VIDEO RENTALS : ‘Flatliners’ Gets New Life

Julia Roberts is probably the biggest star in movies right now. Fans are flocking to see her current “Sleeping With the Enemy.” She is also the major attraction in “Flatliners,” which debuted at a mighty No. 4 on the Billboard rental chart. This drama, also starring her boyfriend Kiefer Sutherland, is about medical students exploring life after death. It became a box-office hit--$60.9 million gross--last year after her smash “Pretty Woman” made her a giant box-office draw. Her Oscar nomination for “Pretty Woman” has obviously further enhanced her appeal. Anjelica Huston’s Oscar nomination for “The Grifters” has increased her profile too, which will help “The Witches” in the rental market. A family movie with dark undertones, “The Witches” grossed just $9.8 million in theaters. But it entered the rental chart at a respectable No. 19 and, thanks to Huston’s appeal, should do much better than originally expected.

Ranking Weeks Ranking 2 Weeks On Rental Top Rentals Last Week Ago Chart 1. “Die Hard 2” (CBS-Fox) 1 2 3 2. “Days of Thunder”(Paramount) 7 ... 2 3. “Navy SEALS” (Orion) 3 10 3 4. “Flatliners” (RCA/Columbia) ... ... 1 5. “Problem Child” (MCA/Universal) 5 12 3 * “Darkman”(MCA/Universal) ... ... 1

* An action thriller about a Marvel-comic-book style hero, “Darkman,” starring Liam Neeson, should be a huge rental hit. It debuted at No. 9 and is definitely headed for the Top Five.