By Rob Lowman, Staff Writer

Burn Notice>

The reason we think spies are cool is because they always have a new trick or two up their sleeves. No problem getting in somewhere, no problem seducing someone.

Michael Weston's lead character on USA's "Burn Notice" is about as cool as a spy gets. But the show's clever premise is that he's got no one to spy for - except himself. Michael's been given a "burn notice" by the U.S. government, meaning he's a persona non grata - no passport or resources. He's been left high and dry in his hometown of Miami with no idea why he's been abandoned.

"Most people would be thrilled to be dumped in Miami," Michael says in the voiceover that's a staple of the series. "Sadly, I am not most people ... I've never found a good way to hide a gun in a bathing suit."

Michael (Jeffrey Donovan) lives in a ramshackle loft and takes an occasional private-eye gig, where he gets to use a few old tricks. Help comes from ex-girlfriend Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar), a former Irish Republican Army terrorist; and a semi-retired intelligence officer, Sam (Bruce Campbell), whose favorite pursuits are women and booze. The bad news for Michael is now he has to deal with his nagging mother (Sharon Gless) and resentful brother he thought he left behind years before.

Worst still, an occasional old enemy shows up to take a shot at him.

Donovan is terrific, deftly exhibiting the right amount of charm and toughness in his character. The show, meanwhile, effortlessly mixes comedy and action. And Miami offers suitable amounts of interesting scenery, nefarious activities and eye candy.

With the first season out Tuesday on DVD, "Burn Notice" returns for a second season July 10. It's the perfect summer entertainment.

Television>

Back before he became "Spooky" Mulder on "The X-Files," David Duchovny did a steamy cable network show known as "The Red Shoe Diaries." Now in his Showtimes series "Californication," Duchovny returns to steamier times as Hank Moody, a writer whose self-loathing is only equaled by his appetite for beautiful women.

Hank's also upset that he's sold his soul. His well-regarded novel was turned into a piece of successful Hollywood trash and now he can't write - seriously - except for an online gig as a sex blogger.

Because of this, his longtime and mature girlfriend (Natascha McElhone) has taken their 12-year-old daughter (Madeleine Martin) and is seeing a rich guy, whose teen daughter - as it turns out - Hank has slept with.

Yes, sex - along with nude women - is a big part of "Californication." Too often it gets in the way of character development, although it might be argued that Hank has no character to develop. The problem, in this case, with having a hero who doesn't know what he wants is that the story doesn't know what it's about.

Still, Duchovny is good at slyly making fun of his character. Even on "The X-Files," Spooky had this hidden kinky side that Duchovny (who did some of the writing) would wink at. But while there are some funny moments and even some poignant ones, there's way too much winking in "Californication."

New films>

"Under the Same Moon" tells the story of a young Mexican boy (Adrian Alonso) who tries to make his way to Los Angeles to find his mother (Kate del Castillo), an illegal immigrant who works as a maid.

An audience favorite at Sundance 2007 under the title "La Misma Luna" (it's largely in Spanish), Patricia Riggen's directorial debut wears its heart on its sleeve, but to a fault. There are real issues here about immigration but not a lot of believability. The performances are solid, and "Ugly Betty's" America Ferrera has a small key role as a coyote, a person who smuggles people across the border.

Michel Gondry's fantasy fable "Be Kind Rewind" is about a couple of guys (Jack Black and Mos Def) who make their own versions of movies when the VHS tapes at a local video store are mysteriously erased. These include "RoboCop," "The Lion King" and "Driving "Miss Daisy." They wouldn't try to remake one by Gondry ("The Science of Sleep"). The French writer-director is often too clever (or quirky) for his own good. Black and Def are funny guys, though, and "Be Kind Rewind" is mildly amusing even if Gondry is all whimsy.

"Fool's Gold" is another romantic comic pairing of Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson. Previously, it was "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days." In this one, they search for treasure while playing the battle-of-the-sexes game. McConaughey goes around mostly shirtless; Hudson's often in a bikini. What else is there to know?

out tuesday>

NEW FILMS

"Fool's Gold" $28.98 and $35.99 for Blu-ray

"Be Kind Rewind" $27.98 and $35.99 for Blu-ray

"Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins" $29.98

"Under the Same Moon" $29.99 "Rails and Ties" $27.98

"My Mom's New Boyfriend" $24.96

"Love and Other Disasters" $27.98

TELEVISION

"Burn Notice - Season One" $49.98

"Jericho - The Second Season" $39.99

"Californication - Season One" $39.99

"ER - The Complete Ninth Season" $49.98

"Dynasty - Season Three, Vol. 1" $35.98

"Sabrina, the Teenage Witch - The Fourth Season" $39.98

"The Nude Bomb" $19.98

"Meerkat Manor, Season 3" $24.95

"The Real McCoys - Season 3" $39.98

OLDER FILMS

"Men in Black" $28.95 for Blu-ray

"Popeye the Sailor: 1938-1940, Vol. 2" $34.98

"The Sword in the Stone - 45th Anniversary Special Edition" $29.99

"Fanny" $24.98

"The Carmen Miranda Collection" (The Gang's All Here / If I'm Lucky / Something for the Boys / Greenwich Village / Doll Face) $49.98

"Classe Tous Risques - Criterion Collection" $29.95

"The Jungle Book 2 - Special Edition" $29.99

"So I Married an Axe Murderer - Deluxe Edition" $19.94 and $28.95 for Blu-ray

MUSIC

"Joy Division" $22.95

"Eric Clapton - Masterpieces" $26.99

Rob Lowman (818) 713-3687

robert.lowman@dailynews.com