VIDEO : REVENGE MOTIVATES `BETTE' AND `BLADE'.

Byline: Rob Lowman Daily News Entertainment Editor

Though no one is touting her for another Academy Award, previous Best Actress winner Jessica Lange is deliciously vengeful in ``Cousin Bette,'' which comes out on video next week.

The film is set in Paris shortly before the 1848 revolution. Based on the Honore de Balzac novel, ``Bette'' is the story of a proud spinster in her 40s (Lange) who has been betrayed throughout her life. First by her own family, who favored her cousin Adelaide (Geraldine Chaplin), and later by a young starving artist, Wenceslas (Aden Young), whom she befriends and supports.

When Adelaide dies (in a juicy scene in which her husband admits his betrayals), Bette believe she will marry the widower, Baron Hulot (Hugh Laurie), but the baron offers her only a housekeeper's position. After all, he has the most desirable woman in Paris, Jenny Cadine (Elisabeth Shue), as his mistress. But Bette, who works as a seamstress in the theater where Jenny stars, is not a woman to cross.

When her cousin's daughter, Hortense (Kelly MacDonald), steals away Wenceslas she enlists Jenny, whom she has befriended, and her wiles to gain revenge.

``You will be the ax - and I will be the hand that wields you!'' she tells Jenny.

In his first film directing effort, acclaimed stage director Des McAnuff stresses the wickedly funny in this cheeky satire (if you see the film, you'll get the reference), which isn't above turning to the bawdy for a joke or two.

As might be expected with this cast, the acting is superb. Bob Hoskins is especially wonderful as the rich mayor of Paris, Crevel, who once offered Hortense 200,000 francs for a look at her body and then wants a discount a year later, and who unwittingly is used by Bette to exact her pound of flesh.

Shot by cinematographer Andrzej Sekula (``Pulp Fiction''), ``Bette'' has a flashy look, and with its twists and turns it's great fun.

Another film about vengeance, ``Blade,'' also hits sores next week. But while ``Bette'' is awash in sexual follies and human foibles, the vampire film ``Blade'' is awash in (what else?) blood. And it doesn't take long to start. Midway through the opening scene - set in a vampire nightclub hidden in the back of a meat-packing plant - blood pours down from the sprinkler system on the thirsty partying undead just before they tear into their unwitting guests.

At that point, you can forget about anything like, say, subtlety or wit. (This is no ``Buffy the Vampire Slayer.) ``Blade'' is one of those rides you know in the first minutes if you want to be on. But if your taste runs the toward grisly (kind of like a steak from the Pantry), then you can enjoy this guilty pleasure.

Created in 1973, Blade was one of the first African-American comic book superheroes. The story goes that his mother was bitten by a vampire and was turning into one of the undead when he was born. So Blade has the powers of the undead but can still walk around in the day. Angered because of what happened to his mother, Blade (played stoically by Wesley Snipes) has vowed to wipe out all vampires.

``Blade'' is sort of like watching one of those old spaghetti westerns starring Clint Eastwood. Morality was by degrees. And while you might root for Clint, or in this case Wesley, you know the hero is somewhat less than a good guy.

Lastly, if you missed ``The Rat Pack'' on HBO, it, too, comes out on video next week. While there are some problems with it (it should have been called ``JFK and Frank''), there are some interesting moments and good performances, particularly from Ray Liotta as Ol' Blue Eyes, Don Cheadle as Sammy Davis Jr. and Joe Mantegna as Dean Martin.

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Photo: Jessica Lange, front, and Elisabeth Shue co-star in ``Cousin Bette,'' a tale of revenge based on the Honore de Balzac novel.