Michel Gondry directed the feature films Human Nature, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, and The Science of Sleep and more music videos than you can shake a stick at (Björk, Daft Punk, The White Stripes, The Chemical Brothers, Radiohead, etc.), but for the purposes of this entry his most relevant movie is Be Kind Rewind, because it takes place in a video store.
Dallas-born actress Tiffany Limos, best known for appearing in Harmony Korine’s 2002 movie Ken Park, directed the charming short documentary A Cinephile’s Labyrinth for the video website NOWNESS, in which Gondry spends a few minutes in his favorite video store: Video Club de la Butte, located at 49 rue Caulaincourt in Paris’ 18ème arondissement. In it Gondry hangs out with the proprietor of the establishment, with whom he chats briefly about some of his favorite movies, including Louis Malle’s Zazie Dans Le Métro, Wim Wenders’ The Goalie’s Anxiety at the Penalty Kick, Roman Polanski’s The Tenant, and a few others. The shop generally seems great, and Gondry’s wistful attitude about his own love of movies is entirely charming.
I hope the shop sticks around for a long time; I have a feeling in Paris that might be possible.
Previously on Dangerous Minds:
Michel Gondry’s $20 Portrait Project
‘Mirrorball’: Chris Cunningham, Spike, Jonze, Jonathan Glazer, Michel Gondry and co.