Rental Rentals

"Sleeping With the Enemy," the No. 1 rental for the third straight week, looks strong enough to hang on to the top spot of the Billboard magazine chart for another two weeks, when "Home Alone"--the hottest rental title since "Ghost"--will likely take over. "Sleeping," however, is getting a strong challenge from two hot newcomers--"Awakenings" (No. 2) and "New Jack City" (No. 3). "Lonesome Dove," the home-video version of the acclaimed TV miniseries starring Robert Duvall, is doing well (No.

There's nothing miserable about the performance of "Misery," which has streaked up the Billboard magazine rental chart, jumping from No. 7 to the top in just one week. "Reversal of Fortune" moved up one notch, back into the Top Five--at No. 5. However, the star power of Whoopi Goldberg, who picked up an Oscar for "Ghost," didn't quite turn "The Long Walk Home," the acclaimed movie hardly anyone saw, into a big rental hit. Still it's done rather well, peaking at No. 15 and slipping to No.

After two weeks at No. 2, "Predator 2" finally unseated "Ghost" from the No. 1 position on the Billboard magazine rental chart, booting it all the way down to No. 7. "Predator's" reign will probably be brief because Arnold Schwarzennegger is back. His "Kindergarten Cop" barreled up to No. 3 in its first week on the chart. Next week, look for this action-drama, which grossed a hefty $84 million, to leapfrog second-place "Mermaids" to take over at No. 1 for several weeks.

The only question about the debut of "Ghost" in the home-video market was how many weeks it would take to reach No. 1 on the Billboard rental chart. The answer is apparently two. "Ghost" entered at No. 3 and it's been the most popular rental by far since its release two weeks ago. It should ascend to the top of the chart next week. "Arachnophobia" will have one week as rental-chart champ, having scampered past "Flatliners" to claim the top spot.

With "Ghost" entrenched in the No. 1 position on the Billboard magazine rental chart, the big battle is for second place. The competitors are "Presumed Innocent" (No. 2) and "Pacific Heights" (No. 3), which traded places this week. Of the two, "Presumed Innocent" was the bigger box-office hit, so it may hang onto the runner-up spot for the next few weeks. "Memphis Belle," the World War II drama, was an instant hit, cruising up to No. 6 in its second week on the chart.

The Billboard magazine rental chart leader "Backdraft," which glorifies Chicago firefighters, shows no signs of flaming out. But upcoming competition, like "Terminator 2," released Wednesday, may flush it out of the top spot. "Hudson Hawk," the Bruce Willis action-comedy, didn't thrill theatergoers and, many video retailers report, it's not turning on too many renters either. It moved up four notches to No. 12 but shows no signs of being a long-term favorite.

"Edward Scissorhands," featuring Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder, continues to slice through the competition on its way to the top of the Billboard magazine rental chart. In its second charted week, this romantic teen fairly tale which grossed over $53 million at the box-office, jumped from No. 7 to No. 3 and just may blast "GoodFellas" out of No. 1. "Reversal of Fortune," fueled by Jeremy Irons' Oscar-winning performance, powered its way to No. 5 in three weeks.

The remarkably strong showing of "GoodFellas" is one of the rental-chart surprises of the summer. It continues to top the Billboard magazine chart, beating out even "Kindergarten Cop," starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The appeal of "GoodFellas" is largely based on the critical acclaim and Joe Pesci's best-supporting Oscar. The word in the industry is that word-of-mouth among renters has provided a big boost.

"The Doors" is closing in on "Dances With Wolves," which is still the strongest rental title in most markets, where it continues to top the Billboard magazine rental chart. Director Oliver Stone's tawdry biography of the Doors' lead singer Jim Morrison jumped from No. 7 to No. 2 and normally might reach No. 1. But according to key retailers, "The Godfather Part III," which came out last week and will debut on the chart next week, is doing bang-up business, rivaling "Wolves" in some markets.

Will Steven Seagal be the "Ghost" buster? His "Marked for Death," which entered the Billboard magazine rental chart at No. 5, may have enough clout to roust "Ghost" out of the top spot in the next few weeks. Seagal's current high profile, due to his new hit movie "Out for Justice," will certainly help "Marked for Death" in the rental market. * "Welcome Home Roxy Carmichael," the comedy/drama starring Winona Ryder, earned only $3.9 million in theaters.