‘Instinct’ Features Just the Basics--for Now

The unrated version of the sex-and-violence thriller “Basic Instinct” is probably the most eagerly awaited such video in home video history.

Many fans of the controversial movie, starring Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone, are eager to see what scenes were cut out so that it could qualify for an R rating. In the unrated version, already seen outside the United States, that footage is restored.

But the recent announcement by LIVE Home Video that “Basic Instinct,” which has grossed nearly $115 million, will be out on video on Oct. 14 was, for many, a disappointment. Only the R version, priced at $100, is being released. There was no mention of an unrated version.

When is that one coming out?

Stuart Snyder, LIVE’s senior vice president of sales and marketing, said that the unrated “Basic Instinct” is due out sometime next year. The price hasn’t yet been determined. But the package will offer more than just the movie.

“It will be a deluxe, director’s edition that includes behind-the-scenes footage, interviews with the stars and commentary by director Paul Verhoeven,” he said.

Originally, the plan was to release both versions simultaneously. “But it didn’t work out,” Snyder said. “We couldn’t get it together in time. We decided what we wanted in the deluxe edition but needed more time than we had to execute the plan. For one thing, Paul Verhoeven wasn’t available soon enough.”

There will be a deluxe version on laser disc, too, to be released by Pioneer at the same time as the unrated video. It, too, will feature the unrated version, plus outtakes, screen tests, parts of the script and commentary from Verhoeven.

‘Radio,’ ‘Mambo’ Head the List of Recent Releases

What’s New on Video: Here are some recent releases:

“Radio Flyer” (Columbia TriStar, no set price). Most critics pummeled this big-budget, box-office bomb about child abuse, calling it irresponsible and woefully sentimental. Set in California in the late ‘60s, it’s about two young boys (Elijah Wood and Joseph Mazzello) who resort to flights of fancy to deal with the abuse from a stepfather (Adam Baldwin).

“American Me” (MCA/Universal, no set price). Edward James Olmos got better reviews for his acting than his directing in this occasionally hard-hitting but often meandering drama, which tends to be too preachy, about the up-and-down career of a ruthless Mexican-American gangster.

“The Mambo Kings” (Warner, $95). The performances of Armand Assante and Antonio Banderas and the irresistible mambo music propel this sometimes absorbing tale of Cuban brothers, both musicians, trying to break into the mambo scene in early ‘50s New York.

“Ladybugs” (Paramount, no set price). A predictable reworking of “The Bad News Bears,” switching from baseball to girls’ soccer. Strictly for those who find humor in the wisecracks of Rodney Dangerfield, who stars as the team’s coach.

“Blame It on the Bellboy” (Hollywood, $95). This farce, a big box-office flop, is largely mediocre but does feature a few good manic moments. The humor comes from mistaken-identity situations caused by a bellboy (Bronson Pinchot) mixing up the messages of hotel guests (Dudley Moore and Bryan Brown).

“Split Second” (HBO, $93). Passable, derivative action-adventure movie, about a cop (Rutger Hauer) tracking down a murderous monster in the year 2008.

“FernGully ... The Last Rainforest” (FoxVideo, $25). This animated feature does have pluses--some cute characters, the voice of Robin Williams and an admirable message about curbing pollution. But it’s not particularly charming or lively and many kids will find it boring.

“The Uninvited” (MCA/Universal, 1944). Reduced to $15, this unheralded chiller ranks with the best ghost movies ever made. A brother and sister (Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey) buy a cliff-side house that turns out to be haunted.

Upcoming on Video: “Mississippi Masala,” “The Favor, the Watch and the Very Big Fish” and “Ernest Scared Stupid” (Wednesday), “Aces: Iron Eagle III” and “The Power of One” (Sept. 16), “The Rescuers” (Sept. 18), “Paris Is Burning” (Sept. 24) and “K2” (Oct. 22).

Laser Disc: Just out: “FernGully ... The Last Rainforest,” “The Lawnmower Man” (unrated with extra footage), “Hear My Song,” “Blame It on the Bellboy,” “Radio Flyer” (wide-screen) and “The Mambo Kings.”

Two movies in the Indiana Jones series have just been released in wide-screen editions--”Raiders of the Lost Ark” (Paramount, $25) and “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” (Paramount, $30).

Bits: Rumors being circulated in the media and the home video industry about MGM/UA being besieged with reorders for Woody Allen’s “Manhattan” simply aren’t true, insisted George Feltenstein, vice president of sales and marketing for MGM/UA home video. “It’s apparently doing great rental business but there’s enough out there to accommodate the rental demand,” he said. Since it’s available in the $15-$20 range, some fans are also buying copies.