VIDEO RENTALS : ‘Hard to Kill’ Shooting for the Top

With “Above the Law,” Steven Seagal established himself as possibly the top new action hero in the Eastwood-Bronson mold. His “Hard to Kill”--a revenge story about an indestructible cop chasing the hoodlums who murdered his family--grossed $43 million at the box office. It’s a huge home-video hit too, jumping to No. 4 on the Billboard magazine rental chart in just two weeks. But with “Driving Miss Daisy” as a primary challenger, “Hard to Kill” may not have enough clout to make it to the top. This week, “Daisy” cruised up to No. 6, from No. 30, and seems like the logical choice to take over the top spot when “The War of the Roses” finally falters. “Blaze,” starring Paul Newman as a politician embroiled in a sex scandal, is doing good rental business, climbing to No. 11 in two weeks.

*”Flashback,” with Kiefer Sutherland and Dennis Hopper, debuted at No. 22. It’s about an FBI agent (Sutherland) transporting a ‘60s radical (Hopper) who’s been a fugitive for 20 years. Though it didn’t do that well at the box office ($6.5 million), Sutherland’s current high movie profile (“Flatliners” and “Young Guns II”) in summer movies may help “Flashback” in the rental market.

VIDEO RENTALS

Ranking Weeks Ranking 2 Weeks On Rental Top Rentals Last Week Ago Chart 1. “The War of the Roses” (CBS-Fox) 1 2 6 2. “Steel Magnolias” (RCA/Columbia) 2 1 8 3. “Internal Affairs” (Paramount) 3 4 4 4. “Hard to Kill” (Warner) 7 ... 2 5. “Tango & Cash” (Warner) 4 3 8 * “Flashback” (Paramount) ... ... 1