Helen Mirren takes no prisoners in Red
One of my favorite underrated movies of last year, Red was crowned the most popular rental title on both DVD and Blu-ray in the first quarter of 2011. The kick-ass action comedy film starring Helen Mirren, Bruce Willis and May-Louise Parker, among others, topped the charts on both formats for the first three months of this year.
Rentals are up so far this year over last, with rentals of both DVD and Blu-ray in all channels (bricks-and-mortar stores, subscription services and kiosks) earning $1.515 billion in revenue, a 1.5% increase from the first three months of last year, according to Rentrak Corporation.
Blu-ray also is gaining in popularity, with rentals in stores and through subscription up more than 35%. The format is still limited in kiosks, although its footprint is growing in that segment too.
DVD rentals through kiosks lifted 28%, according to Rentrak, while DVD rentals in the combined category of stores and subscriptions is down by almost 13%. Rentrak attributes this mostly to the decline of bricks-and-mortar stores.
Rentrak hasn’t released DVD or Blu-ray sales figures for 2011 Q1 yet.
With the economy still down, it makes sense that more people are renting their entertainment. Plus, affordable entertainment in general tends to thrive in a down economy. People need cheering up.
Of course, people are still buying their favorite films, which is why the $292 million-grossing science-fiction movie Inception was lower down on the DVD and Blu-ray rental charts.
Here are the Top 10 lists for both formats. Are your favorites here?
Top Renting DVD Movies in 2011 Q1
| Rank | Movie (Studio/Distributor) | Rating | Box Office ($M) | DVD Release |
| 1 | Red (Summit) | PG-13 | $90.38 | 1/25/2011 |
| 2 | The Social Network (Sony) | PG-13 | $96.96 | 1/11/2011 |
| 3 | Unstoppable (Fox) | PG-13 | $81.56 | 2/15/2011 |
| 4 | Due Date (Warner) | R | $100.54 | 2/22/2011 |
| 5 | Dinner for Schmucks (DreamWorks/Paramount) | PG-13 | $73.03 | 1/4/2011 |
| 6 | The Town (Warner) | R | $92.19 | 12/17/2010 |
| 7 | Takers (Sony) | PG-13 | $57.74 | 1/18/2011 |
| 8 | Inception (Warner) | PG-13 | $292.58 | 12/7/2010 |
| 9 | Secretariat (Disney) | PG | $59.71 | 1/25/2011 |
| 10 | Case 39 (Paramount) | R | $13.26 | 1/4/2011 |
Top Renting Blu-ray Movies in 2011 Q1
| Rank | Movie (Studio/Distributor) | Rating | Box Office ($M) | DVD Release |
| 1 | Red (Summit) | PG-13 | $90.38 | 1/25/2011 |
| 2 | The Social Network (Sony) | PG-13 | $96.96 | 1/11/2011 |
| 3 | Dinner for Schmucks (DreamWorks/Paramount) | PG-13 | $73.03 | 1/4/2011 |
| 4 | Unstoppable (Fox) | PG-13 | $81.56 | 2/15/2011 |
| 5 | Inception (Warner) | PG-13 | $292.58 | 12/7/2010 |
| 6 | Due Date (Warner) | R | $100.54 | 2/22/2011 |
| 7 | The Town (Warner) | R | $92.19 | 12/17/2010 |
| 8 | Takers (Sony) | PG-13 | $57.74 | 1/18/2011 |
| 9 | Case 39 (Paramount) | R | $13.26 | 1/4/2011 |
| 10 | Machete (Fox) | R | $26.59 | 1/4/2011 |
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