Oscars in Your Living Room

Video stores, whose whole business operates on a tape-delayed basis, will be getting Oscar fever this summer as many of spring’s Academy Award nominees finally make their way to market.

“Saving Private Ryan” (DreamWorks), the World War II epic that captured a nomination as best picture and garnered an Oscar for director Steven Spielberg, hits stores next week. Another World War II drama that competed for best picture honors, Terrence Malick’s “The Thin Red Line” (Fox), is scheduled for release June 29. Bill Condon’s Oscar-winning “Gods and Monsters,” starring Ian McKellen as film director James Whale, is due June 8, and Sam Raimi’s thriller, “A Simple Plan” (Paramount), starring Bill Paxton and Oscar-nominee Billy Bob Thornton, follows June 22.

Emily Watson and Rachel Griffiths both received Oscar nominations as siblings in the biopic “Hilary and Jackie” (Polygram), which will be out July 6. That’s the same date that Universal plans to release Paul Schrader’s downbeat “Affliction,” starring Nick Nolte and Oscar-winner James Coburn.

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Summer releases of non-Oscar contenders include Gus Van Sant’s shot-by-shot remake of “Psycho” (Universal) on June 8 and, on June 15, Will Smith’s hit “Enemy of the State” (Touchstone), the well-received comedy “Little Voice” (Miramax) and the latest thriller from Kevin Williamson, “The Faculty” (Dimension).

Arriving June 22 are the Sean Penn-Kevin Spacey drama about the denizens of Hollywood, “Hurlyburly” (New Line), and Robin Williams’ blockbuster comedy-drama, “Patch Adams” (Universal).

The subsequent week will bring the British comedy “Still Crazy” (Columbia TriStar), the teen football flick “Varsity Blues” (Paramount) and the quirky comedy “Rushmore” (Touchstone), starring Bill Murray in what many critics said is his finest performance.

On tap July 6 is the disappointing animated musical version of “The King and I” (Warner). And July 13 will bring the John Travolta drama “A Civil Action” (Touchstone) and the hit teen flick “She’s All That” (Miramax), starring Freddie Prinze Jr.

Film buffs will enjoy Kino on Video’s “Forbidden Fruit” collection, due next week. The three-volume set features the ‘30s exploitation flicks, “Narcotic,” “Maniac” and “Reefer Madness.”

On June 1, Fox is releasing a 20th anniversary edition of Ridley Scott’s sci-fi thriller “Alien,” Warner is offering a special edition of the 1982 Mel Gibson classic “The Road Warrior” and Columbia TriStar is dusting off the 1985 western “Silverado.”

Warner, Columbia TriStar and MGM will re-release several of Stanley Kubrick’s classic films on June 29, including “Paths of Glory,” “A Clockwork Orange” and “The Shining,” in anticipation of the theatrical release of the late director’s final film, “Eyes Wide Shut.”

For independent and art-house fans, there’s the charming Irish comedy “Waking Ned Devine” (Fox) arriving on June 1; “My Name Is Joe” (Artisan), the latest from maverick British film director Ken Loach, on June 15; and the contemporary western “The Hi-Lo Country” (Polygram), starring Woody Harrelson, due June 29.

A week later, Kino on Video is set to release three Eastern European classics: “The Siberian Lady Macbeth,” “The Father” and “The Red and the White.”

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TV shows are also well-represented. Next week, Artisan releases the NBC movie “Alice in Wonderland.”

Scheduled for June 8 from Anchor Bay are the “Masterpiece Theatre” presentations “Reckless, the Sequel” and “Frenchman’s Creek.”

And the recent Stephen King ABC miniseries, “Storm of the Century” (Trimark), blows into video stores on June 22.