61 commentaires
The movie has a very strong beginning. Sound effects throughout are very clear and nicely put (for those scary moments you are waiting for to jump off your seat). But after that strong start, you might find yourself a bit too relaxed and the new characters introduced do not get enough screen time. Other than that, one of the most major flaws is that the story lacks a bit of sense.
It's a shame, it could've been so much better. Not to mention the typical "stupid" behavior, that our characters show, despite knowing better. The mothers (characters) seem to be doing the best job from anyone else. Still there is enough to be entertained, if you allow yourself not to be bothered
It's a shame, it could've been so much better. Not to mention the typical "stupid" behavior, that our characters show, despite knowing better. The mothers (characters) seem to be doing the best job from anyone else. Still there is enough to be entertained, if you allow yourself not to be bothered
This movie just goes from "interesting" to "uh.. that was it?", REALLY fast.
It starts with typical "family moves into a haunted house" bit but it feels like movie tries to copy clichés only and is happy not following through different sub-plots. For example, you might think that a young girl talking to a herself alone in her room & scratching family member's eyes from a photo will lead to something really messed up later on.. but then you'd be wrong since movie doesn't do anything with that setting, doesn't progress it at all.
It's like the director had a list of horror cliché's to add and that was it.
Also, this movie throws in so many jump "scares" that you will soon start predicting the next jump. It's ridiculous, not scary at all.
The only positive thing out of it is that the atmosphere during horror sequences was actually well done. The acting wasn't exactly bad as well.
It starts with typical "family moves into a haunted house" bit but it feels like movie tries to copy clichés only and is happy not following through different sub-plots. For example, you might think that a young girl talking to a herself alone in her room & scratching family member's eyes from a photo will lead to something really messed up later on.. but then you'd be wrong since movie doesn't do anything with that setting, doesn't progress it at all.
It's like the director had a list of horror cliché's to add and that was it.
Also, this movie throws in so many jump "scares" that you will soon start predicting the next jump. It's ridiculous, not scary at all.
The only positive thing out of it is that the atmosphere during horror sequences was actually well done. The acting wasn't exactly bad as well.
Nothing really special here, a story about a haunted house, two characters that weren't quite exploited enough, scares that came so late and soft, a twist that didn't manage to stand tall.
It wanted to be something, you can clearly see it tried, but somewhere, it failed, somewhere along the plot development, when they tried to make it more than it could be. In the end it is a movie about a haunted house, so don't get your hopes too high, cause originality is something too hard to achieve, working around with just 2 actors make the viewer feel deserted, and scares that won't come when they suppose to, leave him even more alone.
Not so many reasons to recommend this one: yes, average horror at its best, a somewhat effort put into it, but still, it falls flat. Sorry to say so.
It will come down to everyone's personal opinion, but all horror movie fans, will feel that they didn't get the larger slice here.
It wanted to be something, you can clearly see it tried, but somewhere, it failed, somewhere along the plot development, when they tried to make it more than it could be. In the end it is a movie about a haunted house, so don't get your hopes too high, cause originality is something too hard to achieve, working around with just 2 actors make the viewer feel deserted, and scares that won't come when they suppose to, leave him even more alone.
Not so many reasons to recommend this one: yes, average horror at its best, a somewhat effort put into it, but still, it falls flat. Sorry to say so.
It will come down to everyone's personal opinion, but all horror movie fans, will feel that they didn't get the larger slice here.
- Patient444
- 7 mars 2014
- Permalien
An introverted teen (Harrison Gilbertson) connects with his new neighbor (Liana Liberato), and together the couple begins to explore the haunted house that his family has unknowingly just purchased.
There are some things worth liking about this film. The cinematographer is excellent, first of all, and the snow shots look great. Casting Liana Liberato was a wise move, as she has "the look" that could really take her places in the coming years. And the inclusion of the supernatural radio (for lack of a better term) was cool.
What was not appreciated was the writer's apparent influence from "American Horror Story". Maybe this is all coincidental, but the house full of ghosts, the strange neighbor, it all seemed very familiar. And not really in a good way. Other reviews have called the film unoriginal, and they are right. While few horror films are, this one is even more derivative than others.
Perhaps most strange of all was the poor advertising from IFC. The cover art is not terribly persuasive, and they make no mention of Jacki Weaver or Ione Skye. Weaver gets a mention on the back, but these are two names that should be put prominently on the cover. Why would you not play up having a two-time Oscar nominee in your film?
There are some things worth liking about this film. The cinematographer is excellent, first of all, and the snow shots look great. Casting Liana Liberato was a wise move, as she has "the look" that could really take her places in the coming years. And the inclusion of the supernatural radio (for lack of a better term) was cool.
What was not appreciated was the writer's apparent influence from "American Horror Story". Maybe this is all coincidental, but the house full of ghosts, the strange neighbor, it all seemed very familiar. And not really in a good way. Other reviews have called the film unoriginal, and they are right. While few horror films are, this one is even more derivative than others.
Perhaps most strange of all was the poor advertising from IFC. The cover art is not terribly persuasive, and they make no mention of Jacki Weaver or Ione Skye. Weaver gets a mention on the back, but these are two names that should be put prominently on the cover. Why would you not play up having a two-time Oscar nominee in your film?
I read about Haunt today in Fangoria Magazine and it really sounded like a cut above many of the genre films. Well, I looked it up, got my hands on a copy of it and sat down to see if it would give me some chills and thrills. No such luck.
For a ghost story that's complete with a haunted house, box that allows the living to communicate with the dead, and a pretty decent looking spirit, this is a complete snoozer. If I thought the first half was tedious and dull, the second half didn't really improve on that much.
A family moves into a house that has a history of several other family members dying there. How did they die? Why did they die? Why are the hauntings starting up again? Those questions are lost as viewers ask questions like do the parents actually have jobs or are they independently wealthy? The parents don't mind when a girl who shows up and starts bunking with their teenage son?
Truly, it's agony pointing out the plot holes because there are a huge number of them. There's a tiny bit of tension here and there, some of which is ruined by those lovely jarring scare noises when something happens on screen. It's just a sign of director who doesn't trust what he's putting in front of us to do the trick.
Simply put, don't waste your time. Haunt is a snoozer.
For a ghost story that's complete with a haunted house, box that allows the living to communicate with the dead, and a pretty decent looking spirit, this is a complete snoozer. If I thought the first half was tedious and dull, the second half didn't really improve on that much.
A family moves into a house that has a history of several other family members dying there. How did they die? Why did they die? Why are the hauntings starting up again? Those questions are lost as viewers ask questions like do the parents actually have jobs or are they independently wealthy? The parents don't mind when a girl who shows up and starts bunking with their teenage son?
Truly, it's agony pointing out the plot holes because there are a huge number of them. There's a tiny bit of tension here and there, some of which is ruined by those lovely jarring scare noises when something happens on screen. It's just a sign of director who doesn't trust what he's putting in front of us to do the trick.
Simply put, don't waste your time. Haunt is a snoozer.
Very similar in look and feel to "The Conjuring" (2013) and "Insidious" (2010) but with central characters that are teenagers rather than adults. The similarities make it feel a bit formulaic, but it's a good formula. Scary and frightening like a haunted house movie (the movie's self-aware opening narration describes itself as a ghost story) ought to be, its intensity is too much for PG-13 but lacks the explicit violence and gore typical for R. Three jump moments were quite effective, which again indicates a PG-13 level of scariness, but the overall creepiness of the unfolding mystery is even more compelling. Rather than coming apart in the third act, the movie features a complete ending that wraps up and justifies the story. Kudos to the prop maker who created the vacuum tube-era radio box, one of the creepiest "characters" in the story. This movie is well-made, scary, and a welcome addition to the modern horror genre.
- moviefansme
- 1 mars 2014
- Permalien
"Haunt" is about the house where the Morello family lived. Dr. Janet Morello (Jacki Weaver) was a pediatrician. When they moved in though, their three teenage kids all suffer terrible unexpected deaths. Later, even her husband Franklin also fell dead. Ordinarily, a house with such a creepy history would have been left for abandonment already.
However, how could there be a horror movie if there was no foolhardy family who was still brave or desperate enough to live in that house despite its sinister past? Enter the Asher family, a couple who happened to also have three teenage kids, exactly like those of the Morellos. It did not take long though that strange things begin to happen to the new tenants.
The focus of this story was the middle boy, 18 year-old Evan (Harrison Gilbertson). One night, he met a pretty but mysterious girl Sam (Liana Liberato) whom he saw crying in the woods outside their house. The two became closer as they try to communicate with the spirits living inside the house with an old microphone set. Of course, their interaction with the ghosts did not stop there.
The presence of two-time Oscar Best Supporting Actress nominee Jacki Weaver gives the cast some credibility. She has this very unusually distinct face whom you can't shake off once you've seen it. The young lead cast, Gilbertson and Liberato, also did very well despite the offbeat love story they were made to portray. The girl Liana Liberato should really get a better break already than small films like this. She has some acting chops as she had already shown years back in the harrowing child molestation drama "Trust". 1980s film fans may also recognize Ione Skye of "River's Edge" and "Say Anything" fame. She plays Mrs. Asher here, though she was not really made to do too much.
I really liked the way this movie started. It boasts of excellent cinematography and imaginative special effects. The sets and the pace of story-telling was tense and creepy. As the story was reaching its climax though, it simply gave up and went nowhere. The back story given for the events were terribly plain, no thrill about it.
Overall, this film was a big disappointment. While the opening sequences promised another excellent haunted house movie, the ending scenes were simply mediocre, an appalling waste of potential and talented cast. 4/10.
However, how could there be a horror movie if there was no foolhardy family who was still brave or desperate enough to live in that house despite its sinister past? Enter the Asher family, a couple who happened to also have three teenage kids, exactly like those of the Morellos. It did not take long though that strange things begin to happen to the new tenants.
The focus of this story was the middle boy, 18 year-old Evan (Harrison Gilbertson). One night, he met a pretty but mysterious girl Sam (Liana Liberato) whom he saw crying in the woods outside their house. The two became closer as they try to communicate with the spirits living inside the house with an old microphone set. Of course, their interaction with the ghosts did not stop there.
The presence of two-time Oscar Best Supporting Actress nominee Jacki Weaver gives the cast some credibility. She has this very unusually distinct face whom you can't shake off once you've seen it. The young lead cast, Gilbertson and Liberato, also did very well despite the offbeat love story they were made to portray. The girl Liana Liberato should really get a better break already than small films like this. She has some acting chops as she had already shown years back in the harrowing child molestation drama "Trust". 1980s film fans may also recognize Ione Skye of "River's Edge" and "Say Anything" fame. She plays Mrs. Asher here, though she was not really made to do too much.
I really liked the way this movie started. It boasts of excellent cinematography and imaginative special effects. The sets and the pace of story-telling was tense and creepy. As the story was reaching its climax though, it simply gave up and went nowhere. The back story given for the events were terribly plain, no thrill about it.
Overall, this film was a big disappointment. While the opening sequences promised another excellent haunted house movie, the ending scenes were simply mediocre, an appalling waste of potential and talented cast. 4/10.
i gave this a 6 outta ten because the cinematography was good, the ghost was actually pretty terrifying as movie spirits go, jacki weaver was eerie and haunting in her role as the vengeful wife and grieving mother, and the ending kinda surprised me. i jumped quite a few times, and the scares weren't as predictable as other movies.
of course it wasn't on the same par as sixth sense, exorcist, insidious, or the shining ; the script was kind of bad, the teenage love story was gag-inducing, and there wasn't any character development to speak of, but all in all not a bad little ghost story at all. especially for netflix.
a bit clichéd but wholly entertaining would be my description.
of course it wasn't on the same par as sixth sense, exorcist, insidious, or the shining ; the script was kind of bad, the teenage love story was gag-inducing, and there wasn't any character development to speak of, but all in all not a bad little ghost story at all. especially for netflix.
a bit clichéd but wholly entertaining would be my description.
- katdussell
- 16 juin 2014
- Permalien
Format: Amazon Video Language: English Released: 2014
Director: Mac Carter
Starring: Jacki Weaver, Liana Liberato, Harrison Gilbertson
Haunt opens with a bereaved Franklin Morello (Carl Hadra), who while endeavoring to contact his dead family using an EVP device, gets murdered by a spirit hand.
As an opening it's rather good; setting a scene of vengeful spirits, emotional regrets and mysteries and generally propagating so many questions that you want to hang on to the end to see them answered.
Regrettably that's where it seems Mac Carter runs out of story. What follows for the next one and a half hours is a dull attempt at stretching what could have been a good short story across a picture plagued with pointless filler shots, bad editing and mediocre acting.
To be fair Liana Liberto does manage a good performance, in places. Harrison Gilbertson however, is just appalling; he is unconvincing, uncaring and looks bored and detached from the story throughout the production, which is exactly how I felt by the time the all too predictable 'twist' was played out.
There is some good in the film, if you can stick with it long enough to spot it, yet with every good piece there is a downside. For example; when the spirits turn up (and they do so alarmingly often) they look suitably unnerving and sinister, yet from the opening titles the editing and shot set up makes it obvious when they're coming; now in a film that relies on its 'jump' scares that makes the whole thing redundant - the appearance of ghoulies and ghosties is supposed to be a surprise!
Another example of this good/bad content is the sound editing (Mandell Winter is credited as Sound Editor). The sound, especially when the EVP device is in use is chilling and extremely unnerving and this is good, it's a horror film. The down side in this case is the reaction of the characters. Evan Asher (Harrison Gilbertson) and Sam (Liana Liberato) just don't look bothered half the time (actually Evan doesn't seem bothered any of the time) and this means the viewer is not really bothered either.
While I can pick out the Sound Editing, CGI/SFX and some of the cinematography for praise the rest, acting editing etc., kind of defeats the purpose of a film. The sound and effects should be used to create a visual whole that sucks the viewer in and makes them care about the characters and what is happening, not be picked out and used as examples of good bits in a mediocre film.
If you find it on television one evening and you have nothing else to do then yes, give it a look. As background to reading the paper or taking your mind off the ironing (!) it might be ok, or maybe you could organise a 'spot the emotion' competition, but I can't see why anyone would watch it otherwise.
Director: Mac Carter
Starring: Jacki Weaver, Liana Liberato, Harrison Gilbertson
Haunt opens with a bereaved Franklin Morello (Carl Hadra), who while endeavoring to contact his dead family using an EVP device, gets murdered by a spirit hand.
As an opening it's rather good; setting a scene of vengeful spirits, emotional regrets and mysteries and generally propagating so many questions that you want to hang on to the end to see them answered.
Regrettably that's where it seems Mac Carter runs out of story. What follows for the next one and a half hours is a dull attempt at stretching what could have been a good short story across a picture plagued with pointless filler shots, bad editing and mediocre acting.
To be fair Liana Liberto does manage a good performance, in places. Harrison Gilbertson however, is just appalling; he is unconvincing, uncaring and looks bored and detached from the story throughout the production, which is exactly how I felt by the time the all too predictable 'twist' was played out.
There is some good in the film, if you can stick with it long enough to spot it, yet with every good piece there is a downside. For example; when the spirits turn up (and they do so alarmingly often) they look suitably unnerving and sinister, yet from the opening titles the editing and shot set up makes it obvious when they're coming; now in a film that relies on its 'jump' scares that makes the whole thing redundant - the appearance of ghoulies and ghosties is supposed to be a surprise!
Another example of this good/bad content is the sound editing (Mandell Winter is credited as Sound Editor). The sound, especially when the EVP device is in use is chilling and extremely unnerving and this is good, it's a horror film. The down side in this case is the reaction of the characters. Evan Asher (Harrison Gilbertson) and Sam (Liana Liberato) just don't look bothered half the time (actually Evan doesn't seem bothered any of the time) and this means the viewer is not really bothered either.
While I can pick out the Sound Editing, CGI/SFX and some of the cinematography for praise the rest, acting editing etc., kind of defeats the purpose of a film. The sound and effects should be used to create a visual whole that sucks the viewer in and makes them care about the characters and what is happening, not be picked out and used as examples of good bits in a mediocre film.
If you find it on television one evening and you have nothing else to do then yes, give it a look. As background to reading the paper or taking your mind off the ironing (!) it might be ok, or maybe you could organise a 'spot the emotion' competition, but I can't see why anyone would watch it otherwise.
- FolkHorror
- 30 août 2018
- Permalien
I actually liked this story a lot. Loved the characters, the situation, the plot and definitely the cinematography. The two lead kids were very convincing and very likable. You rooted for them the whole time. My only complaint is that there could have been a lot more jump out of your seat scary tactics they should have used to add more horror. The setting was perfect as a cold old house somewhere in Canada most likely. Very isolated and creepy while also being very picturesque and beautiful. Everything that was done in the movie was done well, lots of good production value. Direction and acting was very convincing by all the characters. The scary old box they find looks really vintage and perfect for what it is supposed to be. I just wish the movie was scarier.
- Gianopulos
- 31 janv. 2014
- Permalien
- schizophobicrevolver555
- 21 mars 2014
- Permalien
Such a pity, this movie started with so much promise, then seemed to lose it's way and quite possibly money and time. Was building to quite an interesting spooky story, then WHAM!, out of nowhere it ends, with so many loose ends, so many questions, so many "eh!, but what about" questions. "why did that happen" moments. Quite honestly, you watch this and you feel, well, cheated!. Such a pity, there were a few, suspend your belief moments, but weren't too niggly. But ultimately, this movie was a mish mash of Coulda, woulda, shoulda moments it was just too hard to ignore or forgive. You watch this movie and you feel time was not on it's side. It's the shell of a movie that could have been.!!. ;(
The Asher family buys an isolated manor where a tragedy happened with the previous owners, the Morello family, when the father and his three children died. The only survivor, the pediatrician Janet Morello (Jacki Weaver), sells the house to Alan Asher (Brian Wimmer) and his wife Emily (Ione Skye), and they move with their children, the teenagers Evan (Harrison Gilbertson) and Sara (Danielle Chuchran) and the girl Anita (Ella Harris).
The shy Evan meets the teenager Sam (Liana Liberato), who is abused by her father, and they start to see each other. Sam finds an old radio- like apparatus used to communicate with the dead in the attic and they decide to use it. Soon they learn that they have unleashed an evil force that is haunting them but Evan's parents do not believe in ghosts.
"Haunt" is a weak horror movie of haunted house where the only thing new is the apparatus that is a radio to communicate with the dead. The screenplay is boring and gives the sensation that something is missing to be a good story. Watching this movie is a waste of time even in a rainy and cold Saturday afternoon. My vote is three.
Title (Brazil): "A Face do Mal" ("The Face of the Evil")
The shy Evan meets the teenager Sam (Liana Liberato), who is abused by her father, and they start to see each other. Sam finds an old radio- like apparatus used to communicate with the dead in the attic and they decide to use it. Soon they learn that they have unleashed an evil force that is haunting them but Evan's parents do not believe in ghosts.
"Haunt" is a weak horror movie of haunted house where the only thing new is the apparatus that is a radio to communicate with the dead. The screenplay is boring and gives the sensation that something is missing to be a good story. Watching this movie is a waste of time even in a rainy and cold Saturday afternoon. My vote is three.
Title (Brazil): "A Face do Mal" ("The Face of the Evil")
- claudio_carvalho
- 15 août 2014
- Permalien
The premise of the movie starts good, this is a little ghost story, all the ingredients are there, the house, the tragedy and... the communication device, in this case, a EVP Box from the sixties.
The 2 leads are well developed and although they don't display good acting skills, it is clear that they have chemistry together and that alone make up for all the script plot holes.
The rest of the cast flows in development of their roles through the movie but in the last act they suddenly disappear from screen for no other reason than to focus on the two leads, this results in a big miss because we suddenly stop seeing them and that empty space turns the whole concept upside down, degrading what was well done in the first acts.
The movie tries to tie the story together from pieces to puzzle to big picture with the revelation right at the ending.
Hopefully it works, for the majority of the movie, sadly, the ending is incredible anti climatic.
I can see the director trying a different thing pretending to be original but the result came out incredible wrong, not only ruins the movie, it doesn't explain in any meaningful way anything except a few loose ends..
In fact the final declarations sounds more like "yes we didn't knew what to do anymore so we finish the movie like this.. you like it?"
Well, NO, did I spent 2 hours of my life for this???, I've should had known better.
This is clearly goes into the director and writers fault. There are movies that get saved by the ending and left the viewers at least with a satisfactory conclusion, then there are movies that are dull through and through, but the worst of their kind are movies like this one, with an nice premise, good development and stupid ending, that is unforgivable because it gives you a weird feeling of bad taste on your mouth, a feeling of being cheated.
Do not waste your time, it's really not worth it as there are much better movies out there.
The 2 leads are well developed and although they don't display good acting skills, it is clear that they have chemistry together and that alone make up for all the script plot holes.
The rest of the cast flows in development of their roles through the movie but in the last act they suddenly disappear from screen for no other reason than to focus on the two leads, this results in a big miss because we suddenly stop seeing them and that empty space turns the whole concept upside down, degrading what was well done in the first acts.
The movie tries to tie the story together from pieces to puzzle to big picture with the revelation right at the ending.
Hopefully it works, for the majority of the movie, sadly, the ending is incredible anti climatic.
I can see the director trying a different thing pretending to be original but the result came out incredible wrong, not only ruins the movie, it doesn't explain in any meaningful way anything except a few loose ends..
In fact the final declarations sounds more like "yes we didn't knew what to do anymore so we finish the movie like this.. you like it?"
Well, NO, did I spent 2 hours of my life for this???, I've should had known better.
This is clearly goes into the director and writers fault. There are movies that get saved by the ending and left the viewers at least with a satisfactory conclusion, then there are movies that are dull through and through, but the worst of their kind are movies like this one, with an nice premise, good development and stupid ending, that is unforgivable because it gives you a weird feeling of bad taste on your mouth, a feeling of being cheated.
Do not waste your time, it's really not worth it as there are much better movies out there.
- alexvojacek
- 17 mars 2014
- Permalien
Soon a hundred years of horror. And still, filmmakers in this genre mostly rely on easy scares accompanied by violins in sudden crescendo. "Haunt" is a typical manifest of those rules, nothing less, and certainly nothing more. Once every leap year or so, there is an original approach to the genre. But this is definitely not one of those. Formula- based, utterly predictable from the very beginning, stereotypical characters, generally uninspired... The halfway forgiving aspect was the technical part, hence the 3/10. But there is something seriously wrong with a movie for me when all that is left to bother with are the most clinical aspects of it. Why do any filmmaker feel the urge to tell a story told a billion times before in the exact same way? I watch a lot of horror because I always hope for a good one. But I am beginning to feel tired from looking for something shiny in this vast pile of poo. I guess they made some money from it, which seems impossible not to however flat out bad the end product is in this genre. It always seems to be a bunch of hardcore horror fan-boys and -girls whom madly love all these movies just because of the tags more than anything else.
What a boring, unoriginal and tedious waste of time!
This is not even close to a limp horror film. Not sure why people are reviewing it with so many stars as its utter tripe!!!
Don't waste your time watching this movie, it has no interesting characters, so why would you care about them. This movie trundles along at such a slow pace you wonder why you started watching it.
The plot (if there is one) makes no sense and has so many holes in it..... well its just ridiculous!
Nothing scary about this..... I'd rather watch The Purge... and that is crap!
This is not even close to a limp horror film. Not sure why people are reviewing it with so many stars as its utter tripe!!!
Don't waste your time watching this movie, it has no interesting characters, so why would you care about them. This movie trundles along at such a slow pace you wonder why you started watching it.
The plot (if there is one) makes no sense and has so many holes in it..... well its just ridiculous!
Nothing scary about this..... I'd rather watch The Purge... and that is crap!
- bazzo_tazzo
- 8 mars 2014
- Permalien
It was OK for a 1 time watch. No real plot for introductions. No real explanations for what has happened nor what does happen. Story needs some work. It's like someone said lets make a ghost movie really fast without any plot... and slammed it together. No real good scares in it either. Ione Skye severely over acts no wonder why I've never heard or her. They could have actually put in some scares to make this a better movie. Also things some of the characters do make you wonder why but the left out any explanation. Not to mention they made a point of pointing out things that in real life would never happen yet they left out any info as for the unexplainable. When you watch it you'll see what I mean....like the little girl and the doll and the water trail and the shed with the bunches of things in it... All no rhyme or reason and no explanation as to why or what the meaning is.
- george.schmidt
- 6 nov. 2013
- Permalien
- elrond5000
- 25 févr. 2014
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- nogodnomasters
- 27 déc. 2018
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- jgutierrez81
- 16 mars 2014
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- hoytyhoyty
- 11 juin 2014
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