Best Bets / AUGUST 1-7, 1999

Movies

Hogarth Hughes is a 9-year-old boy who finds a 50-foot robot in his backyard in Brad Bird’s animated “The Iron Giant,” based on the novel by England’s late poet laureate, Ted Hughes. Featuring the vocal talents of Jennifer Annistion, Harry Connick Jr. The film opens Wednesday. in general release

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In “Mystery Men,” Ben Stiller, Paul Reubens and Janeane Garofalo head a gang of misfit would-be superheroes, based on the Dark Horse comic, who are determined to save a city from super-villain Geoffrey Rush. It opens Friday in general release.

Jazz

The Musicians Union in Hollywood today at 3 p.m. hosts quite an array of top jazz stars who will be performing at trombonist Thurman Green’s Memorial Scholarship Concert, including the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Teddy Edwards, BoneSoir, Bobby Rodriguez, Arthur Blythe and Hamiet Bluiett.

Video

Sometimes it’s great fun to watch a glossy, hokey romantic flick like “Message in a Bottle.” Based on the novel by Wally Sparks, the drama features sturdy performances from Kevin Costner, Paul Newman and Robin Wright Penn. And have your hankies ready for the twist ending. The hit debuts Tuesday on video.

Art

The flowering art of French illumination from 1375 to 1525 is detailed in “French Manuscript Illumination of the Late Middle Ages” opening Tuesday at the J. Paul Getty Museum. The exhibition will include manuscript books, leaves and cuttings by Jean Fouquet, above, Jan Bourdichon, Simon Marmion, and others.

Dance

The locally based JazzAntiqua Music and Dance Ensemble celebrates the Ellington centenary with “To Duke, With Love,” on Saturday at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood. Guest Chester Whitmore brings both his Opus 1 Jazz Orchestra and his Black Ballet Jazz dancers, including Katisha Adams and Charles Zacharie, pictured.

Pop Music

Behind the giant shadow of Ricky Martin, there’s a lively world of commercial Latin pop that’s not pushing for that magic crossover formula. For a taste of the hottest mainstream music in the genre, try the second annual “Reventon Super Estrella” at the Arrowhead Pond on Saturday. Among the stars are Fey, Nek, MDO and Elvis Crespo.

Music

SummerFest La Jolla ’99 opens Friday and covers the next two weeks with stellar chamber music. Opening weekend is a celebration of the 75th birthday of the Budapest-born cellist Janos Starker, who plays on each of the opening three events. Other featured players in these 15 days include violinists Robert McDuffie and Julie Rosenfeld and pianists Gary Graffman and Wu Han.