National Video Rentals : Oscar May Have a Lot to Do With It

All of the pre-Oscar hype should really pay off in the rental market for “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” starring Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett, both of whom were Oscar-nominated for their acclaimed portrayals of Ike and Tina Turner. The film debuted at No. 7. It could challenge for the top spot, but the grim and inspirational bio-pic with music may have a tough time muscling past those three action movies. Mel Gibson’s “The Man Without a Face” continues to do strong business (No. 6). The sleeper rental hit of the year so far, “Kalifornia,” with Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis, is still a big attraction in many areas, coming in nationally at No. 14. Its nine-week chart run is impressive for a movie that made little money in theaters. It’s clearly word-of-mouth business.

* Moviegoers weren’t too interested in Carl Reiner’s wacky movie-genre spoof ($7.6-million gross) but it could score as a rental because similar movies--”Hots Shots” and “Robin Hood: Men in Tights”--have done well on video recently. The audience for these twisted comedies just might be ripe for another one. Debuting at No. 34, “Fatal Instinct” could crack the Top 20, but breaking into the Top 10 isn’t likely.

Rank Weeks Last on the Week Chart 1.”The Fugitive” 1 3 2.”In the Line of Fire” 3 7 3.”Demolition Man” 2 4 4 .”The Good Son” 5 3 5.”Striking Distance” 4 4 6.”The Man Without a Face” 6 6 7.”What’s Love Got to Do With It” ... 1 8.”Judgment Night” 8 3 9.”Much Ado About Nothing” 10 4 10.”Son-in-Law” 7 5 * “Fatal Instinct” ... 1

Source: Billboard Publications Inc.