Ken Russell’s Movie Available in Four Versions

It’s not uncommon these days for two versions of a movie to be released in the home video market: The R-rated one that was seen in theaters, and a racier version with footage that would have earned the film an NC-17 if it had been released theatrically that way.

Now comes “Whore,” director Ken Russell’s stark look at the life of a prostitute, played by Theresa Russell. Vidmark Entertainment has put out four versions--including one with a different title--trying to reach as many potential consumers as possible.

“Whore” had an NC-17 rating from the Motion Picture Assn. of America when it was released theatrically in October. The movie didn’t last long in theaters, and rather than waiting the usual six months between theatrical release and home-video debut, Vidmark rushed it out in about half the time, while the advertising was still reasonably fresh in the minds of the public.

One of the versions available is the 85-minute theatrical film, which shows the NC-17 rating on the package. In another version, unrated, Vidmark added two minutes of steamy footage not seen in theaters, giving a more graphic feel to some of the scenes. There were both commercial and artistic reasons for doing so.

“People will be more interested in renting it if they know it has something extra they couldn’t see in theaters,” explained Sam Pirnazar, Vidmark’s executive vice president. “That’s the business side. But the director is so well known, we figured people would be interested in his cut. So we went to him and he made extra footage available for a director’s cut.”

But some video stores, like those in the Blockbuster chain, won’t carry either of these versions because they have a policy against NC-17 and unrated films. To accommodate them, Vidmark cut five minutes--mostly of sex scenes--from the NC-17 and got an official R-rated version.

Vidmark didn’t stop there, however. Figuring that the title itself might be a problem for some retailers, the company put the R-rated cassette in a different package, retitling it “If You Can’t Say It, Just See It.”

“Certain grocery stores that carry videos didn’t want to stock a movie with a title like ‘Whore,’ ” Pirnazar said. “So we came up with this package they could carry without offending anyone.”

For Vidmark, basically a B-movie outlet, “Whore” is its second most popular title, with nearly 90,000 copies, at $93 retail price, shipped to video outlets.

Which is the most popular version?

Pirnazar said that 65% of the orders were for the unrated version, followed by about 15% for the NC-17 version. The retitled package has attracted the least interest, accounting for about 4% to 5% of sales.

Upcoming on Video: “The Rocketeer” (Feb. 6), “Regarding Henry” (Feb. 6), “Double Impact” (Feb. 12), “Other People’s Money” (March 18), “The Super” (March 26), “Necessary Roughness” (April 9), “The Commitments” (April 9).

What’s New on Video: The following titles have just been released:

* “Hot Shots!” (FoxVideo, $95). This spoof, a barrage of one-liners and set pieces satirizing those macho air corps movies, is done in the loose, scatter-gun style of the “Naked Gun” series. Starring Charlie Sheen and directed and co-written by Jim Abrahams.

* “Life Stinks” (MGM/UA, $95). To win a bet, a billionaire (writer-director-star Mel Brooks) sees how the other half lives, moving to an L.A. slum without any money. Critical consensus: too glamorized and sentimental.

* “Mobsters” (MCA/Universal, no price). Christian Slater and Richard Grieco head a “Young Guns”-type cast in a story about the rise of organized crime in America. It received a critical thrashing.

* “Journey of Hope” (HBO, $93). This acclaimed Turkish film, about a Kurdish family’s harrowing trek to a new life in Switzerland, won last year’s best foreign-language film Oscar.

* “The Vanishing” (Fox Lorber, $90). Thriller fanatics know about this scary movie, which is in French and Dutch with English subtitles. In Hitchcock style, director George Sluizer tells the spine-tingling tale of a man who becomes obsessed with finding his missing mate. Years later he encounters the psychopathic kidnaper.

* “Cirque de Soleil: We Reinvent the Circus” (PolyGram, $20). Rather than clowns and animals, this troupe, formed in Quebec in 1984, offers high-wire walkers and balancing acts executing stunning stunts against a classical music background. A superb hour.

* “Till There Was You” (MCA/Universal, $93). Slow, convoluted thriller, set on a South Pacific island, about a man (Mark Harmon) trying to find out who killed his brother.

* “Chopper Chicks in Zombietown” (New Line, $80). About a female biker gang in a town full of zombies, it’s perfect for those who relish outrageous, gory horror comedies.