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Outta The Way, Oscar While Oscar voters concern themselves with artistic merit and Hollywood politics, the 4,000 video store owners of the Video Software Dealers Association didn't have to look any further than their cash registers to name Arnold Schwarzenegger (right) Video Star of the Year. The VSDA honored the best in video with its Homer awards at an Aug. 8 banquet during their ninth annual convention in Las Vegas. Among the VSDA's favorites: Rain Man (Best Movie, Drama), Look Who's Talking (Comedy), Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (Family), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-Cowabunga Shredhead (Favorite Children's Program), and-in the words of emcee-presenter Leonard Maltin-the ''indispensable'' How to Lambada! (Favorite How-to/Self-Improvement Video). If all goes as planned, the VSDA will see that Homer (the name-meant to suggest home viewing-was chosen from suggestions by VSDA members), generally viewed as Oscar's lesser stepbrother, soon gets the respect he deserves. After all, video is an $8 billion-a-year industry, and VSDA spokesperson Dana Kornbluth says the organization will try to put its awards on TV next year. The first step, she says, is to line up more stars to appear: Video execs accepted most of the awards this year. Schwarzenegger was the only celebrity to pick one up in person, although Jane Fonda accepted her trophy via videotape. ''Maybe we could have musical numbers that tie in to music videos, or Richard Simmons could lead a workout session,'' says Kornbluth. Homer's act clearly needs some polishing before showing up on network TV. Turner & Hooch inexplicably ended up in the Action/Adventure category, and Batman somehow qualified as Science Fiction. Also, Maltin had a point when he joked to the acceptors, ''Keep your speeches as brief as you can. Remember, you didn't make any of these movies.''
Exhibition Games Los Angeles King Wayne Gretzky doesn't plan to repeat his stint as Saturday Night Live guest host (''I don't think I could do it again without making any mistakes'') or to take on any acting roles (''I have too much respect for that profession''), but the 29-year-old hockey champ chose the video format when it came time to write his autobiography. Wayne Gretzky: Above and Beyond, which comes out Oct. 4 (Live, $19.95), uses home movies, interviews with his wife, actress Janet Jones (left, with Gretzky), and game footage to tell his tale.
