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Rose Red

Actors: Nancy Travis, Matt Keeslar, Kimberly J. Brown, David Dukes, Judith Ivey
ASIN : B000063US5
Sales Rank : 3522
Director : Craig R. Baxley
Brand : Lions Gate
Studio : Lions Gate
Region Code : 1
Format : Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9781588175359
ISBN : 1588175359
UPC : 031398801528
Release Date : December 14, 2002
Publisher : Lions Gate
Manufacturer : Lions Gate
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Lions Gate
Running Time : 254

Product Description

The chilling tale of dr. Joyce reardon an obsessed psychology professor who commissions a team of psychics and a gifted 15-year-old autistic girl annie wheaton to literally wake up a supposedly dormant haunted mansion rose red. Their efforts unleash myriad spirits and uncover horrifying secrets. Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 05/22/2007 Starring: Nancy Travis David Dukes Run time: 254 minutes Rating: Pg13

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On regular television, punctuated by frenetic commercials, the leisurely pace of the horror miniseries Rose Red probably felt grueling; but on its own terms, the effect is like settling into a long book full of detail--a book not unlike those of Stephen King, who wrote the script. The story (about a researcher into the paranormal who takes a team of psychics into a haunted house) recycles themes that King has used before--a telekinetic girl, a house with its own consciousness--but for his fans, the familiarity is probably comfortable and even enjoyable. The cast (including Nancy Travis, Julian Sands, and Melanie Lynsky from Heavenly Creatures) give committed performances, and the special effects are television-grade but used pretty well. Most of it doesn't make much sense, but at its best Rose Red is absurd and creepy at the same time. --Bret Fetzer

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Our Mutual Friend

Actors: Paul McGann, Keeley Hawes, Steven Mackintosh, Anna Friel, David Morrissey
ASIN : B0009PVZM8
Sales Rank : 2441
Director : Julian Farino
Brand : Warner Brothers
Studio : BBC Warner
Region Code : 1
Format : Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9781419814525
ISBN : 1419814524
UPC : 794051233820
Release Date : December 06, 2005
Publisher : BBC Warner
Manufacturer : BBC Warner
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : BBC Warner
Running Time : 351

Description

Critically acclaimed as Dickens' crowning achievement, this sweeping tale of two turbulent love affairs plays out amidst a tangled web of wealth, corruption, passion and betrayal in 1860s London.

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One of Charles Dickens' darkest yet also most romantic novels gets a lavish treatment in this BBC mini-series of Our Mutual Friend. The heir to a great fortune made from the garbage business is drowned--and his death affects everyone. His father's manager, Noddy Boffin (Peter Vaughan, Brazil), gets the money, to the alarm of snooty society. The man who pulled the heir's body out of the Thames is accused of his murder; his daughter, Lizzie Hexam (Keeley Hawes, Tipping the Velvet), finds herself pursued by both an idle gentleman (Paul McGann, Withnail & I) and an obsessed, violent schoolteacher (David Morrissey, Basic Instinct 2). The heir's intended bride, Bella Wilfer (Anna Friel, Me Without You, gets socially adopted by the Boffins, where she succumbs to the lure of money above all and spurns the interest of a mysterious stranger (Steven Mackintosh, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels). The plot creeps up and down London society like a tenacious plant, twining around a pair of golddiggers who mistakenly married each other and a heartsick bone merchant named Mr. Venus (Timothy Spall, Secrets & Lies). This excellent adaptation moves with aggressive speed, drawing the viewer into the grimy worlds of the riverside and the dust heaps and the glittering, gossiping parties of the rich. Our Mutual Friend balances one of Dickens' most entrancing love stories with his creepiest gothic turns--it's a rich stew of characters both earnest and vile, made with sumptuous production values and movie-quality cinematography. --Bret Fetzer

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Pride and Prejudice (10th Anniversary Collector's Set) (A&E, 1996)

Actors: Colin Firth, Jennifer Ehle, Susannah Harker, Julia Sawalha, Alison Steadman
ASIN : B000F0UUT6
Sales Rank : 6333
Brand : A&E
Studio : A&E Home Video
Region Code : 1
Format : Box set, Collector's Edition, Color, Limited Edition, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0733961753684
UPC : 733961753684
Release Date : December 26, 2006
Publisher : A&E Home Video
Manufacturer : A&E Home Video
Label : A&E Home Video
Running Time : 300

Description

In this epic BBC production of Jane Austen’s romantic classic, Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle star as the fabled lovers Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet. One of five unmarried daughters living in the countryside of 19th-century England, the lively and rebellious Elizabeth lives in a world where obtaining an advantageous marriage is a woman’s sole occupation. And yet Elizabeth is determined to wed for love. Will her romantic sparring with the mysterious and arrogant Darcy end in misfortune or will love’s true nature prevail? THIS DELUXE LIMITED EDITION COLLECTOR’S SET INCLUDES: *The 5-hour adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel, starring Colin Firth (Bridget Jones’ Diary) and Jennifer Ehle (Possession) on 2 DVDs. *A 3rd bonus DVD featuring a new documentary on Jane Austen from the Emmy Award-winning BIOGRAPHY series and an exclusive 10-year retrospective documentary about the making-of the classic production. *The Making of Pride and Prejudice 120-page companion book detailing the 18-month journey from original concept to broadcast with full color photos, lavish illustrations, and interviews with the cast and crew.

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Jane Austen's classic novel of 1813, Pride and Prejudice, still wins the hearts of countless schoolgirls with its romantic story of Elizabeth Bennet and her Mr. Darcy. Now, the 1996 BBC miniseries is winning over adults, with its faithful adaptation, gorgeous scenery, and superb acting. The essence of the story is the antagonism between Mr. Darcy, a wealthy single man who believes Elizabeth to be beneath him, and Elizabeth, who upon being insulted at a dance by the aloof Darcy refuses to associate with him in any manner. Austen evokes incredible tension with the wit and flirtation of the two characters, and director Simon Langton (who also directed Upstairs Downstairs) successfully translates the repartee and conflict in this six-hour miniseries. Dialogue, for the most part, is painstakingly replicated, except when fleshing out and smoothing for modern sensibilities was necessary. Darcy, for instance, is drawn out, giving his personality significantly more depth. The acting sweeps you away to Regency England: Jennifer Ehle (of Wilde) is convincing as the obstinate Elizabeth, who, despite her mother's attempts to marry her off, spurs the attentions of Darcy. And Colin Firth (of The English Patient) will have women everywhere longing for a Mr. Darcy of their own.

For those who enjoy excellent Austen adaptations such as Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion--this miniseries will round out the ultimate Austen library. For those new to these romantic period pieces, this version of Pride and Prejudice will have you hooked and longing for more. One caveat, however: plan to watch it in an entire day, because very few have the self-control to not watch all six hours in a single sitting. --Jenny Brown

On the DVD
There's a lot to love (and a lot lacking) on the 10th anniversary limited edition. It comes in a tall, embossed green case that's out of place on a DVD shelf but blends right into a library of volumes. The three discs fit snugly in a sleeve, accompanied by a 120-page deluxe companion book. The main attraction, a retrospective documentary, features interviews with key cast members with the sad exceptions of Jennifer Ehle (who played Elizabeth) and Colin Firth (Mr. Darcy), which is bound to disappoint fans. Nonetheless, there are some amusing anecdotes from Mr. and Mrs. Bennet (played by Benjamin Withrow and Alison Steadman), Mary Bennet (Lucy Briers), Mr. Collins (David Bamber), Mr. Bingley (Crispin Bonham-Carter) and Mr. Wickham (Adrian Lukis), who all look drastically different--and younger--without their period costumes and hairstyles. One producer recalls that casting Colin Firth in the role with which his name is now synonymous was not an easy feat: he auditioned having gained weight and dyed his hair blond for another role, looking like "an unmade bed." Even Firth's own brother doubted his ability to pull off the dashing Darcy: "Isn't he supposed to be sexy?"

The special features also include a walking tour of the shooting locations with Lukis and Briers and an A&E Biography episode on Jane Austen that focuses largely on the onslaught of mid-1990s film adaptations of her novels. If it's your first time purchasing Pride & Prejudice, this collector's edition is a nice one to own. But if you already own the movie, you're not missing out on anything here. --Ellen A. Kim

Beyond Pride and Prejudice

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Stephen King's The Shining (Two Disc Special Edition)

Actors: Stanley Anderson, Peter Boyles, Dan Bradley, Lou Carlucci, Rebecca De Mornay
ASIN : B000077VRT
Sales Rank : 6232
Director : Mick Garris
Brand : Warner Brothers
Studio : Warner Home Video
Region Code : 1
Format : Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780790772721
ISBN : 0790772728
UPC : 085392252626
Release Date : December 07, 2003
Publisher : Warner Home Video
Manufacturer : Warner Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Warner Home Video
Running Time : 273

Description

Jack Torrance and his family move into the sprawling, vacant Overlook Hotel to get away from it all. Away from the alcoholism that derails Jack's writing career. Away from the violent outbursts that mar Jack's past. But Jack's young son Danny knows better. He possesses a psychic gift called the shining. - a gift the hotel's vile spirits desperately want.

DVD Features:
Additional Scenes:11 additional scenes
Audio Commentary:Feature-length commentary by Stephen King, cast members Steven Weber and Cynthia Garris, Director Mick Garris and select crew
Interactive Menus
Scene Access

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Stephen King's The Shining is a new adaptation from the author himself, made for television, that bears very little resemblance to the 1980 Stanley Kubrick version. That's not surprising since Kubrick threw out most of King's novel and presented his own version of the story. Here King redresses the balance in a miniseries that follows his original almost to the letter, and manages to be effectively creepy despite the budget and censorship limitations of the TV format.

Stephen Weber takes over the role of Jack Torrance, the caretaker who slowly descends into madness in the haunted Overlook Hotel. His performance is as far from Jack Nicholson as you could get, with his insanity building slowly and menacingly rather than being virtually mad from the get-go. Rebecca De Mornay is superb as Wendy Torrance, struggling to hold her fragile family together amid the spooky goings-on. Young Courtland Mead plays Danny, whose unique gifts give the story its title, as one of those infuriating TV brats who overacts left, right, and center. Fortunately, there are enough creepy moments and a number of frights to hold the whole thing together, the woman-in-the-bathtub scene being a standout shocker. Sure, there is nothing quite like Nicholson's "Here's Johnny!" moment, but this is the story King wanted to tell and it still shines brighter than most of the other recent screen adaptations of his work. --Jonathan Weir

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Prime Suspect 2

Actors: Helen Mirren, Colin Salmon, John Benfield, Jack Ellis, Craig Fairbrass
ASIN : B0000X2ET2
Sales Rank : 5425
Director : John Strickland
Brand : Prime
Studio : Hbo Home Video
Region Code : 1
Format : AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780783128771
ISBN : 0783128770
UPC : 026359184925
Release Date : December 24, 2004
Publisher : Hbo Home Video
Manufacturer : Hbo Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 1 to 2 days
Label : Hbo Home Video
Running Time : 208

Description

Helen Mirren is Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison in the second season of Prime Suspect. This case involves a death in the Afro-Caribbean community that puts D.C.I. Tennison and the rest of the police force in the middle of a racial controvery.

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In the first Prime Suspect, Helen Mirren's ballsy woman Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennyson battled the boys club and their sexist barbs to prove herself in a chauvinist department. In Prime Suspect 2, she's assigned to head a racially charged murder investigation in a largely African/Caribbean neighborhood. It's politics as usual in the image-conscious organization, so the superintendent adds to the team black Detective Robert Oswalde (Colin Salma), a sharp but hot-headed investigator who has just broken off an affair with Tennyson. Now Tennyson grapples with her own conflicted feelings while fighting political and public-relations battles both in the media and within the police system itself in the midst of investigating the labyrinthine case. Between the scant clues left to sift, a prime suspect on the verge of death himself, and divisions in her own team that result in a devastating death, Tennyson soon begins to suspect she's been hung out to dry by the department. Screenwriter Allan Cubitt dives into the murky waters of volatile racial and social relations to create an even more complex and compelling mystery in Tennyson's second appearance, and Mirren rises to the challenge to explore the contradictions of an uncompromising cop in a compromising position. --Sean Axmaker

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Pride and Prejudice (BBC, 1980)

Actors: Elizabeth Garvie, David Rintoul, Emma Jacobs, Moir Leslie, Sabina Franklyn
ASIN : B000244FDW
Sales Rank : 3660
Director : Cyril Coke
Brand : Warner Brothers
Studio : BBC Warner
Region Code : 1
Format : Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Original recording remastered, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780790770277
ISBN : 079077027X
UPC : 794051168726
Release Date : December 24, 2004
Publisher : BBC Warner
Manufacturer : BBC Warner
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : BBC Warner
Running Time : 265

Product Description

Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 02/22/2005 Starring: Desmond Adams Edward Arthur Rating: Nr Director: Cyril Coke

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In Jane Austen's classic novel Pride and Prejudice, the arrival of a young, well-off, eligible man named Mr. Bingley sends the Bennet household--with five girls of a marrying age--into a tizzy. But it's the introduction of Mr. Bingley's friend, Mr. Darcy (played with an imperious scowl by David Rintoul), that sets in motion the fate of Elizabeth Bennet (the adorable Elizabeth Garvie), resolved only after a labyrinth of social and personal complexities. Austen's novels are miracles of skillful plotting, fusing a rich understanding of psychological motivation with whimsical turns of chance. This superb BBC adaptation from 1980 zips along, thanks to lively performances, fluid direction, and a keen grasp of the wit of Austen's dialogue (expertly translated to the screen by British novelist Fay Weldon) and her satirical characters, who range from clever and kind to utterly odious. Due to its faithfulness and deep appreciation of the material, this five-episode miniseries stands up against any other film or television adaptation (at least nine to date), though Rintoul may not sets hearts aflutter the way Colin Firth did in the also excellent 1995 miniseries. --Bret Fetzer

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Return to Lonesome Dove

Actors: Jon Voight, Barbara Hershey, Rick Schroder, Louis Gossett Jr., William Petersen
ASIN : B00008RV0B
Sales Rank : 8816
Director : Mike Robe
Brand : LION'S GATE ENTERTAINMENT
Studio : Lions Gate
Region Code : 1
Format : Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0707729140481
UPC : 707729140481
Release Date : December 20, 2003
Publisher : Lions Gate
Manufacturer : Lions Gate
Label : Lions Gate
Running Time : 322

Description

Return to the story that captured both the spirit of the Old West and the hearts of America. Return to the breathtaking locations, dramatic confrontations, stirring romance and thrilling action. RETURN TO LONESOME DOVE. Jon Voight, Barbara Hershey, Rick Schroeder, Louis Gossett, Jr., William Peterson and Oliver Reed star in the sweeping story of three ex-Texas Rangers, based on characters created by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Larry McMurtry. After returning the body of Gus McCrae to Lonesome Dove, Woodrow Call takes on the challenge of driving a herd of wild mustangs 2500 miles north to the Hat Creek Ranch in Montana. But tragedy, triumph, despair and deceit will greet him before he ever gets there. From Indian battles and deadly gunfights, to broken hearts and broken dreams, it's another incredible adventure you'll be able to treasure time and again. RETURN TO LONESOME DOVE continues a classic tradition: to perfectly capture and preserve the pioneer spirit of the American West for generations to come.

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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Actors: Alec Guinness, Michael Jayston, Anthony Bate, George Sewell, Bernard Hepton
ASIN : B00006A8T4
Sales Rank : 6729
Director : John Irvin
Studio : Acorn Media
Region Code : 0
Format : Box set, Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9781569385265
ISBN : 1569385262
UPC : 054961526291
Release Date : December 23, 2004
Publisher : Acorn Media
Manufacturer : Acorn Media
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Acorn Media
Running Time : 290

Description

No doubt remains, a mole has infiltrated the Circus, code name for the British Secret Intelligence Service. It can be only one of four men operating at the very highest level. Sidelined agent George Smiley is covertly tapped to root out the mole, a task that requires a painstaking dig through the double-blind world of Cold War era espionage and his own past. Alec Guinness brilliantly captures the weary heart and steely soul of John lé Carre’s master spy in an intricate drama hailed as one of the finest ever made for television. Also starring Ian Richardson, Michael Aldridge, Joss Ackland, Ian Bannen, Bernard Hepton, Terence Rigby, Michael Jayston, Hywel Bennett and Anthony Bate.

DVD Special Features: digitally remastered presentation, exclusive interview with John lé Carre, production notes, cast filmographies and le Carre biography and booklist.

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Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy stars Alec Guinness as George Smiley, John le Carré's familiar, aging British Intelligence agent, called out of retirement to discover the identity of the high-ranking Russian mole who has burrowed deep into "the Circus"--codename for the British secret service. This slow-burning, complicated, and ultimately rewarding BBC adaptation, dramatized by Arthur Hopcroft and directed by John Irvin, perfectly captures Le Carré's own insight into the shady underworld of spies and the political climate during the cold war.

Le Carré's style is the antithesis of his contemporary Ian Fleming's--far from the glamorous lifestyle of James Bond, with his fast cars and faster women, these agents ride around in Skodas, and Beryl Reid is the closest thing to a femme fatale, save for Smiley's elusive wife, Anne. An extraordinary cast (including Ian Bannen, Hywel Bennett, and Ian Richardson), gritty realism, and close attention to detail make Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy an outstanding piece of television drama. --Nicola Perry

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Backstairs at the White House

Actors: Olivia Cole, Leslie Uggams, Louis Gossett Jr., Robert Hooks, Leslie Nielsen
ASIN : B000AYELAQ
Sales Rank : 3245
Director : Michael O'Herlihy
Studio : Acorn Media
Region Code : 1
Format : Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9781569388037
ISBN : 1569388032
UPC : 054961803293
Release Date : December 01, 2005
Publisher : Acorn Media
Manufacturer : Acorn Media
Availability : Usually ships in 1 to 2 days
Label : Acorn Media
Running Time : 444

Description

The classic miniseries about two remarkable women and the eight First Families they served
Their unrivaled behind-the-scenes access gives White House staff a uniquely personal view of history in the making. Two remarkable women in one family served as White House maids over a period spanning five decades and eight administrations—from Taft to Eisenhower. Their story and a half-century of American history unfold in this star-studded drama, nominated for 11 Emmy® Awards.

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From the golden age of television miniseries comes this prestigious 1979 production based on Lillian Rogers Parks's memoir, My Thirty Years at the White House, a real-life American Upstairs/Downstairs that chronicles her family's tenure on the White House servant staff through eight presidential administrations. Emmy nominee Oliva Cole stars as Maggie, a proud matriarch with "indomitable spirit and unfailing spunk," and who is determined that her children "are not going to have street ways." She becomes the first colored maid on the presidential family floor, beginning with the William Howard Taft administration. Her polio-stricken daughter, Lillian (portrayed as an adult by Leslie Uggams) eventually joins her during Herbert Hoover's administration and likewise rises through the ranks to to become a trusted confidante of the First Families.

Backstairs at the White House works on several levels. It is the inspiring personal story of two extraordinary women who had a unique and privileged perspective of the people and events that shaped the first half of the 20th century. It also presents vivid snapshots of the presidents and their families in all their quirks (Mrs. Taft felt that bearded servants brought bad luck), failings, and greatness, as well as such now-obscure personages as New York critic Alexander Woolcott. The stellar cast is comprised of stage and screen veterans and TV favorites. Robert Vaughn (as Woodrow Wilson), Celeste Holm (as Florence Harding), and Ed Flanders (as Calvin Coolidge) were nominated for Emmys, as was Roots costar Louis Gossett Jr. as houseman Levi Mercer. Also notable are a pre-Airplane Leslie Nielsen as chief White House usher Ike Hoover, Cloris Leachman as the chilly supervising housekeeper Mrs. Jaffray, Victor Buono and Julie Harris as reluctant president William Howard Taft and his more formidable wife "Nellie," Eileen Heckart as energetic Eleanor Roosevelt, and Harry Morgan, giving 'em hell as Harry Truman. Backstairs at the White can be melodramatic ("You're not married to me, you're married to the White House," Lillian's estranged husband tells her at one point), but it never descends to soap opera. The Emmy-winning makeup is convincing, and the Emmy-nominated screenplay does an admirable job of compressing more than 50 years of history. "What is heard within the walls of the White House is to be forgotten," Maggie is instructed early in her employ. Luckily, daughter Lillian ignored this directive to create a compelling document that puts a human face on the occupants of the real West Wing. --Donald Liebenson

Browse Miniseries Online

Rose Red

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Our Mutual Friend

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Pride and Prejudice (10th Anniversary Collector's Set) (A&E, 1996)

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Sally Hemings: An American Scandal

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Stephen King's The Shining (Two Disc Special Edition)

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Prime Suspect 2

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Pride and Prejudice (BBC, 1980)

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Return to Lonesome Dove

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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

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Backstairs at the White House

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