Video Rentals : ‘Fear’ Still in the Driver’s Seat

There’s nothing like a grisly, heart-stopping thriller to grab rental audiences. In spite of the strong challenge from some of the big theatrical hits from Christmas, “Cape Fear” is still tops on the Billboard magazine rental chart. Once again the amusing “Addams Family,” a box-office blockbuster, is a rental chart also-ran, settling for No. 2. Some retailers are reporting “Cape Fear” is by far the most popular rental of the year--and the biggest since another chiller, “The Silence of the Lambs,” ruled the chart at the end of last year. With audiences in the mood for thrillers, that should help the tale of the villainous nanny, “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle,” which jumped from No. 34 to No. 7 and has the potential to be a chart-topper.

* Probably last year’s most acclaimed and talked-about foreign-language film, “Europa Europa,” a German drama about a young Jew masquerading as a Nazi during World War II, premiered at No. 25. It shapes up as this year’s most popular foreign-language movie in the home video market.

Rank Weeks Last on the Week Chart 1. “Cape Fear” 1 6 2. “The Addams Family” 2 4 3. “Bugsy” 8 2 4. “Father of the Bride” 3 7 5. “Star Trek VI” 7 2 6. “Grand Canyon” 4 3 7. “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” 34 2 8. “JFK” 5 8 9. “My Girl” 6 7 10. “Shining Through” 12 2 * “Europa Europa” --- 1

Source: Billboard Publications Inc.