Be Kind Rewind | 
 enlarge | Director: Michel Gondry
Actors: Jack Black, Mos Def, Danny Glover, Mia Farrow, Melonie Diaz
Studio: New Line Cinema
Category: Movie
Buy New: $3.99
Rating:  69 reviews
Sales Rank: 104
Genre: Comedy
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: Video Download
Running Time: 101 Minutes
ASIN: B001B6PBLU
Theatrical Release Date: February 22, 2008
Release Date: August 8, 2008 (New: Last 30 Days)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Synopsis:
Jack Black and Mos Def star in Be Kind Rewind, a unique comedy from Academy Award-winning writer/director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). Black stars as a loveable loser stuck in a life that's too small for his big dreams. But when he unintentionally erases all the tapes in a video store where his best friend works, he devises a plan to satisfy the store's few loyal customers by re-creating and re-filming every movie they decide to rent. |
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| Customer Reviews: Read 45 more reviews...
 A Sweded Smiler June 19, 2008
wahzoh (North Hollywood, CA USA)
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
The writer/director of this picture is European, and it shows. "Be Kind, Rewind" has the friendly, bumbling, everyman feel of comedies like "The Full Monty" or "Waking Ned Devine" (although obviously, set in a New Jersey ghetto and not in picturesque Ireland). Like those comedies, "Be Kind, Rewind" is generally a smiler, and not a knee-slapper, but that's OK with me - I like to smile.
The basic premise of this picture has been covered here by other reviewers - inner city video-store clerk and kooky pal try to cover-up accidental erasure of the store's VHS tapes by remaking blockbuster Hollywood hit movies with a hand-held video camera.
I really like the premise - in today's prefab comedy market, I think that a screwball premise like this one should be appreciated and encouraged. I, for one, am sick and tired of all the witless parodies (like Scarey Movie 943, Meet the Spartans and Epic Movie). Film comedy has suffered terribly over the past decade or so from those kinds of cheap products.
And speaking of cheap products, these two film auteurs turn out some truly smile-worthy efforts as they producer "Sweded" (where they got that word, I don't know) remakes of films as diverse as "The Lion King, "Robocop", "Driving Miss Daisy" and "2001".
The film starts off somewhat slowly, but it has some interesting characters, including Sigourney Weaver as a hardball-playing copyright infringement attorney and Mia Farrow as a depressed, yet tidy video customer. I imagine all the actors involved had fun with this movie.
What was saddening to me is that, at the video store where I rented this, there were large displays of idiotic, brain-dead parodies, like "Meet the Spartans", and only three copies of "Be Kind, Rewind". Although I would normally have given this picture four stars, I am giving it five as a political act, and as a protest against all the unimaginative ideas that pass for comedy these days.
CUSTOMERS UNITE!!
DOWN WITH CORPORATE, COOKIE-CUTTER COMEDY!!!
Movie-Fan's Gold July 1, 2008
N. Bilmes (Vernon, CT United States)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
The generic plot: a run-down neighborhood video store is going to be forced to close if the owner (Danny Glover) can't come up with $60,000 to upgrade.
Accompanying problem: Jerry (Jack Black) demagnetizes the entire stores VHS tapes.
Solution: Jerry and Mike (Mos Def) shoot low-budget versions of hit films to replace the longer and less-entertaining real versions. This becomes known as 'Sweding.'
Opinion: A very funny movie is the result. The sweded versions of the movies are a riot, and Jerry as Miss Daisy is especially riotous. A couple of the scenes feel like they don't belong, but overall this is an outstanding film for lovers of movies.
If you enjoyed Clerks II, you should enjoy this.
GREAT HEARTFELT FILM....WORTH SEEING July 21, 2008
O. Rios (Texas)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
if you're expecting a complete dumb laugh fest where Jack Black and Mos Def make fun of a bunch of movies, then be warned, you might be disappointed.
but here is the bottom line.
Danny Glover plays a video store owner, Mr. Fletcher, and owns Be Kind Rewind, and employs (Mike) Mos Def. Glover and Moss both look up to Fats Waller, a great old time music legend who was burn in their building. Glover is old school and only carries VHS movies, not DVD because he hasn't yet adopted to the change of the more modern world.
Mr. Fletcher then leaves Mike (Mos Def) in charge as he leaves town to celebrate the anniversary of Fats Waller's death.
Moss's friend, Jerry (Jack Black), works for an electrical power plant company down the road and lives in a trailer that is right next to the power plant.
Jerry and Mike (Moss) try a sabatoge mission because Jerry is convinced that the microwaves from the power plant are messing everybody up, only that the mission goes bad for Jerry and he ends up becoming magnatized. He goes back to the video store and accidently erases all of the tapes in the video store.
When one of the customers comes in to rent Ghostbusters, Mike and Jerry say they don't have the movie availble, but the customer informs them that if the movie isn't ready by the next day 7pm, she will call Glover and tell him what is going on.
So they set in motion to film Ghostbusters on their own in only a couple of hours and the rest is history. It's passed from one person to another and before you know it, they stare SWEDEDing other movies, from Driving Ms. Daisy to King Kong, to Men in Black to Robocop.
They become neighborhood movie stars and slowy trying turning a profit to help fix the building from being torn down.
But then the government gets involved and destorys all their tapes and demolition time is within 2 weeks.
so as a last hurrah, Mike, Jerry, Mr. Fletcher, and Alma, the leading lady come up with an idea to make a documentary on Fats Waller involving the ideas and the community themselves.
Bottom line, this movie is really about the heart and soul of film making, and why people fell in love with movies in the 1st place.
It reminds you of those movies that hold a special place in your heart not because it was the #1 movie of all time, or because it has the most blood and guts, but rather because you can see that in that movie, they put their heart and sould into it.
that is what Be Kind Rewind is really about. when movies were made carefully and on VHS, not the big budget rush to DVD movies that are too often made now a days.
GREAT MOVIE....with HEART and SOUL....you could not ask for more.
Acting is amazing, the remakes are funny and you'll laugh at how they do them.
Thoroughly Enjoyable...Incredibly Entertaining And Fun March 3, 2008
Jill Dunsmore
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
"Be Kind Rewind" is one of those feel-good movies. It has enough laughs and gags and touching moments to make it a dramedy masterpiece.
The film is about the friendship between Jerry (Jack Black) and Mike (Mos Def). Def is the adoptive(?) son of a video store owner, Mr. Fletcher (Daniel Glover). One day, Glover goes on a train ride to another town for a memorial of a famous jazz musician, Fats Waller.
He leaves Def in charge, but forgets to tell him never to let Black into the video store. In a botched invasion of a nuclear power plant, Black is electrocuted, causing him to become magnetized. When he goes into the store, the magnetism erases all of the film on the VHS tapes in the store.
Black devises a plan to re-record all of the tapes to please the patrons, who have been complaining about the blank tapes. And when people enjoy the videos they make, they begin to re-create all of the movies in the store, until copyright-infringement laws come into play.
I absolutely loved "Be Kind Rewind." The acting was incredible, and I must admit that Jack Black, who I have never been a fan of, was very funny, along with touching companionship from Mos Def, and Daniel Glover and Mia Farrow (yes, the Rosemary Woodhouse Mia Farrow) contributing with their stellar performances.
The plot was original, the immitation movies were hilarious and incredibly clever. They were so funny I almost fell out of the seat in the theatre in laughter. I had to shut up because I was causing a scene.
"Be Kind Rewind" is an incredible film, and is definitely good for the family, despite its PG-13 rating. It's definitely a feel-good movie that will make anybody smile from a slightly slow but thouroughly entertaining beginning to a sad, almost tear-jerking ending. Incredible movie. Two thumbs WAAAAAAAAAY up! =)
Garfield-Passaic New Jersey April 25, 2008
Robert C. Mack (Garfield, NJ)
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
I and My Mom who recently passed away got to meet Jack Black and Mos Def as they were filming here in Garfield, New Jersey October 7, 2006. I have to say that the movie brings out NEW JERSEY and the people living here in this area. My Mom was SO HAPPY TO MEET Jack Black and Mos Def. My Mom once met Geddy Lee of Canadian Rock Band RUSH in November 2000. My Mom passed away before viewing this movie. But after seeing this movie myself WE WOULD BOTH TELL YOU ALL that it is worth purchasing and treasuring for life. It has it's Funny Hilarious Moments and Stupid Funny Moments as well. Buy it and Laugh... MY MOM WOULD HAVE!! GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!! God Bless Jack Black and Mos Def. You REALLY Made My Mother Clara Mack SO SO HAPPY!!!!!!
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