What’s Hot

* Last week’s Top 5 VHS rentals:

1. “Erin Brockovich” (2000). Irresistible, hugely satisfying feminist tale about a woman the world didn’t take seriously, who empowered herself by helping others gain justice. This film is a career milestone for director Steven Soderbergh and star Julia Roberts. (Turan, March 17) R for language.

2. “The Cider House Rules” (1999). Tobey Maguire stars as an orphan who has stayed on at a vast old New England orphanage to become the assistant to its director, a dedicated and idiosyncratic physician (Michael Caine, who won an Oscar for his role), only to discover the outside world for himself. (Thomas, Dec. 10) PG-13 for mature thematic elements, sexuality, nudity, substance abuse and some violence.

3. “Reindeer Games” (2000). This noirish tale of an ex-con (Ben Affleck) and the beautiful woman he becomes involved with (Charlize Theron) is hampered by miscast stars and not the most plausible of scripts. (Turan, Feb. 25) R for strong violence, language and sexuality.

4. “Supernova” (2000). Sharp-looking, but dull-playing space adventure that finds James Spader, Angela Bassett, Lou Diamond Phillips and others stuck aboard a medical rescue vessel on a murky mission in outer space. Strictly routine. (Thomas, Jan. 17) PG-13 for sci-fi action violence and sensuality/nudity.

5. “The Whole Nine Yards” (2000). An occasionally amusing comedy about a friendly hit man (Bruce Willis) who moves in next-door to dentist (Matthew Perry). (Turan, Feb. 18) R for some sexuality/nudity and violence.

* Last week’s Top 5 DVD rentals:

1. “Erin Brockovich”

2. “Reindeer Games”

3. “Supernova”

4. “Romeo Must Die” (2000). While two underworld kingpins (Delroy Lindo, Henry O) form an uneasy truce to cash in on the construction of a stadium for the NFL, their respective offspring (Aaliyah and Jet Li) develop a mutual attraction in this sleek martial arts action-thriller. (Thomas, March 22) R for violence, some language and brief nudity.

5. “The Whole Nine Yards”

* Last week’s Top 5 VHS sellers

1. “The Tigger Movie” (2000). This brightly colored, upbeat animated film centers on Tigger, Winnie-the-Pooh’s rambunctious friend, who goes in search of other tiggers. Small children will be pleased, but parents and older siblings may grow impatient with the uneven execution that weakens the genuine charm the film sporadically exhibits. (Charles Solomon, Feb. 11) G.

2. “Erin Brockovich”

3. “Buzz Lightyear: The Adventure Begins” (2000). Made-for-video spinoff of the “Toy Story” hero.

4. “Scooby Doo’s Creepiest Capers”

5. “The Sixth Sense” (1999). Director M. Night Shyamalan’s startling and nervy film about a child psychologist (Bruce Willis) who tries to help a boy (Haley Joel Osment) is one of the creepiest thrillers to arise in years. (John Anderson, Aug. 6) PG-13 for intense thematic material and violent images.

* Last week’s Top 5 DVD sellers

1. “Erin Brockovich”

2. “The Tigger Movie”

3. “Romeo Must Die”

4. “The Princess Bride” (1987). In William Goldman’s heroic fantasy pastiche, everything is gloriously magnified and satirically undercut: derring-do with wisecracks. (Michael Wilmington, Sept. 25, 1987) PG.

5. “The Green Mile” Although its Stephen King story is a good one, this version is hampered by excessive length, the suffocating deliberateness of its pace and some truly stomach-turning moments. Stars Tom Hanks. (Turan, Dec. 10) R for violence, language and some sex-related material.

What’s New

American Psycho (2000). Nominally a satire on the excesses of the 1980s (who knew!), this adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis novel asks us to sit through more elegant carnage than the obviousness of its targets makes worthwhile. Starring Christian Bale and directed and co-written by Mary Harron. (Kenneth Turan, April 14) Universal: no list price; $26.98; (CC) R for strong violence, sexuality, drug use and language.

Any Given Sunday: Special Edition Director’s Cut (1999). An energetic and diverting Oliver Stone-directed soap opera about professional football that makes a few head fakes in the direction of an iconoclastic examination of the sport but, at the end of the day, comes out squarely for--hold onto your hats--teamwork and unselfish behavior. Dennis Quaid, Jamie Foxx, Al Pacino and Cameron Diaz star. (Turan, Dec. 22) Warner: no list price; DVD: $24.98; (CC); R for strong language and some nudity/sexuality.

Mifune (2000). Brutally funny Danish comedy about a young Copenhagen businessman (Anders W. Berthelsen), who’s scaled the heights but whose past is about to catch up with him, and a prostitute at the end of her rope (Iben Hjejle) who meet but are beset with calamities. The third film sponsored by Denmark’s no-frills Dogma 5. With Jesper Asholt, Emil Tarding. (Kevin Thomas, March 3) Columbia: no list price; DVD: $29.95; (CC) R for strong sexuality and language, and for some violence.

What’s Coming

Tuesday: “East Is East,” “The Last September,” “Mission to Mars” and “Stiff Upper Lips.”

Sept. 19: “High Fidelity,” “Map of the World,” “Passion of Mind,” “Ready to Rumble” and “28 Days.”

Sept. 26: “Black and White,” “The Cup,” “Final Destination,” “Joe Gould’s Secret,” “Waking the Dead” and “Where the Heart Is.”

Oct. 3: “East-West” and “Snow Day.”

Oct. 10: “Committed,” “Love and Basketball,” “Shanghai Noon” and “Time Code.”

Oct. 17: “American Pimp,” “Keeping the Faith,” “Rules of Engagement” and “Toy Story 2.”

Oct. 24: “Center Stage,” “The Idiots,” “The Patriot” and “Up at the Villa.”

Oct. 31: “Frequency,” “Gossip,” “Return to Me” and “Thomas and the Magic Railroad.”

Commentary by Times critics.

Rental video charts provided by VSDA

VidTrac, sales charts by VideoScan Inc.