Ken Hanke | 10/08/2008 | 1 Comment(s)
Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Various
Starring: Equally Various
The Found Footage Festival, the acclaimed touring showcase of found videos, will make a one-night only appearance in Asheville as part of its 2008 North American tour. Hosts Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher, whose credits include The Onion and the Late Show with David Letterman, will present their unique blend of video clips and live comedy in two big shows at the Asheville Arts Center on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 8 and 10 p.m. The shows are being sponsored locally by the Media Arts Project and OrbitDVD.
The Prisoner: “The Chimes of Big Ben” and “The Girl Who Was Death” (NR)
Ken Hanke | 10/08/2008 | Comment here
Genre: Allegorical Science Fiction
Directed by: Don Chaffey, David Tomblin
Starring: Patrick McGoohan, Leo McKern, Nadia Grey, Kenneth Griffith, Justine Lord
Two episodes of The Prisoner, part of a series of Classic Cinema From Around the World, will be presented at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville. Info: 273-3332.
Still Showing:
An American Carol (PG-13)
Justin Souther | 10/08/2008 | 15 Comment(s)
Appaloosa (R)
Ken Hanke | 10/08/2008 | 6 Comment(s)
Ken Hanke | 10/08/2008 | 4 Comment(s)
Eagle Eye (PG-13)
Justin Souther | 10/01/2008 | Comment here
The Express (PG)
Justin Souther | 10/08/2008 | Comment here
Fireproof (PG)
Ken Hanke | 10/01/2008 | 99 Comment(s)
Flash of Genius (PG-13)
Justin Souther | 10/08/2008 | Comment here
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (R)
Ken Hanke | 10/08/2008 | Comment here
Lakeview Terrace (PG-13)
Justin Souther | 09/24/2008 | Comment here
Justin Souther | 10/01/2008 | 8 Comment(s)
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (PG-13)
Ken Hanke | 10/08/2008 | 5 Comment(s)
Nights in Rodanthe (PG-13)
Ken Hanke | 10/01/2008 | 2 Comment(s)
Religulous (R)
Ken Hanke | 10/08/2008 | 6 Comment(s)
Upcomers
Starts Friday
Body Of Lies
The new film from Ridley Scott starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe is bound to draw interest this week—even if it is yet another attempt to get audiences to flock to a movie that deals with the war in Iraq. Can these fellows actually sell viewers on a movie about an ex-journalist (DiCaprio) who is under pressure from a zealous C.I.A. agent (Crowe) to find an Al Qaeda leader? The fact that it’s largely been kept from critics suggests the studio is not so sure about it as either art or commerce. Friday will be the test. (R)
City Of Ember
Also being kept from critics is the Fox-Walden fantasy from Gil Kenan (Monster House) starring Saoirse Ronan, Toby Jones and Bill Murray. This adaptation of a series of books by Jeanne DuPrau is clearly an attempt to create a new children’s fantasy franchise. The story concerns the underground city of the title where, after 200 years, the electricity is starting to run out, leaving an escape to the surface as the only recourse. The trailer is a mix of the appealing and groan-worthy (of the too-much-CGI variety). (PG)
The Duchess
Saul Dibb (Bullet Boy) brings the historical drama about the legendary Duchess of Devonshire to the screen with a big-name cast, including Keira Knightley (in the title role), Ralph Fiennes, Charlotte Rampling and Dominic Cooper. The first trailer looked pretty deadly, but the second one promises a much livelier, more entertaining film. Word so far is mixed, leaning toward the positive. (PG-13)
Early Review Samples:
• “It’s elegantly mounted and never dull—and always easy on the eyes.” (David Ansen, Newsweek)
• “A handsome historical film, impeccably mounted, gowned, wigged and feathered.” (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times)
The Express
See Justin Souther’s review in “Cranky Hanke.”
Quarantine
While writer-director John Erick Dowdle’s previous film, The Poughkeepsie Tapes, continues to gather dust on studio shelves (with a vague 2009 release date penciled in), his sci-fi horror thriller Quarantine is already here. The film is of the “there’s something nasty in the apartment complex” school, with government paranoia on top. It concerns what really happened behind the sealed-off doors of that complex, as videotaped by a TV reporter trapped inside. It’s fairly obvious from the trailers that it’s attempting to be the next Cloverfield, but that R rating might be a box-office drawback for the teenage crowd, even while being an encouraging sign to hardcore horror fans. Screened for critics? That’s a joke, right? (R)
