‘Batman’ Video Sales Could Surpass ‘E.T.’ : Television: Demand for Jack Nicholson-Michael Keaton movie is also generating high rentals.

One week after hitting stores, the videocassette for “Batman” continued to generate tremendous business nationwide and may break the video sales record set in 1988 by “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.”

“They’re moving very good,” said Pamela Phillips, owner of Video by the Shores in nearby Oxnard. She said Tuesday she has moved all 20 of her “Batman” cassettes onto rental shelves because the demand was so intense.

“It’s hot. It’s basically a good title right now,” said Kathy Meisenburg, owner of Arizona’s Critics Choice Video. “My copies are out every day.”

Omaha’s Applause Video has sold 4,500 copies so far, 10% more than “E.T.” in its first weekend. “E.T.” has sold more than 15 million copies, the all-time record.

“For our two stores, we’re well over 1,000” copies, said Lou Berg, president of the Video Software Dealers Assn. and owner of Houston’s Audio-Video Plus.

Berg said he was not making any money selling the “Batman” cassette at $14.95, a price forced by intensely competitive discounting.

The movie carries a suggested retail price of $24.98, but mass merchants have discounted the title heavily.

“We had to meet the competition,” Berg said. “It’s $12.88 and $12.99 (at local stores). They’re kind of killing us. . . . I grit my teeth. I have to come down in price so that my customers feel like they’re not getting ripped off.”

Meisenburg, selling the movie at the suggested retail price, said the mass merchants can move thousands of “Batman” cassettes at reduced prices because they can make their profits elsewhere.

“I can’t afford to raise my movie rentals for a week like they can afford to raise the price of milk to take up the slack,” she said.