SUMMER STOCK 1999

MARTY SONNENFELD

Love, war, aliens and a double dose of Tom Hanks will highlight this summer's video lineup, retailers said.

But while major studios are voicing enthusiasm about the sell-through and rental video releases planned for the summer months, supermarkets surveyed by SN so far expect little bottom-line excitement in the category.

"The hot titles will both be Tom Hanks movies: 'Saving Private Ryan' will be the biggest, and also 'You've Got Mail,' " said Brent Bailey, video manager at Darrow's Country Market, Baraboo, Wis.

That view was shared widely by supermarket retailers. "You've Got Mail," from Warner Bros. was released earlier this month, and DreamWorks SKG has set a street date of May 25 for "Saving Private Ryan." But, as usual, titles that release in the late summer and have not yet been announced could turn the video tide. Such movies include the animated "Prince of Egypt" from DreamWorks, Best Picture-winning "Shakespeare in Love" from Miramax and Buena Vista, "October Sky" from Universal and "My Favorite Martian" from Buena Vista. Also two direct-to-video Disney titles will generate retail interest in August, "Hercules: Zero to Hero" and "Beauty and the Beast: Tales of Friendship."

In addition to the two films starring Tom Hanks, Maria Boye, video buyer for Iron River, Mich.-based Angeli Foods, expects "Alien Resurrection" (sell-through, June 1) and "The Thin Red Line" (rental, June 29), both from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, to do well.

"Alien Resurrection" will be released as part of a collector's pack celebrating the 20th anniversary of the original "Alien." Kirk Kirkpatrick, vice president for marketing at WaxWorks Video Works, a distributor based in Owensboro, Ky., suggested, "All you have to do is take a retro trip back to the holiday movie releases to see what will be hot this summer: 'Saving Private Ryan,' 'The Thin Red Line,' 'Shakespeare in Love,' 'Life Is Beautiful' and 'October Sky.' " He emphasized, "Over May and June, the hot releases have over $600 million in box office behind them. That's a big number."

But retailers were skeptical about seeing any major boom in video for the summer. Gail Norrick, video manager at Scott's Food Stores, Fort Wayne, Ind., said, "I think the overall selection will be thinner than the last couple of years."

Similar observations were offered by many retailers. Jason Hoyle, video buyer/manager at Hilander Foods, Rockford, Ill., expects the two Hanks movies, along with "The Thin Red Line" and "Patch Adams" to move. But he added, "There are some decent movies, but not a lot of special films that people are going to run in for."

Asked if there would be enough titles to drive video traffic, Darrow's Bailey responded, "That's questionable, at best. It looks a little thin this year."

Mitch Koch, general manager for North America at Buena Vista Entertainment, Burbank, Calif., observed, "Two big reasons why video is typically slow in the summer are great weather and a huge theatrical season. A lot of people are in air-conditioned theaters watching the biggest blockbusters of the summer." But Koch noted, "That will drive sales during other parts of the year."