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Post by idioticbunny on Aug 31, 2019 19:27:09 GMT
Certainly not as good as 1967 like I was hoping, and on the whole rather disappointing, but the top films are still some of the best of the decade by my count. Considering Once Upon a Time in the West was once in my top ten of all-time, I was shocked to feel it didn't hit me as hard as it once did many years ago. Perhaps it was because back then I had never seen a spaghetti Western before and was amazed at what Leone could do. But having seen his progression since A Fistful of Dollars it kind of lost that bite. It's still my favorite of his works and a gorgeous film (hell, it's still a 10/10), but this re-watch didn't hit me the same way it did then. What's surprising is how 2001, which on my first three watches of it still didn't register as anything other than technically great, with my most recent two watches solidified it as one of my favorite films. I guess the fourth and fifth times are the charm? Seeing it on the big screen (in 70mm too!) certainly helps I think. I feel like, unlike Once Upon a Time..., it will only continue to grow in my mind (as it clearly already has too).
Maybe the biggest surprise was either the huge jump from a semi-solid 6/10 to a strong 8/10 for Night of the Living Dead (it certainly helps watching these things in the context of the times and seeing everything prior to see just how groundbreaking they were) or the hauntingly beautiful The Swimmer. I mean, Lancaster is just magnetic in the role (how is he not talked about more as one of the best of his generation? He can blend Hollywood, foreign, and B-movie all so brilliantly into his filmography and never shrugs any role off as beneath him - kind of in the way Clint Eastwood did after A Fistful of Dollars). But even then Frank Perry (and I guess Sydney Pollack too?) did a wonderful job with the tone and atmosphere of this lush yet all-is-not-as-it-seems suburban drama. How a film about a guy going from pool to pool wound up being as profound as it was automatically makes it excellent in my book.
On top of that, Bullitt is a much better film than most give it credit for. Yeah, the car chase is iconic and honestly was the only thing I'd heard about the film prior (and as I had seen parts of it as a kid, the car chase was all I remembered too), but the whole film is a brilliant stepping stone into those cop thrillers of the '70s that are so well-loved. How this isn't ranked among them is beyond me? Loved Yates' take on the genre and may be McQueen's coolest work to date (though far from his best IMO).
Biggest disappointment was probably The Bride Wore Black which the idea of Truffaut taking on Hitchcock (someone he clearly admires a great deal) with a new score from Herrmann and a strong female lead should have been right up my alley. But the parts of the French New Wave that I don't like were all over this film and I sensed very little Hitchcock except in the script itself. Herrmann also tried his best, but (and maybe this is due to the fact I regularly listen to his Vertigo and North by Northwest works) he was essentially re-hashing a lot of his work from those films for this one so very little of it felt truly unique. Granted I heard he didn't get along with Truffaut during this film (much like with Hitch on Torn Curtain), so perhaps he just didn't have the passion for it. At least Moreau was great in the lead role, but Truffaut offered her very little room to maneuver IMO. Big disappointment for me, but still hoping Truffaut surprises with more works down the road.
Overall, an okay year, mainly just a disappointment because of how I hoped it would stack up to 1967, but not all bad. Quite a few misses, but enough hits (and strong hits) to make up for it.
Best Picture: 01. 2001: A Space Odyssey. 02. Once Upon a Time in the West. 03. Rosemary's Baby. 04. Bullitt. 05. Hour of the Wolf. 06. The Swimmer. 07. Night of the Living Dead. 08. Targets. 09. The Odd Couple. 10. Yellow Submarine. ----------------- 11. Shame. 12. Planet of the Apes. 13. The Great Silence. 14. Monterey Pop. 15. The Lion in Winter. 16. The Thomas Crown Affair. 17. Faces. 18. Charly. 19. Romeo and Juliet. 20. Oliver! 21. High School. 22. The Bride Wore Black. 23. Who's That Knocking at My Door. 24. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. 25. Memories of Underdevelopment. 26. If...
Best Director: 01. Stanley Kubrick - 2001: A Space Odyssey. 02. Sergio Leone - Once Upon a Time in the West. 03. Roman Polanski - Rosemary's Baby. 04. Ingmar Bergman - Hour of the Wolf. 05. Peter Yates - Bullitt.
Best Actor: 01. Burt Lancaster - The Swimmer. 02. Peter O'Toole - The Lion in Winter. 03. Max von Sydow - Hour of the Wolf. 04. Cliff Robertson - Charly. 05. Jack Lemmon - The Odd Couple.
Best Actress: 01. Liv Ullmann - Hour of the Wolf. 02. Mia Farrow - Rosemary's Baby. 03. Katharine Hepburn - The Lion in Winter. 04. Liv Ullmann - Shame. 05. Faye Dunaway - The Thomas Crown Affair.
Best Supporting Actor: 01. Charles Bronson - Once Upon a Time in the West. 02. Jason Robards - Once Upon a Time in the West. 03. Klaus Kinski - The Great Silence. 04. Henry Fonda - Once Upon a Time in the West. 05. Sidney Blackmer - Rosemary's Baby.
Best Supporting Actress: 01. Lynn Carlin - Faces. 02. Janice Rule - The Swimmer. 03. Zina Bethune - Who's That Knocking at My Door. 04. Claudia Cardinale - Once Upon a Time in the West. 05. Gena Rowlands - Faces.
Best Original Screenplay: 01. Once Upon a Time in the West. 02. Hour of the Wolf. 03. Shame. 04. Night of the Living Dead. 05. Targets.
Best Adapted Screenplay: 01. Rosemary's Baby. 02. 2001: A Space Odyssey. 03. The Odd Couple. 04. The Swimmer. 05. Bullitt.
Best Ensemble: 01. Once Upon a Time in the West. 02. The Lion in Winter. 03. Faces. 04. The Swimmer. 05. Rosemary's Baby.
Best Editing: Once Upon a Time in the West.
Best Cinematography: 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Best Art Direction: 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Best Costume Design: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Best Makeup: 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Best Visual Effects: 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Best Sound Design: Once Upon a Time in the West.
Best Original Score: Ennio Morricone - Once Upon a Time in the West.
Best Original Song: "What Is a Youth?" - Romeo and Juliet.
Best Choreography: Bullitt.
Excited to finally finish out the decade. Don't have any crazy expectations for 1969, but hoping to find some gems in the bunch. A lot I've not seen, so my recommendations are wide open. Only seen Easy Rider, Midnight Cowboy, and True Grit prior (and really loved the first two).
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Archie
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Post by Archie on Aug 31, 2019 19:37:30 GMT
THE WILD BUNCH, MY DUDE.
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Post by pacinoyes on Aug 31, 2019 20:13:30 GMT
I'll list some offbeat ones since the big ones are covered - there's still a Chabrol and Bergman in '69 too but these are more, um, quirky, maybe look them 'em up and see if you think they'd interest you. Burn (Brando) The Rain People (Coppola) Take The Money And Run (early very funny Woody Allen)
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Post by themoviesinner on Aug 31, 2019 21:17:16 GMT
I'm not a big fan of 2001: A Space Odyssey. I think it's great on a technical level, but other than that, I don't think it has a lot of substance to it. I feel that Kubrick had all these great images in his head that wanted to include in the film, but didn't put much thought in how to include them in a coherent way. Therefore it comes across to me as somewhat incoherent and jumbled in it's themes. I don't dislike it, but I think it's far from Kubrick's best. Anyway, I'm glad you liked The Swimmer though. It's definitely quite an underrated film and Burt Lancaster probably gives the best performance of the year in it.
As for 1969, here is my top 10:
1. Eros + Massacre (This film is in my all time top 20). 2. The Wild Bunch 3. Z 4. The Cow 5. The Confrontation 6. Easy Rider 7. The Color Of Pomegranates 8. The Cremator 9. The Unfaithful Wife 10. Funeral Parade Of Roses
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Post by Mattsby on Aug 31, 2019 21:20:06 GMT
Glad you lov'd Lynn Carlin who I wanna post about in the underappreciated actor thread! Her first three movies: Faces, Taking Off, Tick Tick Tick are a really strong trio of perfs where she's the housewife, as complacent as she is cracked-up, with her signature loud laugh. And right after those, horror Dead of Night where she's more morose and anxious...
my '69 top ten.... Midnight Cowboy Last Summer The Wild Bunch The Unfaithful Wife The Cremator Kes The Rain People That Cold Day in the Park The Rite (Bergman) Boy (Nagisa Oshima)
as well as... Cactus Flower - for Ingrid Pit Stop - exciting b-movie Sabata - underrated western
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Post by idioticbunny on Sept 1, 2019 4:21:52 GMT
Great to see Burt at the top! The Wild Bunch is probably the best western of all time... but I'd recommend Ride the High Country (again) first to get a smaller dose of Peckinpah before going full blast. others: Army of Shadows - probably a masterpiece Kes - devastating The Sicilian Clan - Delon, Ventura, and Gabin in a badass crime movie... what more do you need? Mississippi Mermaid - your meh thoughts on The Bride Wore Black aside, maybe you'll click with this one better. Another Woolrich adaptation but more noir-ish than Hitchcockian. They Shoot Horses, Don't They - the book (only 120 or so pages) is a masterpiece... and this is a pretty great adaptation. The Brain - slapsticky heist comedy with a bananas cast (Belmondo, Niven, Wallach...) less good but still worth watchingBob & Carol & Ted & AliceZ (needs a re-watch) Support Your Local Sheriff!Butch Cassidy & the Sundance KidCactus Flower (mainly for Ingrid Bergman) Surprised Butch Cassidy wasn't at the top of your list here, just considering its reputation among Western fans. But I'm sure to watch both that and Wild Bunch. I consider Kes 1970, but will be sure to watch it then. Good to hear about Mississippi Mermaid since after the disappointment of Bride, I was going to pass that one completely, but maybe I'll see if I can fit it in. Quite a few others I'm definitely checking out, so thanks! Also never heard of The Brain so I'll look into that.
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Post by idioticbunny on Sept 1, 2019 4:23:57 GMT
I'll list some offbeat ones since the big ones are covered - there's still a Chabrol and Bergman in '69 too but these are more, um, quirky, maybe look them 'em up and see if you think they'd interest you. Burn (Brando) The Rain People (Coppola) Take The Money And Run (early very funny Woody Allen) Funny enough I actually have all of those in my watchlist, but only one I might check out is Passion of Anna and/or Take the Money and Run. I definitely am looking forward to Allen's filmography as I think the earliest of his works I've seen is Annie Hall, but just not sure where to start (ideally would be his whole filmography, but that's a lot of spare time lol). Thoughts on The Rain People? Like Allen, Coppola is another whose work I'd like to see progress before I get to the big stuff.
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Post by idioticbunny on Sept 1, 2019 4:28:45 GMT
I'm not a big fan of 2001: A Space Odyssey. I think it's great on a technical level, but other than that, I don't think it has a lot of substance to it. I feel that Kubrick had all these great images in his head that wanted to include in the film, but didn't put much thought in how to include them in a coherent way. Therefore it comes across to me as somewhat incoherent and jumbled in it's themes. I don't dislike it, but I think it's far from Kubrick's best. Anyway, I'm glad you liked The Swimmer though. It's definitely quite an underrated film and Burt Lancaster probably gives the best performance of the year in it. As for 1969, here is my top 10: 1. Eros + Massacre (This film is in my all time top 20). 2. The Wild Bunch 3. Z 4. The Cow 5. The Confrontation 6. Easy Rider 7. The Color Of Pomegranates 8. The Cremator 9. The Unfaithful Wife 10. Funeral Parade Of Roses Funny considering I felt exactly the same way about 2001 the first three times I watched it (it sounds like I was a glutton for punishment, but a couple of those times was watching it with friends). It wasn't until I had seen it on the big screen with all the sounds and beautiful sights that I realized just what it was - an experience film. I spent so long trying to figure out what he was trying to say instead of just feeling and experiencing what was happening that I never took the time to appreciate it. Of course, everyone is different, but maybe with time you'll find something to enjoy about it too (should also be noted that I feel this way about almost all of Kubrick's filmography save The Shining which is the only one I enjoyed straight away). I think I actually have Eros + Massacre as 1970 (which is another wide open year), but I'll be sure to check it out then! It sounded interesting. For the rest, they're either on my list or at least in my watchlist aside from The Confrontation which I had not heard of before (and I now see is a Jancso film so naturally you'd be an advocate!), so thanks for helping to kind of narrow it down. I actually just watched The Color of Pomegranates today and was not a fan, despite feeling it was a really beautiful film aesthetically.
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Post by idioticbunny on Sept 1, 2019 4:33:43 GMT
Glad you lov'd Lynn Carlin who I wanna post about in the underappreciated actor thread! Her first three movies: Faces, Taking Off, Tick Tick Tick are a really strong trio of perfs where she's the housewife, as complacent as she is cracked-up, with her signature loud laugh. And right after those, horror Dead of Night where she's more morose and anxious... my '69 top ten....Midnight Cowboy Last Summer The Wild Bunch The Unfaithful Wife The Cremator Kes The Rain People That Cold Day in the Park The Rite (Bergman) Boy (Nagisa Oshima) as well as... Cactus Flower - for Ingrid Pit Stop - exciting b-movie Sabata - underrated western It's actually insanely close in Supp. Actress between Carlin and Rule and I wouldn't be surprised if both wound up in my Supp. Actress line-up for the decade. Astounding performances. Faces might have been a bit indulgent of an experiment, but there is absolutely no denying Cassavetes way with actors is leagues above almost everyone of his generation. Might just have to add those Carlin films to my watchlist down the line. Seeing quite a few mentions of Unfaithful Wife makes me think I ought to give that a go as my first thriller Chabrol. Surprised both Cactus Flower mentions aren't for Goldie Hawn (who I thought always got the accolades and praise for the film) but for Ingrid Bergman. It's one that's right on the edge for me in terms of making my list for the year, so I'm really curious. I was a fan of The Odd Couple so I wonder if that helps or hinders its placement on my list? I've also only ever seen two Altmans ( Gosford Park and Short Cuts) so he's another filmmaker whose work I really want to seek out. Obviously the big ones from the '70s are must-sees, but wondering if there's any early work (like That Cold Day in the Park) that I ought to seek out first? Thanks for the list!
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Post by therealcomicman117 on Sept 1, 2019 5:17:20 GMT
Some films from this year not mentioned yet, that I recommend.
The Italian Job Putney Swope Alice's Restaurant On Her Majesty's Secret Service Downhill Racer The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Sweet Charity The Bridge At Remagen The Sterile Cuckoo
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Post by pacinoyes on Sept 1, 2019 9:07:38 GMT
I'll list some offbeat ones since the big ones are covered - there's still a Chabrol and Bergman in '69 too but these are more, um, quirky, maybe look them 'em up and see if you think they'd interest you. Burn (Brando) The Rain People (Coppola) Take The Money And Run (early very funny Woody Allen) Funny enough I actually have all of those in my watchlist, but only one I might check out is Passion of Anna and/or Take the Money and Run. I definitely am looking forward to Allen's filmography as I think the earliest of his works I've seen is Annie Hall, but just not sure where to start (ideally would be his whole filmography, but that's a lot of spare time lol). Thoughts on The Rain People? Like Allen, Coppola is another whose work I'd like to see progress before I get to the big stuff. I'm a very big supporter of The Rain People (~8+/10) - it sets up a lot of things Coppola would use later and stars Caan and Duvall pre-Godfather also. It was one of the few peak period films of his he did all on his own - original script idea that he wrote alone without any collaborator (like The Conversation). It's sort of to him what Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore is to Scorsese - a feminist movie with a great lead performance (Shirley Knight) that stands apart on the surface from what he would later do but is closer to it than it looks thematically. Some people could find it pretentious (overdirected) but it has a lot on its mind to work out too ............ it's very much a messy "1969" film too.........sort of laid back and meandering and episodic that out of nowhere can sneak up on you.
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Post by idioticbunny on Sept 2, 2019 5:39:47 GMT
Funny enough I actually have all of those in my watchlist, but only one I might check out is Passion of Anna and/or Take the Money and Run. I definitely am looking forward to Allen's filmography as I think the earliest of his works I've seen is Annie Hall, but just not sure where to start (ideally would be his whole filmography, but that's a lot of spare time lol). Thoughts on The Rain People? Like Allen, Coppola is another whose work I'd like to see progress before I get to the big stuff. I'm a very big supporter of The Rain People (~8+/10) - it sets up a lot of things Coppola would use later and stars Caan and Duvall pre-Godfather also. It was one of the few peak period films of his he did all on his own - original script idea that he wrote alone without any collaborator (like The Conversation). It's sort of to him what Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore is to Scorsese - a feminist movie with a great lead performance (Shirley Knight) that stands apart on the surface from what he would later do but is closer to it than it looks thematically. Some people could find it pretentious (overdirected) but it has a lot on its mind to work out too ............ it's very much a messy "1969" film too.........sort of laid back and meandering and episodic that out of nowhere can sneak up on you. Thanks very much for the insight! I might just watch it if only to see what he did right before The Godfather which is obviously where he just took off running and I feel there has to be some evidence there of the greatness that was on the horizon. Funny you mention Scorsese since I watched Who's That Knocking at My Door for '68 to see where his career began too. And amazing that both of those directors got their big break through the help of Roger Corman. Man might have made a ton of ridiculous B movies in his time, but man did he know talent before they even knew it themselves.
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Post by Joaquim on Sept 2, 2019 23:41:38 GMT
T H E C R E M A T O R H E
C R E M A T O R
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Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Sept 3, 2019 1:02:02 GMT
Definitely agree about 2001. Kubrick has become one of my favorite directors but this one never did much for me, particularly because the third act is so rambly and incoherent. The Dawn of Man scenes and everything involving HAL-9000 is super riveting but it doesn't really end up anywhere and really just peters out. And you know I'm not the biggest Swimmer fan around these parts but I'm glad you enjoyed it and I'm especially glad to see Janice Rule in your lineups. It's a small role but a lot of fun and I don't see it mentioned much.
as for '69, it's soooo much better than '68. I'm crazy about it.
Z: already been mentioned but this is one of my favorite historical/political thrillers of all time. Story concerns the 1963 assassination of Greek politician Grigoris Lambrakis and Gavras examines the event at all levels of the social strata and on both sides with rigorous almost documentary detail that makes you feel like you're there. An electric film.
Army of Shadows: also mentioned and absolutely devastating.
My Night at Maud's: not mentioned yet which is an insane oversight. Not sure where you stand on Rohmer if at all but this is my favorite film of his. Very talky but I love the awkwardness of the situations he places his characters in and what it reveals about who they are as people and how it affects the rest of their lives. This one has a really gravity to it, and the question "what if" hangs over the whole thing like a gnawing fear in the back of your brain. Néstor Almendros's B&W cinematography is to die for.
Last Summer: a dark coming of age movie with real bite. Catherine Burns is unbelievable, Barbara Hershey is terrific. My favorite Frank Perry film.
Anne of the Thousand Days: definitely a personal pick. I know this doesn't have the greatest reputation but I just love this milieu and Geneviève Bujold is revelatory. I like that her Anne is something of an antihero. Scheming and power hungry with much more agency and ambition than what you'd typically see in these medieval Hollywood dramas and willing to use her sexuality (and progeny) as a weapon. Great companion piece to Liz Taylor's Cleopatra but Anne Boleyn actually sticks the landing. She doesn't die in the arms of a lover, she goes down fighting him. Also worth seeing for the great ensemble cast. Burton is good here just doing his normal thing but the real standouts (apart from Bujold) are Anthony Quayle (nominated) and the less-appreciated John Colicos as an unscrupulous Thomas Cromwell.
Wild Bunch: already mentioned. Not a Peckinpah fan but this one is great. Must-see.
Butch Cassidy: also mentioned and yes it's delightful. Another must-see.
Downhill Racer: now here's an overlooked gem. A profound and rigorous dissection of the futility of macho competitiveness. Places you in the perspective of an unfeeling egotistical Olympian skier who knows and dreads somewhere in the back of his mind that someday someone better is going to come along (embodied BRILLIANTLY in the thrilling climax). Redford plays the asshole protagonist without any charm and that's by design, and it contrasts beautifully with Gene Hackman's warm and compassionate performance (seriously some of the best work he's ever done) as Redford's concerned coach. This movie definitely deserves more love. There aren't many like it. Felt in many ways like a documentary, told with a frankness and honesty I found electrifying.
also great/worth seeing They Shoot Horses Women in Love Funeral Parade of Roses Sterile Cuckoo Cactus Flower (for Goldie not Ingrid, wth people)
Didn't care much for The Cremator but you might dig that one. And Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice is worth seeing for the performances at least.
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Post by idioticbunny on Sept 3, 2019 17:21:08 GMT
Tommen_Saperstein Thanks as always for the wonderful insight! The nice thing about this year is it seems there's a real consensus on a lot of the films compared to most years. So much so that I'm actually struggling to narrow down my picks that are on the fence (i.e. Last Summer, My Night at Maud's, The Unfaithful Wife, Sweet Charity, The Rain People, Women in Love) since they all seem to be well-liked. I'm definitely excited to watch Z and Army of Shadows, and it's really nice to hear praise for both as they're ones I've wanted to see for a long time. Never seen a Costa-Gravas film so no idea what to expect, but I love political thrillers and if this one is up there with the best of them then I have a good feeling I'll love it. Also just watched Cactus Flower last night and I agree that I was so confused to see the mentions for Bergman considering that I'd always heard Goldie Hawn was the reason to see it AND she won the Oscar for it? But after seeing it I actually preferred Bergman, though Hawn was great as well. Surprisingly disappointed by Matthau though who I feel was shafted in the script and came across very one-note with little depth to him. Thanks again!
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Post by hugobolso on Sept 3, 2019 18:56:28 GMT
Romeo and Juliet
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Post by hugobolso on Sept 3, 2019 18:58:54 GMT
Tommen_Saperstein Thanks as always for the wonderful insight! The nice thing about this year is it seems there's a real consensus on a lot of the films compared to most years. So much so that I'm actually struggling to narrow down my picks that are on the fence (i.e. Last Summer, My Night at Maud's, The Unfaithful Wife, Sweet Charity, The Rain People, Women in Love) since they all seem to be well-liked. I'm definitely excited to watch Z and Army of Shadows, and it's really nice to hear praise for both as they're ones I've wanted to see for a long time. Never seen a Costa-Gravas film so no idea what to expect, but I love political thrillers and if this one is up there with the best of them then I have a good feeling I'll love it. Also just watched Cactus Flower last night and I agree that I was so confused to see the mentions for Bergman considering that I'd always heard Goldie Hawn was the reason to see it AND she won the Oscar for it? But after seeing it I actually preferred Bergman, though Hawn was great as well. Surprisingly disappointed by Matthau though who I feel was shafted in the script and came across very one-note with little depth to him. Thanks again! I think is like the My Fair Lady of 1968. Lauren Baccall was in the original Broadway cast.-
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