Some Candidates to Watch in This Political Season

The elections are just around the corner. And while you’re deciding just whom to vote for, why not head to your local video store and check out these political comedies?

Peter Sellers is endearing in the 1979 satire “Being There” (FoxVideo, $20), as a simple-minded gardener who knows the world only through what he’s seen on television. He finds himself--through bizarre circumstances--the toast of the Washington political scene. Melvyn Douglas won the best supporting Oscar for his memorable turn as the elderly president. Shirley MacLaine also stars in Jerzy Kosinski’s adaptation of his novel. Hal Ashby directed.

Kevin Kline, one of contemporary cinema’s best clowns, is an utter delight in Ivan Reitman’s 1993 hit “Dave” (Warner, $20). Kline plays a regular Joe who is the dead ringer for the president. After the Prez suffers a stroke, Dave is enlisted to masquerade as the commander in chief. Sigourney Weaver, Frank Langella and Ben Kingsley also star.

Tim Robbins stars in, wrote and directed the scathing 1992 satire “Bob Roberts” (Paramount, $20). Robbins plays a right-wing folk singer battling liberal incumbent (Gore Vidal) for a Pennsylvania Senate seat.

Jeremy Larner won an Oscar for his intelligent and witty 1972 comedy “The Candidate” (Warner, $20), starring Robert Redford as an idealistic young lawyer who learns the political ropes when he runs for senator. Michael Ritchie directed.

Loretta Young received the best actress Oscar for her charming turn in 1947’s “The Farmer’s Daughter” (FoxVideo, $60). Young plays a Swedish woman who becomes a maid to a handsome congressman (a winning Joseph Cotten) and ends up running for office herself. It was later turned into a popular TV series starring Inger Stevens and William Windom.

Definitely worth a look is the 1933 political satire-fantasy “Gabriel Over the White House” (MGM/UA, $20). Walter Huston is wonderful (as usual) as a crooked politician elected president thanks to the help of his shady buddies. While recovering from an auto accident, he believes he sees a vision of the Archangel Gabriel and decides to change his deceitful ways.

Screenwriter Preston Sturges made his directorial debut with the sharp, insightful 1940 comedy “The Great McGinty” (MCA/Universal, $15), starring a perfectly cast Brian Donlevy as a bum who becomes governor thanks to a well-oiled political machine. McGinty runs into problems, though, when he tries to go legit. Akim Tamiroff is equally fine as the party boss. Sturges won an Oscar for his classic screenplay.

Frank Capra directed Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn in the effective 1948 comedy “State of the Union” (MCA/Universal, $20). Tracy plays a rich industrialist running for the presidency who finds it increasingly difficult to maintain his integrity. Hepburn shines as his sensible, estranged wife who tries to keep him from being sucked into the political machine. Angela Lansbury and Van Johnson also star.

James Dean look-alike Christopher Jones is pretty groovy in the outta-sight 1968 satire “Wild in the Streets” (HBO, $20). Jones plays a rebellious rock star who becomes president after the voting age is lowered to 14 and adults over 30 are imprisoned and fed LSD. Shelley Winters and Richard Pyror also star.

Politics II: Conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh looks at the issues that bother him about America in “Rush Limbaugh: The American Dream” (New Video, $15). His commentaries are culled from his TV series.

Feel the Burn: Former “Real World” regular Eric Nies and the Grind dancers boogie and exercise up a storm in the fun “The Grind Workout: Strength and Fitness” (Sony Music, $13).

Killer Bs: Arriving Tuesday is “Piranha” (New Horizons), a gory but relatively entertaining remake of the 1978 Joe Dante-John Sayles cult disaster spoof. Alexandra Paul, William Katt, Soleil Moon Frye and Monte Markham star.

“Hollow Point” (Vidmark) is a rather hollow thriller with a much better-than-average cast: John Lithgow, who plays a clever crime kingpin, and Donald Sutherland, quite funny as an eccentric paid assassin.

Special Edition: Most folks thought the 1995 thriller “Jade” was a lumbering snooze, but that hasn’t stopped Paramount from releasing a special edition featuring 12 additional minutes ($15).

Coming Next Week: Kenneth Branagh wrote and directed the satire “A Midwinter’s Tale” (Columbia TriStar). Michael Maloney and Joan Collins star in the comedy about a troupe of actors putting on a production of “Hamlet.”

Michael Keaton plays an overworked family man who clones three crazy versions of himself in the comedy “Multiplicity” (Columbia TriStar).

Timothy Hutton, Mira Sorvino and Uma Thurman are among the stars of the romantic comedy “Beautiful Girls” (Miramax).

Shawn and Marlon Wayans star in the spoof “Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood” (Miramax).

Nathan Lane, Mare Winningham and Courtney Vance star in “The Boys Next Door” (Hallmark), a “Hallmark Hall of Fame” comedy-drama about four mentally changed young men living together in a suburban neighborhood.

Ashley Judd and Oscar winner Mira Sorvino play the two sides of Marilyn Monroe in HBO’s “Norma Jean and Marilyn” (HBO).

Charlie Sheen plays an obsessive radio astronomer who discovers aliens have landed in the sci-fi thriller “The Arrival” (Live).

Tim Daly stars in the romantic comedy “Denise Calls Up” (Columbia TriStar).