Renewed Interest in Renting ‘Back to the Future’ Video

The smashing box-office success of “Back to the Future II” has rejuvenated the market for the original film, “Back to the Future,” which has been out on home video since May, 1986.

“The original has been renting like a new release,” said Allan Caplan, head of the Midwest Applause Video chain. “If it weren’t for the sequel, the original would be renting very infrequently, just like any movie that’s a couple of years old.”

Meir Hed, co-owner of the local Videotheque chain, said that “Back to the Future” has been a hot rental since the release of the sequel two weeks ago. “Rentals are up 2,000%,” he said. “The word is out that seeing the first one helps you to understand the sequel. Now people who’ve seen ‘II’ are coming in to rent the first one. Also, some people are now renting the first one before they see the sequel.”

Louis Feola, MCA’s senior vice president of marketing, said it’s too early for figures on how many copies have been sold. but did say: “The great box office of ‘Back to the Future II’ has obviously stimulated all this activity for the original. Without the sequel, we wouldn’t be able to do all this business with the original.”

Feola said that MCA began alerting distributors and retailers in May to stock up on “Back to the Future.” A TV ad campaign for the movie in the Top 50 markets includes pitches for the video.

Since “Back to the Future” came out in 1986, industry sources say MCA has shipped more than 800,000 copies to retailers and distributors. Originally released to the rental market at $79.95, the price dropped to $29.95 last year and then to $19.95 in September.

Feola wouldn’t say when “Back to the Future II” would be out on home video but Applause Video’s Caplan speculated that it would be released at a low price--in the $22-$25 range for the sales market--next May, when “Back to the Future III” is scheduled to hit theaters.