50 E 8 oJ " o Co ,., c: "Stone Reader" director Mark Moskowitz's son. "STONE READIER" This awkward if sincere documentary ($39.95, New Yorker) shows the obsession of director Mark MosĀ kowitz over the out of print novel "The Stones of Summer" by Dow Mossman.</p><p> He tracks down copies of the book, speaks to other fans of what he considers a landmark and finds out what happened to the auĀ thor, who had simply disappeared.</p><p> Staged moments, recreations -every trick of Errol Morris is used less adroitly here.</p><p> But there's a happy ending: The movie's release prompted a reissue of the book.</p><p> BetĀ ter than average extras feature Janet Maslin and Roger Ebert, among others. "H.R.</p><p> PUFNSTUF": COMPLETE SERIES Were there really only 17 episodes of this 1969 fanĀ tasy series about Jimmy, his magic talking flute, \Vitchiepoo, and the other stars of "H.R.</p><p> Pufnstuf" ($39.95, Rhino)? Maybe it looms large in the imaginaĀ tion because it's just so darn strange: Cockney lad Jack Wild as the star, Billie Hayes amusingly camp as the evil witch, sly druggie references, hippie pupĀ pets, anti-Vietnam messages ("Make candy, not war") and, of course, the oddly inexpressive life-sized denĀ izens of Living Island who had all their dialogue dubbed, adding to the surreal air of Sid and Marty Krofft's 3how.</p><p> It was a briefhlt, b~lt no one imitated their style because no one could. "PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET" Wow.</p><p> Samuel Fuller's no-nonsense 1953 drama about a pickpocket who unwittingly snags top secret microfilm that both the Commies and the police are desperate to get their hands on is just abour as adult and entertaining as anyone could wish.</p><p> Snappy diaĀ logue, a taut screenplay, a great broad (Jean Peters) who pays the price for falling for a tough guy -does it get any better than this? Nope.</p><p> THE BEST OF ABBOn & COSTELLO Major kudos to Universal and its Franchise CollecĀ tion series.</p><p> They've been making great use of their catalog by packaging together relatively minor movĀ ies in inexpensive boxed sets.</p><p> Here you get eight pretty darn funny Abbott & Costello flicks from the early '40s, including "Buck Privales" and "Hold That Ghost," for just $24.98.</p><p> Parents should jump on it.</p><p> Also out: On TV, even teens from outer space are better looking than normal kids, as proven on "Roswell": Season One ($59.98, Fox); John Grisham's "RunĀ away Jury" ($27.98, Fox) couldn't be brought home even with talent like John Cusack and Gene HackĀ man; Antonioni's 1966 classic "Blow-Up" ($19.98, Warner Bros,) is just as important for its Herbie HanĀ cock jazz score as for its storyline; Adrien Brody's oddball ventriloquism movie "The Dummy" ($26.98, Artisan) is surely the first DVD with a commentary track featuring a ventriloquist and his wooden partĀ ner; if you dig James Spader on "The Practice," check out the fine TV movie "The Pentagon Papers" ($24.99, Paramount); Iran's best exports are movies, including female director Samira Makhmalbafs acĀ claimed drama "Blackboards" ($24.98, Wellspring); 1988's "Permanent Record" ($14.99, Paramount) may be an after-school special about suicide, but it has some fine acting from Keanu Reeves and others.</p><p> Out next week: The third season of tlle classic comedy "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; Merchant-Ivory's most personal film, "Maurice"; and Richard Pryor's eponymous sketch-comedy TV series from 1977.
