of mediocrity.) I should also note that the movie did seem to go down well with the children in the audience, so it apparently cuts the mustard for the prepubescent set. This information may be useful to parents and the younger readers of this column (assuming they exist). Otherwise, well, you likely weren’t itching to see this anyway. The movie is all about Mavis (Mavis?) Dracula (Selena Gomez) coming of age (age being 118) and horrifying daddy Dracula (Adam Sandler doing an impression of somebody doing a Bela Lugosi impression) by wanting to go out and see the world. He goes to absurd lengths to keep her from doing this — going so far as creating a fake town with zombies dressed up as standard pitchfork-and-torch-brandishing villagers. His idea is that she should stay safely ensconced at his exclusive hotel for monsters where she’s already spent most of her life. What he hasn’t reckoned on is the accidental arrival of a moronic young human backpacker (Andy Samberg) who’s apt to blow the carefully crafted image of human beings as evil monster killers. And that’s about it. Most of the film involves one of two things — either random monster jokes, or gags involving Dracula passing off our young backpacker as a poor relative of Frankenstein’s (Kevin James) right arm (or some body part). (Even though nearly the first thing my father taught me about "monster movies" was that the Frankenstein Monster was not Frankenstein, I’m willing to let that gaffe pass in a movie aimed at consumers of Franken Berry cereal.) It’s pretty thin stuff. Mostly what we get are gags about the Wolfman’s (Steve Buscemi) unruly and unhousebroken children, jive-talking shrunken heads and bad monster puns. (My personal favorite was the visual pun of a footstool made out of toads.) The drama, of course, consists of whether or not Dracula can learn to let go of his little girl and accept the fact that humans are no longer torchwielding bozos (I’m not sold on that second part myself). No prizes will be awarded for guessing the outcome. What really can be said beyond this? It’s not good enough to actually like, nor is it bad enough to get worked up about. It looks nice and it seems to have no ill intent. It might even turn a few kids on to the real movies it attempts to parody, which would be a good thing. But if you’re over the age of 8 or 9, it’s apt to be more than a little on the dull and too familiar side. Rated PG for some rude humor, action and scary images. reviewed by Ken Hanke Playing at Carmike 10, Carolina Asheville Cinema 14, Epic of Hendersonville, Regal Biltmore Grande
SamSara JJJ
Director: ron Fricke (Baraka) Players: Documentary
rateD PG
The Story: A non-verbal documentary that combines music and images to create a meditation of life and decay. The Lowdown: A gorgeously photographed film whose enjoyment depends wholly on one’s ability to stomach pretension.
specialscreenings the aviator JJJJJ BioPic rateD PG-13 In Brief: Martin Scorsese’s epic (in the best sense) and sprawling biographical film on Howard Hughes is probably his least successful 21st century film, but that doesn’t keep it from being pretty darn fascinating in its own right. And it’s certainly brilliantly made by a master filmmaker. Whether it’s as emotionally involving as it should be is another question. The Hendersonville Film Society will show The Aviator Sunday, Oct. 7 at 2 p.m. in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas), 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.
the Face at the WinDoW JJJJJ horror myStery rateD nr In Brief: The classic barnstorming melodrama The Face at the Window makes for what is probably the best of Tod Slaughter’s horror output. Who is Tod Slaughter? He was England’s answer to both Karloff and Lugosi — an enjoyably shameless ham who positively reveled in both his transparent, mustache-twirling villainy and his unabashed lechery. There was never anyone like him — nor does it seem likely there ever will be. The Thursday Horror Picture Show will screen Horror Island and Man Made Monster Thursday, Oct. 4 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.
Gen Silent JJJJJ activiSt Documentary rateD nr In Brief: Powerful and powerfully moving film about the plight of aging LGBT people and the discrimination — and even abuse — they face in finding health care in their declining years. This is a film that needs to be seen. Gen Silent is being shown at Fine Arts Theatre on Sun., Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. Filmmaker Stu Maddux will be at the screening.
laSt holiDay JJJJJ Drama/comeDy rateD nr In Brief: Alec Guinness’ first star vehicle finds him playing an unassuming salesman of agricultural equipment who is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Emptying his bank account — and decked out in exquisitely tailored secondhand clothes — he heads off to a posh resort hotel to enjoy the “high life” before he dies. To his surprise — and for the first time in his life — he finds people taking an interest in him, wanting his opinion on important matters and offering all manner of well-paying jobs. But still the specter of his impending death prevents genuine enjoyment of life. The Asheville Film Society will screen Last Holiday Tuesday, Oct. 9 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.
olymPia JJJJJ Documentary rateD nr In Brief: Leni Riefenstahl’s massive — and massively impressive — documentary on the 1936 Olympic games held in the Berlin of the Nazi era is amazing in itself, but perhaps is even more important as a fascinating time capsule. Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Olympia Friday, Oct. 5 at 8 p.m. at Phil Mechanic Studios, 109 Roberts St., River Arts District, upstairs in the Railroad Library). Info: 273-3332, http://www. ashevillecourtyard.com The enjoyment of any film is going to vary from viewer to viewer — it’s nigh on to impossible to create an unfettered consensus when it comes to any piece art. Being a non-verbal documentary in the vein of Baraka (1992) and Koyaanisqatsi (1982) — one built wholly on matching dramatic imagery from around the world with music — Ron Fricke’s Samsara proves this to the extreme. Being a fan of narrative film, I’ll be the first to admit that this is simply not the type of movie I’m normally attracted to seeing. Despite the film’s undeniably beautiful photography —
its one and only selling point — there’s a level of patience and tolerance for pretension that one must have to get the most out of this documentary. As the title references, the film is abstractly about the cycle of life, namely life and decay. It is all bookended by footage of monks making an intricate sand painting of Samsara that’s eventually destroyed by its makers. The bulk of the film documents decay, from eroded, ancient monuments, to ammunitions manufacturing, to dead chickens. Much like Paul Thomas Anderson’s The
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