Must-Rent Movies

Animated perfection, a bomb deserving redemption and Hitchcock

Buy It: Toy Story 3 (PG, 2010). The funny, smart, breathtaking, sob-inducing, surprising, and most successful animation film of all time is finally available on DVD and Blu-Ray. Buy it. It’s a worthy shelf companion to its Pixarian predecessors. Plus, like me, you might be tempted to watch the brilliant short, Day & Night, on a continual loop. My Grade: A

Rent It: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (PG-13, 2010). Most people only remember this movie for being one of the biggest bombs of the year. But once you watch it, you’ll find a wacky picture filled with nerdtastic technology. While Michael Cera is not a perfect fit for our slouchy protagonist, Kieran Culkin and Alison Pill all but make up for it. My Grade: A-

Queue It: Rope (PG, 1948). One of my favorite Hitchcock films stars James Stewart in a take on Leopold and Loeb. Using one set and long camera takes (sometimes up to 10 minutes long), Hitchcock pulls you into the claustrophobic, intellectual cat-and-mouse. My Grade: A-