‘Action’ May Get Clipped From Leppard Video

Coming next on MTV: “ Less Action Hero”. . .

At least there may be fewer clips from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s not-so-blockbuster “Last Action Hero” fantasy-adventure on MTV than expected. As the movie founders at the box office, Columbia Records, which released the soundtrack album, is said to be “rethinking” its marketing strategy for the music.

One insider reports that the upcoming video for the Def Leppard song “Two Steps Behind” is being re-edited to remove most or all of the clips from the film that had originally been intended for it. The two current “Hero” soundtrack videos airing on MTV--AC/DC’s “Big Gun” and Megadeth’s “Angry Again”--are laden with chases and explosions from the film.

“There’s a good chance that in the Def Leppard video there will be little or no footage from the movie,” the source says.

Columbia Records executives were unavailable for comment, but a spokesman for Columbia Pictures, which released the film, confirms that the record company has the option of going clip-less in the music videos. The next video will be for Alice in Chains’ “What the Hell Have I,” with the Def Leppard one to follow.

“They can do that if they want to pay for the video themselves,” says Mark Gill, senior vice president of publicity and promotion at Columbia Pictures. “In return for getting the clips in the videos, we split the cost with them.”

But Gill also says that Columbia Records executives have reassured him that plans have not been changed regarding the videos.

Nonetheless, insiders report that the record company is concerned that the album’s image could be tarnished by the movie’s disappointing performance. The album has had no such problems, rocketing up the Billboard pop album chart to No. 7 after just three weeks in stores. And the AC/DC and Megadeth songs, along with a third “Hero” track, Queensryche’s “Real World,” are among the most requested rock radio songs in the country (see album review, Page 56).

Gill says that even if the record company were to back off from associations with the film, the videos would still serve to promote the movie, given the heavy cross-promotional activity that has already taken place.

“The association in people’s minds between the music and the film is pretty strong,” he says. “People will make the connection either way.”