National Video Rentals : ‘Seattle’ a Valentine’s Day Delight

The Valentine’s Day weekend rental run on “Sleepless in Seattle” finally boosted it into the top spot, toppling “The Firm,” which slipped to No. 4. Of all the Top 10 rentals, “Sleepless” is the only one with strong romantic appeal, so it naturally benefited most from the holiday. It’s also the kind of movie that does strong repeat business. “In the Line of Fire,” the suspense thriller with Clint Eastwood, is next in line for the top spot. John Malkovich’s supporting actor Oscar nomination is bound to elevate the movie’s already-high rental appeal. “Kalifornia,” a low-budget movie with Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis, continues to do surprising business. Though racking up a small box-office gross, it inched up two more notches to No. 14, doing nearly as well as the expensive, heavily hyped “Coneheads,” which has stalled at No. 11. Robert Townsend’s “The Meteor Man,” about a ghetto super-hero, isn’t off to a blazing start, debuting at No. 31.

* Will all the promotion for Kim Basinger’s new movie, “The Getaway,” spill over and motivate renters to give this one a try? Movie-goers certainly never bothered with “The Real McCoy”--a true box-office dud with a $6.3-million gross. It’s off to a modest rental-market start, at No. 21.

Rank Weeks Last on the Week Chart 1.”Sleepless in Seattle” 2 9 2.”Last Action Hero” 5 3 3.”Hard Target” 4 3 4.”The Firm” 1 8 5.”Dave” 3 8 6.”In the Line of Fire” ... 1 7.”Rookie of the Year” 10 3 8.”Rising Sun” 6 11 9.”True Romance” 7 6 10.”Robin Hood: Men in Tights” 8 5 * “The Real McCoy” ... 1

Source: Billboard Publications Inc.