VIDEO CHARTS : ‘Rain Man’ Blinded by ‘Sunrise’

The surprise of the week is that “Rain Man”--the mighty Oscar winner and the box-office champ of 1988--isn’t yet No. 1 on the Billboard magazine rental chart. In its second week on the chart, “Rain Man” rose two notches to No. 4, a bit disappointing for a film everyone expected to instantly zoom to the top of the chart. If “Rain Man” doesn’t make it to the top in the next two weeks, maybe its rental appeal was overestimated. “Tequila Sunrise” (No. 1) is a much bigger rental hit than expected. Boasting three big stars--Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell--it figured to crack the Top Five, but not to top the chart for three straight weeks. The way “Beaches” (No. 2) is rising , it may hit No. 1 before “Rain Man.” The sleeper rental hit is “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” a teen fantasy that boasts no stars and was pummeled by critics. It jumped from No. 17 to No. 7.

* The raunchy comedy “Skin Deep,” starring John Ritter as its lecherous hero, did modestly at the box office, but it’s the kind of comedy that young renters relish. “Skin Deep” entered the chart at No. 18, but look for it to wind up in the Top 10.

Rental Rental Weeks Top Ranking Ranking 2 On Rental Rentals Last Week Weeks Ago Chart 1. “Tequila Sunrise” 1 1 6 (Warner) 2. “Beaches” 4 16 3 (Touchstone) 3. “The Naked Gun” 3 4 4 (Paramount) 4. “Rain Man” 6 ... 2 (MGM/UA) 5. “Mississippi Burning” 2 2 7 (Orion) * “Skin Deep” ... ... 1 (Media)