Holy Record Sales! Bat Fans Swarm Stores to Capture ‘Batman’ Video

Hundreds of Bat fans fluttered around Tower Video in West Hollywood late Tuesday, waiting for midnight so they could swoop in and pick up the first available copies of “Batman--The Videocassette.”

A spotlight outside the store cast the Batman logo on the sky above Sunset Boulevard while the Batmobile rolled up and the Joker jumped out, bearing bags filled with the coveted Bat videos.

While Batman fans in Los Angeles were waiting for the midnight madness to begin, their counterparts on the East Coast--where midnight came three hours earlier--were already home with their videos.

“We sold 100 within the first 40 minutes. It’s kind of slowed down a bit now, but the first 40 minutes were pretty much non-stop,” said Todd Gerber, department supervisor at Tower Video in Nashville.

As the videocassette went into national release at midnight Tuesday, its expected blockbuster sales were making some in the entertainment industry as grim as the Caped Crusader himself.

“Batman” is still playing in more than 500 North American theaters, according to the latest box-office figures. The hit movie’s speedy arrival in cassette form could mean those cinemas are out of luck--and customers.

“You can look at the lines in the video stores and think that those people would be going to the theaters if that were the only source for the movie,” said Randy Hester, an executive of the 640-theater Cinemark U.S.A. chain in Dallas.

“The video release will really hurt discount houses, where ‘Batman’ is now playing,” said Hester.

Warner Home Video is releasing “Batman” five weeks ahead of the standard six-month period between a film’s theatrical debut and video premiere. “Batman” is the fifth most successful film in box-office history, with grosses in excess of $250 million.

The company said last month that it was releasing “Batman” early because of consumer inquiries and market research.

Other 1989 hits such as “Ghostbusters II” and “When Harry Met Sally . . . “ also are being rushed to video ahead of the usual wait.

“Batman” carries a suggested retail price of $24.98, and sales are expected to challenge the record of 15 million copies held by “E.T.” Warner Home Video has refused to say how many tapes it is shipping.