Video Rentals : ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ Still Sizzling

Some retailers report that “Fried Green Tomatoes,” one of the year’s surprise theatrical hits, is doing bang-up business among female renters. According to some stores, this movie--in which the major roles are played by women--has the strongest female appeal of any movie since “Steel Magnolias,” the Sally Field-Dolly Parton drama from 1989. “Tomatoes” continues to hold down the top spot of the Billboard magazine rental chart--once again holding off “White Men Can’t Jump.” “Final Analysis,” propelled by star power (Richard Gere and Kim Basinger), is a strong No. 4. Renters like sexy thrillers so much that even bad reviews haven’t hurt this one--although negative word-of-mouth may ultimately take its toll. Another thriller on the way up, “White Sands,” starring Willem Dafoe, climbed to No. 11 in two weeks.

* This Disney animated feature, which premiered at No. 28, should do just fair rental business. However, look for it to be a hot item in the kid-vid sales market. That’s because parents prefer to purchase rather than rent such popular kiddie-oriented titles, which youngsters tend to watch repeatedly--a practice that would lead to astronomical rental bills.

Rank Weeks Last on the Week Chart 1. “Fried Green Tomatoes” 1 5 2. “White Men Can’t Jump” 2 5 3. “Medicine Man” 5 5 4. “Final Analysis” 4 4 5. “The Lawnmower Man” 6 4 6. “The Prince of Tides” 7 7 7. “Wayne’s World” 3 6 8. “Hand That Rocks the Cradle” 8 12 9. “Memoirs of an Invisible Man” 10 5 10. “Mambo Kings” 9 3 * “The Rescuers” ... 1

Source: Billboard Publications Inc.