Video Rentals : ‘Cradle’ Rocks Its Way to the Top

So far, this summer has been chiller time. “Cape Fear,” the grisly spine-tingler that had ruled the Billboard magazine rental chart since mid-June, was bumped out of the No. 1 spot by the sleeper chiller “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle,” which may have a long run at the top. Meanwhile, the amusing “The Addams Family,” the $100-plus-million blockbuster, continues to be an also-ran, mired in the No. 2 slot. Some retailers are surprised that this movie hasn’t climbed to the top. With box-office gross being a strong indicator of rental-chart performance, you’d figure that both “Cape Fear” and “Cradle” wouldn’t be as popular with renters as “The Addams Family.” “Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot,” featuring Sylvester Stallone, entered at No. 12.

* “Hook,” director Steven Spielberg’s fantasy about a grown-up Peter Pan (Robin Williams), is priced to appeal to buyers, $25, but should do considerable business as a rental too. It premiered at No. 25 but should fly into the Top 10 next week.

Rank Weeks Last on the Week Chart 1. “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” 7 3 2. “Addams Family” 2 5 3. “Bugsy” 3 3 4. “Cape Fear” 1 7 5. “Star Trek VI” 5 3 6. “Grand Canyon” 6 4 7. “Shining Through” 10 3 8. “Father of the Bride” 4 8 9. “My Girl” 9 8 10. “Kuffs” 11 5 * “Hook” --- 1

Source: Billboard Publications Inc.