HOME ENTERTAINMENT : See the Movie, Buy the TV Episodes

Some retailers report that customers are asking for tapes of old “The Brady Bunch” episodes now that “The Brady Bunch Movie” has been a critical and commercial hit.

Those customers, though, have walked away empty-handed. It’s not that the retailers are out of the tapes--they never had them in the first place. “The Brady Bunch” videos are only available by mail, through Columbia House Video Library, (800) 638-2922.

Each volume, priced at $20, includes four half-hour episodes. Ten volumes have been released since last summer, roughly at a rate of one every six weeks. The most recent tape came out about a month ago. Each volume has a theme, focusing on a character or a concept.

One of the selling points is that these tapes were made from the original masters, which means they include footage normally chopped out of the TV reruns to make room for ads.

There are other extras too to enhance the appeal to collectors.

“We give them things they can’t get from watching the shows on TV,” Columbia House vice president Harry Elias said. “In addition to missing footage, there’s the special packaging and the information on the package. The big advantage of owning tapes like this is that you can see them whenever you want. You don’t have to wait until they come on TV.”

Surprisingly, despite the hit movie, there’s been no real run on the “Brady Bunch” cassettes. “The movie is doing business but we haven’t seen a huge impact in sales of tapes,” Elias said.

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Other Videos From Oscar Nominees: “Blue Sky”--whose release date was moved ahead to April 18 from April 25 by Orion--may be best actress nominee Jessica Lange’s finest work. But she was excellent in two other movies that are worth a look, playing psychotic actress Frances Farmer in “Frances” (1982) and country singer Patsy Cline in “Sweet Dreams” (1985). The best movie she ever made, though, is “Tootsie,” the 1982 tale of an actor (played by Dustin Hoffman) who poses as a woman to get a soap-opera role.

“Nell” isn’t even close to best actress nominee Jodie Foster’s best work. For her peak performances, check out her other Oscar winners--playing the rape victim in “The Accused” (1988) and the tortured FBI agent in “The Silence of the Lambs,” a 1991 movie easily available for about $10.

If Samuel L. Jackson’s performance in “Pulp Fiction,” which earned him a best supporting actor nomination, inspires you to see more of his movies, rent “Fresh,” a grim drama about a young ghetto drug dealer, which just came out. He’s great as the derelict who’s an expert chess player. His crowning achievement, though, is his role as the crack addict in Spike Lee’s “Jungle Fever.” This 1991 drama about an ill-fated interracial romance, starring Wesley Snipes, is just fair, but it’s worth seeing for Jackson’s amazing performance.

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Special-Interest Videos: “Murder Was the Case: The Movie” started out as an 18-minute film starring charismatic gangsta rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg and directed by rap producer Dr. Dre. To make it marketable, it’s been beefed up into a 50-minute tape with the addition of music videos and footage of interviews and performances. The 18-minute film is a violent, cliche-ridden tale about a young gangster, played by Snoop, who makes a pact with the devil. For the rapper’s fans, it’s an entertaining package. From WarnerVision at $17.

Columbia TriStar’s rental-priced “Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould” is a brilliant semi-documentary, examining the life of the eccentric, reclusive Canadian classical pianist who died in 1982. The story unravels in short segments, structured like a Bach piece he’s noted for. Of interest mainly to admirers of Gould or those who appreciate avant-garde filmmaking. Starring Colm Feore as Gould.

Those interested in Irish history will enjoy “The Two Traditions,” which is packed with information about how the Irish suffered under British rule in the 16th and 17th centuries. A three-volume set at $45 from Irish Vision & Sounds, (800) 474-7480.

“Dr. Sandra Scantling’s Ordinary Couples, Extraordinary Sex” may seem like soft-core porn but these three volumes are really home-video sex therapy by Scantling, who wrote “Ordinary Woman, Extraordinary Sex.” Using real-life couples, she stresses the value of communication in love-making. Though many will watch them for their titillation value, Scatling does dispense some valuable information. From WarnerVision, at $20 per volume.

What’s New on Video: “Jason’s Lyric” (PolyGram): Set in a black Houston ghetto, the romantic drama rehashes the tired old tale about two brothers on opposite sides of the law. Crooked Joshua (Bokeem Woodbine) clashes with noble Jason (Allen Payne), who’s in love with a woman named Lyric (Jada Pinkett). So-so drama pumped up with lots of violence and sex. An unrated version is available, featuring a minute of footage cut out of the R-rated theatrical version.

“Milk Money” (Paramount): A precocious 12-year-old (Michael Patrick Carter) sets up his widowed father (Ed Harris) with a warmhearted hooker (Melanie Griffith) who’s hiding out from a gangster (Malcolm McDowell). A glaringly obvious mixture of “Sleepless in Seattle” and “Pretty Woman,” it’s corny, grossly manipulative and predictable.

“Leave Her to Heaven” (FoxVideo, 1945): This was one of Gene Tierney’s two finest movies--”Laura” (1945) was the other. In this one, she plays a devious, pathologically jealous wife whose obsessive love for her husband (Cornell Wilde) drives her to some evil deeds. Her final scheme is a real shocker. This compelling, lurid melodrama ranks with the best movies of the ‘40s.