National Video Rentals : ‘Basic Instinct,’ ‘Batman’ Do Battle

Two of the year’s biggest box-office hits, “Basic Instinct” and “Batman Returns,” are battling for rental chart supremacy. “Basic Instinct,” which inched up a notch into the top spot, won the first round. But “Batman,” soaring onto the chart at a lofty No. 4, isn’t far behind.

“Beauty and the Beast,” premiering at No. 25, won’t be a big rental. Available in the $15-$25 price range, it’s setting sales records, appealing more to buyers than renters. “Stephen King’s Sleepwalkers,” which, some retailers report, was one of their top Halloween rentals, premiered at No. 16. Woody Allen’s critically maligned box-office bomb “Shadows and Fog” slipped onto the chart at a lowly No. 34 and might not even crack the Top 30.

“The Cutting Edge,” the sentimental romantic tale set in the world of figure-skating, is the hot new rental among teen-age girls, according to some retailers. The movie, which grossed $23 million in theaters, entered the rental charts at No. 13.

National Video Rentals

Rank Weeks Last on the Week Chart 1. “Basic Instinct” 2 2 2. “My Cousin Vinny” 1 4 3. “Beethoven” 4 5 4. “Batman Returns” 1 5. “Fried Green Tomatoes” 3 10 6. ‘Final Analysis” 6 9 7. “White Men Can’t Jump” 5 10 8. “Thunderheart” 11 2 9. “Straight Talk” 9 3 10. “Medicine Man” 7 10 * “The Cutting Edge” 1