New Releases Will Put a Little Colorization in Christmas; : A Couple of A-Bomb Movies Will Explode on the Scene;

Film buffs and purists, who seem to be fighting a losing battle over the colorization of black-and-white classic films, can expect more colorized movies. For example, CBS-Fox, which released a tinted “Yankee Doodle Dandy” in August, will market a colorized version of “The Maltese Falcon” on Jan. 29 and has plans for other colorized releases, and Vestron will offer a colorized “Little Shop of Horrors” on Feb. 25.

“The Maltese Falcon,” which some industry observers report is surprisingly impressive in color, is expected to give colorization a big boost. Others, however, say Vestron may be making a mistake putting “Little Shop of Horrors” out in color. It’s a cheapie 1960 movie, starring Jack Nicholson, that may lose some of its B-picture feel--a big part of its appeal--in color. Incidentally, the stage musical, which has been turned into a movie that will be released Dec. 19, is based on this oldie.

Protests against the colorization process are mounting but so is consumer interest. Some 60,000 copies of “It’s a Wonderful Life”--the “Gone With the Wind” of colorized movies--have been shipped. The tinted versions of “Topper” and “Night of the Living Dead” are doing good business. Industry leaders say that colorized versions have outsold their black-and-white counterparts. That’s why companies like CBS-Fox and Vestron are getting into colorization.

The protesters apparently aren’t getting strong support from the public. A survey published in Entertainment Merchandizing magazine in September indicated that 49% of VCR owners are indifferent to colorization and only 15% oppose it.

NEW RELEASES: RCA/Columbia’s “Desert Bloom,” a 1950s drama starring Jon Voight and JoBeth Williams, is out this week. It’s a family drama that unfolds in Las Vegas at the time of the A-bomb tests. Many critics liked this one but it was too stark for the average movie-goer. Some critics thought that Voight was much better in this than in his acclaimed role in “Runaway Train.”

HBO/Cannon’s comedy/drama “The Manhattan Project,” starring John Lithgow and Christopher Collet, is about a bomb, too. Here, a teen-ager builds one as a science project. Nuclear politics dominate, of course, but Lithgow’s performance holds it together.

RCA/Columbia’s “The Marriage of Maria Braun,” out this week, is easily the best of the December releases. This lauded German drama, directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, will undoubtedly be rented mostly by foreign-film buffs. It’s about an impoverished woman (Hanna Schygulla) who prostitutes herself for wealth and power. This one is worth renting to watch the intriguing Schygulla, still unknown to most American fans, at work.

Last week’s lone major release was MCA’s “Sweet Liberty,” starring Alan Alda. A movie about the making of a movie, it was largely panned. One industry theory says Alda’s TV fame may attract renters to this one. But other insiders contend he’s been overexposed on “MASH” reruns, which might keep renters away.

Next week’s major releases are “Desert Hearts,” about a lesbian romance, and “Secrets of the Titanic,” a documentary about exploring the remains of the sunken ship--both from Vestron.

UPCOMING MOVIES: When “Half Moon Street” was released recently, it was evident that this romantic thriller, starring Sigourney Weaver and Michael Caine, wasn’t going to be a box-office hit. The tough, gutsy, brilliant heroine, who resembles a ‘30s Katharine Hepburn character, turned off too many people. Most people have probably never heard of this movie. When Embassy puts it out on Feb. 18, it may have trouble finding an audience in the home video market too--despite its attractive cast.

“My Beautiful Laundrette,” an oddball British drama, is being released on Feb. 4 by Karl-Lorimar. It’s a first-rate movie that was popular in art theaters. But this one may be a little too odd to make it with the mainstream home video crowd.

“Seize the Day,” a HBO/Cannon release on Jan. 21, is a fascinating failure. Don’t feel dumb if you’ve never heard of it. This film version of Saul Bellow’s famed novel never made it to the theaters. Insiders say a major reservation was that audiences wouldn’t accept comedian Robin Williams in a dramatic role--particularly as an angst -ridden, existential hero. Another problem was that the novel isn’t easily translatable to the screen. Tony Roberts and William Hickey co-star.

CHARTS (Complied by Billboard magazine) TOP VIDEOCASSETTES, RENTALS 1--”Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” (Paramount).

2--”Cobra” (Warner).

3--”Raw Deal” (HBO/Cannon).

4--”Down and Out in Beverly Hills” (Touchstone).

5--”Short Circuit” (CBS-Fox).

6--”The Money Pit” (MCA).

7--”Poltergeist II: the Other Side” (MGM/UA).

8--”Police Academy 3: Back in Training” (Warner).

9--”Pretty in Pink” (Paramount).

10--”SpaceCamp” (Vestron).

TOP VIDEOCASSETTES, SALES 1--”Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” (Paramount).

2--”Sleeping Beauty” (Disney).

3--”White Christmas” (Paramount).

4--”Jane Fonda’s Low-Impact Aerobics” (Karl-Lorimar).

5--”Jane Fonda’s New Workout” (Karl-Lorimar).

6--”The Sound of Music” (CBS-Fox).

7--”Raiders of the Lost Ark” ((Paramount).

8--”Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” (Paramount).

9--”Witness” (Paramount).

10--”Star Trek: The Motion Picture” (Paramount).