Stop Loss - or UKPP as most locals call it around here in Austin (short for The Untitled Kimberly Pierce Project) – was easily one of the most anticipated films of SXSW 2008. Written by a native, shot in and out of town and pertaining to residents of the area, the film generated so much interest that when festival producer Matt Dentler introduced the film as being, “the movie I got the single most calls about saying, ‘You have to play this.’”

The title comes from an unfair clause in a soldier’s contract that acts as a loophole in wartime that states the army can keep you even after you’ve served your tour of duty. This clause has been commonly exercised under the George W. Bush regime and has, in some ways, been the lifeblood that allows America to stay at war in Iraq.

The story is simple. A group of friends comes back home from war and reunites with their loved ones, for better or for worse. When memories of their final, particularly painful combat mission send them all mentally into different dark tortured places, their home lives fall apart and they desperately try to help each other out. But when the leader of the pack Brandon King (played by Ryan Phillippe) is stop-lossed and faces the decision whether to flee his country and his army, their lives might never be the same.

…Read more

• Jumper only managed to clear $38.1 million at the box office over the five day weekend, which may be enough for sequel talks, but doesn’t seem like such a victory against the news that Step Up 2 made $28 million over the same frame. Meanwhile, The Band’s Visit, which is not a new release, managed the highest per-screen average of any film over the holiday weekend with $12,295 at each of its 13 locations.
• With Blu-Ray declaring “Mission Accomplished!” in the costly, confusing and totally pointless HD DVD format war, technology companies are expected to turn their focus towards creating consoles to handle digital downloads.
• Oscar ballots were due yesterday. Also, did you know we’re having a party?

• Dito Montiel has cast his A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints star Channing Tatum in his new film, a still untitled drama about underground street fighting. Tatum has a fervent teen girl fan base, who will surely delight at the prospect of seeing their guy shirtless and bloodied. I say the following in all sincerity: if they can land a PG-13 rating, this sounds like box office gold.
• Theater actor Stephen Lang, who unsuccessfully read for a role in Aliens over 20 years ago, has been cast in James Cameron’s upcoming motion-capture epic, Avatar.
• The Hollywood Reporter thinks The Bourne Ultimatum should easily clear $60 mil this weekend. Variety agrees that the third installment of the Matt Damon-starring franchise should come in at the top of the pack, but they’re not quite as gung-ho about it. Pamela McClintock points out that in this hyper-crowded blockbuster year, holdover business has been unexpectedly strong. So while a film like The Simpsons could easily continue to do “boffo” business based solely on consumer interest, it’s forced to give up screen space to new films. All this really means is that Hollywood is having a very, very good summer. “Title wave also points out that dire predictions made last year by such news orgs as the New York Times and Los Angeles Times that box office was dead simply never materialized.”