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RENTAL ROUNDUP

Blockbuster Pushesfeld' DALLAS -- Blockbuster Entertainment here used the occasion of the last episode of "Seinfeld" to promote blank video tapes. The retailer offered two 20-minute Sony tapes for $2 through May 19. The show was scheduled for May 14."We know people will be glued to their television sets, so we're making it easier for people to tape the show for future viewing with greatly reduced

Blockbuster Pushes

feld' DALLAS -- Blockbuster Entertainment here used the occasion of the last episode of "Seinfeld" to promote blank video tapes. The retailer offered two 20-minute Sony tapes for $2 through May 19. The show was scheduled for May 14.

"We know people will be glued to their television sets, so we're making it easier for people to tape the show for future viewing with greatly reduced prices on blank tapes," said Dean Wilson, senior vice president and general merchandise manager.

The chain also used its Web site to provide more information about the show, including the various movies that cast members appeared in that are now available on video.

Hollywood Video:

1,000th Store Opens

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Hollywood Entertainment Corp. here opened its 1,000th Hollywood Video store last month in the Dallas suburb of Mesquite, Texas. The video specialty retailer opened 356 new stores in 1997, including 71 in the month of December. So far in 1998, Hollywood has opened 93 stores, with another 307 locations planned by the end of the year.

"The momentum we've attained in our expansion program continues with plans to open 400 stores during 1998," said Mark Wattles, chief executive officer. "A key focus of our long-term strategic plan is to bring Hollywood to customers across the nation in a retail environment that's both entertaining and friendly," he said.

"It's an extremely dynamic time, not only for our company, but for the industry as a whole," said Jeff Yapp, president.

Paramount Agrees

To Standard DVD

HOLLYWOOD -- Paramount Home Video here has agreed to release its products on standard DVD. Paramount previously had agreed to distribute its products on the limited play Divx variant of DVD.

This leaves Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Beverly Hills, Calif., as the lone DVD holdout among the major studios. However, one press report held that DVD screen shots of Fox's "Independence Day" have been posted on the Internet. Fox denied that it had any plans for DVD.

Top 10 Supermarket Video Rental Titles

Title (Weeks Out) Studio Retail Last Week

1Anastasia (1) Fox $26.98 New

2Flubber (2) Buena Vista $22.99 1

3The Jackal (1) Universal $107.37 New

4L.A. Confidential (2) Warner $107.37 2

5Copland (2) Buena Vista $107.37 4

6 I Know What You Did... (6) Columbia $106.97 5

7 Kiss the Girls (3) Paramoun $105.77 3

8Seven Years in Tibet (4) Columbia $106.97 7

9Red Corner (4) MGM $104.16 8

10Mimic (7) Buena Vista $104.16 9

The chart on this page, tailored for the supermarket video market, is based on information taken from more than 1,000 supermarket rental locations serviced by Ingram Entertainment, La Vergne, Tenn.