May 29, 2007 By Lou Gaul, Calkins Media Film Critic 4 min read

June gets off to a slow start at DVD outlets as only one major title – “Hannibal Rising” – arrives in stores. The top DVD rental and sales titles are:

Best Renters

1. “Hannibal Rising” (Unrated and R); Grade: C-; with Gaspard Ulliel in an adaptation of Thomas Harris’ novel about how the torture and mistreatment of a young Hannibal Lecter transformed him into a serial killer with cannibalistic tendencies.

2. “Apocalypto” (R); Grade: B; with Mel Gibson directing an intensely violent action-adventure epic about a young warrior who must elude his enemies in the jungle and return home to rescue his pregnant wife and son.

3, “Pan’s Labyrinth” (R); Grade: A-; with Ivana Banquero in Mexican director Guillermo del Toro’s dark, violent and chilling gothic fairy tale.

4. “Stomp the Yard” (PG-13); Grade: B-; with Columbus Short in a music-driven picture about a Los Angeles student who introduces students in a university in Atlanta to a dynamic dance style.

5. “Dreamgirls” (PG-13); Grade: A-; with Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy and Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson in an adaptation of Michael Bennett’s musical about a Supremes-like Motown group.

6. “Epic Movie” (Unrated and PG-13); Grade: C; with Kal Penn and Fred Willard in a broad and gross comedy that spoofs big-budget hits.

7. “Letters From Iwo Jima” (R); Grade: A-; with Ken Watanabe in director Clint Eastwood’s Oscar-nominated World War II drama about military life as seen through the eyes of Japanese soldiers.

8. “Music and Lyrics” (PG-13); Grade: B-; with Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant in a romantic comedy about a fading singing star who asks an eccentric young woman to help him write a pop song.

9. “Night at the Museum” (PG); Grade: B-; with Ben Stiller and Robin Williams in the comedy smash about a night guard who discovers that the displays at the Museum of Natural History come to life each night.

10. “Because I Said So” (PG-13); Grade: C; with Diane Keaton and Mandy Moore in a forced comedy about a driven mother obsessed with finding an eligible bachelor for her youngest daughter.

11. “The Good German” (R); Grade: B-; with George Clooney and Cate Blanchett in a drama about a military officer who returns to post-World War II Berlin to find his former lover and becomes involved in a murder mystery.

12. “Deja Vu” (PG-13); Grade: B; with Denzel Washington in a fun-to-watch thriller about a DEA agent who may be able to prevent a deadly incident by using cutting-edge technology to travel back in time and stop a bomb from detonating.

13. “Catch and Release” (PG-13); Grade: C; with Jennifer Garner, Timothy Olyphant and Kevin Smith in a dull romantic comedy about a woman who must rebuild her life after her husband-to-be dies the day before their wedding.

14. “Smokin’ Aces” (R); Grade: B; with Jeremy Piven and Ryan Reynolds in a stylish thriller about a Las Vegas magician who becomes the target of hired killers after he agrees to testify against the mob.

15. “Arthur and the Invisibles” (PG); Grade: C; with Freddie Hightower in a children’s tale that blends live action and animation in a story about a boy seeking a hidden treasure in a land populated by little people living in harmony with nature.

16. “The Queen” (PG-13); Grade: A-; with Helen Mirren delivering her Oscar-winning performance as Elizabeth II in a compelling drama about the royal family member and her seemingly indifferent reaction to the death of Princess Diana.

17. “The Hitcher” (R); Grade: C; with Sean Bean in a remake about a madman who terrorizes two on-the-road college students.

18. “Happily N’Ever After” (PG); Grade: C+; with the voices of Sigourney Weaver and Sarah Michelle Gellar in a computer-animated tale about a battle that threatens to alter all of the feel-good endings of fairy tales.

19. “Alpha Dog” (R); Grade: B; with Justin Timberlake in a chilling, fact-based picture about some gang members who consider murdering a young rival after kidnapping him.

20. “The Pursuit of Happyness” (PG-13); Grade: B+; with Will Smith in an uplifting, fact-based story about a homeless single father struggling to earn an internship at a prestigious stock-brokerage firm.

Best Sellers

1. “Apocalypto” (R); Grade: B; $29.99, DVD; $34.99, Blu-ray Disc

2. “Hannibal Rising” (Unrated and R); Grade: C-; $29.99, DVD

3. “Epic Movie” (Unrated and PG-13); Grade: C; $29.99, DVD

4. “Pan’s Labyrinth” (R); Grade: A-; $28.99, DVD; $34.99, special-edition DVD

5. “Letters From Iwo Jima” (R); Grade: A-; $34.99, two-disc DVD; $34.99, Blu-ray Disc; $39.99, HD DVD

6. “Stomp the Yard” (PG-13); Grade: B-; $28.99, DVD; $38.99, Blu-ray Disc

7. “Dreamgirls” (PG-13); Grade: A-; $29.99, DVD; $34.99, special-edition DVD; $39.99, Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD

8. “Music and Lyrics” (PG-13); Grade: B-; $28.99, DVD

9. “Night at the Museum” (PG); Grade: B-; $29.99, DVD; $34.99, two-disc DVD; $39.99, Blu-ray Disc

10. “Arthur and the Invisibles” (PG); Grade: C; $28.99, DVD

Partial source: Video Business, wire-service and Web reports