The Ruins

Tomatometer: 44%

Horror fans with green thumbs might be doubly delighted by this tale of four American coeds terrorized by --- yup --- killer plants high atop an ancient Mayan temple. With all the tired ghost stories, J-horror remakes, and psychopaths-with-knives in recent memory, homicidal vines and makeshift amputations in a gory R-rated flick like this are almost a breath of fresh air! But while The Ruins scored surprisingly high considering its genre, anyone but true horror mavens are likely to be turned off.

Bonus Features:

If The Ruins even remotely appeals to you, then opt for the Unrated Edition for gorier scares and an alternate ending (Duh duh duhhhhn!). Featurettes on the handsomely constructed ruins set, the killer vines effects, and a feature-length commentary provide insights into the making of a modern day horror film, and a taste of the classic exploitation films that influenced the filmmakers.

(Watch a deleted scene from The Ruins here.)

Stop-Loss

Tomatometer: 65%

Director Kimberly Peirce made her feature debut with the Oscar-winning Boys Don't Cry; nine years later, her long-awaited sophomore effort focuses on another hot-button issue: the military practice of returning soldiers to duty after their contract has ended. Theatrically, Stop-Loss made less than half of its $25 million budget, but critics agree that the film and its controversial topic deserve further discussion, one likely to be had in a second life on DVD.

Bonus Features:

In addition to a making-of featurette and a peek into the boot camp experience of star Ryan Phillippe and his fellow cast members, Peirce lends her thoughts to 11 deleted scenes and a feature commentary (with co-writer Mark Richard) that offers further insights into why she made Stop-Loss.

Superhero Movie

Tomatometer: 13%

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's another spoof movie, from the mind behind such previous spoofs as Scary Movie 4 and Scary Movie 3. This time, writer-director Craig Mazin serves up an unfunny cocktail of the expected lame pop culture jokes and genre gags that we all see coming as soon as each "Fill in the Blank" Movie is announced. Shockingly, even the participation of producer David Zucker (Airplane!) can't make the sight of Leslie Nielsen dry-humping a corpse hilarious.

Bonus Features:

As if we needed more Superhero Movie, the DVD comes in an Extended Edition that also proclaims itself "Longer, Funnier, and More Outrageous." We're sure it's longer; it may be even more outrageous. Just don't count on it being funnier.

The Tracey Fragments

Tomatometer: 38%

Before she melted geek hearts the world over with her pregnant teenage one-liners, Ellen Page filmed this experimental Canadian indie by film and television vet (and sometimes-Degrassi director) Bruce McDonald. Watch her wander the streets of Toronto wearing a shower curtain, losing her mind and manipulating yours in the twisty, non-linear psychological drama.

Bonus Features:

Watch the making-of featurette (a film-school lesson in itself, considering McDonald combines non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, and literal fragments on the screen) and interviews with MacDonald and Page, plus entries from the Tracey Re:fragmented contest, where contestants could download and remix footage from the film with their own, or re-edit the film itself.

Jet Li's Fearless: Unrated Director's Cut

Tomatometer: 73%

Jet Li's "last" martial arts epic opened to modest success in 2006 and may already occupy a spot in your video collection, but there's a new reason to seek it out this week on DVD: the Director's Cut features 30 more minutes of footage, including scenes with Michelle Yeoh that were deleted from the original release cut. Li plays Huo Yuanjia, the real-life martial arts master who took on the world's best fighters, helped revive the practice of wushu in turn-of-the-century China, and whose life gained mythological status long after his death.

Bonus Features:

Three versions of Ronny Yu's film come in the new release: the original U.S. theatrical cut (104 minutes), an internationally-released version (110 minutes), and the full director's cut featuring scenes with Yeoh and Thai fighter Somluck Kansing (140 minutes).

Fastlane: The Complete Series

Tomatometer: 73%

If you were watching television in 2002, then you might remember the series Fastlane. If not, here's the premise: two hotshot cops (Peter Facinelli and Bill Bellamy) are recruited to bring down bad guys in L.A. with the help of a smokin' supervisor (Tiffani Thiessen) and a "candy store" of impounded cars, guns, and cash -- Miami Vice meets The Fast and the Furious. With creator McG (Charlie's Angels) to guide it, how could this show go wrong? (Cut to the end of Season One, when the show was cancelled. I guess huge car chases, elaborate sets, and over $2 million an episode was too rich for WB and Fox's blood.)

Bonus Features:

The fact that Fastlane is available for the first time since airing is a bonus in itself. Watch all 22 episodes for their mix of hot bodies, fast rides, and pure adrenaline, plus see guest stars like Jay Mohr, Krista Allen, Ali Landry, Robert Forster, Bill Duke, Naomi Campbell, and Mischa Barton. Featurettes and bloopers are also included in the six-disc release.



'Til next week, happy viewing!