National Video Rentals : ‘X’ Premieres; ‘Men’ Holds Onto No. 1

Many retailers feel Spike Lee’s “Malcolm X” should do very well in the rental market. It opened at No. 10 and should move up next week. An acclaimed, high-profile movie, featuring a major star--Denzel Washington--it did good business in theaters ($47.1-million gross) considering it’s a three-hour-plus epic. That length undoubtedly scared away some potential moviegoers, who decided to wait for it to reach home video. Some video retailers in black neighborhoods expect it to be one of their biggest summer rentals. Currently leading the rental chart is “A Few Good Men” with Tom Cruise, while “Unforgiven” (No. 2) and “The Bodyguard” (No. 3) are huge rentals, too. It’s possible that the Cruise drama may keep both out of No. 1--which happened to “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” now past its peak.

* This comedy, starring Nicolas Cage and Samuel Jackson, shapes up as a fair-sized rental hit. While not major box office ($9.5-million gross), the lure of the stars and the plot--an amusing look at the racial situation--could attract renters. It premiered at No. 19 and has an outside chance at making the Top 10.

Rank Weeks Last on the Week Chart 1.”A Few Good Men” 1 4 2.”Unforgiven” 2 3 3.”The Bodyguard” 7 3 4.”Bram Stoker’s Dracula” 3 5 5.”Crying Game” 5 3 6.”Forever Young” 4 7 7.”Leap of Faith” 8 4 8.”Body of Evidence” 6 6 9.”Jennifer 8” 9 5 10.”Malcolm X” ... 1 * “Amos & Andrew” ... 1