Just a couple of weeks ago the good Professor Kaufmann and I were lamenting the offerings at the cinema.

We were actually wondering what we were going to force ourselves to see in order to cobble a section together. When a superhero movie and a mainstream faith-based film are the best things left to review, it’s slim pickins’. (We even wondered if anyone would notice if we re-ran the review for Grand Budapest Hotel.)

Fortunately for us, everything changed and we couldn’t get to everything we wanted to include in the May issue by deadline. There is literally something for everyone at theatres right now. For indie and artsy a number of wonderful art house titles can be found on local screens, including Le Weekend and The Lunchbox (review on page 13).

I implore you to see The Lunchbox. This film will no doubt be on my top ten list for the year come December. Le Weekend is a wonderful film, but is at times painfully difficult to watch. I wager anyone who has been married for more than 30 years and folks who fancy the Before Sunrise films will especially appreciate Le Weekend.

Ironically the film that stayed with me long after I left the theatre is one that I won’t actually recommend to many people. Joe is the latest film from David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express, All the Real Girls). Joe is the blood rare, dark underbelly of contemporary southern gothic cinema. The performances are wonderful, but it’s not easily palatable.

Last and definitely least in my reviews for the month is Transcendence (review on page 15). Essentially a hi-tech monster movie, gussied up with a monster-sized sci-fi budget, Transcendence is built on a great concept and has a solid cast. Unfortunately it gets too caught up in blurring the lines, and repeatedly tabling one contradiction for another, to make any kind of worthwhile statement or sense in the end.

Meanwhile the good Professor Kaufmann made some interesting observations about filmmaking and the marketing of the film industry after seeing Oculus and Captain America. He was also eagerly anticipating the latest film from the new incarnation of Hammer Films, The Quiet Ones. Any of you who have read Chip’s columns for a while, or have taken any classes with him, know that he’s a big fan of Hammer Films. Unfortunately The Quiet Ones was a bit of a disappointment, but still an effective piece of filmmaking.

Be sure to also check out the many and varied screenings for the Asheville Film Society and Hendersonville Film Society for May.

Until next month, enjoy!