By Vernor Rodgers vrodgers@dabelly.com
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Some summer smashes make for good "home movies"

With summer winding down, the movie freaks of the world can relax and take stock of the last few months. Was it a good summer for films? Depends on who you talk to. The bean counters have to be happy, as about a dozen films copped more than $100 million at the box office, with two (''Spider Man'' and ''Star Wars II - Attack of the Clones'') soaring into the stratosphere of money-making smashes.

For us moviegoers, it was an OK summer. There were some disappointments (''Clones,'' ''Minority Report'' and ''Signs'' -- and even these films were ultimately good efforts), but also some pleasant surprises, like ''Lilo & Stitch'' and ''XXX.'' And of course, some steady pieces that mostly lived up to their expectations (''Road to Perdition,'' ''The Sum of All Fears'' and ''Blood Work'').

The next test of a film is how it does in its post-theater-run life -- in the DVD/video realm. In reviewing the list of summer movies, I marked 17 of them that I would consider purchasing, or believe others would purchase on DVD/video. Out of that I narrowed the list down to 10 must-buys, for various reasons. Here is the list, in no particular order:

''Lilo & Stitch'' -- A delightful animated venture about an alien, created to be evil, who escapes being destroyed on his planet and ends up on Earth, the pet of the orphan misfit Lilo (voice of Daveigh Chase). Lilo and sister Nani (Tia Carrere) are struggling to keep their family together and in the end Stitch becomes reprogramed to learn the values of family loyalty and love. And Elvis Presley fans will enjoy The King's contribution to the movie.

''Men in Black II'' -- Yes, an extension of the original ''MIB.'' While it would have been interesting to have seen Jay (Will Smith) interfacing with a lady partner (Linda Fiorentino), she is not included here; and we get more of the Jay/Kay collaboration, as Tommy Lee Jones is brought back. A plus is the larger roles given to the worms and to Frank the Pug (voice of Tim Blaney). While Lara Flynn Boyle is much sexier than the alien baddie in the original (Vincent D'Onofrio), she is not as intimidating.

''Road to Perdition'' -- Tom Hanks turns in another top-notch performance as Michael Sullivan Sr., a person who kills for a living but otherwise is a devoted family man. We ache for him when his family is destroyed and grapple with the emotions he must feel when he weighs avenging the death of his wife and youngest son against carrying on with his life and surviving boy. A sad movie but marked with some redemption.

''K-19 - The Widowmaker'' -- A movie important in that it relates the senseless deaths that took place as an offshoot of two superpower countries and their nuclear posturing. Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson anchor this movie about disaster aboard a Russian sub. Like ''Das Boot'' of 20 years ago, it offers us a sympathetic look at what were our enemies.

''XXX'' -- A Holy Cow! secret agent caper that features one of today's most charismatic action stars, Vin Diesel. As Xander Cage, Diesel is a good bad guy forced to serve his country by NSA Agent Gibbons (Samuel L. Jackson) or face incarceration. The movie's a blast, with terrific stunts that are of course preposterous fun. The avalanche scene alone is worth the purchase price of the DVD. Asia Argento, who has done creepy work in some of her father Dario's macabre movies, gets deserved mainstream exposure here as Cage's ally and love interest, Yelena.

''Blood Work'' -- Pretty much a standard cop drama. I figured out pretty early in the film who the villain was. But what separates this film from other police movies is that it stars Clint Eastwood. Now in his 70s, Eastwood is still a matinee idol, but he has to slow down. As with his ''Space Cowboys'' work, Clint plays a man past his prime. Terry McCaleb (Eastwood) is an FBI profiler forced into retirement by a heart attack. Now in the sticky stages adapting to a heart transplant, he is drawn into the case of who killed the woman whose heart now beats in his chest. This movie is a must for serious Eastwood fans, as it shows him stepping with dignity into roles that stray from his turns as practically invincible macho guys. He is no longer Dirty Harry Callahan, but he still can be a force.

''The Bourne Identity'' -- An intelligent thriller about an operative, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), suffering from amnesia while the people he works for are trying to eliminate him, lest he embarrass the agency. Franka Potente adds spice as the enigmatic Marie Kruetz who helps him. As with many action-thrillers, you have to dispense with logic now and then. Still, it's a terrific venture into an unforgiving world of espionage.

''The Sum of All Fears'' -- Probably the least sharp of the Tom Clancy-created Jack Ryan adaptations, it still is powerful, and in light of Sept. 11, a stark reminder of the dangers that lurk in the world. Ben Affleck is affable as a younger Ryan but no Harrison Ford. Morgan Freeman adds dignity as his superior, Bill Cabot.

''Spider Man'' -- The undisputed hit of the summer, with nearly $400 million at the box office, this movie will be equally powerful when it goes DVD/video. While I was not a strong backer of this movie, I liked Tobey Maguire in the starring role, and I think the next Spider Man venture has the potential to be even better than the original, if in fact it does pit Peter Parker/Spider Man against his best friend. And hopefully Kirsten Dunst will be back and be a
bit more interesting than she was in this flick.

''Star Wars II - Attack of the Clones'' -- Even if you weren't impressed with this latest SW installment, you must include it in your film library, if for no other reason that SW has become an institution. Also, when Episode 3 rolls around in 2005 -- and it promises to be a key chapter in the SW saga -- you'll want to pull out ''Clones'' to watch it and refresh your memory.

HONORABLE MENTION:

''Minority Report'' -- A dark but well-done film by Steven Spielberg. It lacks the exuberance of earlier Spielberg efforts, but if you're a fan of this masterful filmmaker, this must be added to your collection.

''Stuart Little 2'' -- Sequel to the surprise hit of the E.B. White story, this cute little movie offers us more of the likable little mouse Stuart (voice of Michael J. Fox) and his Clever-like family (Geena Davis, Hugh Laurie and Jonathan Lipnicki). Melanie Griffith joins the cast as the voice of Margalo, a bird who befriends Stuart even though her original intentions are not honorable. James Woods is the evil Falcon, and of course, Nathan Lane returns as the self-absorbed, cowardly cat Snowbell.

''Austin Powers in Goldmember'' -- I am not a fan of Austin Powers, but the movies have provided chuckles. Verne Troyer is a delight as Mini Me, and this movie's leading lady, Beyonce Knowles, has a tremendous screen presence and is a knockout. Fat Bastard continues to gross me out.

''Signs'' -- M. Night Shyamalan again is cursed by the grand slam he hit with ''The Sixth Sense.'' Expectations are high but never realized in his follow-up films. The payoff in this movie is kinda ho-hum, but before we get there, a lot of magical moments pop up. Mel Gibson is strong yet vulnerable as a widower grappling with a loss of his faith. Joaquin Phoenix, usually over the top in his performances, is quite convincing as Mel's little brother. The children in this movie, Rory Culkin and particularly Abigail Breslin, provide wonderful and poignant moments.

''Blue Crush'' -- I did not see this movie, but I must have sat through the previews a dozen times. Movies about female athletic competitors have been cropping up, and it's about time. Teen boys with raging hormones will undoubtedly love to see the three gorgeous young female stars (Kate Bosworth, Michelle Rodriguez and Sanoe Lake) cavorting around in itsy-bitsy, teenie weenie bikinis (dirty old men will be happy, too). But also attractive are the surfing scenes. Yeah, there's a love story involved. C'est la vie.

''Scooby Doo'' -- Another movie I did not see, other than the barrage of previews in theaters and on TV (I watch the Cartoon Channel a lot, and the ads for this movie on that channel were almost 24/7). But the computer-generated Scooby Doo is a marvel, and a lot of Scooby experts liked Matthew Lillard's dead-on performance as Shaggy (there also were kudos for Linda Cardellini's nerdy Velma Dinkley).

''Windtalkers'' -- Another war movie that is vital in that it focuses on some unsung heroes of World War II -- Najavo Indians whose language provided a communication code the Japanese never could crack. Nicholas Cage plays a dedicated soldier assigned to protect one of these Navajos (Adam Beech), who in the end become friends despite the roadblocks of war.


Vernor Rodgers is an editor and movie buff who has viewed more than 2,000 movies. You may e-mail him at vrodgers@dabelly.com

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