‘Talking’ Leads Crop of ’89

THIS WEEK’S MOVIES

Two light but enjoyable films from last year lead off the selections:

“Look Who’s Talking” (RCA/Columbia, priced for rental, PG-13) has such a great premise--the audience hears a baby’s thoughts--it’s amazing that there haven’t been a half-dozen films like it already. Directed by Amy Heckerling, the surprise megahit ($130 million at the box office) revived the career of John Travolta and also stars Kirstie Alley, Olympia Dukakis and the voice of Bruce Willis as the precocious infant.

“Shirley Valentine” (Paramount, priced for rental, R) got veteran British actress Pauline Collins an Oscar nomination in the role for which she’d already won a Tony. The film version of the play features the perky performer as an English housewife whose Greek vacation brings her more than she bargained for.

Also from ’89 theatrical runs:

“Johnny Handsome” (IVE, $89.95, R), a Walter Hill film with Mickey Rourke as a petty criminal with a new face but the same old nasty attitude; “Cold Feet” (IVE, $89.95, R), an offbeat comedy with Keith Carradine, Sally Kirkland and Tom Waits.

And for fans of ‘50s black-and-white B-movies, Republic has these three new-to-tape examples for $19.98 each: “Hoodlum Empire” (1952), starring Brian Donlevy and Clair Trevor, directed by Joseph Kane; “When Gangland Strikes” (1956), starring Raymond Greenlead, directed by R. G. Springsteen; and “The Finger Man” (1955) with Frank Lovejoy.

OTHER NEW VIDEOS

Remember that plaintive cry from early ‘60s TV--”Car 54, Where Are You?” If you have cable, you’re probably already sick of the reruns on Nickelodeon. If not, you might grateful that Republic has just released four volumes of the sitcom about silly cops, starring Fred Gwynne (later wasted in “The Munsters” but great here) and Joe E. Ross (even--oo! oo!--greater). Each volume has two episodes and is priced at $14.98.