IMDb > Be Kind Rewind (2008)
Be Kind Rewind
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Be Kind Rewind (2008) More at IMDbPro »

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Be Kind Rewind (2008) -- Be Kind Rewind - Trailer
Be Kind Rewind (2008) -- MyMovies.Net - Clip - The power plant (WMV)
Be Kind Rewind (2008) -- A man whose brain becomes magnetized unintentionally destroys every tape in his friend's video store. In order to satisfy the store's most loyal renter, an aging woman with signs of dementia, the two men set out to remake the lost films.
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Overview

User Rating:
6.6/10   38,000 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 3% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Michel Gondry
Writer:
Michel Gondry (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Be Kind Rewind on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
22 February 2008 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Drama more
Tagline:
You name it, we shoot it more
Plot:
A man whose brain becomes magnetized unintentionally destroys every tape in his friend's video store. In order to satisfy the store's most loyal renter, an aging woman with signs of dementia, the two men set out to remake the lost films. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
2 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(82 articles)
Trailer Premiere: "I'll Come Running"
 (From IFC. 4 November 2009, 11:08 AM, PST)
10 Most Underrated Young Actresses
 (From The Movie Fanatic. 22 October 2009, 1:48 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Fun film, though script is lacking more (209 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Jack Black ... Jerry Gerber

Mos Def ... Mike

Danny Glover ... Elroy Fletcher

Mia Farrow ... Miss Falewicz

Melonie Diaz ... Alma
Irv Gooch ... Wilson

Chandler Parker ... Craig

Arjay Smith ... Manny

Quinton Aaron ... Q

Gio Perez ... Randy
Basia Rosas ... Andrea
Tomasz Soltys ... Carl

Marcus Carl Franklin ... Kid #1
Blake Hightower ... Kid #2

Amir Ali Said ... Kid #3
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for some sexual references. (also video version)
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
102 min
Country:
UK | USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | SDDS | Dolby Digital
Certification:
Ireland:12A | USA:PG-13 (certificate #43318) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A | Canada:G (Québec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Australia:PG | Norway:7 | Denmark:A | Sweden:Btl | Singapore:PG | Germany:o.Al. | Malaysia:U | Finland:K-3 | Greece:K | Netherlands:AL | USA:PG-13 | Hong Kong:IIA | Australia:M | France:U | South Korea:12 | Argentina:Atp | Iceland:L | New Zealand:M | Brazil:Livre
Filming Locations:
Hackensack, New Jersey, USA more
Company:
New Line Cinema more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The reason for Jack Black's hilarious version of the "Ghostbusters" theme song was simply because the legal department didn't have the rights to Ray Parker Jr.'s song yet. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: The type of movies they were making would definitely have fallen under the "parody" exception of United States copyright law. more
Quotes:
Jerry: [in character, shooting Ghostbusters; to a librarian] Have you seen Elvis lately? more
Movie Connections:
Spoofs Boogie Nights (1997) more
Soundtrack:
Body Move more

FAQ

What is "sweding"?
What is the movie that Fletcher asks for at the video store?
A Note Regarding Spoilers
more

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
98 out of 142 people found the following comment useful.
Fun film, though script is lacking, 25 February 2008
6/10
Author: mrtimlarabee from United States

Michel Gondry is a very talented filmmaker especially when it comes to visuals. His music videos and films go beyond simple video marvels into a world of simple visual trickery. This is something Gondry is very good at. Furthermore, he has a do it yourself mantra when it comes to filmaking. He's not into the marvels of CGI. He's more into what you can do without it.

But it takes a little more than visual trickery to make a film a success. Be Kind Rewind is a prime example. The film starts off well enough. Mos Def helps run a video store owned by Danny Glover's character. The store is probably one of the last remaining stores catering to VHS. Jack Black is Mos Def's left of center friend who works at an electrical plant. Through some plan to sabotage the plant, he becomes magnetic, erasing all the tapes.

Our heroes are forced to re-record the movies and do it through a process called "sweding," producing 10-15 minute versions of the film, using a wide array of do it yourself techniques that Gondry himself has utilized in his work. An example is a simple trick where filming through a fan makes the film look old. All of this is fun. The way the guys try to truncate the film's stories into a little time or their lack of knowledge regarding some films like Driving Miss Daisy. the crude effects are fun and are prime examples of why we love Michel Gondry.

The downside to the film is the script, penned by Gondry. Clearly, the film is built around the sweded films. But I was starting to think that watching the sweded films would've been more fun than watching Be Kind Rewind itself. Gondry never fully fleshes out his characters or resolves some of the subplots. The visuals are fun, but when Gondry's forced to wrap up the movie, it becomes a little sporadic and we start to realize the the film doesn't go much beyond its rich concept.

There is something great to take away from this film. And while I have some reservations about the film, my recommendation for the film is based on Gondry's filmaking vision. That is to say, there is clearly a joy of filmaking associated with Gondry that will have me continue to look forward to his work. If you're not sure what I mean, take a look at his promotional materials or at his other short films. The man loves filmaking and has fun with this movie. However, I'd recommend he build an alliance with some good screenwriters that would help his visions become fully realized, and not just good natured diversions, as this film is.

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Message Boards

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talk ablout the ending (don't read if u havent seen) cdausey
This movie is unwatchable kaplanj-1
Awesome Movie, Simple Question uppitykrakka
A comedy without any jokes? stylekat
if this were real, would the copyright infringement laws stand? 21bostoncalifornia
ending kman52
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