‘Batman Returns’ Due Oct. 21

“Batman Returns,” the year’s top-grossing movie with a take of $157 million, will make its home video premiere on Oct. 21.

Warner Home Video decided not to put it out at a $90-plus price solely for the rental market and instead is releasing it at $25 to the sales market.

The laser disc will be out on the same day, priced at $40. It will be a “basic” disc, without any extra footage or audio tracks. This sequel earned about $100 million less than the 1989 original. According to several retailers, Warner doesn’t expect it to match the original in the video market either. Warner shipped about 10 million copies of “Batman” but the retailers predict the shipment of “Batman Returns” will be about half that.

Laser ‘Instinct’: The unrated version of “Basic Instinct,” due out on video next year, might be out on laser disc in late November--if the distributor gets its way. The disc will include about 47 seconds of sizzling footage that was trimmed from the theatrical version to get an R rating.

That theatrical version of the police thriller, which stars Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone, is due out on cassette Oct. 14 from LIVE Home Video.

LIVE originally planned to put out the unrated video version this year too, but when it wasn’t ready in time, delayed the release until next year. LIVE wants the laser disc release delayed too. But Pioneer, which is distributing the laser for LIVE, is hoping to persuade executives there to change their minds.

“They (LIVE) don’t want us to get the jump on their video release of the unrated version,” explained David Wallace, Pioneer’s marketing manager. “If it’s out on laser months before it’s out on video, they think that might take some of the luster off the video version and maybe interfere with sales.”

The difference in the size of the laser and video markets, though, punctures that argument. “Less than 1% of the country has laser players while nearly 80% has VCRs,” Wallace said. “If the unrated version came out on laser first, there aren’t enough laser customers around to hurt the VCR market for the unrated version.”

Fear of piracy, though, has to be one of LIVE’s concerns. Good videocassette copies can be made from a laser disc.

Upcoming on Video: “The Power of One,” “The Playboys” (Wednesday), “Leaving Normal” (Thursday), “The Rescuers” (Friday), “Beethoven” and “My Cousin Vinny” (Oct. 1), “Straight Talk” (Oct. 7), “Thunderheart” (Oct. 14), “The Babe” (Oct. 21) and “Folks” (Oct. 22).

“I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang” (MGM/UA, 1932, $35). Good print of one of the great movies of the early talkies era, a stinging social commentary drama showing how an unjustly convicted man (Paul Muni) is continually battered by an unfair criminal justice system.

What’s New on Video: Here are some new releases:

“Mississippi Masala” (Columbia TriStar, no set price). In Indian director Mira Noir’s first-rate film, a black Southerner (Denzel Washington) falls for an East Indian refugee from Uganda (Sarita Choudbury) in a small Mississippi town, stirring up a fierce culture clash and raising cogent questions about immigrants adjusting to a new country.

“Ernest Scared Stupid” (Touchstone, $95). Jim Varney is back as that lovable, dimwitted nerd, Ernest P. Worrell, a character kids find endearing but adults regard as simply imbecilic. If you put yourself in a dopey mindset, Ernest’s bout with a villainous troll is lowbrow fun.

“White Sands” (Warner, $95). An underrated, enigmatic thriller, boasting some marvelously mysterious characters. It’s about a New Mexico cop (Willem Dafoe) stumbling into a network of intrigue as he investigates the source of a briefcase of money owned by a dead man.

On Laser: “Mississippi Masala,” “Gate II,” “Rock-a-Doodle” and “Hear My Song” are out this week. Also:

“Spartacus” (Criterion, 1960, $125). Kirk Douglas and Peter Ustinov star in director Stanley Kubrick’s dramatization of Howard Fast’s novel about a slave revolt in the Roman Empire era, one of the rare intelligent costume epics. Many extras on the disc include interviews with the stars and a detailed analysis by screenwriter Dalton Trumbo.