VIDEO SECRETS OF THE CYBORG ``THE TERMINATOR'S'' DVD RELEASE REVEALS A FILMMAKER'S NIGHTMARE AND - HUH? - O.J. AS THE VILLAIN???

Byline: Rob Lowman Entertainment Editor

Let's face it: For all its protestations, escapism is what Hollywood is best at. For every ``Godfather,'' which combines art and entertainment, there are at least 10 other films that have no redeeming value except that they make you laugh or cry or thrill you, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Escapist films don't exist in a vacuum. They are subject to their times. What once was funny or sad may seem silly or trivial. What was once exiting may seem idiotic. And because the events of Sept. 11 have indelibly altered Americans' perceptions, how we view some of our old favorite films may change - or maybe not.

Loudon Wainwright III once wrote a song called ``Movies Are a Mother to Me,'' about how going to a film and escaping into a story is therapeutic. So maybe people will want to get lost into sci-fi and fantasy films, like the two out today on DVD.

``The Terminator,'' which came out in 1984, announced the arrival of two formidable talents - director James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Before ``The Terminator,'' the former bodybuilding champion was known mostly for playing Conan the Barbarian in two pictures. Hollywood casting people probably had trouble seeing him in anything but animal skins. Schwarzenegger, though, had shown glimpses of a more sophisticated persona in two earlier films - ``Stay Hungry'' (1976), where he played a bodybuilder with fine cultural tastes and a worldly philosophy, and ``Pumping Iron'' (1977), a documentary on bodybuilding contests in which the real Arnold displayed his wit and intelligence. And while it's true that Schwarzenegger's first appearance as the seemingly unstoppable cyborg villain from the future in ``The Terminator'' was buck naked, he soon requisitioned the proper modern garb - still leather - and a tagline - ``I'll be back.'' After that, he became Mr. Action Figure for more than a decade.

Two documentaries are part of the DVD release. Too often these extras are just inflated promos for the film, but in ``The Terminator's'' case there are some interesting moments. The film was really an attempt by Cameron to turn a nightmare he had, brought on by a fever, to the screen. The director was barely one at all, having only helmed the B-movie ``Piranha II.'' Cameron had begun his career working for Roger Corman's new World Pictures in the special-effects department. (Many notable directors cut their teeth with Corman, including Martin Scorsese and Jonathan Demme.)

So Cameron didn't have much cachet in Hollywood and all the studios passed on the script for ``The Terminator,'' a story about a cyborg assassin sent back in time to kill the mother, Sarah (Linda Hamilton), of the leader of a human resistance against the robots. Orion Pictures finally took a chance, but changes were inevitable.

Originally, Cameron wanted somebody nondescript to play the role of the cyborg. He even brought Lance Henriksen dressed as the robot to one of his meetings. In the meantime, a lunch was arranged by an Orion exec who wanted Schwarzenegger for the role of Reese, the human from the future sent to protect Sarah. Cameron thought it was ``a lame idea,'' but knew for political reasons he had to meet with the actor and think of a reason why not to hire him. However, by the time the lunch ended, Cameron had found his Terminator.

Eventually, Michael Biehn got the role of Reese. In retrospect, the change in the Terminator's character and the casting seem perfect. But what if it had gone another way? Gale Anne Hurd, the film's producer, mentions in one of the documentaries that O.J. Simpson was considered for the role of the Terminator. In the booklet accompanying the DVD, there's a quote from Cameron saying he rejected the idea because ``people wouldn't have believed a nice guy like O.J. playing the part of a ruthless killer.'' As we know, if Simpson had gotten the role, that would have made ``The Terminator'' really odd to watch 17 years later.

'MUMMY,' HE'S HOME: A lot of people dismissed ``The Mummy Returns'' as being a loud, overblown version of the first film. The logical analogy was ``Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,'' the least successful of the Steven Spielberg/George Lucas trilogy. In ``The Mummy Returns,'' Brendan Fraser as the adventurer Rick and Rachel Weisz as archaeologist Evelyn are back, now 10 years later and with an 8-year-old son, Alex (Freddie Boath). And the Mummy himself, Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), returns (you can't keep a bad mummy down), only this time he has an evil rival, the Scorpion King (the Rock).

Trying to sort out the plot would take time, but it's the action that keeps the film moving. Director Stephen Sommers makes the mistake of trying to cram everything into the film. But on second viewing - at home where I could turn down the sound to a reasonable level - I found the film more enjoyable.

Fraser and Weisz have their charms as a couple, and unlike ``Temple of Doom,'' where Kate Capshaw was reduced to screaming about broken fingernails, Weisz's Evelyn has become a tough adventurer. The film benefits from some nifty fight scenes between her and Patricia Velasquez.

``The Mummy Returns'' is a high-tech Saturday afternoon matinee with terrific special effects, certainly worth the time if escapism is on your mind. And the DVD extras on the special effects are always fascinating; it's amazing how fast things are changing.

``The Terminator'' (MGM) is $26.90 for the DVD and, along with the two documentaries, includes deleted scenes and DVD-ROM script to screen. ``The Mummy Returns'' (Universal) is $26.90 on DVD and includes commentary by Sommers, an in-depth look into special effects, outtakes and ``Egyptology 201,'' an educational look at ancient Egypt and Egyptian mythology. It's $22.98 on VHS.

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Michael Biehn, pictured, plays the bodyguard sent from the future to protect Linda Hamilton from ``The Terminator,'' aka Arnold Schwarzenegger. The popular film is back - on DVD.