National Video Rentals : ‘Boomerang’ Soars Up the Chart

Eddie Murphy, who’s out of the action-film genre for now, isn’t the box-office draw he used to be, but he’s still a force in the rental market. Murphy’s romantic comedy “Boomerang” is a hot rental, bounding from No. 18 to No. 5. Does it have legs? The early speculation: Yes, it does. The teen-oriented spoof “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is doing strong early business too, somewhat unexpected considering the strong competition and that its box-office total ($14.1 million) wasn’t huge. “Buffy” jumped from No. 23 to No. 10. “Poison Ivy,” starring Drew Barrymore, is a popular item in some markets too, moving up four notches to No. 13.

* “Honey, I Blew Up the Kid” is starting out at a lowly No. 36, but judging from early returns from retailers, it’s already a big hit and should vault into the Top 10 next week. This sequel to “Honey, I Shrunk the Kid” was considered a box-office disappointment though it grossed $58.4 million.

National Video Rentals

Rank Weeks Last on the Week Chart 1.”Lethal Weapon 3” 1 6 2.”Patriot Games” 2 7 3.”Sister Act” 3 9 4.”Housesitter” 4 3 5.”Boomerang” 18 2 6.”Universal Soldier” 7 5 7.”Basic Instinct” 8 12 8.”Far and Away” 6 8 9.”Alien 3” 5 8 10.”Buffy the Vampire Slayer” 23 2 * “Honey, I Blew Up the Kid” ... 1

Source: Billboard Publications Inc.