Pick your comedy: quirky, romantic or biblical

Before I opine about this week’s flicks, I wanted to tell you about the summer reading program hosted by the Laughing Ogres Comics stores in Lansdowne and Fairfax. If you’re a NoVA Popaholic, you know I’m for all things comics-related, and this summer Laughing Ogre’s got a really cool thing going to get struggling and reluctant youngsters reading and loving the art form for a lifetime.

It works thusly: Kids keep a reading list of graphic novels and any other sort of book they want. If they read five books total, they get 20 percent off their next purchase of an all-ages graphic novel. Read six more books, then they get 25 percent off. If they get around to seven more books after that (18 total), they then get 30 percent off! Can’t beat that.

To get the deals, children need to bring in their list to the store of what they’ve read with a parent’s sign-off. Just remember, moms and dads: Sometimes comics can get pretty racy in theme and language, so watch out for “mature” titles. You might also want to read what they’re reading, too, especially in the comics realm — you just might like ‘em!

A bunch of new comedies are out this week, starting with the quirky “Away We Go.” Opening at Cinema Arts Theatre this weekend, the indie film stars John Krasinski of “The Office” and Maya Rudolph as an expectant married couple who go on a cross-country trip to figure out the best place to raise their little one. It’s directed by Sam Mendes, who’s mainly done serious dramas (“American Beauty,” “Road to Perdition,” “Revolutionary Road”), so it’s a humorous tale that’s funny AND well-crafted.

If more mainstream romantic comedy is your thing, Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds play a boss and her assistant who need to get hitched to keep her from being deported in “The Proposal.” The one reason to see this one? Betty White, the 87-year-old “Golden Girl” who steals the movie and is as feisty as ever.

And odd couple Michael Cera and Jack Black team up for the ancient laugher “Year One” as two dudes stumbling their way through Bible stories.

Pretty slim pickens in the ol’ DVD shelves this coming week (although you can find Slim Pickens riding a bomb in the newly released “Dr. Strangelove” Blu-ray). The Brendan Fraser family adventure “Inkheart” is for the little fantasy lovers in your household, the chick flick “Confessions of a Shopaholic” starring Isla Fisher will hold “Sex and the City” fans over till the next movie (or they decide to watch all the TV seasons again), and Steve Martin makes a really bad career decision with “Pink Panther 2,” taking Jeremy Irons and Alfred Molina down with him.

If you’re willing to try an odd little foreign movie, take a chance on the Oscar-nominated, animated Israeli documentary “Waltz With Bashir.”

What’s your favorite summertime comedy? Let me know in the comments. And the video of the week comes from NBC Washington, an interview with comic rapper Remy Munasifi about his viral hit “Arlington Rap” (if you haven’t seen this particular piece of local genius, here ’tis):

Tags: books, comics, dvd, movies, video