May 1
All movies are 2011-12 releases unless otherwise noted. Availability: 
DVD | 
Blu-ray | 
Both Blu-ray and DVD
George Harrison: Living In The Material World 75
The former Beatle is the subject of a nearly four-hour documentary by Martin Scorsese that debuted on HBO last fall. Living in the Material World examines not just his time in the Fab Four, but also his solo career and his spiritual life, and features interviews with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, George Martin, Yoko Ono, and more, while also incorporating many minutes of previously unseen footage.
Haywire 67 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
The first of two planned 2012 releases for Steven Soderbergh (Magic Mike, the other, arrives this summer), Haywire re-teams the director with his Kafka and The Limey screenwriter, Lem Dobbs. Former MMA fighter Gina Carano makes her debut as a lead actress in this action-thriller about a freelance black-ops agent who seeks revenge against the forces who have conspired against her. Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Channing Tatum, Bill Paxton, and Michael Fassbender round out the above-average cast, though the film remains a lightweight trifle despite the starpower.
W.E. 37 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
Well, Madonna's second directorial effort didn't turn out much better than her first (Filth and Wisdom 25). W.E. tells two stories, one of the romance between Wallis Simpson and Prince Edward in the 1930s, and the other a modern tale of a woman (Abbie Cornish) obsessed with her connection to Simpson. Critics found the film misguided and Madonna's directing talents lacking.
| More new releases on May 1, 2012 | ||
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| And They're Off Sean Astin, Cheri Oteri |
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| Bird of Paradise (1932) Kino Classics Edition |
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| 44 | Joyful Noise Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton |
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| 22 | New Year's Eve Robert De Niro, Jon Bon Jovi, Zac Efron, Katherine Heigl |
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| Older movies debuting on Blu-ray | ||
| 75 | About a Boy (2002) Hugh Grant, Rachel Weisz, Toni Collette |
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| 68 | Clueless (1995) Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd |
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| 59 | Definitely, Maybe (2008) Ryan Reynolds, Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Banks |
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| Jeremiah Johnson (1972) Robert Redford |
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| 43 | Meet Joe Black (1998) Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins |
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| 49 | Men In Black II (2002) Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones |
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| Pillow Talk (1959) Rock Hudson, Doris Day |
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| TV on DVD | ||
| 10 Items or Less Season 3 |
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| Benson Season 2 |
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| 69 | Covert Affairs Season 2 |
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| Emily's Reasons Why Not The Complete Series |
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| Felicity Season 1 / Season 2 |
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| The Invisible Man The Complete Series |
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| Kojak Season 4 |
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| The Mystery of Edwin Drood Masterpiece Classic (PBS) |
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| Ralphie May: Too Big to Ignore Comedy Central stand-up special |
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| 60 | Suits Season 1 |
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| The Virginian Season 6 |
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| Wagon Train Season 5 |
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| Who Do You Think You Are? Season 2 |
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| Woman of Substance Trilogy Three-miniseries collection |
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May 8
Tim & Eric's Billion Dollar Movie 40 + Queue Watch Trailer
Do critics just not "get" the antics of comedians Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim (best known for their Adult Swim cult hit Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!), or do their gross-out, intentionally jarring comedic stylings lose their impact when stretched out over 90 minutes? Judge for yourself when their first feature film, Billion Dollar Movie, arrives on DVD after a brief theatrical/VOD run earlier this year. Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis, Will Forte, Robert Loggia, Ray Wise, and Jeff Goldblum stop by to add to the insanity.
Underworld: Awakening 39 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
This fourth film in the vampire vs. Lycans series (the previous films were Underworld 42, Underworld: Evolution 36, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans 44) brings back original star Kate Beckinsale as Selene after she sat out the last film. Swedish directors Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein direct this installment about a newly escaped Selene discovering a world where humans hunt both vampires and Lycans and the possibility that she might have a daughter that is the key to saving the world ... but really this is about Beckinsale, a skin-tight outfit and lots of action. The cast includes Charles Dance, Michael Ealy, Stephen Rea, Sandrine Holt, and India Eisley.
The Vow 43 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
The highest-grossing film of this year's winter movie season, The Vow is a based-on-a-true-story drama about a woman who is unable to remember her own husband after she is in a severe car accident. Most critics, meanwhile, found the film forgettable, and a bit heavy-handed. Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams star.
| More new releases on May 8, 2012 | ||
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| 59 | The Front Line Korean war drama |
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| Mother's Day Horror; directed by Darren Lynn Bousman; also in theaters 5/4 |
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| Playback Horror; Johnny Pacar and Christian Slater star |
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| Reykjavik-Rotterdam (2008) Icelandic thriller upon which Contraband was based |
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| Older movies debuting on Blu-ray | ||
| Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Gizmo |
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| La haine (1995) Criterion Collection |
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| TV on DVD | ||
| 64 | The Big C Season 2 |
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| Chuck Season 5 |
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| Fantasy Island Season 2 |
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| Vega$ Season 3 Vol. 1 |
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May 15
Albert Nobbs 57 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
The recipient of two Oscar nominations (for star Glenn Close and supporting actress Janet McTeer) before it even reached theaters in 99% of the country, the otherwise unspectacular Albert Nobbs stars Close as a woman who lives in disguise as a man for two decades to secure decent work at a Dublin hotel in male-dominated 19th century Ireland, but comes to regret the decision to do so after falling in love. Close first played the role on stage in the play The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs during the 1980s, and the actress herself adapted the play for the screen, along with John Banville (Booker Prize-winning novelist of The Sea). Mia Wasikowska and Brendan Gleeson also star, while Rodrigo García (Mother and Child 64) directs.
Being John Malkovich 90 (Criterion Collection)
Malkovich, Malkovich! It has taken 13 years, but this 1999 dark comedy classic from director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman finally gets the Criterion treatment it deserves. John Cusack stars as an office drone/aspiring marionette artist who discovers a portal into the mind of actor John Malkovich (for 15 minutes at a time), while Catherine Keener and Cameron Diaz co-star. The Criterion release adds extra audio commentary from Michel Gondry, a new documentary by Lance Bangs, a conversation between John Malkovich and John Hodgman, and more.
Chronicle 69 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
This winter release from first-time filmmaker Josh Trank blends "found footage"-style filmmaking that's all the rage in the horror genre with teen drama and superhero tropes. And the results ... are surprisingly good. Three high school students (Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan) stumble across a way to gain super powers, and while they start with mischievous pranks, their new abilities quickly lead to something darker and more dangerous.
The Grey 64 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
Another somewhat unexpected winter success story (though the presence of star Liam Neeson is increasingly a guarantee of an early-year hit), thriller The Grey follows a group of survivors of an Alaskan plane crash who must deal with the harsh elements and a pack of hungry grey wolves. It turned out better than director Joe Carnahan's previous effort, The A-Team 47.
One for the Money 22 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
One of the worst-reviewed films of 2012 so far, One for the Money further prolongs the disaster that is Katherine Heigl's movie career. Based on the 1994 novel of the same name by Janet Evanovich, the action-comedy stars Heigl as bail enforcement agent Stephanie Plum, a plum role that could have lead to a lucrative franchise had this first installment not been such a critical and commercial dud.
Rampart 70 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
Similar subject matter was explored a bit more deftly in TV's The Shield, but director Oren Moverman's dramatized look at the LAPD's infamous Rampart corruption scandal drew acclaim for the lead performance of Woody Harrelson, who previously teamed with the director in The Messenger 77. The entire cast is actually one of the stronger aspects of Rampart, with Ice Cube, Ned Beatty, Anne Heche, Steve Buscemi, and Sigourney Weaver among the other stars.
| More new releases on May 15, 2012 | ||
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| 1900 (1977) Three-disc Collector's Edition of Bernardo Bertolucci classic |
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| Diana Ross: Live in Central Park Concert performance |
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| 69 | Kinyarwanda Drama set during the Rwandan genocide |
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| 64 | Michael Austrian drama |
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| 90 | My Perestroika Documentary |
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| 58 | Norwegian Wood Based on Haruki Murakami's best-seller |
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| 71 | The Pruitt-Igoe Myth Documentary |
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| 94 | We Were Here Documentary |
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| 65 | Windfall Documentary |
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| Older movies debuting on Blu-ray | ||
| Before and After (1996) Meryl Streep, Liam Neeson |
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| Born Yesterday (1993) Melanie Griffith, John Goodman, Don Johnson |
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| D.O.A. (1988) Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan |
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| 40 | Duets (2000) Gwyneth Paltrow, Scott Speedman, Huey Lewis |
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| 41 | Holy Man (1998) Eddie Murphy, Jeff Goldblum |
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| Mr. Wrong (1996) Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Pullman |
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| The Odessa File (1974) Jon Voight |
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| The Order (2001) Jean-Claude Van Damme |
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| Terminal Velocity (1994) Charlie Sheen |
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| 53 | White Squall (1996) Jeff Bridges |
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| TV on DVD | ||
| 54 | Dog Bites Man The Complete Series |
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| Flashpoint Season 4 |
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| Freak Show The Complete Series |
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| Hazel Season 3 |
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| 63 | Hell on Wheels Season 1 |
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| Riverboat The Complete Series |
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| The Universe Season 6 |
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| Victorious Season 2 |
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May 22
Red Tails 46 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
This fictionalized, effects-heavy depiction of a real-life group of African-American fighter pilots in World War II known as the Tuskegee Airmen was a passion project for George Lucas, who didn't direct much of the film ( Anthony Hemingway is credited) but did produce and heavily promote it. Unfortunately, his good intentions weren't enough to rescue Red Tails from mediocre reviews. Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Terrence Howard star.
The Secret World of Arrietty 80 + Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
The latest animated film from Japan's legendary Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away 94, Ponyo 86) is an adaptation of Mary Norton’s 1952 book The Borrowers, about a family of tiny people who secretly coexist with humans. Unlike Ghibli's best-known films, it wasn't directed by Hayao Miyazaki (though he did produce and co-write the screenplay); making his directorial debut instead was animator Hiromasa Yonebayashi. This Disney-released version adds new English dialogue voiced by a cast that includes Carol Burnett, Amy Poehler, and Will Arnett.
Sherlock: Season 2
The BBC's acclaimed, modern-day retelling of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories is back for a second run of three, two-hour episodes, airing on PBS' Masterpiece series beginning May 6th and arriving on DVD on the 22nd. The excellent Benedict Cumberbatch (Tinker Tailor Solider Spy, next year's Star Trek sequel) stars as the brilliant but drug-addled detective, while Hobbit-sized Martin Freeman (The Office) is his friend and co-investigator Dr. Watson. This time, the mysteries are drawn from Doyle's stories "A Scandal in Bohemia," "The Hound of the Baskervilles," and "The Final Problem," and a third season will follow next year.
The Woman in Black 62 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
Daniel Radcliffe made his post-Harry Potter debut in February's supernatural thriller (based on Susan Hill's 1983 novel) that proved to be a surprise critical and commercial success. Radcliffe stars as a lawyer who travels to a remote village to wrap up the affairs of a deceased client, only to be haunted by a scorned woman's vengeful ghost. Ciarán Hinds and Janet McTeer also star.
| More new releases on May 22, 2012 | ||
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| 67 | Carol Channing: Larger Than Life Documentary |
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| 82 | Certified Copy Criterion Collection |
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| 55 | Perfect Sense Ewan McGregor, Eva Green |
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| Sade: Bring Me Home - Live 2011 Concert performance |
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| The Strange Case of Alice Cooper (1979)First DVD release of 1979 performance film |
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| 31 | This Means War Tom Hardy, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine |
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| Older movies debuting on Blu-ray | ||
| Castle in the Sky (1986) Hayao Miyazaki's animated feature, with Disney's new English-language dubbing |
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| Whisper of the Heart (1995) Another Studio Ghibli animated film re-dubbed (in English) by Disney |
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| TV on DVD | ||
| The Dean Martin Variety Show Uncut |
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| 65 | The River Season 1 |
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| Rizzoli & Isles Season 2 |
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| Route 66 The Complete Series |
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| S.W.A.T. The Final Season |
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| 61 | Teen Wolf Season 1 |
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May 29
Coriolanus 79 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
Ralph Fiennes makes his directorial debut and stars in an adaptation of Shakespeare's violent tragedy. The action is transported to the present day (think gun battles and explosions, though it retains much of the original dialogue), as a general-turned-politician seeks a brutal revenge on the city that banished him. Vanessa Redgrave, Gerard Butler, and Jessica Chastain help round out the cast.
Goon 64 Add to Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
Sean William Scott stars as a bouncer turned semi-pro hockey player (specifically, an enforcer who uses his fists more than his stick) in a comedy based on the life story of Doug Smith, which was captured in the book he co-wrote with Adam Frattasio, Goon: The True Story of an Unlikely Journey into Minor League Hockey. Jay Baruchel (who also stars) and Evan Goldberg (Superbad 76) wrote the script, and Michael Dowse (Take Me Home Tonight 42) directs. The cast includes Liev Schreiber, who plays a rival enforcer, as well as Alison Pill and Eugene Levy.
We Need to Talk About Kevin 68 + Netflix Queue Watch Trailer
Lynne Ramsay’s adaptation of Lionel Shriver’s novel We Need To Talk About Kevin stars Tilda Swinton as a mother struggling to come to terms with the horrible actions taken by her sociopathic son, played by Afterschool’s Ezra Miller. John C. Reilly plays the father, and Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood provides the score (as he did for There Will Be Blood). This is Ramsay’s first film since 2002’s Morvern Callar 78, and her style combined with the difficult subject matter didn't sit well with some viewers and critics, though reviews were still mostly positive, and Swinton was universally praised.
| More new releases on May 29, 2012 | ||
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| 51 | 96 Minutes Brittany Snow, Evan Ross |
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| 36 | Gone Amanda Seyfried, Jennifer Carpenter, Wes Bentley |
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| 44 | Lula, the Son of Brazil Portugese-language drama |
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| 40 | Man on a Ledge Jamie Bell, Sam Worthington |
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| One Direction - Up All Night: The Live Tour Concert performance |
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| 73 | Sing Your Song Documentary about Harry Belafonte |
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| Summer Interlude (1951) Criterion Collection |
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| Summer with Monika (1953)Criterion Collection |
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| TV on DVD | ||
| Degrassi: The Next Generation Season 11 Part 1 |
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| Drop Dead Diva Season 3 |
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| Maverick Season 1 |
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| Rookie Blue Season 2 |
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| Royal Pains Season 3 Vol. 2 |
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| 74 | True Blood Season 4 |
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| Wing Commander Academy The Complete Series |
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