“ALVIN” BEATS “SHERLOCK” IN SALES; LOSES IN RENTALS

Demonstrating the continued strength of kid-friendly movies in the DVD market, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Movie easily outdistanced Sherlock Holmes in sales as both films hit retailers’ shelves last week. According to Nielsen VideoScan First Alert, Sherlock, which debuted in second place, sold only two-thirds as many DVDs as Alvin. Nevertheless, according to Home Video magazine, Sherlock was the most rented film of the week, while Alvin made it only to No. 3, behind last week’s rental champ, The Blind Side. As an indication that parents are not eager to pay premium prices for high-definition for their kids, Alvin sold just 34 percent as many Blu-ray discs as Sherlock.