DVD pick: "Be Kind Rewind" redux

Consider this an open letter of apology to Michel Gondry.

I was more than a little bit psyched to see Mr. Gondry's "Be Kind Rewind" when it hit the big screen a little while back. Jack Black, Mos Def and Michel Gondry? I was so jazzed to see it that I even drove an hour or so up the road to do so.

And I think it was these expectations that led me to be at least slightly disappointed as I was walking out of the theater.

Now, don't get me wrong. After watching the movie again last night on DVD, I still think Gondry's flick is just goofy as goofy can get, but it's also more than a little bit magical once it manages to get going.

If you haven't seen it, take this warning from me going in: You'll almost certainly wince through the first half-hour or so. Jack Black's character vacillates between mildly retarded and thoroughly annoying. I know people have found him to be that way before, but it was a first for me (yes, I even liked "Nacho Libre.")

And the premise of "Be Kind Rewind," if you think about it for even a second, is simply ludicrous. Gondry's love of mom-and-pop stores and of Passaic, N.J., comes through clearly, but why in the world would you want to save a movie rental store where you know the owner (Danny Glover) can never get any new movies because he refuses to make the move to DVD?

So, my advice: Go ahead and rent "Be Kind Rewind" and just don't think about it too much. Once Black, Mos Def and the very charming Melonie Diaz get down to "sweding" all the tapes that Black's Jerry has managed to erase (because he's magnetized, of course), it's just tons of fun. The "Ghostbusters" and "Rush Hour 2" takes got the most attention, but my favorite moment in Gondry's flick was when Mos sheepishly explained why he felt uncomfortable sweding "Driving Miss Daisy." Just perfect.

And the last 20 or minutes or so, when the community bands together to make a movie about Fats Waller (don't ask, just watch for yourself and find out why), it morphs into probably my favorite subgenre of all: Movies about the love of movies.

So, for all its faults, I can still heartily recommend renting "Be Kind Rewind" if you're in the mood for something truly odd but often very entertaining.

Also out this week is possibly my favorite movie of all so far this year (second only to maybe "Son of Rambow," but they're pretty much tied), Patricia Riggen's "Under the Same Moon." Though I hate the phrase "putting a human face" more than just about any other in the English lexicon, I guess you could say that's what Riggen's movie manages to do with immigration.

On paper it would seem to be just too sappy for words, but the story of a 9-year-old Mexican boy (Adrian Alonso) trying to reunite with the mother (telenovela star Kate del Castillo) who had to leave him behind when she went to look for work in L.A. is just thoroughly engaging. It turns into an odd buddy-road movie of sorts when young Carlitos teams up with a laborer (Euginio Derbez) to make the journey, the movie's best stretch.

So, there you have it. Two DVD recommendations for no entry fee. Have a perfectly pleasant weekend and, if you actually go see either "The Love Guru" or "Get Smart" (which I can't bring myself to do) and want to share your opinion of them, please feel free to do so.

Pixar's new short? It will be "Amazing"

This week in our movie summer is so bad that I'm just gonna have to pretend it doesn't even exist.

"Get Smart" vs. "The Love Guru"? The only loser here appears to be the viewer. I can't even look at Mike Meyers without wincing, and even with Steve Carell and the very funny Ken Davitian on board I just can't bring myself to watch yet another TV retread.

But, if you can wade through all that crap (or, as I'm recommending, just ignore it), we finally get "Wall-E," the latest from Pixar, usually the highlight of my movie summer.

I've made my love of Pixar clear here many times before. Though I found "Cars" to be amazingly boring for very long stretches, the simply sublime "Ratatouille" was my favorite movie of all of 2007. And, given just how cool it looks and since I'm a sucker for space odysseys, I'm sure that "Wall-E" is gonna be almost as good.

But, of course, one of the other dependable delights with Pixar flicks are the shorts, and it looks like they've come up with something truly cool this time around. Here's a synopsis for "The Amazing Presto," the short that will run in front of "Wall-E":

Dignity. Poise. Mystery. We expect nothing less from the great, turn-of-the-century magician, Presto. But, when Presto forgets to feed his rabbit one too many times, well, there's really no telling what to expect! This latest comical short film from Pixar Animation Studios follows the escalating high jinx of the amazing Presto, his rabbit Alec, and what happens onstage when a star magician's ego provokes some clever revenge from his neglected costar.

In my mind I'm already there, but for the time being, enjoy the photo above and the poster for the "picturette" at right.

A look at Spike's "St. Anna"

No matter how much he runs his mouth - and his latest verbal tussle with Clint Eastwood is indeed fun to watch - I'll always have nothing but tons of time for Spike Lee. His documentaries ("When the Levees Broke" and "Four Little Girls") are tremendous, and "Do the Right Thing" remains easily one of my favorite flicks. And if I could make one recommendation from his lesser-known flicks you can still probably get on DVD, "Get on the Bus" - about a group of guys headed to the Million Man March - is also well worth watching.

And now it does indeed look like Mr. Lee might finally get the awards season acclaim he's already deserved for many years with his upcoming "Miracle at St. Anna." Judging from the trailer, he's concocted a flick that's as epic as its subject matter - the story of four black American soldiers who get trapped in a Tuscan village during World War II - and wrapped it all up in a mystery to boot. Count this one along with "Burn After Reading" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" as the main movies I'm really looking forward to this fall. Enjoy the trailer, and have a perfectly pleasant Tuesday. Peace out.