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Home theater: Channing Tatum, Tim and Eric top new releases roster

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Looking to catch a film on Video on Demand or DVD or Blu-ray? Following are some of the newest options available to home theater aficionados.

‘The Vow’
Sony, $30.99; Blu-ray, $40.99
Available on VOD on May 8

Movie romances don’t get much more gimmicky than “The Vow.” Based on a true story, the film stars Rachel McAdams as a boho type named Paige who suffers an accident that wipes out her memories of the previous five years -- including her entire relationship with her husband, Leo (Channing Tatum), and the reasons why she left behind her wealthy parents to pursue art. Leo has to re-woo Paige, and to reconnect her with who she used to be. “The Vow” is predictable, corny and loaded with stereotypes, but it’s also genuinely moving, thanks largely to the performances of McAdams and Tatum. The DVD and Blu-ray come with featurettes, deleted scenes and a commentary track by director Michael Sucsy.

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‘The Front Line’
Well Go USA, $24.98; Blu-ray, $29.98

Jang Hun’s pulpy military thriller “The Front Line” is set during the final days of the Korean War, as soldiers try to grab as much territory as they can before the final peace gets brokered. The film follows an officer sent to investigate a possible murder, who instead finds enemy combatants that have been living and working in the same place so long that they’ve developed a love-hate relationship with each other. The action is bloody and tense, but “The Front Line” also depicts reluctant warriors who understand the arbitrary nature of conflict. The DVD and Blu-ray include a featurette and a highlight reel.

‘42nd Street Forever’
Blu-ray Edition
Synapse Blu-ray, $24.95

The ideas of exploitation films are often more enjoyable than the experience of actually sitting through the movies themselves -- the trailers nearly always promise more brain-jangling scenes of sex and violence than mere celluloid can deliver. “42nd Street Forever: Blu-ray Edition” collects nearly four hours of those trailers -- previously scattered across various other DVD anthologies -- accompanied by smart, funny commentary from grindhouse scholars. The previews run the gamut from tame B-movie sci-fi to wild T&A, but nearly all hint at a host of lurid thrills: flesh, gore and shocks. You’ll have to keep repeating to yourself: “It’s only a trailer…”

‘Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie’
Magnolia, $26.98; Blu-ray, $29.98/$34.98

Those unfamiliar with Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim’s endurance-testing brand of “anti-comedy” probably shouldn’t get anywhere near “Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie,” but the duo’s fans won’t be disappointed with the film’s willful weirdness. The plot involves Tim and Eric -- as “themselves” -- squandering a huge budget for a big Hollywood production, which they then try to repay by taking over a run-down mall. Despite the presence of comedy heavyweights like Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis (in small roles), actual punch lines are in short supply here, since Heidecker and Wareheim generally find it funnier to annoy audiences with repetition and sloppiness. This is their shtick, though -- and good for them for remaining defiantly unpolished. The devotees will dig it and also will appreciate the DVD and Blu-ray, which adds typically twisted deleted scenes, a commentary track and a featurette.

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‘Casablanca’ tops lineup for film academy’s outdoor theater

-- Noel Murray

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