‘Witches’ Flies High; ‘Attraction’ Rising

“The Witches of Eastwick,” which had been No. 2 for weeks, finally toppled “The Untouchables,” taking over the top spot of the Billboard magazine video rental chart. But “Witches” shouldn’t get too comfortable up there. “Fatal Attraction,” which burst onto the chart at No. 3, could claim the No. 1 position, possibly next week. “Throw Momma From the Train” may not be a strong contender for the top after all. Its upward movement has slowed considerably, heading up just one notch to No. 5. David Mamet’s cerebral “House of Games” didn’t figure to be a big rental attraction, but it jumped to No. 22 after a slow start. The other “fatal” flick--”Fatal Beauty,” starring Whoopi Goldberg--is hot, too: No. 8 on the rental chart.

* A best-picture nominee in the recent Oscar sweepstakes, “Hope and Glory,” directed by John Boorman, debuted on the rental chart at No. 21 and is expected to go higher. The Oscar attention boosted the audience appeal of the “small” English (read costing less than $20 million to make) movie.

VIDEO CHARTS

Rental Weeks Sales Top Ranking On Rental Chart Rentals Last Week Chart Ranking 1. “The Witches of Eastwick” 2 6 -- (Warner Home Video) 2. “The Untouchables” 1 7 16 (Paramount) 3. “Fatal Attraction” -- 1 6 (Paramount) 4. “Baby Boom” 3 4 -- (CBS/Fox) 5. “Throw Momma From the Train” 6 2 -- (Orion) * “Hope and Glory” -- 1 -- (Nelson Entertainment)