What a massive piece of shit. The original was no masterpiece either, but at least it had some character and intrigue to it. This is just a generic high-school drama, where most of the characters don't act like human beings. Also, features the most ridiculous sequel bate ending I've ever seen.
And how dare you patronize me with your 'code of honor'-nonsense Mr. Schenkman. Kys.
What a waste of a great cast. And what a horrible return to Korean cinema for Jee-won Kim.
Such a pointless film about the pathetic Korean resistance movement during the glorious Japanese occupation. The movie even tries to make you think that it was the resistance that caused Korea to gain independence. If it wasn't for the shortcomings of IJA in WW2, Korea would still be part of Japan to this day. Oh what a world that would be...
Kang-ho Song seems uninterested throughout the film, and the cameo from Byung-hun Lee doesn't help either. Mr. Silence is as bland as ever.
I just want to know, how you go from directing movies like I Saw The Devil and A Bittersweet Life to this piece of garbage, it's like Chan-wook Park and The Handmaiden all over again. Shame to see Korean cinema in such a decline. And thanks to the recent political upheaval in the country, their cinema will soon be oversaturated with political thrillers.
This was my most hyped Korean film of the year, and although I enjoyed it, I was left wanting much more. It's a definite step back from The Yellow Sea for director Hong-jin Na.
I loved the low-key performance by Jun Kunimura and the highly energetic performance of Jung-min Hwang. Kinda felt like the film was made with Kang-ho Song in mind for the main role, but they just couldn't scrape up the dollarinos for him and had to settle for Do-won Kwak.
The mystery in the film is pretty solid and it keeps developing beautifully throughout, but there are some really weak moments that feel highly out of place. The whole zombie shite was one of those I could've lived without. There were some truly unnerving scenes in the film that caught me by surprise, the scene where Jung-min Hwangs character starts spouting blood was truly terrific. The exorcism scenes were also some of the high points of the film.
Still got a few Korean pieces from 2016 to see, but this was the best of the year so far, but when your competition are movies like the God-awful softcore porn The Handmaiden and probably the worst Korean movie of all time Train to Busan, you haven't really impressed anyone.
What a shame that you can't make a movie in Hollywood anymore without ham-fisting a romance sub-plot in it. Even bigger shame is that they made that completely made-up shite the very emotional center of the whole fucking film, when there could've been potential to tell a truly moving story by just sticking to the truth.
Even the assassination scene got the Hollywood treatment, they just had to make Reinhard Heydrich look like a total bitch, because oh heavens someone might have got upset had they sticked to the truth and showed how he didn't just succumb to his wounds ASAP, but instead gave chase to the attackers for half a block.
Well, atleast the actor playing Heydrich looked legit and the MG34 sound effects were right. Gotta learn to respect the little things, since the big picture is beyond fixing in the good 'ol Hollywood.
It sure seems near impossible to make neutral war movies. Not to say that Mel Gibson ever even thought of making one, but this one in all of its absurdity has to be one of the worst war movies I've ever seen.
Oh joy, give me all the cliches, immediately as we enter the war zone, we are treated with the classic injured/dead soldiers passing the new patch of soldiers so I kinda figured it's going to be a shitshow from that moment on and, lo and behold, once again the enemy (in this case the glorious IJA) are depicted as a mindless horde of evil, until that one forced cliche moment where we are reminded that; "They are humans after all." This is how you tell a moving story People, take notes, Uncle Mel is in town!
But at least the battle scenes are realistic and gritty, right... RIGHT?!!?!?! Sure thing, nothing more realistic than a man picking up half a torso and using it as a shield while wielding BAR in one hand and mowing down them orcs, I mean Japs. I'm so happy, thanks again Gibsy!! :):):):)
But let's get to the BEST of the BEST. The wonderful Christian propaganda. I guess this was made as the spiritual successor to Passion of the Christ, because I can't explain all the bullshit any other way. Only thing missing were the filthy Jews spitting on the main character. There are scenes upon scenes of pure cancer, whether it's the scene where he washes away his sins after his heroics or the ending where he is almost literally hoisted to the heavens as a saint, there's no subtlety to be found in this movie, just cancer, pure unadulterated cancer.
If only I could go back in time to the days of Lethal Weapons and casual bigotry, Mel-Mels two strong points.
A pleasant surprise, Korean period dramas tend to be mediocre at best, but I'd say this got pretty close to Masquerade. A tad over-sentimental at times, but some delicious philosophical ponderings about power and family really pleased me. Kang-ho Song delivers as always and the guy playing his son who played a cock in Veteran was also tolerable this time around.
The first part of this movie is pretty much how I always imagined Viggo would lead his life, just replace the kids with a multitude of lovers of all colors and genders (mostly men), not all focusing on carnal joys, some also well versed in challenging with Viggos rigorous intellectual needs.
But on a more serious note, when will they round up all the child actors and throw them into a bottomless pit? I hope soon cause there was a whole bunch in this movie just aching for the pit.
On the most serious note now, the movie wasn't bad, but it felt a bit too convenient to be taken seriously, I mean, it even went as far as to claim that someones favorite song is Sweet Child O' Mine, ohohohohoho. Flaccid Viggo is always a joy though.
Aaaahhhh, crème de la crème, it just doesn't get better than this. For a huge fan of Sengoku Jidai, this movie was a treat beyond compare. The fact that there are only a handful of watchable movies about Takeda Shingen is absolutely mind-boggling. He and his rivalry with Uesugi Kenshin is the stuff of legends, and even though this movie doesn't really dabble in that rivalry, the ever so subtle Kenshin easter-egg is the finest moment in any film ever. Takeda Shingen is a character that deserves more acknowledgement, if it wasn't for his untimely death, he could've easily been the one to unify Japan.
There are no words to describe the beauty of this movie, it's a movie without a flaw. Everything from one of the finest scores to THE finest cinematography is crafted with such care and love for the period. The haunting beauty of the dream sequence and the absolutely brilliant way Kurosawa shot the battle scenes, are a living testament to why he truly is one of the greatest of our time.
Takeda Shingen, Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Iyeasu are all portrayed really accurately, sure the way Takeda Shingen died has never been confirmed, but the way showed in the film, is one of the possibilities. The way the movie portraits Oda as the highly ambitious reformist, and Tokugawa as the more calm and collected master of political games is perfection. And what a role from Tatsuya Nakadai, the man is a God, and there is and never was a better choice to play a character as grand as Takeda Shingen.
This movie is such a complete package, it has historical intrigue and accuracy, great performances from all of the actors (hella ripe Takashi Shimura in his final movie role RIP), great sound design, score and immaculate cinematography. The ending is such a force of nature as well, once again we are blessed with the brilliance of Kurosawa in the form of the final battle, there's no need to splash around top dolla to create an epic mass scene with tens of thousands of horses and people, when all you need is some brilliance with the sound and camera work and some good 'ol acting chops.
quote:
The lord is that mountain. Both in battle and at home, he is steadfast, like a mountain. When his army advances, first the horsemen attack, swift as the wind. Second, the lancers raise a forest of spears, advancing with silent resolve. Third, more horsemen engulf the enemy ranks, as mercilessly as fire. And the lord is always behind them, watching over them, immovable as a mountain. That is why our army, from general to foot soldier, can fight so resolutely... Immovable as a mountain. The lord is that mountain. So we call him "the mountain."
What a marvel of a movie this is! It manages to persevere even though about 5% of it is absolute garbo due to filthy westerners doing their very best to try and ruin everything. All the scenes with Byung-Hun, Kang-Ho, Mr. Vengeance and uhm... the fourth one are so great, that you don't even care about the classic uninterest the western actors bring to the table.
Knowledge of Korean history comes in handy with this one, it adds a layer of intrigue to the whole film and without it, one can think that this is just another "anti-war"-movie, God I hate that whole "anti-war"-concept... Having this film higher than giants like Seppuku and The Sword of Doom on my top 10 list feels kinda filthy, but I just can't help it, it's the absurdity of the situation in Korea that I find so intresting, and the way the movie shows the two nations as equals instead of going the basic South Korean route of demonizing the Northerners that really makes this movie great.
I don't think I've ever had such a strong emotional connection to the characters of a movie than I had with the two pairs of soldiers in this film. A lot of it comes from the immaculate work of Byung-Hun Lee and especially Kang-Ho Song, but it's also the way the story is told that really tugs at my heartstrings. At the start of the movie, you can't even dare to expect what an emotional journey you're about to embark on. The lightheartedness of some of the scenes only amplifies the devastation of the ending.
God bless Kim-Kwang Seok and God bless Chan-Wook Park for using two of his greatest songs in this film. The music in this film is some of the best I've ever heard in cinema all together. If it wasn't for the God awful shite by the westerners, this would be the best movie ever, but it still has the best ending I've ever seen, the music, the picture... The feels.
If it wasn't for the immaculate beauty of Kurosawa's Kagemusha, this black and white masterpiece would be the most beautiful movie ever caught on camera. There are scenes upon scenes of astonishing beauty. The only thing I hoped from the God-awful remake (avoid plz) was some color to the iconic scenes, but when I got my wish, I realized what a fool I'd been, it's the very absence of color that complements every scene perfectly.
The cast is absoutely sublime. Nakadai is in top form as always, and even though I enjoyed his character in Sword of Doom more, the character Kobayashi crafted for him for this movie is nevertheless perfect. The supporting cast deserves some praise too, it even has a child character I actually cared about. RIP Kingo.
The movie is masterfully crafted. Simply put, it's a story within a story, but there's so much more. There are very subtle nuances in scenes that you might miss, unless you are well versed in the history of Sengoku Jidai. Also the the build up of the movie is brilliant, it makes you wonder about the motives of its characters.
And what about that swordplay? Perfect, absolutely perfect. The duel scene is fantastic, everyone agrees to that, it's the very embodiment of why Jidaigeki movies are such great journeys. But it's the desperate sword fight in the end that I love the most, the emotions run high as Nakadai's character desperately fights off his foes and finally succumbs to his fate, and then we get the ending shot which is the very same which greeted us at the start, just... Perfect.
quote:
After all, this thing we call samurai honor is ultimately nothing but a facade.
Tatsuya Nakadai doesn't get anywhere near enough recognition, I mean Toshiro Mifune is great and all, but Nakadai is where it's at, son. He is the true giant in Japanese cinema. And although I loved Mifune's cameo in this film, all he really did was play himself, the generic Mifune-character we've already seen in numerous Jidaigeki before.
It's almost as if there's no limit to Nakadai's range on film. Here we see him play the lead, but he is no hero, he is a full-blown villain, yet still, you can't help but love him. Everything he does in this film is captivating and awe-inspiring. The sword-fight scene in the beginning makes him look like an unstoppable killing machine, but when the fight-scene with Mifune comes along, it's as if he doesn't know how to hold a sword or more like isn't worthy to wield it against him, it's beautiful story-telling, just beautiful.
At times the movie feels confusing, it's as if the numerous sub-plots have their own sub-plots and you can easily see that some of them were made with a sequel in mind. Despite this, come the end of the film, you can't help but feel like everything has come full circle. And what an ending it is, so bleak and filled with despair, yet still so brilliantly beautiful.
It's hard to rate this movie lower than any other Jidaigeki out there, but it's the confusion with the sub-plots that makes me rank it just a tad below Seppuku and Kagemusha, two other movies that star Nakadai at the helm. But the main character has never been as tasty in any Jidaigeki as the one in this movie.
quote:
The more you tell me, the more a villain he seems. A man from hell. The world's full of villains, but he beats them all.
WW2 Pacific Front; war has never been this depraved and exciting at the same time, all thanks to the glorious Imperial Japanese Army! This is THE best WW2 movie ever made, the blend between a "documentary" and a war drama is seamless and you just gotta love the exploits of IJA at the Pacific Theater.
No one does national shame like Japan, these little yellow men excel at hiding the truth and reasoning absolutely horrendous things in the name of the Emperor. And I don't blame them, just like Father Mishima tried to teach us, there's nothing more dangerous than trying to renounce Hirohitos claim for divinity. The men at IJA fought for a living God, there was no greater honor than to die in his name during a glorious banzai charge. But then these charlatans come and claim that the brave men died for a man, a simple man... Shameful display!
When the realities of war meet the expectations that were placed on a common soldier in IJA the lines between good and evil, right and wrong get blurred. The Pacific Front wasn't quite the meat grinder as the Eastern Front, but it was hell on earth on its own right. Due to the nature of island warfare, the shipments of supplies were scarce and sometimes nonexistent and the common soldier rarely got a piece of the supplies as they were reserved for the higher ups. Tasty natives and fallen brothers in arms were the main source of food for many common soldiers, obviously this wasn't allowed in Emperors great army, so many of the men that were caught doing such despicable acts as trying to survive were executed as deserters, only to hide the true nature of war.
The "documentary"-scenes were nice change of pace compared to the war scenes. Also the denial and the lengths the veterans were willing to go to hide the truth after all these years was truly eye-opening. The culture of silence the Japanese have towards the things that happened in the war is a real thing of beauty. All in all this movie depicts the depravity of war and the machinations of IJA on the Pacific Front perfectly, Fires On The Plain is also a good choice if you want to see a realistic film about this side of the war, but this movie has way more intrigue to it.
Not only is this a truly great movie when it comes to the story, it's also beautifully shot and the sound design is great aswell. Some of the scenes in this film are above others, the botched execution and the final execution are both great examples of the madness and futility of war, and the "Last Meal"-scene near the end is some of the most beautiful cinema ever created. The only downside to this movie is its length, only 96 minutes, would've love to sit for an hour or two more.
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I ate a man ... a man. But the world didn't change.
Let me dedicate a whole minute of laughter towards the daffodils that think this was a horror movie, ahahahhahaha ohohohohohoho ehehhehehheh... It's a thriller or a Korean revenge-porn, whichever way you like it and I just looooove Korean revenge movies and this is definitely the finest one out there.
The tone is truly dark, the antagonist takes an inhumane amount of punishment and the "protagonist" dishes that amount with an inhumane conviction and stamina. The reason for the quotation marks is that there is no real protagonist in this film, Byung-Hun Lees character might start the film as the hero, but the way he loses control during his quest for the perfect vengeance makes him end up being nearly as despicable as the man he hunts. These things can be seen as a negative factor towards the film, but being an absolutely twisted fuck, I couldn't help but loving every minute of it. And it's not just one-dimensional "aaaargh you killed my gal, imma fuck you nao", there's some raw emotions, real regret and lifelike consequences. There's no happy ending where the protagonist finishes his revenge and then strolls into the sunset as an immortal hero. The revenge takes its toll on the "hero", leaving him distraught.
Byung-Hun "Hot" Lee is such a great actor, there are many scenes in the film where he just stares into nothingness or looks himself in the mirror and you can see the pain and inner turmoil as he descends into the unforgiving world of revenge. Min-Sik Choi also deliveres what is in my opinion the best role of his career, the wickedness of his character is pure perfection, yet there are some redeeming factors to his character. And the guitar scene... Orgasmic.
The cinematography and music on this film are also out of this world. The opening scene with the heavy snowing and Devil's Bossa playing on the background is right up there with The Great Silence in terms of great opening credit scenes.
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Hey. Cut the bullshit. You already lost. You think you got me? Huh? Fuck you. I don't know what pain is. Fear? Don't know that either. There's nothing you can get from me. So... You already lost. Got that?
This is WW2 cinema at its very finest, at least when it comes to the eastern front. It's so bleak, realistic and thought-provoking. People call it an anti-war movie, but what's the point of an anti-war movement when war has been the one constant in the world since the ancient times. Where as most of the other WW2 movies keep pounding in the whole "War is hell" nonsense, this movie embraces the madness of war. There are no heroes on the battlefield, only lesser evils.
It's lovely to see proper equipment being used in WW2 period movie, after seeing the "panthers" in A Bridge Too Far, it sure was a pleasure seeing those authentic T-34s in action. The battle scenes were masterfully crafted, they were chaotic, hectic and hard to follow, just like real war is, not some close-up shots of our "heroes" doing their heroic deeds. Even the recoinnaissance missions Steiner and his troops undertake are shown in a realistic way, the sneaking is slow and deliberate and the action is brutal and over fast.
Seeing a movie with mostly American/English cast playing Germans can be a bit off-putting, but the very fact that these Americans/English were playing GERMANS in a WW2 movie negates that fact in an instant. The acting is great, the two mains James Coburn and Maximilian Schell were in top form, the scenes they have together are exhilarating. The characters are also very well crafted, the battle-scarred Steiner and the highly unlikeable Stransky, who is willing to do anything it takes to bring home that Iron Cross, play so well together. Even though Stransky is supposed to be the villain of this movie, I could not help but identifying with some of his notions about the world around him.
Finding out that the ending of this movie was not what Peckinpah had in mind only goes to show what a brilliant film maker he was. They basically had to improvise the whole ending, and the fact they managed to make it such a perfect presentation of the randomness and madness of war is simply mind-boggling in all of its greatness.
quote:
A world without women. It's an old theory of mine. Men can get along without women easily. Easily. I tell you a man's true destiny is not just breeding children, all this childbirth and chocolate, but to be free. To rule and to fight. In other words: to lead a man's existence. Women are no more than a nuisance. Sometimes necessary.
I have to admit that the very Korean lightheartedness of the first part of the movie nearly made me stop watching it altogether, it almost seemed as if the movie was nothing but a couple of idiot cops prancing around the countryside messing about, but thank Tatsuya I persevered, because the movie transcended into one of the greatest pieces of cinema ever.
It's mystery at it's finest, accompanied with some of the most beautiful scenery and almost Kurosawa-esque rain scenes, need I say, I was on the edge of my seat nearly throughout the film. The sound design was also spot on, you could almost feel that heavy rain on you. The scene in the end where the detectives encounter the suspect at the train tunnel was pure magic.
The acting is superb, especially Kang-Ho Song, boy was he in a Godly form in the early 2000s, first JSA and then this, le magnifique! His co-star Sang-kyung Kim brought a nice touch of seriousness compared to Songs more eccentric character. Kim isn't one of the most well know actors in Korea, but if you want to see more of his coolness, go watch Montage, it's a great piece.
The fact that the movie is based on a real life occurrence makes it so much more unnerving, you can almost feel the real murderer sitting in the theater reliving what was undoubtedly the greatest time of his life, all the while Kang-Ho Song stares into your very soul....
quote:
What did he look like?
Well... Kind of plain
In what way?
Just... Ordinary
People give too much praise to Sergio Leone, sure he's the most well known maker of spaghetti westerns, and sure he made a couple great ones like Once Upon A Time In The West and For A Few Dollars More, but he never had the same flair and audacity as Corbucci.
This audacity of Corbucci is best manifested in the very beginning, where we are treated with one of the best credit scenes ever, the snowy backdrop, the horse struggling in the snow and the beautifully haunting theme of the movie playing on the background is nearly orgasmic. Second manifestation of this audacity is the ending, and oh boy I've never been more satisfied with an ending in my life, this was before I found Korean movies and their fantastically nihilistic themes, yet none of them can come close to the magnificence of this ending. It's just so brutally honest and true to the period. And once again... There's the theme, my God, pure perfection.
The movie also has a great set of characters, Klaus Kinski having the strongest presence throughout. Also the way Jean-Louis Trintignant's character the Silence is portrayed as a unstoppable force of justice, meeting an unexptected end is some great storytelling. Frank Wolff's sheriff brings a nice touch of humor to the movie, although I found some of the scenes of Kinski way "funnier".
I just love snow. The cinematography is having an absolute field day with the snowy surroundings. Sure it has some problems, maybe a bit generic story, some bland characters and the dubbing in the film seems a bit off even considering the standard of dubbs at the time. But those are all minor factors that won't remove none of the enjoyability of this film. In my opinion, it's the best western ever made, closely followed by the Wild Bunch.
quote:
Now say "good-bye" to your husband. Always respect the dead. Now pack your husband in the snow. That'll keep him fresh till I collect his bounty. So don't you bury him, you hear? What times we live in. Blacks worth as much as a white man.
The best film out of Hollywood ever. This film has some of the best cinematography ever, and the score is absolutely mind-blowing, almost literally, that opening tune and the first drilling scene.... Mhmmhmhmhmhmhmhmhmh, it gets in your head!
And all the praises for Daniel-Day Lewis aren't for nothing, he is astonishing in this film, his presence is absolutely immense. Without a doubt, he's the main power in this film, but Paul Dano does a respectable role too. Even the child actor couldn't ruin this film, since they made him deaf/mute, great choice, should be made obligatory in cinema.
It's a shame that Paul Thomas Anderson hasn't managed to reach the level of this movie ever since, nor did he before. Guess it was just a fluke, since the rest of his movies are only decent at best, nothing close to the greatness of this movie. There has been some great scenes in some of his movies, mostly including Joaquin Phoenix, but I guess it was the power of DDL that truly made this movie extraordinary.
Daniel Plainview just might be the greatest character ever written to film, the greed that drives the man is so beautiful. The fact that there's a plethora of different ways you can interpret this movie makes it really enjoyable. The way I like to interpret it, is that all he really wants is to amass a great fortune so he would never have to deal with people ever again, and I think there is something almost admirable in that, just like this film depicts people in Plainview's life, everyone always has an agenda, or they're just simpletons that wish that some greater force leads them to happiness. There's supposed to be sadness to his story, but maybe I'm too much of an asshole to see it.
This movie was such a breath of fresh air, Hollywood hadn't produced decent films in ages, and only Whiplash has come anywhere close ever since, but just like in Whiplash, the cancer that is known as social media managed to ruin some of the greatness in this film too, by memeing some of the great scenes in it. If only I had the drive to amass a fortune so I could fortify myself into a mansion with my private bowling alley...
quote:
I don't want to talk about those things. I see the worst in people, Henry. I don't need to look past seeing them to get all I need. I've built up my hatreds over the years, little by little. Having you here gives me a second breath of life. I can't keep doing this on my own... with these, umm... people.
The first 30 minutes that were added only to add more run time for movie were absolutely pointless and plain bad, but the actual Killing Joke part was pure dynamite. Only way to bring this masterpiece of a graphic novel to life is with Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, they really nailed it. Even though the artwork is shoddy at best, the classic ending with the voice work from Con-Man and Ham-Boy totally redeem all the flaws. But when I watch this again someday, I'll skip the first 30 minutes or so in a heartbeat, and I urge you to do the same, the first part is pure horseshit. Looking back to it, I guess this might've been better as an audiobook.
After seeing the absolutely brilliant The Jinx earlier this year, I was hoping that this would live up to the hype, but it sure didn't. I can't and won't believe that the American public and the people who act all shocked about this show are naive enough to think that shit like this doesn't happen everywhere. People trying to elevate their status have been preying on simpleminded and poor individuals since the very beginning of the justice system, so there's nothing new or shocking to the story.
There's also a complete lack of likeable characters in this document. A document like this requires that Bob Durst who keeps the intrigue alive. All this document had to give you was incest ridden hillbillies, who were impossible to relate with, and truly despicable individuals who preyed on their stupidity, and of course a little sprinkle of warriors of justice who couldn't get their thumbs out of their asses. And oh boy was that Brendan kid infuriatingly stupid, but hey, atleast Hollywood will have the easiest day of their lives when casting Paul Dano for his role in the possible movie.
All in all, this document felt like it was just dragging and dragging without any new revelations or points of interests rising up. But I guess if the last thing you watched was five seasons of Modern Family, you'd be AMAZED by this when you came across it on Cancerflix.
For me, the Coen brothers are a massive hit and miss duo. They've made some great movies, but also some absolute shitfests, thankfully, this movie is the former. As a great lover of folk music, it was a real pleasure seeing this movie do it so well, every song in this movie is great, wasn't a fan of that Bob Dylan easter egg in the end though, felt highly out of place and kinda cheap.
Oscar Isaac caught my eye in Ex Machina, where he carried the film the best he could. He was great in this film too, once again carrying the whole film, damn shame he decided to go for the big boy dollarinos in Satyr Wars. On the other hand, the cinematography is really beautiful and kinda unique in style.
The balance between drama and comedy is seamless, best featured during the scene where Oscar Isaacs character sings to his father, where the mood went from soul-crushing to very lighthearted in an instant. Same kind of balance keeps showing during the whole scene with John Goodman, whose character feels a bit too John Goodmanish for my liking.
The way how the movie is even structured like a folk song really pleased me, it starts with this violent scene after which you start to get these little stories that lead back to the violence, but this time around, you have so much more knowledge of the violent act. And where as the last scene in Whiplash, the other great music film of the past years, was invigorating and powering, the last scene in this film was sad and thought-provoking.
Also, the cat was nice. I like cats. Very good cat. Cat cat cat, catty cat cat. Needed more cats. Cat.
Comments 1 - 25 of 32
Movie comment on Darkest Hour
der Zorn Gottes
"Hey, let's put some crap on his face and give him a funny hat, that ought to bring him an Oscar."- Lincoln (2012)
Movie comment on The Man from Earth: Holocene
der Zorn Gottes
What a massive piece of shit. The original was no masterpiece either, but at least it had some character and intrigue to it. This is just a generic high-school drama, where most of the characters don't act like human beings. Also, features the most ridiculous sequel bate ending I've ever seen.And how dare you patronize me with your 'code of honor'-nonsense Mr. Schenkman. Kys.
Movie comment on Mil-jeong
der Zorn Gottes
What a waste of a great cast. And what a horrible return to Korean cinema for Jee-won Kim.Such a pointless film about the pathetic Korean resistance movement during the glorious Japanese occupation. The movie even tries to make you think that it was the resistance that caused Korea to gain independence. If it wasn't for the shortcomings of IJA in WW2, Korea would still be part of Japan to this day. Oh what a world that would be...
Kang-ho Song seems uninterested throughout the film, and the cameo from Byung-hun Lee doesn't help either. Mr. Silence is as bland as ever.
I just want to know, how you go from directing movies like I Saw The Devil and A Bittersweet Life to this piece of garbage, it's like Chan-wook Park and The Handmaiden all over again. Shame to see Korean cinema in such a decline. And thanks to the recent political upheaval in the country, their cinema will soon be oversaturated with political thrillers.
Movie comment on Moonlight
der Zorn Gottes
#OscarsSoBlackMovie comment on Gokseong
der Zorn Gottes
This was my most hyped Korean film of the year, and although I enjoyed it, I was left wanting much more. It's a definite step back from The Yellow Sea for director Hong-jin Na.I loved the low-key performance by Jun Kunimura and the highly energetic performance of Jung-min Hwang. Kinda felt like the film was made with Kang-ho Song in mind for the main role, but they just couldn't scrape up the dollarinos for him and had to settle for Do-won Kwak.
The mystery in the film is pretty solid and it keeps developing beautifully throughout, but there are some really weak moments that feel highly out of place. The whole zombie shite was one of those I could've lived without. There were some truly unnerving scenes in the film that caught me by surprise, the scene where Jung-min Hwangs character starts spouting blood was truly terrific. The exorcism scenes were also some of the high points of the film.
Still got a few Korean pieces from 2016 to see, but this was the best of the year so far, but when your competition are movies like the God-awful softcore porn The Handmaiden and probably the worst Korean movie of all time Train to Busan, you haven't really impressed anyone.
Movie comment on Rogue One
der Zorn Gottes
The most pointless film I've ever seen. Nostalgia bullshit paired with uncanny CGI horseshit. All sorts of shit.Movie comment on Busanhaeng
der Zorn Gottes
Look son, we can do generic Hollywood movies too!Movie comment on Anthropoid
der Zorn Gottes
What a shame that you can't make a movie in Hollywood anymore without ham-fisting a romance sub-plot in it. Even bigger shame is that they made that completely made-up shite the very emotional center of the whole fucking film, when there could've been potential to tell a truly moving story by just sticking to the truth.Even the assassination scene got the Hollywood treatment, they just had to make Reinhard Heydrich look like a total bitch, because oh heavens someone might have got upset had they sticked to the truth and showed how he didn't just succumb to his wounds ASAP, but instead gave chase to the attackers for half a block.
Well, atleast the actor playing Heydrich looked legit and the MG34 sound effects were right. Gotta learn to respect the little things, since the big picture is beyond fixing in the good 'ol Hollywood.
Movie comment on Hacksaw Ridge
der Zorn Gottes
It sure seems near impossible to make neutral war movies. Not to say that Mel Gibson ever even thought of making one, but this one in all of its absurdity has to be one of the worst war movies I've ever seen.Oh joy, give me all the cliches, immediately as we enter the war zone, we are treated with the classic injured/dead soldiers passing the new patch of soldiers so I kinda figured it's going to be a shitshow from that moment on and, lo and behold, once again the enemy (in this case the glorious IJA) are depicted as a mindless horde of evil, until that one forced cliche moment where we are reminded that; "They are humans after all." This is how you tell a moving story People, take notes, Uncle Mel is in town!
But at least the battle scenes are realistic and gritty, right... RIGHT?!!?!?! Sure thing, nothing more realistic than a man picking up half a torso and using it as a shield while wielding BAR in one hand and mowing down them orcs, I mean Japs. I'm so happy, thanks again Gibsy!! :):):):)
But let's get to the BEST of the BEST. The wonderful Christian propaganda. I guess this was made as the spiritual successor to Passion of the Christ, because I can't explain all the bullshit any other way. Only thing missing were the filthy Jews spitting on the main character. There are scenes upon scenes of pure cancer, whether it's the scene where he washes away his sins after his heroics or the ending where he is almost literally hoisted to the heavens as a saint, there's no subtlety to be found in this movie, just cancer, pure unadulterated cancer.
If only I could go back in time to the days of Lethal Weapons and casual bigotry, Mel-Mels two strong points.
Movie comment on Sado
der Zorn Gottes
A pleasant surprise, Korean period dramas tend to be mediocre at best, but I'd say this got pretty close to Masquerade. A tad over-sentimental at times, but some delicious philosophical ponderings about power and family really pleased me. Kang-ho Song delivers as always and the guy playing his son who played a cock in Veteran was also tolerable this time around.Movie comment on Captain Fantastic
der Zorn Gottes
The first part of this movie is pretty much how I always imagined Viggo would lead his life, just replace the kids with a multitude of lovers of all colors and genders (mostly men), not all focusing on carnal joys, some also well versed in challenging with Viggos rigorous intellectual needs.But on a more serious note, when will they round up all the child actors and throw them into a bottomless pit? I hope soon cause there was a whole bunch in this movie just aching for the pit.
On the most serious note now, the movie wasn't bad, but it felt a bit too convenient to be taken seriously, I mean, it even went as far as to claim that someones favorite song is Sweet Child O' Mine, ohohohohoho. Flaccid Viggo is always a joy though.
Movie comment on Imperium
der Zorn Gottes
Had to listen through the whole discography of Johnny Rebel to get the taste of shit this movie left me with out of my mouth.Movie comment on Kagemusha
der Zorn Gottes
Aaaahhhh, crème de la crème, it just doesn't get better than this. For a huge fan of Sengoku Jidai, this movie was a treat beyond compare. The fact that there are only a handful of watchable movies about Takeda Shingen is absolutely mind-boggling. He and his rivalry with Uesugi Kenshin is the stuff of legends, and even though this movie doesn't really dabble in that rivalry, the ever so subtle Kenshin easter-egg is the finest moment in any film ever. Takeda Shingen is a character that deserves more acknowledgement, if it wasn't for his untimely death, he could've easily been the one to unify Japan.There are no words to describe the beauty of this movie, it's a movie without a flaw. Everything from one of the finest scores to THE finest cinematography is crafted with such care and love for the period. The haunting beauty of the dream sequence and the absolutely brilliant way Kurosawa shot the battle scenes, are a living testament to why he truly is one of the greatest of our time.
Takeda Shingen, Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Iyeasu are all portrayed really accurately, sure the way Takeda Shingen died has never been confirmed, but the way showed in the film, is one of the possibilities. The way the movie portraits Oda as the highly ambitious reformist, and Tokugawa as the more calm and collected master of political games is perfection. And what a role from Tatsuya Nakadai, the man is a God, and there is and never was a better choice to play a character as grand as Takeda Shingen.
This movie is such a complete package, it has historical intrigue and accuracy, great performances from all of the actors (hella ripe Takashi Shimura in his final movie role RIP), great sound design, score and immaculate cinematography. The ending is such a force of nature as well, once again we are blessed with the brilliance of Kurosawa in the form of the final battle, there's no need to splash around top dolla to create an epic mass scene with tens of thousands of horses and people, when all you need is some brilliance with the sound and camera work and some good 'ol acting chops.
Movie comment on Gongdong gyeongbi guyeok JSA
der Zorn Gottes
What a marvel of a movie this is! It manages to persevere even though about 5% of it is absolute garbo due to filthy westerners doing their very best to try and ruin everything. All the scenes with Byung-Hun, Kang-Ho, Mr. Vengeance and uhm... the fourth one are so great, that you don't even care about the classic uninterest the western actors bring to the table.Knowledge of Korean history comes in handy with this one, it adds a layer of intrigue to the whole film and without it, one can think that this is just another "anti-war"-movie, God I hate that whole "anti-war"-concept... Having this film higher than giants like Seppuku and The Sword of Doom on my top 10 list feels kinda filthy, but I just can't help it, it's the absurdity of the situation in Korea that I find so intresting, and the way the movie shows the two nations as equals instead of going the basic South Korean route of demonizing the Northerners that really makes this movie great.
I don't think I've ever had such a strong emotional connection to the characters of a movie than I had with the two pairs of soldiers in this film. A lot of it comes from the immaculate work of Byung-Hun Lee and especially Kang-Ho Song, but it's also the way the story is told that really tugs at my heartstrings. At the start of the movie, you can't even dare to expect what an emotional journey you're about to embark on. The lightheartedness of some of the scenes only amplifies the devastation of the ending.
God bless Kim-Kwang Seok and God bless Chan-Wook Park for using two of his greatest songs in this film. The music in this film is some of the best I've ever heard in cinema all together. If it wasn't for the God awful shite by the westerners, this would be the best movie ever, but it still has the best ending I've ever seen, the music, the picture... The feels.
Movie comment on Seppuku
der Zorn Gottes
If it wasn't for the immaculate beauty of Kurosawa's Kagemusha, this black and white masterpiece would be the most beautiful movie ever caught on camera. There are scenes upon scenes of astonishing beauty. The only thing I hoped from the God-awful remake (avoid plz) was some color to the iconic scenes, but when I got my wish, I realized what a fool I'd been, it's the very absence of color that complements every scene perfectly.The cast is absoutely sublime. Nakadai is in top form as always, and even though I enjoyed his character in Sword of Doom more, the character Kobayashi crafted for him for this movie is nevertheless perfect. The supporting cast deserves some praise too, it even has a child character I actually cared about. RIP Kingo.
The movie is masterfully crafted. Simply put, it's a story within a story, but there's so much more. There are very subtle nuances in scenes that you might miss, unless you are well versed in the history of Sengoku Jidai. Also the the build up of the movie is brilliant, it makes you wonder about the motives of its characters.
And what about that swordplay? Perfect, absolutely perfect. The duel scene is fantastic, everyone agrees to that, it's the very embodiment of why Jidaigeki movies are such great journeys. But it's the desperate sword fight in the end that I love the most, the emotions run high as Nakadai's character desperately fights off his foes and finally succumbs to his fate, and then we get the ending shot which is the very same which greeted us at the start, just... Perfect.
Movie comment on Dai-bosatsu tôge
der Zorn Gottes
Tatsuya Nakadai doesn't get anywhere near enough recognition, I mean Toshiro Mifune is great and all, but Nakadai is where it's at, son. He is the true giant in Japanese cinema. And although I loved Mifune's cameo in this film, all he really did was play himself, the generic Mifune-character we've already seen in numerous Jidaigeki before.It's almost as if there's no limit to Nakadai's range on film. Here we see him play the lead, but he is no hero, he is a full-blown villain, yet still, you can't help but love him. Everything he does in this film is captivating and awe-inspiring. The sword-fight scene in the beginning makes him look like an unstoppable killing machine, but when the fight-scene with Mifune comes along, it's as if he doesn't know how to hold a sword or more like isn't worthy to wield it against him, it's beautiful story-telling, just beautiful.
At times the movie feels confusing, it's as if the numerous sub-plots have their own sub-plots and you can easily see that some of them were made with a sequel in mind. Despite this, come the end of the film, you can't help but feel like everything has come full circle. And what an ending it is, so bleak and filled with despair, yet still so brilliantly beautiful.
It's hard to rate this movie lower than any other Jidaigeki out there, but it's the confusion with the sub-plots that makes me rank it just a tad below Seppuku and Kagemusha, two other movies that star Nakadai at the helm. But the main character has never been as tasty in any Jidaigeki as the one in this movie.
Movie comment on Gunki hatameku motoni
der Zorn Gottes
WW2 Pacific Front; war has never been this depraved and exciting at the same time, all thanks to the glorious Imperial Japanese Army! This is THE best WW2 movie ever made, the blend between a "documentary" and a war drama is seamless and you just gotta love the exploits of IJA at the Pacific Theater.No one does national shame like Japan, these little yellow men excel at hiding the truth and reasoning absolutely horrendous things in the name of the Emperor. And I don't blame them, just like Father Mishima tried to teach us, there's nothing more dangerous than trying to renounce Hirohitos claim for divinity. The men at IJA fought for a living God, there was no greater honor than to die in his name during a glorious banzai charge. But then these charlatans come and claim that the brave men died for a man, a simple man... Shameful display!
When the realities of war meet the expectations that were placed on a common soldier in IJA the lines between good and evil, right and wrong get blurred. The Pacific Front wasn't quite the meat grinder as the Eastern Front, but it was hell on earth on its own right. Due to the nature of island warfare, the shipments of supplies were scarce and sometimes nonexistent and the common soldier rarely got a piece of the supplies as they were reserved for the higher ups. Tasty natives and fallen brothers in arms were the main source of food for many common soldiers, obviously this wasn't allowed in Emperors great army, so many of the men that were caught doing such despicable acts as trying to survive were executed as deserters, only to hide the true nature of war.
The "documentary"-scenes were nice change of pace compared to the war scenes. Also the denial and the lengths the veterans were willing to go to hide the truth after all these years was truly eye-opening. The culture of silence the Japanese have towards the things that happened in the war is a real thing of beauty. All in all this movie depicts the depravity of war and the machinations of IJA on the Pacific Front perfectly, Fires On The Plain is also a good choice if you want to see a realistic film about this side of the war, but this movie has way more intrigue to it.
Not only is this a truly great movie when it comes to the story, it's also beautifully shot and the sound design is great aswell. Some of the scenes in this film are above others, the botched execution and the final execution are both great examples of the madness and futility of war, and the "Last Meal"-scene near the end is some of the most beautiful cinema ever created. The only downside to this movie is its length, only 96 minutes, would've love to sit for an hour or two more.
Movie comment on Ang-ma-reul bo-at-da
der Zorn Gottes
Let me dedicate a whole minute of laughter towards the daffodils that think this was a horror movie, ahahahhahaha ohohohohohoho ehehhehehheh... It's a thriller or a Korean revenge-porn, whichever way you like it and I just looooove Korean revenge movies and this is definitely the finest one out there.The tone is truly dark, the antagonist takes an inhumane amount of punishment and the "protagonist" dishes that amount with an inhumane conviction and stamina. The reason for the quotation marks is that there is no real protagonist in this film, Byung-Hun Lees character might start the film as the hero, but the way he loses control during his quest for the perfect vengeance makes him end up being nearly as despicable as the man he hunts. These things can be seen as a negative factor towards the film, but being an absolutely twisted fuck, I couldn't help but loving every minute of it. And it's not just one-dimensional "aaaargh you killed my gal, imma fuck you nao", there's some raw emotions, real regret and lifelike consequences. There's no happy ending where the protagonist finishes his revenge and then strolls into the sunset as an immortal hero. The revenge takes its toll on the "hero", leaving him distraught.
Byung-Hun "Hot" Lee is such a great actor, there are many scenes in the film where he just stares into nothingness or looks himself in the mirror and you can see the pain and inner turmoil as he descends into the unforgiving world of revenge. Min-Sik Choi also deliveres what is in my opinion the best role of his career, the wickedness of his character is pure perfection, yet there are some redeeming factors to his character. And the guitar scene... Orgasmic.
The cinematography and music on this film are also out of this world. The opening scene with the heavy snowing and Devil's Bossa playing on the background is right up there with The Great Silence in terms of great opening credit scenes.
Movie comment on Cross of Iron
der Zorn Gottes
This is WW2 cinema at its very finest, at least when it comes to the eastern front. It's so bleak, realistic and thought-provoking. People call it an anti-war movie, but what's the point of an anti-war movement when war has been the one constant in the world since the ancient times. Where as most of the other WW2 movies keep pounding in the whole "War is hell" nonsense, this movie embraces the madness of war. There are no heroes on the battlefield, only lesser evils.It's lovely to see proper equipment being used in WW2 period movie, after seeing the "panthers" in A Bridge Too Far, it sure was a pleasure seeing those authentic T-34s in action. The battle scenes were masterfully crafted, they were chaotic, hectic and hard to follow, just like real war is, not some close-up shots of our "heroes" doing their heroic deeds. Even the recoinnaissance missions Steiner and his troops undertake are shown in a realistic way, the sneaking is slow and deliberate and the action is brutal and over fast.
Seeing a movie with mostly American/English cast playing Germans can be a bit off-putting, but the very fact that these Americans/English were playing GERMANS in a WW2 movie negates that fact in an instant. The acting is great, the two mains James Coburn and Maximilian Schell were in top form, the scenes they have together are exhilarating. The characters are also very well crafted, the battle-scarred Steiner and the highly unlikeable Stransky, who is willing to do anything it takes to bring home that Iron Cross, play so well together. Even though Stransky is supposed to be the villain of this movie, I could not help but identifying with some of his notions about the world around him.
Finding out that the ending of this movie was not what Peckinpah had in mind only goes to show what a brilliant film maker he was. They basically had to improvise the whole ending, and the fact they managed to make it such a perfect presentation of the randomness and madness of war is simply mind-boggling in all of its greatness.
Movie comment on Salinui chueok
der Zorn Gottes
I have to admit that the very Korean lightheartedness of the first part of the movie nearly made me stop watching it altogether, it almost seemed as if the movie was nothing but a couple of idiot cops prancing around the countryside messing about, but thank Tatsuya I persevered, because the movie transcended into one of the greatest pieces of cinema ever.It's mystery at it's finest, accompanied with some of the most beautiful scenery and almost Kurosawa-esque rain scenes, need I say, I was on the edge of my seat nearly throughout the film. The sound design was also spot on, you could almost feel that heavy rain on you. The scene in the end where the detectives encounter the suspect at the train tunnel was pure magic.
The acting is superb, especially Kang-Ho Song, boy was he in a Godly form in the early 2000s, first JSA and then this, le magnifique! His co-star Sang-kyung Kim brought a nice touch of seriousness compared to Songs more eccentric character. Kim isn't one of the most well know actors in Korea, but if you want to see more of his coolness, go watch Montage, it's a great piece.
The fact that the movie is based on a real life occurrence makes it so much more unnerving, you can almost feel the real murderer sitting in the theater reliving what was undoubtedly the greatest time of his life, all the while Kang-Ho Song stares into your very soul....
Movie comment on Il grande silenzio
der Zorn Gottes
People give too much praise to Sergio Leone, sure he's the most well known maker of spaghetti westerns, and sure he made a couple great ones like Once Upon A Time In The West and For A Few Dollars More, but he never had the same flair and audacity as Corbucci.This audacity of Corbucci is best manifested in the very beginning, where we are treated with one of the best credit scenes ever, the snowy backdrop, the horse struggling in the snow and the beautifully haunting theme of the movie playing on the background is nearly orgasmic. Second manifestation of this audacity is the ending, and oh boy I've never been more satisfied with an ending in my life, this was before I found Korean movies and their fantastically nihilistic themes, yet none of them can come close to the magnificence of this ending. It's just so brutally honest and true to the period. And once again... There's the theme, my God, pure perfection.
The movie also has a great set of characters, Klaus Kinski having the strongest presence throughout. Also the way Jean-Louis Trintignant's character the Silence is portrayed as a unstoppable force of justice, meeting an unexptected end is some great storytelling. Frank Wolff's sheriff brings a nice touch of humor to the movie, although I found some of the scenes of Kinski way "funnier".
I just love snow. The cinematography is having an absolute field day with the snowy surroundings. Sure it has some problems, maybe a bit generic story, some bland characters and the dubbing in the film seems a bit off even considering the standard of dubbs at the time. But those are all minor factors that won't remove none of the enjoyability of this film. In my opinion, it's the best western ever made, closely followed by the Wild Bunch.
Movie comment on There Will Be Blood
der Zorn Gottes
The best film out of Hollywood ever. This film has some of the best cinematography ever, and the score is absolutely mind-blowing, almost literally, that opening tune and the first drilling scene.... Mhmmhmhmhmhmhmhmhmh, it gets in your head!And all the praises for Daniel-Day Lewis aren't for nothing, he is astonishing in this film, his presence is absolutely immense. Without a doubt, he's the main power in this film, but Paul Dano does a respectable role too. Even the child actor couldn't ruin this film, since they made him deaf/mute, great choice, should be made obligatory in cinema.
It's a shame that Paul Thomas Anderson hasn't managed to reach the level of this movie ever since, nor did he before. Guess it was just a fluke, since the rest of his movies are only decent at best, nothing close to the greatness of this movie. There has been some great scenes in some of his movies, mostly including Joaquin Phoenix, but I guess it was the power of DDL that truly made this movie extraordinary.
Daniel Plainview just might be the greatest character ever written to film, the greed that drives the man is so beautiful. The fact that there's a plethora of different ways you can interpret this movie makes it really enjoyable. The way I like to interpret it, is that all he really wants is to amass a great fortune so he would never have to deal with people ever again, and I think there is something almost admirable in that, just like this film depicts people in Plainview's life, everyone always has an agenda, or they're just simpletons that wish that some greater force leads them to happiness. There's supposed to be sadness to his story, but maybe I'm too much of an asshole to see it.
This movie was such a breath of fresh air, Hollywood hadn't produced decent films in ages, and only Whiplash has come anywhere close ever since, but just like in Whiplash, the cancer that is known as social media managed to ruin some of the greatness in this film too, by memeing some of the great scenes in it. If only I had the drive to amass a fortune so I could fortify myself into a mansion with my private bowling alley...
Movie comment on Batman: The Killing Joke
der Zorn Gottes
The first 30 minutes that were added only to add more run time for movie were absolutely pointless and plain bad, but the actual Killing Joke part was pure dynamite. Only way to bring this masterpiece of a graphic novel to life is with Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, they really nailed it. Even though the artwork is shoddy at best, the classic ending with the voice work from Con-Man and Ham-Boy totally redeem all the flaws. But when I watch this again someday, I'll skip the first 30 minutes or so in a heartbeat, and I urge you to do the same, the first part is pure horseshit. Looking back to it, I guess this might've been better as an audiobook.Movie comment on Making a Murderer
der Zorn Gottes
After seeing the absolutely brilliant The Jinx earlier this year, I was hoping that this would live up to the hype, but it sure didn't. I can't and won't believe that the American public and the people who act all shocked about this show are naive enough to think that shit like this doesn't happen everywhere. People trying to elevate their status have been preying on simpleminded and poor individuals since the very beginning of the justice system, so there's nothing new or shocking to the story.There's also a complete lack of likeable characters in this document. A document like this requires that Bob Durst who keeps the intrigue alive. All this document had to give you was incest ridden hillbillies, who were impossible to relate with, and truly despicable individuals who preyed on their stupidity, and of course a little sprinkle of warriors of justice who couldn't get their thumbs out of their asses. And oh boy was that Brendan kid infuriatingly stupid, but hey, atleast Hollywood will have the easiest day of their lives when casting Paul Dano for his role in the possible movie.
All in all, this document felt like it was just dragging and dragging without any new revelations or points of interests rising up. But I guess if the last thing you watched was five seasons of Modern Family, you'd be AMAZED by this when you came across it on Cancerflix.
Movie comment on Inside Llewyn Davis
der Zorn Gottes
For me, the Coen brothers are a massive hit and miss duo. They've made some great movies, but also some absolute shitfests, thankfully, this movie is the former. As a great lover of folk music, it was a real pleasure seeing this movie do it so well, every song in this movie is great, wasn't a fan of that Bob Dylan easter egg in the end though, felt highly out of place and kinda cheap.Oscar Isaac caught my eye in Ex Machina, where he carried the film the best he could. He was great in this film too, once again carrying the whole film, damn shame he decided to go for the big boy dollarinos in Satyr Wars. On the other hand, the cinematography is really beautiful and kinda unique in style.
The balance between drama and comedy is seamless, best featured during the scene where Oscar Isaacs character sings to his father, where the mood went from soul-crushing to very lighthearted in an instant. Same kind of balance keeps showing during the whole scene with John Goodman, whose character feels a bit too John Goodmanish for my liking.
The way how the movie is even structured like a folk song really pleased me, it starts with this violent scene after which you start to get these little stories that lead back to the violence, but this time around, you have so much more knowledge of the violent act. And where as the last scene in Whiplash, the other great music film of the past years, was invigorating and powering, the last scene in this film was sad and thought-provoking.
Also, the cat was nice. I like cats. Very good cat. Cat cat cat, catty cat cat. Needed more cats. Cat.
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