SPAGHETTI VIDEO

“Aliens” director James Cameron recently went back behind the camera--but you won’t be seeing the latest efforts at your local cinema. He served as “executive creative consultant” on “Reach,” a new video by Warner Bros. recording artists Martini Ranch (they had a cult hit last year with something titled “How Can the Laboring Man Find Time for Self Culture?”).

Well . . . some sources say Cameron actually directed.

He’s certainly familiar with the cast: Bill Paxton--who played the “yellow” Marine in “Aliens”--is the lead singer of Martini Ranch. (Paxton also co-wrote “Reach.”) And “Aliens” alumni Jenette Goldstein (the gutsy femme Marine), Paul Reiser, Mark Ralston and Lance Henriksen are putting in appearances.

Officially, Frances Harley is being listed as the director. But we could find no past credits for her. We asked Paxton about her, to which he quipped: “It’s amazing how some careers can disappear overnight.” Naturally, we checked with Cameron’s office for a comment--and clarification. But a rep said he’s at work on a new screenplay and couldn’t be disturbed for comment.

Paxton told us he “called in a lot of favors” to make the video, the group’s first. Putting in cameos are Kathryn Bigelow, who directed Paxton in the DEG fall release “Near Dark,” and acting buddies Bud Cort (as the village idiot) and Judge Reinhold (a gambler).

The plot has desperado Paxton arriving in the post-apocalypse town of Martini Ranch to join up with friends. A dust storm blows through and seven female bounty hunters (including Goldstein and Bigelow) emerge from the haze. They’re alookin’ for Paxton and eventually rope, hog-tie and brand him.

“It’s heavily symbolic with spiders and tarantulas and all the icons of Sergio Leone Westerns,” Paxton said. “Everything is a posture with stunts and gags replacing the violence of the movies we had fun sending up.”

The title comes from key lyrics in the song: “Reach, this ain’t your lucky day.”