{"id":31036,"date":"2025-04-15T16:29:49","date_gmt":"2025-04-15T23:29:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=31036"},"modified":"2025-04-15T16:29:49","modified_gmt":"2025-04-15T23:29:49","slug":"4k-ultra-hd-blu-ray-dvd-roundup-for-april-15th-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=31036","title":{"rendered":"4K Ultra HD\/Blu-ray\/DVD Roundup for April 15th, 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to another look at highlights arriving on 4K Ultra\nHD, Blu-ray, and DVD. This edition features an array of big Hollywood hits,\ngenre pictures and independent fare. So, if you can\u2019t make it out to the movies\nthis week, be sure to give one of these titles a try!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BIG NEW RELEASES!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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APE X MECHA APE: NEW WORLD ORDER \u2013 This release is from The\nAsylum, perhaps best known for the Sharknado<\/em> series. It is the third in\na franchise that began in 2021 with Ape vs. Monster <\/em>and continued with\nApe vs. Mecha Ape<\/em>, a follow up from 2023. This time out, a group of world\nleaders raise a monstrous, tentacled creature from the depth of the sea that\nthreatens the world. A giant simian and a robotic ape must team up to stop it.\nThe picture has only been seen by one or two online reviewers. They state that\nthis intentionally campy effort has a slightly bigger budget than recent\npictures from the studio and delivers, well, exactly what you\u2019d expect\u2026 hammy\nperformances and cheesy, computer-generated creature battle scenes. For the\ntime being, this is a DVD-only release. It stars Ashley Ahlquist, Sean Young,\nJared Rivet, Eric Rolland, Ashley Dakin and Jessica DeBonville.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BATMAN NINJA VS. YAKUZA LEAGUE \u2013 DC has created yet another\nin a line of animated films based upon its comic book properties. Their latest\nis a sequel to the 2018 feature Batman Ninja<\/em>, which was a story about\nBatman and other famous characters like Joker, Catwoman, Bane and Harley Quinn,\ntraveling through time to feudal Japan. This tale begins with the protagonist\nreturning home and finding the world slightly different from before. Suddenly,\nYakuza begin to literally fall from the sky. The superhero and other costumed\nfigures must find out what is happening and how they can return things to the\nway they were before leaving. The feature debuted on streaming platforms a\ncouple of weeks ago and is now available to purchase either on 4K Ultra HD or\nBlu-ray. Online critics who saw it stated that it was a fun, tongue-in-cheek\nspin on the famous heroes, providing slick, anime-like visuals and exciting\naction. The voice cast includes Aaron Campbell, K\u00f4ichi Yamadera, Y\u00fbki Kaji and\nKengo Kawanishi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE COMEBACK TRAIL \u2013 Way back in 2020, this all-star comedy\nscreened at a few film festivals. Its theatrical release was significantly\ndelayed until February 2025 and now it is coming out exclusively on DVD. The\nplot involves a film producer who, after several box office flops, is in major\ndebt with a mobster. He decides to place a huge insurance policy on the star of\nhis latest production and plot his death in order to get some fast cash. But\nafter seeing rushes, the producer begins to think the project may end up being\na masterpiece and wants to save his performer. The press generally panned this\neffort. About one-third of them commented that the talented cast managed to\nmake them chuckle and thought it would amuse most viewers. Unfortunately, the\nmajority said that while the film had a few laughs, the story was predictable\nand that failed to satirize Hollywood in a memorable manner. It features Robert\nDe Niro, Tommy Lee Jones, Morgan Freeman, Zach Braff, Eddie Griffin and Emile\nHirsch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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GET AWAY \u2013 A vacationing family from England decide to visit\na remote Swedish island in this horror\/comedy. The travelers are immediately\ntaken aback by the strange behavior of locals, who seem to be preparing a\nritualistic celebration. Determined to have a good time, the leads refuse to\nleave, but eventually learn about the area\u2019s dark history and face-off against\na serial killer. This horror\/comedy was written by and star Nick Frost (Shaun\nof the Dead, Hot Fuzz<\/em>) and premiered on the Shudder streaming service a few\nmonths back. It is now receiving a DVD-only release. Write-ups were quite\npositive. About one-quarter did find the family so dimwitted that they were\nirritated, stopped laughing and became tired of the movie. Regardless, most\nthought the film cleverly mixed humorous and foreboding elements, stating it\noffered a wild, crazy, over-the-top finale that would please horror fans.\nBesides Frost, the movie features Aisling Bea, Sebastian Croft, Maisie Ayres,\nJouko Ahola, Eero Milonoff and Ville Virtanen.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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GREEN AND GOLD \u2013 A Wisconsin dairy farmer faces foreclosure\nin this drama. His granddaughter tries to help him with the property, but has\nbigger dreams of leaving and making a career in music. When the youngster\ncatches a big break, she worries about leaving him to fend for himself. With\nnothing left to lose and time running out, the farmer makes a bet on his entire\nproperty that the Green Pack Packers will win the Superbowl. Reaction towards\nthis drama that was \u201cinspired by true events\u201d was slightly more upbeat than\nnegative. About one-third of watchers complained that while earnest, the movie\nwas cliched and predictable from the first scene to the very last. Yet, a few\nmore reviewers liked the work of the cast and thought it was a sweet,\nold-fashioned ode to farmers that was inspirational. For now, this is a\nDVD-only title. Brandon Sklenar, Craig T. Nelson, M. Emmet Walsh and Madison\nLawlor headline the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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HEART EYES \u2013 A maniac who slays couples on Valentine\u2019s Day dressed in an elaborate costume is at the center of this horror\/comedy. After moving from city to city each year, a masked antagonist chooses to slice their way through Seattle. A pair of co-workers at an ad agency head out to discuss a project. While bickering, they become the next target. Frustrated that they have been chosen since they aren\u2019t a couple, the two must still overcome their differences and help each other in order to survive. The press gave this genre title high marks. A small number of critics complained that the movie had trouble juggling chills and laughs, didn\u2019t quite make the most of its premise and ran out of steam. But the rest called the feature an amusing romp with an engaging cast that delivered the goods to horror fans and nailed the humor more often than expected. The cast includes Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Gigi Zumbado, Jordana Brewster, Michaela Watkins and Devon Sawa. Read a full review of this film here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I\u2019M STILL HERE \u2013 Based on the true story of Eunice Paiva,\nthis tale is set in Brazil during 1970 when the country was run by a military\ndictatorship. The story begins with Eunice living with her husband, an\nex-politician and civil engineer, and children at a beachside home. One day,\nthe military raid their residence, taking the husband for his pro-democracy\nviews, along with Eunice and their teenage daughter. Eunice is eventually\nreleased after nearly two weeks of torture and is reunited with family members,\nbut her husband never reappears. She spends the following 25 years attempting\nto find out what happened. This movie earned rave reviews and recently won an\nAcademy Award for Best International Feature. One or two voices thought the\nfamily drama presented was only surface level and were unmoved by the emotional\nstakes. Everyone else thought the film was a masterpiece, featuring brilliant\nperformances while showing how a household could be torn into disarray by the\nshocking acts of an extremist government. Surprisingly, this is currently a\nDVD-only release (one hopes a Blu-ray or 4K Ultra HD will eventually appear).\nIt stars Fernanda Torres and Selton Mello.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A KNIGHT\u2019S WAR \u2013 In this independent period fantasy, a brave\nknight learns of a prophecy about the end of the world. In order to prevent it\nfrom occurring, he is tasked with finding and rescuing the \u201cchosen one\u201d from an\nalternate realm. The hero makes a deal with a mysterious spirit to get in and\nout of this strange alternate world. He is also given a magical jewel that\nallows him to die and regenerate. But can he complete his mission before its\npowers wear off? So far there have only been a handful of notices for this\nrelease and they have been mixed. A few suggested that for a low-budget\nfeature, it was ambitious, looked slick and delivered good action for fantasy\nmovie fans. But many criticized the writing and dialogue as being corny and\nbelieved that the feature couldn\u2019t quite overcome its financial limitations. It\nfeatures Jeremy Ninaber, Kristen Kaster, Matthew Ninaber and Kristen\nMacCulloch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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NIGHT CALL \u2013 A charming, mysterious lady visits a young\nstudent who works as a locksmith and hires him to help her gain entry to a\nbuilding. After completing the job, he is grabbed and taken by hoods. They\nexplain to the protagonist that he helped the woman rob them, and that he must\nfind her and return their goods within a short period, or else he will be\nkilled. He races away, trying to find the customer and figure out his next\nmovie. Released in its home country as La Nuit se Traine<\/em>, this French\nthriller earned plenty of praise. About one-fifth of reviewers claimed that\nwhile the action was good, the characters were superficially drawn and the film\nfailed to make any significant points about its themes. Still, the majority\nfelt that the movie was slick, fast-paced and exciting throughout, building\nincredible tension and delivering numerous jolts through its running time. For\nnow, this is a DVD-only release. Jonathan Feltre, Natacha Krief, Jonas Bloquet\nand Thomas Mustin headline the picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3 \u2013 The third film based on the video\ngame Sonic the Hedgehog<\/em> finds the title character and his animal pals\nbeing attacked by their most dangerous enemy yet. With the fate of the world in\nthe balance, the leader calls upon his human friends (as well as a foe or two)\nto join forces in order to save the planet. This chapter actually fared quite\nwell with the press. A small number called it more of the same, grousing that\nit wasn\u2019t nearly as much fun as previous installments and relied on\nunconvincing CGI effects. However, the consensus was that the film offered higher\nstakes than previous entries and delivered plenty of thrills, as well as some\namusing jokes. They thought it was the best Sonic <\/em>film yet. This title\nis available in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo, a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray\nSteelbook, and a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Amazon exclusive Steelbook. The voice\ncast includes Ben Schwartz, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Colleen O\u2019Shaughnessey,\nalong with human stars Jim Carrey, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Lee Majdoub,\nKrysten Ritter, Adam Pally, Natasha Rothwell and Shemar Moore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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STRIKING RESCUE \u2013 The latest from Thai martial arts star\nTony Jaa (Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior<\/em> series) is this Chinese production\nabout a man whose wife and child are murdered by assassins from a crime\nsyndicate. Furious, he goes on the rampage, breaking bones and faces as he\nexacts revenge on the entire organization. The protagonist also teams with a\nskilled, fighting teen he encounters along the way. Not too sure where the\n\u201crescue\u201d from the film\u2019s title comes into play, but most of the limited number\nof reviewers who saw the film didn\u2019t seem to mind. One suggested that the story\nwas so bland that even the fight scenes became dull, but all others thought\nthis movie was fun and delivered all of the wince-inducing thrills one could\nhope for. Besides Jaa, the movie features Philip Keung, Michael Mao, Bo Peng\nand Xing Yu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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VALIANT ONE \u2013 A US military helicopter carrying a tech\nofficer and soldiers flies into the Korean Demilitarized Zone. It accidentally\ncrashes in North Korea, leaving the survivors stranded in enemy territory. The\ninexperienced tech expert is the highest ranked individual and is forced to\ntake control of the unit, but many among the group question his leadership\nabilities. He and a supporter work together to try and successfully get\neveryone out. Reaction was poor towards this war film. A handful did write that\nthe movie was well shot and featured good performances that helped it overcome\na thinly written plot. Still, most did agree that the screenplay needed to\ndevelop its characters and political intrigue far more than it did. They\ndescribed the end product as being ordinary with little point to make about its\nsubject. For now, this is a DVD-only release. The cast includes Chase Stokes,\nLana Condor, Desmin Borges and Callan Mulvey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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WELCOME TO THE DARKNESS \u2013 If you appreciate heavy-metal\nmusic, then you might be aware of the English band The Darkness<\/em>, whose\ndebut album Permission to Land<\/em> topped the charts in 2003 and scored\nmassive hit singles like, \u201cI Believe in A Thing Called Love,\u201d \u201cGrowing on Me,\u201d\nand many more. A second album quickly followed and then the band vanished for\nmany years, before finally returning to the music scene in 2012. They\u2019ve been\nrocking ever since (I\u2019ve seen them a couple of times since then and they\u2019re\nstill a blast). This documentary tells their story of what happened after that\nfollow-up record, the fallout, what brought them back together to start the\nband again, and even the health struggles some of the members have overcome.\nThere have only been a couple of reviews for this doc, but they are positive\nand it\u2019s a given that if you enjoy the group, then you\u2019ll probably appreciate\nthis documentary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BLASTS FROM THE PAST!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Looking to catch up with an older title? Well, you have\nplenty of options. Radiance Films is putting out a \u201cLimited Edition\u201d Blu-ray of\nthe Japanese drama The Eel<\/em> (1997). After having a psychotic break.\nmurdering his wife and serving a lengthy prison sentence, a man tries to\nrebuild his life by opening a barber shop and serving some eccentric locals.\nThe film veers between heavy drama and comedy, but was well-appreciated back in\nthe day. In fact, it won the Palme d\u2019Or the year of its release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This disc arrives with a high-definition transfer of both the director\u2019s cut and theatrical edition. There is a featurette with a film expert going over the film and the career of its director. The filmmaker\u2019s son talks about his dad and there is a special detailing all of the remarkable films from Japan that came out in 1997. A trailer is also included. Read a full review of the release right here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Criterion is delivering the Hong Kong feature Chungking\nExpress<\/em> (1994) in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo pack, as well as a\nstandalone Blu-ray. This notable feature was a big deal when it came out, and\nfollows two lonely Hong Kong cops who regularly meet and discuss their personal\nlives at a take-out food stall run by a charming young woman. Besides the 4K\npicture restoration approved by the director, this release includes a 2002\ninterview with the cinematographer, a 1996 TV show featuring the filmmaker and\ndirector of photography talking about the feature. Deleted scenes and a trailer\nis also included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a completely different note, B-movie horror fans have a\ncouple of new items arriving from Full Moon Features that were originally only\navailable on DVD. The first is the \u201cUltimate Stoner Edition\u201d Blu-ray of Evil\nBong 3D: The Wrath of Bong<\/em> (2011). Yes, the title does tell you exactly\nwhat you\u2019re getting story- wise. A new 3D transfer of the movie on Blu-ray with\ntwo pairs of custom 3D glasses and a \u201csniff-o-rama\u201d card is included so you can\nengage even more of your senses with the film. Additionally, a trailer,\npremiere footage, a fan promo trailer reel, and other film trailers from the\nstudio can be found on this disc.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have the money to spare, you can also pick up The\nGingerdead Man Movie Collection<\/em> \u201cLimited Edition\u201d Cookie Tin which contains\nall five films in the series from the 2005 original to 2021\u2019s The Gingerweed\nMan<\/em> (I suppose the character was in that film as well). All the titles are\npresented for the very first time on Blu-ray. Every disc comes with bonuses\nlike trailers and featurettes, and you\u2019ll also get a blood-splattered\nGingerdead Man figure in the special cookie tin packaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fun City Editions is delivering Baby, It\u2019s You<\/em> (1983)\non Blu-ray with a 4K picture restoration. This is a period coming-of-age movie\nwith Rosanna Arquette and Vicent Spano of two high schoolers who fall in love.\nJohn Sayles (Eight Men Out, The Secret of Roan Inish, Lone Star<\/em>)\nco-wrote and directed the movie. The disc includes a film historian audio\ncommentary, new interviews with Sayles, producers Amy Robinson and Griffin\nDunne, as well as actors Arquette, Spano and Matthew Modine. There is also a\nbooklet with a couple of essays on the movie and its significance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Barghest<\/em> (2000) is an independent horror flick\nfrom Portland, Maine\u2019s underground film scene about two estranged sisters\nfighting over an inheritance. Gemini Entertainment is releasing a Blu-ray of\nthe black and white title with a remastered presentation, a director and cast\ncommentary, an alternate color version of the film, stills gallery and a\ntrailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you enjoy John Wayne movies, Kino has you covered. You\ncan now pick up a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo (as well as a standalone\nBlu-ray) of John Ford\u2019s Donovan\u2019s Reef<\/em> (1963). Wayne stars in this\nromantic-comedy set on an isle in the South Seas, along with Lee Marvin,\nElizabeth Allen and Cesar Romero. The 4K picture restoration comes from the\noriginal camera negative, and you\u2019ll also get two film expert commentary tracks,\na 1957 short film from Ford called The Growler Story<\/em>, and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wayne also leads the cast in the World War II film Sands\nof Iwo Jima<\/em> (1949) which is also arriving in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray\ncombo or just a Blu-ray. Just like the previous title, the disc boasts a 4K\nimage restoration from the original camera negative, as well as a film\nhistorian commentary, a making-of featurette with noted critic Leonard Maltin,\nand a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019d prefer a British comedy, Heavens Above!<\/em> (1963)\nstars Peter Sellers as a reverend with progressive ideas who upsets his\nparishioners and the religious hierarchy. This effort arrives on Blu-ray with a\nfilm historian commentary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lionsgate Limited is a relatively new outlet for Lionsgate.\nIt releases exclusive editions of some of their most popular titles which can\nonly be purchased from their website. This week sees the release of the\nmemorable crime film King of New York<\/em> (1990) in a 4K Ultra HD and\nBlu-ray Steelbook. The 4K restoration in Dolby Vision from the original\nnegative was completed by Arrow Films in 2020 and is approved by director Abel\nFerrara and cinematographer Bojan Bazelli. The film itself follows a drug\nkingpin released from prison who attempts to reestablish control over his\nempire using any means necessary. It stars Christopher Walken, Laurence\nFishburne, David Caruso, Wesley Snipes and Giancarlo Esposito and will impress\nanyone who enjoys these types of films.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides the image improvement, the release arrives with all\npreviously released bonuses from earlier editions, like a director commentary\nwith Abel Ferrara, a crew commentary, a short about the career of Ferrara, an\ninterview with the filmmaker, as well as the producer, a featurette on the\nproduction, music videos and publicity materials. New bonuses include a\nflashback on the film with Walken, as well as co-star Paul Calder\u00f3n, and\nanother new featurette on the film and its enduring legacy.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A \u201cStandard Edition\u201d Blu-ray of Ninja Terminator<\/em>\n(1986) is also arriving courtesy of Neon Eagle Video. This is a wild and crazy\nmartial arts movie from Hong Kong about three students searching for a statue\nwith magical powers. Apparently, the original negative was recently located and\ntransferred in 4K for this release (there is some slight damage on the\nnegative, but this is as good of an image as you\u2019re ever going to get). It\ncomes with two film historian commentary tracks, an interview with the\ndirector, a second discussion with the filmmaker and a dubber for the audio\ntrack, a featurette on ninja movies from the 80s, a brief talk with star\nRichard Harrison (who fumes that footage of him in this movie was used in\nseveral other pictures without his approval), and a trailer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sony is presenting a Blu-ray of the Rio de Janeiro-set\nromantic-comedy Bossa Nova<\/em> (2000) with Amy Irving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Great Yokai War: Guardians<\/em> (2021) is coming to\nBlu-ray from SRS Cinema. This is a Japanese fantasy film about two kids who\nmust stop Tokyo from being destroyed by an angry demon. Curiously enough, this\nfilm was directed by Takashi Miike (Audition, Ichi the Killer, 13 Assassins<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pictured to the left, Blue Sunshine<\/em> (1977) is a cult title about a new form of LSD running rampant through Los Angeles that turns its users into bald, homicidal maniacs. Synapse Films is releasing a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray \u201cLimited Edition\u201d that also includes a soundtrack CD.\u00a0 It was only available on their website, but can now be purchased everywhere. You\u2019ll receive a 4K picture restoration from the original camera negative, two director commentaries, a new introduction to the feature with the filmmaker, a 2003 director interview, several other discussions with the moviemaker, anti-drug shorts from the late 1960s provided by the American Genre Film Archive. Additionally, the director\u2019s first movie, The Ringer<\/em> (1972) is included (remastered in 4K from the original camera negative) in this edition. Publicity materials are also contained, and plenty more!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Finally, Warner Bros. is making this a Steven Soderbergh\nweek. His drama The Good German<\/em> (2006) will be available in a 4K Ultra\nHD and Blu-ray combo pack, or as a Blu-ray only release. It stars George\nClooney and Cate Blanchett and follows a murder investigation in post-war\nBerlin that uncovers an elaborate conspiracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, The Informant<\/em> (2009) with Matt Damon is arriving exclusively on 4K Ultra HD only. This comedy from Soderbergh is based on a true story. Damon plays an American high-ranking corporate whistleblower who goes to the government with an elaborate story, but one that may not actually be entirely true.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both pictures are now well-regarded by critics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below is a list of the week\u2019s kid-friendly releases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sonic the Hedgehog 3<\/em> (Paramount) 4K Ultra HD and\nBlu-ray, 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Steelbook, 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray \u201cAmazon\nexclusive\u201d Steelbook<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The VeggieTales Show<\/em>: Complete Series (Universal) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ON THE TUBE!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And you can find all the TV-related efforts coming your way\nright here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hallmark 2-Movie Collection: Junebug, His and Hers<\/em>\n(Hallmark) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lioness:<\/em> Season 2 (Paramount) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NOVA: What Are UFOs?<\/em> (PBS) DVD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star Trek: The Lower Decks<\/em> \u2013 The Complete Series\n(Paramount) Blu-ray<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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