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A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

#1
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3/16/09 at 1:30pm
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There is a new Blu-ray release this week from Magnolia Entertainment
called Let The Right One In that probably will go unnoticed.

I knew nothing about this film until I accidentally caught a film review
praising it as one of the best offerings of its kind in the past year.

I would hate to tell people in advance what this film is about. I would
love to hand this title to someone blindly and say "go watch it!" The
problem is, picking up the cover of this BD release you can't help but
read the words, "Best. Vampire Movie. Ever."

And you know what? I wouldn't argue that opinion.

Let The Right One In is a vampire story like no other. It's
more of a fairy tale than a horror film, though as someone who gets
scared by vampire films rather easily, I had my share of squeamish
moments.

I really want to say as little about this film as possible as I don't
want to spoil its magic. I can tell you that it's a film out of Sweden,
and if you are very serious about purchasing this film blindly, you
better opt to hear it in its original language with subtitles rather than
the overdubbed English.

The video quality on this Blu-ray release is quite good, though don't
expect eye-popping imagery. One must remember that at its soul,
this is a horror film and thus the entire landscape of the film takes
on a rather dullish feel.

The 5.1 DTS-HD audio is quite effective for delivering an eery
soundtrack across the channels. I loved the fact that there was a
considerable amount of LFE boom that really underscored the
eminent danger. In other words, the louder you play this film, the
scarier it feels.

I would not hesitate to tell anyone to buy this blindly. It has all
the elements of a coming-of-age film, a love story and a vampire
movie all rolled up in a wonderfully told fairy tale.
Ronald J Epstein
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#2
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3/16/09 at 1:54pm
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

If the word-of-mouth in general is anything like the word-of-mouth I've been hearing lately, it's probably going to sell well.

"How wonderful it will be to have a leader unburdened by the twin horrors of knowledge and experience." -- Mr. Wick

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#3
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3/16/09 at 3:18pm
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

I rented the dvd of this movie last weekend. I enjoyed it. it was a bit gory, but mild compared to most modern films. I would recommend it to anyone.

Jacob

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#4
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3/16/09 at 4:42pm
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein
I can tell you that it's a film out of Sweden,
and if you are very serious about purchasing this film blindly, you
better opt to hear it in its original language with subtitles rather than
the overdubbed English.

The older I get, the less patience I have with subtitles, yet I have to agree here. I tried both options here, and the overdub didn't work well for me. Plus, these are very good actors, especially for 12 years old.

It was refreshing to see an original take on vampires, told in an intelligent way.
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#5
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3/16/09 at 7:06pm
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

I rented this blindly mainly because of of the cover and its proclamation of Best Vampire Movie Ever. As a lover of vampire films naturally I picked this up and gave it a watch.

I generally prefer my vampire films in the more traditional Gothic sense but I have to admit this certainly captured my attention and drew me in with it's pacing and story telling. Not to mention some very good acting coming from two very young people who are at the center of this well made film.

I didn't read the book but from what I understand the film omits alot of backstory. But the film stands very well on it's own. In fact I like having my own imagination answer some of the questions and fill in the blanks.

This is the type of film that leads to a lot of great discussion. There is a thread in the MOVIES section with a lot more detail about this unique film.

I watch many vampire flicks and lets face it, most are crap (to be blunt). But occassionally one comes across well made and fresh. This is one of them.
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#6
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3/16/09 at 7:28pm
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

I just finished watching this tonight. An excellent film that deserves a rental at the very least. I happily blind bought this based on the excellent word of mouth and low price Amazon had it at the time. I don't regret it a bit.

Universal Blu-ray Discs I will not be buying while they're offered only as Blu-ray + DVD 'flipper' discs:

The Jackal, Out of Africa, and Traffic.

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#7
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3/16/09 at 8:21pm
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

I rented and watched this one last week and agree it is a great film, but I gotta say that I am glad I rented it as I personaly dont see a bunch of replay value in it. Just my opinion though.
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#8
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3/16/09 at 8:48pm
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

Quote:
Originally Posted by WadeM
The older I get, the less patience I have with subtitles, yet I have to agree here. I tried both options here, and the overdub didn't work well for me. Plus, these are very good actors, especially for 12 years old...

The irony is that- at least according to the IMDB- the girl's entire vocal performance was dubbed by a different actor in the Swedish version.

I liked the film quite a bit, but can't shake the feeling that it's being let off the hook for some glaring problems that most folks would crucify most "Hollywood" movies for.


Warning Spoiler! Click to show
To put it bluntly, the first "caretaker" is awful at what he does. He attacks a young man on a well-lit pathway just off of a major motorway mere moments after another person passes him by. Later, he tries to kill a young man in a public gym locker room while said young man's friends are waiting for him outside. I mean, did this guy EVER succeed in his "job" when it comes to the vampire? I can't see how given how incompetent he is as shown in the scenes in this film when he unsuccessfully attempts to get blood for Eli.

There's also a really glaring continuity error a bit later on. When the woman (who later becomes a vampire herself) is attacked, where the heck did all the snow go? EVERY other scene in this movie is drenched in snow, yet in this scene in the middle of the movie, all the snow has disappeared mysteriously, and then magically reappears shortly thereafter.


Again, I did like the film a lot overall, but I do think there are some big flaws that are being overlooked just because it's foreign-language.

Vincent
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#9
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3/17/09 at 8:04am
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

I used to get PR offers for Magnolias DVDs but they kinda faded when the BDs started coming out, they have some really cool films in their lineup and I'm definitely going to grab LTROI at some point, doubly so now that Ron's given it a big thumbs up.

"Sam, you are the biggest nutter we have here."
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#10
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3/17/09 at 9:34am
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

Quote:
Again, I did like the film a lot overall, but I do think there are some big flaws that are being overlooked just because it's foreign-language.


Warning Spoiler! Click to show
I agree that her initial caretaker is ineffective, but I disagree that this is a flaw. He is old and tired. Eli realizes this, and she realizes she needs a new caretaker, Oskar. Afterall, where do you think all the rings in that egg came from? Previous caretakers who outlived their usefulness I'd argue.

The snow, I missed that. If true it is a continuity error, but I wouldn't condemn the film for it.


The beauty of a film like this isn't that it's a foreign-language film, its that it doesn't pander to the lowest common denominator and spell everything out for its viewers like most present day American films. It requires thought and lets the audience make its own interpretations about its content, which, depending on the conclusions you draw, dramatically affect your perception of its ending.

Universal Blu-ray Discs I will not be buying while they're offered only as Blu-ray + DVD 'flipper' discs:

The Jackal, Out of Africa, and Traffic.

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#11
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3/17/09 at 10:08am
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

Okay Ron, just ordered this BD and the hardcover novel based on your recommendation. Will update this thread in the weeks/months ahead with my impressions.

Sold!
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#12
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3/19/09 at 5:03pm
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

I just picked this up based on this thread plus a couple of reviews elsewhere. Hopefully I can screen it tonight.
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#13
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3/19/09 at 6:09pm
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

BD just got here (man Amazon regular shipping is fast!) and book should be here tonight. Probably won't get a chance to screen the movie with the gf until after March Madness, but I'll start reading the novel tonight and try to finish it before seeing the movie.
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#14
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3/22/09 at 11:41am
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

Well I watched this and was really impressed. It is quite a different story but one that I enjoyed. The PQ/AQ are very good as well. I watched it in Swedish of course with subs.
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#15
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3/22/09 at 3:24pm
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

My wife and I just recently watched this via netflix. While this movie is quality, I do not see it as a purchase. I'll spoilerize the rest to be safe:


Warning Spoiler! Click to show
This move is set in a cold place and left me feeling cold. This move's attitude is that vampires are real and they are not romantic or sexy. I found nothing about this movie to make me think "fairy tale."

If I had to use one word to describe the movie, it would be brutal. The bullies are brutal and so is the vampire.

I found myself thinking the same as others about her old caretaker, he's not very good at what he does, even as an old man he should have had a lot of practice. Eli is not sympathetic to him when he fails. She has needs that must be met.

At the end I found myself wondering if Oskar would someday be that old man. I could not sympathize with Eli, she's a killer and will turn Oskar into one.

I take that back, there was one moment when I sympathized with Eli, and that was when she entered without an invitation.

I also thought the bit of Eli's nudity was frivolous and unnecessary.

Johnny
www.teamfurr.org
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#16
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3/22/09 at 3:31pm
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

The nudity was necessary if the filmmaker wanted to open the door to Eli's backstory, as found in the novel. Here's a FAQ (spoilers). I agree it was a mistake to include that shot. Better to dispense with the backstory. Too much information.
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#17
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3/22/09 at 7:32pm
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

Quote:
Originally Posted by Felix Martinez
The nudity was necessary if the filmmaker wanted to open the door to Eli's backstory, as found in the novel. Here's a FAQ (spoilers). I agree it was a mistake to include that shot. Better to dispense with the backstory. Too much information.
Excellent link, very informative. That little bit of nudity was so brief I could not tell it was anything but a young girl. If there's anything of the back story I would like to have been in the movie, it would have been that.

Johnny
www.teamfurr.org
But a family cat is not replaceable like a wornout coat or a set of tires. Each new kitten becomes its own cat, and none is repeated. I am four cats old, measuring out my life in friends that have succeeded but not replaced one another.--Irving Townsend

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#18
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3/23/09 at 7:41pm
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

Looks like Magnolia really screwed up on the subtitles this. Basically, the translations of the dialog in the subtitles is abridged (dumbed down?) in a lot of spots. Look here and scroll down a bit for some examples.

Having seen this in the theater with the original subs and really liking it, I had been planning on picking this up on Blu-Ray soon, but now I'm definitely going to hold off or perhaps seek an import from somewhere.

The ironic thing is that some are saying that the dub actually uses the original non-abridged script, so if you want the more authentic experience you might want to listen to the dub instead!

edit: after doing some further reading on the topic (including the SD thread for this at this forum), there is supposed to be a second 'narrative subtitle' track that contains the original translation. The problem is, there are some people reporting that the track does not display any text for them.
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#19
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3/23/09 at 8:15pm
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

I rented this, it should be in my mail box tomorrow. Looking very forward to it.

Sometime's you reach what's real by making believe.

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#20
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3/23/09 at 8:48pm
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff McMillanedit:
after doing some further reading on the topic (including the SD thread for this at this forum), there is supposed to be a second 'narrative subtitle' track that contains the original translation. The problem is, there are some people reporting that the track does not display any text for them.
When we watched the movie, I believe I selected the narrative track first and there were no subtitles. I switched to the 2nd subtitle track and that's what we watched.

Johnny
www.teamfurr.org
But a family cat is not replaceable like a wornout coat or a set of tires. Each new kitten becomes its own cat, and none is repeated. I am four cats old, measuring out my life in friends that have succeeded but not replaced one another.--Irving Townsend

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#21
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3/23/09 at 9:01pm
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff McMillan
Looks like Magnolia really screwed up on the subtitles this. Basically, the translations of the dialog in the subtitles is abridged (dumbed down?) in a lot of spots. Look here and scroll down a bit for some examples.
Jeez, I just checked out the link and the changes are just terrible. There's just no excuse for something like this.

On a possibly related note, I often turn on closed captions when watching TV and it is not rare to find the captions paraphrasing the spoken words. Since I'm using them to help me catch something I might miss due to hearing problems, I'm not left in the dark like these very poor translations leave me.

Johnny
www.teamfurr.org
But a family cat is not replaceable like a wornout coat or a set of tires. Each new kitten becomes its own cat, and none is repeated. I am four cats old, measuring out my life in friends that have succeeded but not replaced one another.--Irving Townsend

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#22
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3/23/09 at 10:00pm
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnny Angell
When we watched the movie, I believe I selected the narrative track first and there were no subtitles. I switched to the 2nd subtitle track and that's what we watched.
The narrative track is for when you are watching the dub. You'll get English subtitles for Swedish text that's on screen that isn't provided a voice over in the dub (such as the newspaper headlines).
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#23
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3/24/09 at 6:10am
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

Jeeze, what a bummer! I blind bought this Blu-ray, but I have yet to watch it.

I emailed Magnolia here: dvd@magpictures.com

Looks like I'll have to watch this movie via the dub.

Universal, please release Streets of Fire on Blu-ray.

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#24
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3/24/09 at 6:50am
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

This is unconscionable. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN was the best film I saw last year and an instant Horror classic. I noticed something was off when I watched it with my wife. I distinctly remembered Eli's line "Twelve... more or less." It was a fantastic bit of dialogue. When that scene came on at home, I noticed that the line had been changed and wasn't nearly as effective. I didn't realize until today that the entire script had been changed. Why would Magnet do this, when a fantastic subtitle script was already completed and used for the theatrical run?

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#25
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3/24/09 at 7:11am
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

Double bummer! I'm nearly finished with the book and will be watching the movie within the next week or two. So have we confirmed that there is no better sub track on the BD than the standard one people are referring to? Is that descriptive narrative track not a suitable substitute? Thanks in advance...
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#26
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3/24/09 at 10:46am
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

Does anyone know of a good place to import the Swedish BD? It is a shame one has to be force to import a title with lossy audio in order to get accurate subtitles.

Universal Blu-ray Discs I will not be buying while they're offered only as Blu-ray + DVD 'flipper' discs:

The Jackal, Out of Africa, and Traffic.

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#27
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3/24/09 at 12:55pm
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

I wonder if there isn't some behind-the-scenes legal issue with the translation used in the theatrical release.

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#28
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3/24/09 at 6:20pm
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

Bill at Digital Bits just posted an update. Magnolia says they are going to reprint the DVD and Blu-Ray with the original theatrical subs, but they will not be doing any exchanges for the dumbed-down versions.
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#29
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3/24/09 at 8:35pm
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

Not doing an exchange program is a mistake that may come back to haunt Magnet. Way to engender ill will with your primary demographic.

Universal Blu-ray Discs I will not be buying while they're offered only as Blu-ray + DVD 'flipper' discs:

The Jackal, Out of Africa, and Traffic.

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#30
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3/24/09 at 9:39pm
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Re: A few thoughts about.....LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Arnette
Not doing an exchange program is a mistake that may come back to haunt Magnet. Way to engender ill will with your primary demographic.

Well said, I agree. This is an opportunity for Magnet to generate trust in their willingness to stand behind their product. Honestly, it's great that they are rectifying the situation for future customers, but it's sad that they won't protect their current customers. I hope they change their mind.

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