Stallone's 'Cobra' Cassette Will Try to Outgun 'Rambo'; : 'Hail Mary' Released in Time for Christmas Stockings

By DENNIS HUNT

Sept. 26, 1986 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

“Cobra,” the violent cop drama starring Sylvester Stallone, was supposed to be one of last summer’s biggest hits. But it fizzled, grossing “only” about $50 million, according to Warner Home Video. That would be a healthy gross for many a movie but a disappointment for a film expected to earn at least $100 million. But the figures may be bolstered during the holiday season after “Cobra” is released Nov. 19 as a cassette by Warner Video.

A Stallone movie is no longer a guaranteed home-video hit. Since retailers got burned early this year by his “Rambo”--the anticipated great demand never materialized --they are expected to order cautiously. Apparently, violent action films don’t have high “repeatability” quotients.

Probably the strangest Christmas cassette of the year will be French director Jean-Luc Godard’s “Hail Mary,” the tale of a virgin who mysteriously becomes pregnant--available Nov. 26 on Vestron. Releasing this movie as a cassette, which picketing protesters condemned as sacrilegious, during the holiday season may stir up a fuss--as much as the theatrical release caused last year. The controversy generated a lot of interest in the movie, which basically played the art-house circuit. Since there’s probably still considerable curiosity about it, “Hail Mary” may do well in the rental market. However, it’s a movie that some retailers may avoid.

“Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling,” Richard Pryor’s autobiographical comedy-drama, is out Nov. 26 on RCA/Columbia. Audiences and critics were indifferent to this movie, which was co-written, produced and directed by Pryor, who also stars. At the same time, RCA/Columbia is releasing “Violets Are Blue,” featuring Sissy Spacek and Kevin Kline as lovers illicitly rekindling an old romance. Many critics liked the star performances but were lukewarm about the movie.

Charles Bronson won some critical praise for his performance as the surly cop accused of murder in “Murphy’s Law,” which Media is releasing Oct. 22. His main adversary is a homicidal maniac played by Carrie Snodgress, the strangest role of her career.

“Band of the Hand,” about a group of reformed delinquents battling a drug boss in Miami, has “Miami Vice” written all over it. That’s because the executive producer is Michael Mann, who serves the same function for TV’s “Miami Vice.” When RCA/Columbia releases the movie Oct. 23 on cassette, it’s expected to have considerable appeal for the action/adventure segment of the rental market.

THIS WEEK: “Down and Out in Beverly Hills,” Touchstone’s hit comedy about a bum who disrupts the lives of a rich family, is now available. Stars Bette Midler, Nick Nolte and Richard Dreyfuss are upstaged by Little Richard, as the evangelist, and Mike the clever canine.

Also out this week: HBO/Cannon’s “F/X,” a thriller starring Bryan Brown and Brian Dennehy that critics generally liked; Vestron’s offbeat “Turtle Dairy,” with Glenda Jackson and Ben Kingsley; MGM/UA’s “Runaway Train,” starring Jon Voight and Eric Roberts--both Academy Award nominees for their performances; Warner’s comic “Wildcats,” which offers Goldie Hawn as a football coach; and Karl-Lorimar’s “American Anthem,” an ill-fated attempt to make a movie star out of gymnast Mitch Gaylord.

Just released: “Gung Ho,” “Crossroads,” “Young Sherlock Holmes,” “Spring Symphony,” with Nastassja Kinski as Clara Wieck--the classical pianist who’s having an affair with German composer Robert Schumann--and “Lady Jane,” starring Helena Bonham Carter as Lady Jane Grey, the teen-ager who was Queen of England for nine days.

OLD MOVIES: “Anatomy of a Murder” (1959), with James Stewart as the shrewd defense attorney, is just out on RCA/Columbia at $69.95. About the murder trial of a soldier (Ben Gazzara), it’s ranked among the cinema’s finest courtroom dramas. This and “Laura” (1944) are generally considered the finest works of director Otto Preminger. “Anatomy of a Murder” has a real cult following. There are film buffs who know it so well that they can recite lines of dialogue--mostly Stewart’s. Fans of this film tell you that the best acting is done by George C. Scott, who plays the prosecuting attorney. And then there are those who watch it just for the Duke Ellington score.

Ask well-informed fans of gritty, urban cop dramas to name their Top 10 and two movies invariably are mentioned--’Kiss of Death” (1947) and “Madigan”(1968). Richard Widmark, incidentally, stars in both. “Madigan,” which also features Henry Fonda, was just released by MCA at $59.95. It’s rated among director Don Siegel’s Top 5 efforts. For Widmark, his performance as detective Madigan is second only to his classic portrayal of psychotic killer Tommy Udo in “Kiss of Death”--his film debut.

That restored version of director Abel Gance’s four-hour epic silent movie, “Napoleon,” has just been released by MCA at $79.95--on two cassettes. Francis Coppola spearheaded the restoration. His father Carmine wrote and conducted the score. The sound, a big selling point when the restored version was released theatrically in 1980, is exceptional on the cassettes, too.

“Out of Africa,” currently the No. 8 rental after just two weeks in release, should be No. 1 next week and will most likely dominate until “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” comes out in a few weeks. “Amadeus,” a big hit last year, is suddenly a hot sales item because it’s now available at a significantly reduced price--$29.95. It shot up to No. 6 on the sales chart.

CHARTS

(Complied by Billboard magazine)

TOP VIDEOCASSETTES, RENTALS 1--”Murphy’s Romance” (RCA/Columbia).

2--”Spies Like Us” (Warner Video)

3--”Iron Eagle” (CBS/Fox).

4--”The Jewel of the Nile” (CBS-Fox).

5--”Back to the Future” (MCA).

6--”Enemy Mine” (CBS-Fox).

7--”Jagged Edge” (RCA/Columbia).

8--”Out of Africa” (MCA).

9--”White Nights” (RCA/Columbia).

10--”The Clan of the Cave Bear” (CBS-Fox).