Notable videos for the week of May 18, 1990
NEW
Meridian (1990, Paramount, no retail price, R)
Sherilyn Fenn, the vixenish Audrey from TV's Twin Peaks, stars in
this ''Beauty and the Beast''-style ghost story. An Italian heiress becomes en-meshed in an odd love triangle with
a villainous magician and a horrible but gentle creature. Starts
strong but dwindles to a sappy conclusion. C+
REISSUED
Brighton Beach Memoirs (1986, MCA, $19.98, PG)
The early life and times of Eugene Morris Jerome (Jonathan
Silverman), a compulsive teenage diarist with plenty to say about
baseball, lima beans, and his curvaceous cousin. Set in the 1930s,
it's the firstinstallment in Neil Simon's autobiographical trilogy.
Its claustrophobic humor worked better on the Broadway stage. C
Biloxi Blues (1988, MCA $19.98, PG-13)
Eugene Morris Jerome, Part 2: He's grown up, he's in the Army, and
now he's Matthew Broderick. Directed by Mike Nichols. B
The 'Burbs (1989, MCA, $19.98, PG)
Tom Hanks and Carrie Fisher play a married couple just dying to
find out what their new neighbors have been doing at night. C+
Carny (1980, Warner, $19.98, R)
Carnival roustabouts Robbie Robertson (the ex-Band leader) and
Gary Busey initiate a wild runaway (Jodie Foster) into their clannish
world. The plot's as hollow as a barker's pitch, but it's worth
watching for Foster and the authentic atmosphere. B
The Gambler (1980, Wood Knapp, 2 vols., $24.95 each)
Kenny Rogers stars in this self-consciously ''Old Western'' TV
movie, inspired by his song. A bearded, brawlin', bettin' man sets
out in search of his long-lost son. Linda Evans turns up in Part 2.
D
The Glenn Miller Story (1954, MCA, $19.95)
James Stewart as the bandleader who spends years in search of an
elusive ''sound,'' and June Allyson as the wife who encourages him
until he gets it. Strictly for those who love Jimmy and can tolerate
June. C-
Rear Window (1954, MCA, $19.95)
Alfred Hitchcock's study of everyday voyeurism: An injured
photographer (James Stewart) tries to solve a murder without leaving
his apartment. With Grace Kelly as his fashion-plate girlfriend. A+
Tap (1988, RCA/Columbia, $19.98, PG-13)
Sammy Davis Jr., Gregory Hines, and teenager Savion Glover
represent three generations of tap dancers in a movie whose story — an
ex-con who must choose between a life of art or crime — serves as an
excuse for some very fancy footwork. C+
Top Gun (1986, Paramount, $14.95, PG)
Tom Cruise's greatest hit is cold, soulless, infinitely
cynical-and quite skillful. If you want a good movie about daredevil
pilots, try The Right Stuff or Only Angels Have Wings; if you want
physical thrills, try Top Gun. It plays your brain like a video game. B
True Grit (1969, Paramount, $14.95, G)
The role of Rooster Cogburn won John Wayne a hard-earned Oscar.
The story of a sheriff tracking down Kim Darby's daddy's killer made
even hippies who hated everything the Duke stood for stand up and
cheer. A-
SPECIAL INTEREST
Billy Martin: The Man, the Myth, the Manager (1990, Cabin Fever,
$19.98)
The last interview given by the Yankees' on-again, off-again
manager, plus commentary from such baseball luminaries as Mickey
Mantle, Whitey Ford, and Martin's perennial nemesis, George
Steinbrenner.
Dance Theater of Harlem (1990, Home Vision, $39.95)
The prominent ballet company performs four pieces, including Agnes
de Mille's ''Fall River Legend.''
Frederic Remington: The Truth of Other Days (1990, Home Vision,
$39.95)
The life of the author and artist renowned for his vision of the
Old West.
