58 commentaires
Family reunion can be awkward, but these siblings take it to the next level. Nearly the entire script consists of bantering and screaming. It's quite the shame since the premise shows a glimpse of isolation that could've been better utilized for sci-fi or horror, instead we are presented an exhausting spectacle of dysfunctional family more than the actual mystery.
This is a small cast, with only three leads. Marty is the secluded brother and his siblings are worried about him. This leads to a long verbal standoff, arguing whether Marty is delusional or not. There's a lot of yelling and cursing involved, and one can't help but wonder if they could resolve the issue with better communication skill and whether the excessive shouting is merely padding to prolong the already short runtime.
After a while the loud screaming becomes numbing, and the thriller aspect doesn't get going until much later. It displays the hint of eerie atmosphere, although it doesn't manifest seamlessly and as usual shaky cam is expected. If it had more refined screenplay that focused on the mystery rather than family squabble as though they were in a cheap reality show, it could've been decent.
Scarce on the thrill and heavy on the cursing, Pod is a much tiresome and less horrifying affair than it could've been.
This is a small cast, with only three leads. Marty is the secluded brother and his siblings are worried about him. This leads to a long verbal standoff, arguing whether Marty is delusional or not. There's a lot of yelling and cursing involved, and one can't help but wonder if they could resolve the issue with better communication skill and whether the excessive shouting is merely padding to prolong the already short runtime.
After a while the loud screaming becomes numbing, and the thriller aspect doesn't get going until much later. It displays the hint of eerie atmosphere, although it doesn't manifest seamlessly and as usual shaky cam is expected. If it had more refined screenplay that focused on the mystery rather than family squabble as though they were in a cheap reality show, it could've been decent.
Scarce on the thrill and heavy on the cursing, Pod is a much tiresome and less horrifying affair than it could've been.
- quincytheodore
- 29 août 2015
- Lien permanent
Yes, X-Files episode, The Outer Limit episode, but that's it just an episode, and trust me, not one of the better ones.
Half the movie, three people are talking. And that's it. After it, things start to happen, you get a nice jump scare, some explanation, kinda over the top acting, especially for this movie and then a rushed ending. Little to get from Pod.
Only if you're an Alien die hard movies, and I mean Alien as in an alien, a regular one, not those made by Ridley Scott or Cameron. So if you love to see the creatures from outer space and have some time to spare, you should consider something else. Let this be your absolute last resort of passing the time.
Cheers!
Half the movie, three people are talking. And that's it. After it, things start to happen, you get a nice jump scare, some explanation, kinda over the top acting, especially for this movie and then a rushed ending. Little to get from Pod.
Only if you're an Alien die hard movies, and I mean Alien as in an alien, a regular one, not those made by Ridley Scott or Cameron. So if you love to see the creatures from outer space and have some time to spare, you should consider something else. Let this be your absolute last resort of passing the time.
Cheers!
- Patient444
- 6 mai 2016
- Lien permanent
I actually surprisingly liked this, thought they did a pretty good job. It felt like quite a good senior thesis, and I don't mean that in a shady way haha. I was entertained the whole time and I think it was a perfect length for what it was. The acting was a little all over the place, everyone had successful moments and not so much. Best was the crazy brother, he had some great delivery at times. The girl, while she had a successful cry, her hysterics felt over the top almost every time. But like I said they all had good moments. Maybe I'm stupid and missed it, but like... was there ever a pod? Anywhere? Maybe I'm missing something lol all in all I was pleasantly surprised and would recommend if you're into super indi stuff. Good job guys.
- Howling_at_the_Moon_Reviews
- 16 déc. 2021
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- Pratikvora453
- 2 sept. 2015
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- seens-877-72443
- 27 août 2015
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- ferrysegers
- 12 sept. 2015
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- dcarsonhagy
- 28 août 2015
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Watch the preview. The preview for once actually is true to the movie... Disregard the other two guys reviews... Don't know what their problems are. This is a horror, mystery, thriller exactly as labeled. I enjoyed this movie. Its different than the usually horror thriller, and the acting is good. The characters are believable.
Its a short movie being 70 mins, so its not going to waste your time. The movie is actually shot like a movie. Not like the crap that plagues our screens these days shot on iphones and bouncy. If you have a brain, and enjoy horror, mystery, thrillers.. Then YES watch this movie. Turn the lights off, get a snack and prepare for a movie which pulls you through it the whole way. It is not predictable like most films in this genre
Its a short movie being 70 mins, so its not going to waste your time. The movie is actually shot like a movie. Not like the crap that plagues our screens these days shot on iphones and bouncy. If you have a brain, and enjoy horror, mystery, thrillers.. Then YES watch this movie. Turn the lights off, get a snack and prepare for a movie which pulls you through it the whole way. It is not predictable like most films in this genre
- RighteousCause
- 28 août 2015
- Lien permanent
Although the acting and character development in this film are very good, I was left at the end with too many unanswered questions and unexplained plot holes. It's always difficult to realistically display mental health disorders in a sympathetic and factual way and this title managed to cover such an emotive subject in a sensitive way, which was quite impressive. However, the storyline isn't a strong one and does little to explain who the characters really are, let alone how or why they make the choices they do. People are introduced and never explained, leaving you feeling that you have no idea where people have appeared from or what their motives are. I understand that sometimes as a viewer you have to 'Put the pieces of the puzzle together yourself' but it constantly seemed as if a lot of the pieces were missing and there was no way to see the whole picture. Overall, this movie was rather disappointing and missed the opportunity to create a great atmosphere as well as subjecting us to a rather strange and badly thought out narrative.
- emberstonepierce
- 10 oct. 2015
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- djangozelf-12351
- 27 août 2015
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Genre: Horror
Directed By: Mickey Keating
Written By: Mickey Keating
Stars: Lauren Ashley Carter (Lyla) , Dean Cates (Ed) , Brain Morvant (Martin)
A family intervention goes horrifically awry within the snowy confines of an isolated lake house.
When Martin's brother and sister arrive at the lakehouse, they find him out of his mind with paranoia, rambling about his experience serving in the military in the middle east, claiming that the government performed experiments on him and his fellow soldiers, saying he's part of a conspiracy that stretches back to Lee Harvey Oswald. A conspiracy to use soldiers to pull off assassinations and terrorist attacks. A conspiracy that has culminated in the creation of "pods", terrifying things programmed to kill and destroy. Martin says he has found a pod in the woods around the lakehouse. He captured it. He has it locked up in the basement.
I think as long as the film has a good script, solid acting, good characters, and a decent soundtrack it will be successful to me. This is how I feel about Pod.
Pod doesn't tread new ground; it's more of a throwback to older films. But, with a decent script and some great special effects, it still kept me on my toes as well as making me jump now and again.
Pod doesn't bring anything new to the table, but it's a successful attempt for a low-fi sci-fi action horror flick. 7.5 /10
A family intervention goes horrifically awry within the snowy confines of an isolated lake house.
When Martin's brother and sister arrive at the lakehouse, they find him out of his mind with paranoia, rambling about his experience serving in the military in the middle east, claiming that the government performed experiments on him and his fellow soldiers, saying he's part of a conspiracy that stretches back to Lee Harvey Oswald. A conspiracy to use soldiers to pull off assassinations and terrorist attacks. A conspiracy that has culminated in the creation of "pods", terrifying things programmed to kill and destroy. Martin says he has found a pod in the woods around the lakehouse. He captured it. He has it locked up in the basement.
I think as long as the film has a good script, solid acting, good characters, and a decent soundtrack it will be successful to me. This is how I feel about Pod.
Pod doesn't tread new ground; it's more of a throwback to older films. But, with a decent script and some great special effects, it still kept me on my toes as well as making me jump now and again.
Pod doesn't bring anything new to the table, but it's a successful attempt for a low-fi sci-fi action horror flick. 7.5 /10
- robfollower
- 11 oct. 2019
- Lien permanent
I didn't know much about this at all going in other than the story- line (which I thought sounded intriguing), I decided to bypass the trailer and the reviews and just pop this in with an open mind. I'm glad I did, because this was an entertaining flick.
The movie kicks off with a lot of dialogue and I think this is one of the main things that through people off, but personally I enjoyed it. The actors did a really good job at capturing exactly what sibling dialogue sounds like. I'm sure some people found their bickering annoying but for it just made the movie more realistic, I started to really feel like the actors were actually brother and sister. The dialogue eventually leads up to a pretty thrilling last 20 minutes that had me tense right up to the end credits.
This isn't an amazing movie, it's not super original and it's not going to win any awards, but it entertained me for the entire length of its short run time and in the end that is really all I ask for from horror movies. Go in with realistic expectations and there is a pretty good chance you will enjoy this one.
6/10
The movie kicks off with a lot of dialogue and I think this is one of the main things that through people off, but personally I enjoyed it. The actors did a really good job at capturing exactly what sibling dialogue sounds like. I'm sure some people found their bickering annoying but for it just made the movie more realistic, I started to really feel like the actors were actually brother and sister. The dialogue eventually leads up to a pretty thrilling last 20 minutes that had me tense right up to the end credits.
This isn't an amazing movie, it's not super original and it's not going to win any awards, but it entertained me for the entire length of its short run time and in the end that is really all I ask for from horror movies. Go in with realistic expectations and there is a pretty good chance you will enjoy this one.
6/10
- HorrorOverEverything
- 2 sept. 2015
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- assistec24
- 5 janv. 2016
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- zamboni-36633
- 23 déc. 2020
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- JontheLobsterLover
- 5 févr. 2016
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There is like two movies in one. The first, lays out what Martin thought he saw. And Ed and Lyla responding to his cryptic phone call, as Ed is his brother and Lyla is Martin's sister. Martin is in the woods with his dog, hears his dog yelp, and finds the dog dead, and he starts shooting into the woods. He calls Ed, telling him not to come. Martin was in the military, has really bad experiences with the VA, feels he was experimented on, has a tracking device in his tooth, and he tells Ed he has something in the basement that will confirm his story. Ed seems to be a mental health doctor, and isn't interested in anything that contradicts his predetermined ideas, while Lyla feels Martin believes what he is saying. This is the first part, and when Ed goes into the basement (of course) this is the second movie. The music becomes loud, there are strobe effects and jerky camera moves, and thing get frantic. And it seems rushed. There is no pod in the basement, but there certainly is danger. For me, the movie doesn't seem either complete nor polished. Martin does a decent job of playing his role, while Ed seems too wooden. Lyla, shown to have an alcohol problem, contributes little.
- okpilak
- 14 août 2023
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- Krackoon
- 14 sept. 2015
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Paranoid Schizophrenic guy with a gun (hey that's a great idea!) wandering around in the snow and obviously not hunting stumbles over something. Maybe real maybe not. Who knows. Calls his brother and starts babbling. Brother goes to sister's apartment because he wants to gather up crazy brother and.......
The screaming starts. Actual no-dialog top of the lungs nonstop your skin is on fire screaming. There's almost no written words to the script after this point. Whatever happens after this is irrelevant to the movie. The movie is about screaming. Just screaming. For an hour. No joke.
The screaming starts. Actual no-dialog top of the lungs nonstop your skin is on fire screaming. There's almost no written words to the script after this point. Whatever happens after this is irrelevant to the movie. The movie is about screaming. Just screaming. For an hour. No joke.
- xhidden99
- 29 juill. 2017
- Lien permanent
Entertaining, kept me intrigued with the mystery, and despite what appears to be a very low budget the film is equal to or better than many high budget films. Character development was good, maybe very good and definitely, better than average for thriller/horror genre. Few special effects, but very well done. Great atmosphere throughout. Ending follows the classic horror model- too bad and a let down.
- cjstanford-65097
- 7 août 2021
- Lien permanent
I want to give this movie a better rating, but 2 of the actors' "acting" performances ruined it for me.
POD is a decent sci-fi / horror movie. It's entertaining. Hardcore sci-fi fans will enjoy it. And to be honest, the movie had potential to be a better-than-disappointing 1-time watch.
However, Lauren Ashley Carter's (Lyla) ridiculously melodramatic performance left me... severely annoyed. Her dramatics were just exceptionally & unnecessarily overplayed.
Brian Morvant (Martin) was the same, but it camouflaged well with his role.
All in all, this movie is for sci-fi fanatics, and is an entertaining single-time viewing. Best part in the entire movie (don't worry... NOT a spoiler alert): 1hr 2mins 50secs in. I think that single scene brought this movie from a 3, up to a 4 out of 10 for me.
POD is a decent sci-fi / horror movie. It's entertaining. Hardcore sci-fi fans will enjoy it. And to be honest, the movie had potential to be a better-than-disappointing 1-time watch.
However, Lauren Ashley Carter's (Lyla) ridiculously melodramatic performance left me... severely annoyed. Her dramatics were just exceptionally & unnecessarily overplayed.
Brian Morvant (Martin) was the same, but it camouflaged well with his role.
All in all, this movie is for sci-fi fanatics, and is an entertaining single-time viewing. Best part in the entire movie (don't worry... NOT a spoiler alert): 1hr 2mins 50secs in. I think that single scene brought this movie from a 3, up to a 4 out of 10 for me.
- defmuse
- 4 oct. 2015
- Lien permanent
I seem to be in the minority here, but I really enjoyed Pod and I don't quite understand its low IMDb rating. Most of the negative reviews criticize the film for its lengthy scenes of dialog and lack of action or horror. I think the problem is expecting Pod to be a horror or sci-fi film that it isn't trying to be, possibly due to its trailer.
The lengthy scenes of dialog and conflict were precisely what I enjoyed most about the movie. It's a solid script willing to take its time establishing the dynamics between all three siblings. Once brother and sister Lyla and Ed meet with their brother Martin, Pod unfolds as a psychological thriller. The tension grows until all hell breaks loose in the final act.
Lauren Ashley Carter delivers a superb performance as Lyla, portraying a young woman in conflict with her family, yet conveying a real emotional connection to her siblings. When the action comes late in the film, Carter reaffirms my belief that she is THE Scream Queen of modern indie film.
Brian Morvant also delivers a strong performance as the mentally unstable Martin. Is he schizophrenic or are his ramblings actually true? Morvant plays these scenes with conviction and believably.
I was fascinated by the story and very anxious watching and wondering how it would unfold. Pod takes risks with its main characters in a way most big-budget films won't dare. Don't watch this movie expecting a sci-fi or horror film that plays out as you would expect, but rather take the time to enjoy the dialog and appreciate the performances.
The lengthy scenes of dialog and conflict were precisely what I enjoyed most about the movie. It's a solid script willing to take its time establishing the dynamics between all three siblings. Once brother and sister Lyla and Ed meet with their brother Martin, Pod unfolds as a psychological thriller. The tension grows until all hell breaks loose in the final act.
Lauren Ashley Carter delivers a superb performance as Lyla, portraying a young woman in conflict with her family, yet conveying a real emotional connection to her siblings. When the action comes late in the film, Carter reaffirms my belief that she is THE Scream Queen of modern indie film.
Brian Morvant also delivers a strong performance as the mentally unstable Martin. Is he schizophrenic or are his ramblings actually true? Morvant plays these scenes with conviction and believably.
I was fascinated by the story and very anxious watching and wondering how it would unfold. Pod takes risks with its main characters in a way most big-budget films won't dare. Don't watch this movie expecting a sci-fi or horror film that plays out as you would expect, but rather take the time to enjoy the dialog and appreciate the performances.
- Steve_Ramsey
- 10 sept. 2016
- Lien permanent
Brian Morvant kills it in this one as 'Martin', a stereotypical ex-military madman suffering from full-on psychosis and maybe aliens.
All of the acting is pretty great, the story plods a little and there is some weird editing but it's a solid indie movie.
All of the acting is pretty great, the story plods a little and there is some weird editing but it's a solid indie movie.
- DragonLaser
- 16 janv. 2021
- Lien permanent
Pod is proof that anyone can make a movie. It's also proof that Netflix has no set standard for what content they will stream.
With a total of five credited characters this low budget indie film failed catastrophically. About a psychotic ex-army man who has captured a "pod", the movie looks like something dug up out of the discarded ideas of X-Files. I half way expected to see David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson.
Martin (Brian Morvant) did his best Brad Pitt 12 Monkeys impression to convince the audience he was really crazy. Me, personally, I can only listen to so much rambling and incoherent speech for so long before I start to go crazy myself.
We have to endure a good chunk of the movie with Martin rambling and his brother and sister trying to convince him to leave his home in the woods. The bulk of it is pure cacophony as it's difficult to make out anything any of them is saying. Then to add to the headache inducing noise was a terrible musical score. The music was horribly loud and misplaced. I don't need "scary" music when someone is simply driving from one place to the next. I don't need more overbearingly loud stringed instruments when people are talking. They tried to use the music to set the mood which would've been OK if the mood was annoying.
To further the chaos the cameraman would zoom in and out and shake the camera to simulate fear, angst and panic. It looked more like someone following a police officer on foot in an episode of COPS. As if they didn't know if they wanted to be a traditional film or a POV film.
Besides the picturesque views of the lake and other shots there was nothing satisfactory from this movie. It wasn't scary, it wasn't unique, it wasn't thrilling, it wasn't even comedic in its failure.
I'll end my review with this one quote to give you an idea of the "quality" of this movie. Ed (Dean Cates) says, "If dad saw this place he'd be spinning in his grave." Really!?
With a total of five credited characters this low budget indie film failed catastrophically. About a psychotic ex-army man who has captured a "pod", the movie looks like something dug up out of the discarded ideas of X-Files. I half way expected to see David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson.
Martin (Brian Morvant) did his best Brad Pitt 12 Monkeys impression to convince the audience he was really crazy. Me, personally, I can only listen to so much rambling and incoherent speech for so long before I start to go crazy myself.
We have to endure a good chunk of the movie with Martin rambling and his brother and sister trying to convince him to leave his home in the woods. The bulk of it is pure cacophony as it's difficult to make out anything any of them is saying. Then to add to the headache inducing noise was a terrible musical score. The music was horribly loud and misplaced. I don't need "scary" music when someone is simply driving from one place to the next. I don't need more overbearingly loud stringed instruments when people are talking. They tried to use the music to set the mood which would've been OK if the mood was annoying.
To further the chaos the cameraman would zoom in and out and shake the camera to simulate fear, angst and panic. It looked more like someone following a police officer on foot in an episode of COPS. As if they didn't know if they wanted to be a traditional film or a POV film.
Besides the picturesque views of the lake and other shots there was nothing satisfactory from this movie. It wasn't scary, it wasn't unique, it wasn't thrilling, it wasn't even comedic in its failure.
I'll end my review with this one quote to give you an idea of the "quality" of this movie. Ed (Dean Cates) says, "If dad saw this place he'd be spinning in his grave." Really!?
- view_and_review
- 19 janv. 2016
- Lien permanent
How to describe "Pod" ? An experimental short film with hysteria as a central theme? Or is the author trying to visualize a personal nightmare? Looking back, it wasn't really an exciting film . And personally, I think the used argument that it's reminiscent of the best of the X-Files is a little exaggerated. The episodes of the X-files at least had a decent storyline. "Pod" is a simple linear story without significant highlights and a total lack of explanation. The film's pace is the same as the credits in the beginning. Reading all the names was practically impossible. But perhaps that was intentionally.
The complete story can be summarized easily since the content is really brief. Everything starts after an alarming phone call from Martin (Brian Morvant) to his brother Ed (Dean Cates). Martin is an ex-marine suffering from PTSD (I assume anyway) who's dumped in the family cottage. Ed begs his sister Lyla (Lauren Ashley Carter) to go to the cottage and check on Martin and see if his condition is really worsened. Once there, they find Martin as mad as a hatter, telling a confusing story about secret experiments and disappearances during military missions. He claims that he trapped something called a "Pod". He was able to overpower it and lock it in the basement. Is it reality or a chimera playing tricks on Martin because of his paranoid phase?
Looking at the state Martin is in, manic and confused, you can only conclude that he's ready again to be taken to the nearest madhouse in a straitjacket. But to be honest, his brother and sister don't seem to be mentally stable either. Lyla has or gets an alcohol problem. She'll react in a hysterical way very quickly and immediately she believes the story of Martin. So get ready for some continuous hysterical screaming and wailing. Also the relationship with her brother Ed is not really that great, which leads to constant bickering between the two of them. Ed is a control freak (that's probably why he's a psychiatrist) and doesn't believe in the hallucinatory story. Logically, he's the one entering bravely the cellar to prove that it's all poppycock.
Does the film have anything to offer? In short, nothing really. In terms of performances only that of Brian Morvant is commendable. He's very convincing as the lunatic brother. Cates and Carter are simply irritating. As a short film it has its charms and technical it looks, even with a limited budget, not so bad at all (nice shots at times). But as a film it's inadequate in many ways. The cabin-in-the-woods theme isn't exactly original anymore. Though there's a paranoid and claustrophobic atmosphere in the house thats covered with aluminum. And it all feels pretty chaotic. But you can't call this really horror. And which relationship there is with the X-files, I can only guess. Furthermore, the creature looks awful. The rare moments you'll catch a glimpse of it, the screen becomes all blurry and shaky. The moment Larry Fessenden appears, the story takes a different turn. Don't expect much explanations or insights. It all remains fairly vague. And it all ends with a very predictable scare moment. Before you know it, you're watching the end credits. Maybe the story is explained furthermore in Pod II.
More reviews here : http://bit.ly/1KIdQMT
The complete story can be summarized easily since the content is really brief. Everything starts after an alarming phone call from Martin (Brian Morvant) to his brother Ed (Dean Cates). Martin is an ex-marine suffering from PTSD (I assume anyway) who's dumped in the family cottage. Ed begs his sister Lyla (Lauren Ashley Carter) to go to the cottage and check on Martin and see if his condition is really worsened. Once there, they find Martin as mad as a hatter, telling a confusing story about secret experiments and disappearances during military missions. He claims that he trapped something called a "Pod". He was able to overpower it and lock it in the basement. Is it reality or a chimera playing tricks on Martin because of his paranoid phase?
Looking at the state Martin is in, manic and confused, you can only conclude that he's ready again to be taken to the nearest madhouse in a straitjacket. But to be honest, his brother and sister don't seem to be mentally stable either. Lyla has or gets an alcohol problem. She'll react in a hysterical way very quickly and immediately she believes the story of Martin. So get ready for some continuous hysterical screaming and wailing. Also the relationship with her brother Ed is not really that great, which leads to constant bickering between the two of them. Ed is a control freak (that's probably why he's a psychiatrist) and doesn't believe in the hallucinatory story. Logically, he's the one entering bravely the cellar to prove that it's all poppycock.
Does the film have anything to offer? In short, nothing really. In terms of performances only that of Brian Morvant is commendable. He's very convincing as the lunatic brother. Cates and Carter are simply irritating. As a short film it has its charms and technical it looks, even with a limited budget, not so bad at all (nice shots at times). But as a film it's inadequate in many ways. The cabin-in-the-woods theme isn't exactly original anymore. Though there's a paranoid and claustrophobic atmosphere in the house thats covered with aluminum. And it all feels pretty chaotic. But you can't call this really horror. And which relationship there is with the X-files, I can only guess. Furthermore, the creature looks awful. The rare moments you'll catch a glimpse of it, the screen becomes all blurry and shaky. The moment Larry Fessenden appears, the story takes a different turn. Don't expect much explanations or insights. It all remains fairly vague. And it all ends with a very predictable scare moment. Before you know it, you're watching the end credits. Maybe the story is explained furthermore in Pod II.
More reviews here : http://bit.ly/1KIdQMT
- peterp-450-298716
- 12 févr. 2016
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- screamingfrogs
- 4 mai 2017
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