TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

DVD RELEASES

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 10, 2008

STOP-LOSS **½

After a long hiatus, director Kimberly Peirce follows up her acclaimed debut ("Boys Don't Cry") with this drama about a soldier (Ryan Phillippe) who returns home to Texas after a tour of duty in Iraq to discover that the government has involuntarily extended his contract via the policy that gives the movie its title. The strong supporting cast includes Abbie Cornish.

R, 112 minutes

SUPERHERO MOVIE (not reviewed)

The good news is that this genre parody does not come from the team responsible for the plague of Scary/Date/Epic Movie(s). Less raunchy and slightly more coherent, this low-key comedy follows the general outline of the first "Spider-Man" movie, with Drake Bell playing the dweeby teen whose powers result from a run-in with a dragonfly.

PG-13, 85 minutes

THE RUINS (not reviewed)

Here comes another horror movie, and the first thing you have to ask is: How will the nubile young'uns bite the dust this time? Falling into the general scary-movie categories of "dangerous foreign place" and "revenge of nature," this flick drags its tourists from a Mexican resort to remote Mayan ruins, the better to be picked off by (wait for it) killer vines!

R, 91 minutes

SLEEPWALKING (not reviewed)

If your own life isn't gloomy enough, this downbeat indie flick should help you find rock bottom. Charlize Theron co-stars as a pot-dealing single mom who leaves her 12-year-old daughter (AnnaSophia Robb) with the kid's uncle, a well-meaning loser who seeks sanctuary from the law with the clan's evil patriarch (Dennis Hopper), who has a taste for cruelty. Wheee!

R, 100 minutes

THE X-FILES: REVELATIONS (not reviewed)

Just in time for the big-screen sequel, this two-disc set brings together eight episodes from various seasons of the hit show about aliens, monsters and conspiracy theories. Each episode is introduced by series creator Chris Carter and writer Frank Spotniz, and the collection represents a short list of favorite episodes, including "Beyond the Sea" and "Bad Blood."

Not rated, 352 minutes

JOE STRUMMER: THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN (not reviewed)

As the title suggests, this rock documentary from director Julien Temple focuses not so much on The Clash as on the band's lead singer and primary lyricist. Archival footage of interviews and performances, as well as contemporary talking heads, helps flesh out Strummer's life, art and politics.

Not rated, 125 minutes

Synopses by Amanda Henry; ratings from The Associated Press

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT