National Video Rentals : ‘Cliffhanger’ Still Showing Its Muscle

It’s remarkable how “Cliffhanger” keeps a step ahead of the challengers for the top spot on the rental chart. “Sleepless in Seattle” in particular seemed to be a shoo-in for No. 1. This box-office blockbuster is the kind of wholesome, sentimental romantic tale that should have routed the rental competition over the holidays. But so far it hasn’t been able to beat out the Stallone action thriller, though “Sleepless” did inch up another notch, to No. 3. Some retailers, however, do report that “Sleepless” is tops in their stores. “The Firm” was certainly expected to be higher than No. 4 by now and for “Dave” to be only No. 9 after two weeks is a surprise. But in the next few weeks, look for both to climb, with “The Firm” reaching at least No. 2 and “Dave” breaking into the Top 5. “Rising Sun” continues to be a strong rental (No. 2), doing better than “Sleepless” and “The Firm” even though both grossed more than twice as much at the box office. But that’s because police-thriller buddy movies are popular in the rental market.

Rank Weeks Last on the Week Chart 1.”Cliffhanger” 1 7 2.”Rising Sun” 2 5 3.”Sleepless in Seattle” 4 3 4.”The Firm” 6 2 5.”Sliver” 3 8 6.”Made in America” 3 6 7.”Indecent Proposal” 8 12 8.”Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story” 9 3 9.”Dave” 14 2 10.”Guilty as Sin” 10 3 *”Super Mario Bros.” 17 3

* For a fairly high-profile movie that grossed more than $20 million and is based on a hugely popular video game, the rental-market performance by “Super Mario Bros.” has been shoddy during its three weeks on the chart. It’s No. 19 and sinking. The word is that bad word of mouth is hurting the movie.

Source: Billboard Publications Inc.