While we wait for the new Criterion release of Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai on DVD (it’s now a three-disc set!), fans of independent and foreign film can check out these new releases: Kicking and Screaming, the first film by Noah Baumbach (writer and director of The Squid and the Whale) and Seduced and Abandoned, an Italian satire from Pietro Germi (Divorce Italian Style). With new high-definition transfers and loads of special features, including new cast and crew interviews, both DVDs (priced at $29.99) are essentials for the quirky film lover in your family.

Looking to help the birds through the rest of this abysmally hot summer? A bird bath is an excellent addition to any yard (except of course a yard that already has several bird baths!). And now is an excellent time to pick one up before the summer sales prespire, I mean, expire. Whew, it’s hot, huh? We like this bird bath from Birdbaths.com because it’s solar-powered, so it won’t power up your electric bill, but it will keep the water moving and fresh for our little avian pals. The copper will weather to a verdegris patina.

Thought for today: Are there a lot of mirrors out there or what? How did people decorate before this trend? And why now? Could it be we need some sort of subliminal affirmation? Whatever. We were happy to find that despite their fragility you can order mirrors, mirrors, mirrors online. One obvious place to go is Simply Mirrors.com. Many mirrors there. A less obvious place is faucet.com. They figure that if you need a faucet, a mirror can’t be far behind, right? We liked this 4-foot tall Rosamond decor mirror by Uttermost from the faucets site. We just hope they have the packing aspect worked out!

Nothing is quite a terrifying as opening the kids’ dresser drawers and discovering that the jeans inside will be riding — oh — about three inches above the shoes this new school year. Gap has a quick solution for all styles and is offering one pair at 50 percent off with the purchase of one pair.

We wanted to add a word about backpacks as our kids head back to school weighted down like camels: Padding. We got pretty excited about this Swiss Gear Soho pack we found over the weekend at Kohls for the teenager. It’s 18+ inches tall and 7″ wide, making it roomy enough for those endless binders and textbooks that must somehow be crammed inside. More importantly, it’s got cushy straps and a padded back with mesh fabric that acknowledge the rigors of just getting to school. And yes, they remembered to include an MP3 pocket inside, also padded, as well as a pencil holder and key ring in a separate compartment. Kohl’s had a lot of other great packs too, JanSport and Columbia brands, that were bigger and better equipped than ever.