TURN-ONS AND TURN-OFFS IN CURRENT HOME ENTERTAINMENT RELEASES : ****Excellent ***Good **Fair *Poor : VIDEOCASSETTES

“The Henry Miller Odyssey.” “Anais Nin Observed.” Masterworks. $39.95 each. It’s a shame that PBS and Arts & Entertainment have never shown these or any of Robert Snyder’s other documentaries (of Buckminster Fuller, Claudio Arrau, et al.), but thanks to home video, these intimate portraits will now find a larger audience. The Miller and Nin films (85 and 60 minutes, respectively, both made in the ‘70s) are prime examples of how Snyder gets his subjects to open up about themselves, their work, and their contemporaries. The technical aspects are sometimes crude, but those who appreciate delicious talk and brilliant if unorthodox structuring won’t be too bothered. Information: (213) 459-8682. *** 1/2