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

“Donkey Skin.” Embassy. $29.95. This 1971 film adaptation of the Charles Perrault fairy tale--a close cousin of “Cinderella”--strangely lacks charm and whimsy, falling short in those areas of the better Shelley Duvall Faerie Tale Theatres. Michel Legrand’s songs seem mostly anachronistic, the decor and costumes overly precious, Jacques Demy’s direction sometimes a little arch. The film’s main appeal lies in its remarkable cast of French stars: Catherine Deneuve, Jean Marais, Delphine Seyrig, Jacques Perrin, Micheline Presle, Fernand Ledoux and narrator Jean Servais. Despite some wonderful moments, Demy’s film seems too weightless and calculated. Information: (213) 553-3600. ** 1/2