Jack Black - Articles - Zimbio

Be Kind Rewind Review

Sun, 25 Feb 2008 22:31:00 GMT

posted by larry_chimp_man
Be Kind Rewind is a visual treat and a great film.

Be Kind Rewind, contrary to the trailer and popular belief, is not about two young men recreating famous films in an effort to save a VHS rental shop. Nor is it an over-the-top Jack Black comedy. The film, however, is about two men establishing a place in their environment and finding a passion for filmmaking along the way.

Jerry and Mike are two characters stuck in a rut. Mike, played by Mos Def, is an employee at a small-time VHS shop in an under-developed end of town. His friend Jerry, portrayed by Jack Black, is a slightly-delusional mechanic who lives in a trailer a block away. The two lack any sort of motivation but that all changes when the VHS shop's owner, Danny Glover, leaves town. Due to an event I won't spoil in this review Jerry becomes magnetized. VHS tapes and magnets don't mix and when Jerry enters the shop all the rentals go blank. Struggling to keep the store above water while the boss is away the duo start "Sweding" recreations of each film over its erased tape. The videos start generating a buzz and soon the shop is attracting more customers than ever.

The film's story may read as your typical "save the business" film but it's far from it. Director Michel Gondry has created a practical visual masterpiece that is far from traditional filmmaking. It jumps around as you wouldn't expect and at no time does it feel like you're in familiar territory or a moment borrowed from another film. It's such a joy to see what the French director pulls out of his bag of tricks and it never disappoints. While some will say Be Kind Rewind is not as visually stimulating as Gondry's past work it is still quite an artistic accomplishment.

Another complaint I've heard from a few critics is that the "Sweded" scenes in Be Kind Rewind break up the flow of the film and take you out of the experience. I disagree. Watching Mike and Jerry recreate scenes from Ghostbusters, Rush Hour 2, King Kong, and more is hilarious and kept me entertained throughout the film. It didn't break the fourth wall nor did it remove me from my element.

The acting in Be Kind Rewind is well worth a second look. Mos Def really delivers a terrific heartfelt performance in a breakout role. Jack Black is also quite good in the film. I'm not a fan of his but I have to admit he comes quite a long way with his performance. His character is rounded and develops naturally as the movie progresses, something not seen from Black before this film. Danny Glover is also terrific in the limited amount of scenes he's in. His has a very respected presence but doesn't fail to capture the comedic side of his character. Mia Farrow, Melonie Diaz, and Irv Gooch are also great in the film.

I really enjoyed Be Kind Rewind. It's not as tightly polished as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind but is still an excellent film. Michel Gondry is quickly becoming the most original visionary working in the business and it's a joy to see what he'll put on screen in every new feature film or music video he directs.

One Sentence Review: A complete treat of a film.

Have you seen Be Kind Rewind? Post a comment and let me know what you thought of it.

Also, if you haven't seen it already, Michel Gondry Sweded a the film's trailer and posted it on YouTube a few days ago. Check it out below:

Cheers.

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Be Kind Rewind (2008)

Sun, 10 Mar 2008 22:56:00 GMT

posted by rollzroyce6

Celluloid

I tend to gravitate towards polarizing films, and Michel Gondry, the visionary director who helmed Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind and The Science Of Sleep, has made an extremely polarizing film with his new comedy Be Kind Rewind. While many detractors will undoubtedly criticize the film's undeniably silly plot, the farcical film is a heartwearming homage to the magic of filmmaking. Gondry, who I consider to be one of the most imaginitive auteurs working today, approaches Be Kind Rewind with childlike creativity and lo-fi charm. The film's premise is pretty ridiculous and centers around Mike (Mos Def), who works at a lowly video rental store/thrift store in Passaic, New Jersey named "Be Kind Rewind" that still rents movies in VHS format and is endangered of being demolished and replaced with condos. When owner Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover) goes out of town, Mike is left to run the store. After Mike's obnoxious friend Jerry (Jack Black) unknowingly gets magnetized after pulling a stunt, the video store's entire library of videos is accidentally erased. Armed with only a thrift-store video camera and extremely limited resources, the pair of friends are forced to reshoot, or "swede," their own 20-minute versions of well-known blockbuster films such as Ghostbusters and Rush Hour 2. Strangely, the new "sweded" films cultivate a local cult following, and the duo finds itself reshooting the store's entire library. The newfound popularity even brings forth the possibility of saving the store from its demise. To say that Gondry expects his audience to suspend disbelief from the onset of the film would be an understatement, but in a strange way Gondry has "sweded" his own film in doing so. Be Kind Rewind isn't going to appeal to everybody, but those who are willing to suspend logic and realism and those who have ever tapped into their own childlike creativity should appreciate the heart and whimsy at its core. -- Capt. Obvious

Verdict:

Tags: Be Kind Rewind, Michel Gondry, Mos Def, Jack Black

Jack Black Set For School of Rock 2

Sun, 14 Jul 2008 13:11:47 GMT

posted by larryfire

A few weeks ago screenwriter Mike White admitted that he’d just finished and turned in a School of Rock sequel script. Now it looks like the movie is official. Variety says that not only is Paramount Pictures developing a School of Rock 2, but they’ve already got Jack Black back on board in the movie’s lead role.

They’re calling it School of Rock 2: America Rocks. In the sequel, Black’s rock and roll teacher character leads a bunch of summer school students on a cross-country field trip to explore the history of rock.

Chubby but Cute Famous Guys

Wed, 12 Jun 2008 20:26:28 GMT

posted by KWickstrom

Jack Black

Jack Black is probably my favorite ‘cute but chubby’ famous guy. Here he is in one of my favorite movies, Shallow Hal. I’m sorry this scene is so long … but he’s so funny and endearing in it, you’ll be glad you watched it!

Chris Farley

RIP. He was definitely one of those guys who was attractive, even though he was overweight. Almost every girl I know feels that way … see guys, a sense of humor goes a long way!

Seth Rogen

Not so crazy about his recent raunchy movies, but he was awfully sweet in Freaks and Geeks. Gosh, I miss that show!

Kevin James

I never really watch King of Queens, but I still think Kevin James is cute … mostly because of his stand-up special, Sweat the Small Stuff. Here’s a great clip about greeting cards (ladies, you will recognize yourselves!)

Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry

I know they’re not chubby in this picture, but they did gain weight as Friends progressed. Which I always thought was funny (in an irritating sort of way!), because they would have never let Monica, Rachel or Phoebe get that chubby! (Chandler and Joey were still cute though.)

Who are some of your favorite cute but chubby famous guys?!

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Jack Black brings laughter to Oz

Wed, 12 Jun 2008 00:31:19 GMT

posted by accidentalsexiness

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June 11, 2008

Filed under: Celebs, Entertainment, Funny, Movies, Television, Videos — accidentalsexiness @ 7:31 pm
Tags: Australia, Comedy, Entertainment, Funny, Interview, jack black, kung fu panda, Movies, rove

Jack Black was on comedy tv show Rove on Sunday to promote Kung Fu Panda. He talks martial arts, fights, flips, and babies. As a special bonus, find out which Spice Girl he fancies the most!

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Jack Black - Articles - Zimbio

Be Kind Rewind Review

Be Kind Rewind (2008)

Jack Black Set For School of Rock 2

Chubby but Cute Famous Guys

Jack Black brings laughter to Oz

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