‘Thelma and Louise’ Hit Rental Road in January

MGM/UA Home Video has decided to release “Thelma and Louise,” a “road” comedy/drama starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, on Jan. 8, ending speculation that it would be part of the growing list of major pre-Christmas releases.

Avoiding that glut--which includes “Terminator 2,” “City Slickers” and “Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear”--is only one reason for the January release.

“January is traditionally the biggest rental month of the year, so it’s a good time to put it out,” said George Feltenstein, MGM/UA’s vice president of sales and marketing, who predicted orders of about 300,000. The cassette will be priced at $94.99 for the rental markets.

Another reason has to do with the ad campaign. “The 10-best lists will be out then,” he said. “This movie is bound to make some of those lists. We can use that in the ad campaign.”

Boosting the movie’s Oscar chances, he added, is also part of the January release strategy. Both Davis and Sarandon have been strongly mentioned as possible best-actress nominees and the movie, which has grossed about $44 million, may be a best-picture contender.

“The nominations come out in February, so it helps to have the movie on the rental market in January, so it will be easier for the voters to see, “ he said. “It’s better than having screenings.”

‘Fantasia’ Figures: “Fantasia”--due out on Nov. 1 at $24.99, could turn out to be the year’s top title. It’s already No. 2, according to Buena Vista Home Video, with orders of 9.45 million. The 1991 leader is FoxVideo’s “Home Alone,” at 10.1 million orders.

With re-orders, “Fantasia” could come out on top.

In the laser-disc market, this 1941 feature-length cartoon, selling for $39.95--or $99.99 for the deluxe set--is already on top. Orders through Image Entertainment have passed the 200,000 mark, the first laser-disc title ever to do so.

Long Gone: The Senate Judiciary Committee hearings probing Professor Anita Hill’s charges of sexual harassment against Judge Clarence Thomas have generated interest in porn movies featuring a character she identified as Long Dong Silver.

A spot check of some regular video outlets and adult video stores--both local and around the country--indicated that curious customers have been trying to get a Silver video.

Nothing, however, seems to be available.

According to store managers, the people inquiring don’t know whether the name refers to a movie or an actor or a character. It’s a character, but none of the store officials knew the name of the well-endowed actor who played him. They said that he appeared in an undetermined number of what are known as loops--10- to 15-minute films, generally of poor quality, that are shown in machines usually found in stores that sell adult films and books.

With porn films readily available on home video since the early ‘80s, such peep-show arcades--and the kind of films they show--are rare these days. In the early days of the home-video industry, compilations of such film loops were commonplace, but that’s not true anymore, since most adult films are made directly for home video.