CLICK HERE TO SEE A COMPLETE LIST OF THE LAST 100 FILMS I'VE WATCHED FOR THE "1001 MOVIES YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU DIE" BOOK, INCLUDING MY INITIAL RATINGS OF THOSE FILMS
Note: I've revised some of the ratings for the following 20 films, as some of them needed a bit of tweaking.
20. Out of the Past (1947) dir. Jacques Tourneur 8/10
I spoke recently about the coolness that Humphrey Bogart exudes in his films, but if ever there was a cool customer, it was Robert Mitchum in "Out of the Past". And if ever there were a man crush to be had, I had one on Robert Mitchum in this movie. I mean, you just didn't get much cooler than Mitchum. That shot of him standing outside the gates of Whit Sterling's mansion, ready to delve back into a past he'd tried so hard to escape, sums up this movie perfectly. And hey, you even had Kirk Douglas in their, holding his own, which kicks up the cool factor even more. This is just a fun movie, a great noir and a picture that you can really get lost in, exploring the underbelly of society, gunning down sleaze and chain smoking cigarettes.
19. Good Bye Lenin! (2003) dir. Wolfgang Becker (2003) 8/10
By watching my way through THE BOOK, I've managed to get a little more acquainted with some historical world events, that I didn't know much about prior. One of those events is the tension that existed between East and West Germany and all the vital information that lead to the tearing down of the Berlin Wall. "Good Bye Lenin!" took a very serious subject and put a humorous spin on it. It wasn't that the film was laugh out loud funny, but it was very clever and just made you smile a whole lot. It also had the ingredients in place to make you cry too, which is why I loved this movie - for it's fantastic mixture of comedy and drama. It's one that was able to grow on me fast and make it's way to this list, as I only watched it two days ago and it already jumped to the 19th best movie I watched in the last 100. Kudos to Germany for flexing their cinematic muscle this 100!
18. A Tale of Winter (1992) dir. Eric Rohmer (1992) 8/10
Two films in the book from Eric Rohmer and two Eric Rohmer directed films appearing on one of my TOP 20 lists. Of course, my last TOP 20 featured one of Rohmer's "six moral tales": "My Night at Maud's" and this time around his "A Tale of Winter" nabs spot #18. This, somewhat, reminded me of a Woody Allen movie, taking real life characters and placing them into situations where their forced to explore and come to terms with their relationships. The film tells of Felicie and her five year quest to track down her long, lost love, of whom she accidentally gave the wrong address, when she moved. Over the course of the five years, she meets other men, notably Loic and Maxence and we learn of her affairs with them. Rohmer uses winter as the backdrop and to set the mood for the entire picture.
From my original review on May 15, 2012:
Anyway, I did enjoy the movie. With each French film I see, I warm up to them more and more. I think that French filmmaker's excel on so many levels, including dialogue, character development, mood and atmosphere. Their plots aren't always as gripping as they could be, but I've learned throughout my journey that there are more important things. "A Tale of Winter" has interesting characters, interesting situations and does a fine job of showing off the French landscapes. It provided this viewer with some gripping dialogue, that, unlike "My Night at Maud's", didn't often go over my head. Rohmer is quickly becoming a favorite of mine and I can't wait to someday check out the rest of his catalog.
17. The Lives of Others (2006) dir. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck 8.5/10
Another film that perfectly captured the unrest that existed during the separation of Germany into an East and a West nation. This film just nailed everything so well. It provided a gripping situation, of a Stasi Officer who taps the apartment of a well-known German playwright, so that he may learn some untold facts about the man. The Stasi Officer (played perfectly by the late Ulrich Muhe) ends up developing a bond with his subjects and...well, I won't spoil anything here. The film just sounds good on paper and that paper perfect idea translates very well to the screen. The ending is heartbreaking and trust me, you owe it to yourself to check this one out. You'll be provided with a fantastic film, as well as provided with an education of German affairs in the 80s. If you're not into politics or world history, don't worry, the film provides a gripping enough story to where the politics don't come into play all that much.
16. Winter Light (1963) dir. Ingmar Bergman 8.5/10
Ingmar Bergman's first and only appearance on one of my TOP 20 lists. Had THE BOOK been smart enough to include "Scenes from a Marriage", I can say, with confidence, that it would've been the top spot on this list, today. However, it wasn't included and I've beat that horse more than enough. Anyway, "Winter Light" is pretty damn good too. It's the one Bergman film that really stuck with me throughout this 100. If you'll remember, "Bergman Week" was the kickoff to this 100 and ultimately, it was a disappointment, but "Winter Light" made up for a lot of the disappointment that I was dealt with during "Bergman Week". The film tells of a preacher who has lost his faith and that's pretty much your basic plot. It's enough though, as Bergman explores one of his favorite subjects: religion. I wasn't a fan of Bergman's exploration of religion, but this film just struck a chord with me, for some reason. Gunnar Bjornstrand, despite my ultimate disapproval for Bergman's films, came out of the 100 being one of my favorite actors of the season and he nailed his role here. A particular scene jumps out as my favorite, wherein Tomas (Bjornstrand) screams at his semi-girlfriend, Marta.
From my original review on January 27, 2012:
Then I realized something. This story means more to believers than it should to non-believers. I mean, think about it - You have a pastor who is experiencing a crisis of faith. As a believer in God and Christ, that's a tragic story to me. If I were a non-believer, I might be struck with the notion of "Oh, well thankfully this pastor came to his senses and realized that there's no God". But as a believer I can feel sympathy for a clergyman who can't seem to find strength & comfort in Christ.
"Winter Light" is filled with poignant, meaningful moments. One that I noticed right away was immediately after the scene where Tomas rips into Marta, telling her what he really thinks of her and not holding anything back. One thing you can say for Bergman is that he really knew how to capture heartbreak and he really knew how to write hatred and anger. Anyway, after Tomas basically rips Marta's heart out of her chest, he walks to the door, turns around and invites her to come with him to church. It's a moment that says to me, despite what Tomas wants or believes, he's never going to change things. He'll continue being a pastor, preaching the word of God, even though he doesn't believe what he's preaching. Likewise, he'll string Marta along, accepting her cough syrup and crying on her shoulder, even though he doesn't love her. I mean, in simpler terms, the guy is an ultimate hypocrite and really, even though I say I have sympathy for this clergyman, I really shouldn't, because he's really a terrible person.
15. The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) dir. William A. Wellman 9/10
With the inclusion of "The Ox-Bow Incident", it makes the fourth TOP 20 list in a row where a Henry Fonda film has made an appearance. What can I say, I love the guy. I'd be bold enough to call him my favorite actor of all-time and not think twice about it. This movie is, yet another, fantastic example of Henry Fonda's skills. It tells a poignant story and manages to confine it into about 85 minutes. No time is wasted getting to the meat of the story and when the meat is served, it's a hearty helping! Three innocent men are wrongfully accused of murder and, once again, Fonda has to stand up for what's right and try to bring justice to the old west.
From my original review on June 28, 2012:
I saw someone mention on another site, that it reminded them of a Western version of "12 Angry Men", just with a different outcome and that's exactly what I was thinking as I watched it today. I saw another man mention that "The Ox-Bow Incident" should be required viewing for everyone and I wholeheartedly agree. The biggest revelation that I took from "Ox-Bow" is the absolute senselessness of the killings and how you can probably flip open the daily newspaper everyday and read about killings that are just as senseless. It was as if the characters in this film were so bored (because the only things to do in their town were drink, eat, fight, play poker or sleep) that they found an excuse to go out and lynch three innocents. They had bloodshed on their mind from the beginning and no matter what the three innocents said, they were going to end the night with a rope necktie. The characters (the ones who are FOR the lynching, anyway) are enough to make you sick and you could collectively call them one of the baddest villains in the history of cinema.
14. Monsieur Verdoux (1947) dir. Charles Chaplin 9/10
Of the four Charles Chaplin films that appear in the book, this makes the third one that has appeared on one of my TOP 20 lists. There was something about "City Lights" that just didn't do it for me, but nevertheless, with the watching of THE BOOK, Chaplin has certainly become a favorite director of mine. In "Monsieur Verdoux", he switches it up a little bit, having retired his Tramp outfit and comes out swinging with a "comedy of murders" - a murder mystery, like only Chaplin could deliver.
From my original review on April 5, 2012:
Perhaps I misspoke above and perhaps this isn't quite AS good as "The Gold Rush" and "Modern Times", but it is damn good and thank God Orson Welles sold the rights to the story to Chaplin (for a generous $5000, a hefty sum at the time) so that this film could be made by Charlie, into the black comedy that he envisioned. Sure, a two hour Chaplin film doesn't sound all that intoxicating, especially since I was used to ninety minutes or less when it came to Charlie's films, but this film uses it's time to perfection and everything makes sense. It's not just another comedy, but also provides a nice dose of suspense, some messages about current world affairs and is just a flat out, really good story.
13. Mildred Pierce (1945) dir. Michael Curtiz 9/10
I watched "Mildred Pierce" for the first and only time, when I watched it for THE BOOK, back on April 1, 2012. It was April Fool's Day and the biggest fool of them all was me, for having gone twenty-seven years without laying eyes on this near masterpiece. I loved nearly everything about Mildred Pierce. The black and white glow of the camera, producing a perfect noir setting, while telling a story that wasn't your average film-noir. There weren't any detectives in trench coats and fedoras, no late night drives in the rain and there weren't any bad ass, cool customers (like Mitchum) chain smoking ciggy's. Instead, Joan Crawford proves that women can be successful in the dark world of film-noir too, as she portrays Mildred Pierce, a once loving housewife, turned entrepreneur, turned murderer? This makes Crawford's third appearance on a TOP 20 list of mine, following "The Unknown" and "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?".
12. Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989) dir. Steven Soderbergh 9/10
This has been a long time favorite of mine, so it wasn't a surprise when it ended up this close to the TOP 10. There's just something raw and powerful about this movie, starring James Spader and Andie MacDowell. My review does it justice, I think.
From my original review on May 2, 2012:
Later, we learn that Graham is impotent and even later than that, we learn that he gets off on videotaping women, asking them questions of a sexual nature (their first sexual experience, their fantasies, what they've done, what they'd like to do) and later, re-watching the tapes and pleasuring himself. To Graham, this is his way of making love to these women. Since he can't get an erection in the physical presence of them, he, instead, gets an erection in the videotaped presence of them. During the scenes where we're actually seeing the videotapes on the screen, the soundtrack that plays is an eerie, intense music, almost something out of a horror flick. It feels as though we shouldn't be seeing what we're seeing and Soderbergh does a great job of making us feel uncomfortable. It's a good kind of uncomfortable though, an uncomfortable that is meant to be, that makes you realize how powerful those certain scenes are.
11. Requiem for a Dream (2000) dir. Darren Aronofsky 9/10
No one is more surprised than me to see "Requiem for a Dream", sitting comfortably at the #11 spot. I never thought that this film would make it here and in fact, if you had asked me prior to starting this 100, how "Requiem" would fair, I'd have told you that it'd be one of the first ones eliminated from contention. However, it blew me away this time around. Aronofsky burst onto the scene in 1998 with "Pi" (one that I, unfortunately, couldn't make room for here) and two years later cemented his status with "Requiem". The jumpy, quick, erratic editing is the signature to this film, accompanied by interesting characters, powerful, thought provoking situations and "Lux Aeterna" blaring in the background. I still haven't been able to erase that one second shot of Jennifer Connelly, performing sexual acts with another female, while money is stuffed into her mouth and horror, shame and embarrassment color her face. In closing, I take back every ill word I ever said about this near masterpiece.
10. The Stranger (1946) dir. Orson Welles 9/10
I was really glad that I was able to find a home for an Orson Welles movie on this TOP 20, considering I watched the rest of his catalog, that THE BOOK had to offer. I wasn't entirely impressed with Welles' films, but I was impressed with Welles, the actor. "The Stranger" is the best of both worlds, an incredible film and an incredible film starring the man himself, alongside Edward G. Robinson. Once you see it, who could ever forget that climax, with Welles and cast scurrying at the top of a clock tower and an end that can only spell death for someone.
From my original review on May 24, 2012:
It sure doesn't sound like a picture that would appeal to me, but I'll be damned if it wasn't a fantastic one. If the rest of "Welles Week" is a complete failure upon my personal tastes, at least now I'll be able to proclaim that I DO have a favorite Orson Welles picture and it's not the popular one, which kind of makes it a little cooler, if you ask me. Where do I even begin when it comes to praising "The Stranger"? How about I start with Welles' direction and the way he moved his camera, captured his images and told his story. The picture is a great example of film noir and would've fit perfectly into "Seven Shadows Week". In fact, there are shadows galore, as Welles uses shadows to build tension and suspense and keep us gripped by this story about a Nazi criminal. Certain shots are unforgettable, like the one of Edward G. Robinson standing in front of a projector that is showing footage of concentration camps, his shadow cast on two different surfaces. Or the one of Mr. Meinike face, shown in close-up through the lens of a camera, while he holds a conversation with another man.
09. Rushmore (1998) dir. Wes Anderson 9/10
Yet another film that I hated the first time I saw it, many years ago and yet another movie that proves how much THIS BOOK works on your personal tastes, refining and sculpting them into something that more resembles a real movie snob. I realized, while watching the two Wes Anderson films from THE BOOK, that Anderson is really one of my favorite directors. He provides comedies that aren't as straightforward as others and I'd much prefer an Anderson offering to that of Apatow or any of the other schmucks they scrape off the Hollywood back lots and put into a directors chair.
From my original review on June 3, 2012:
Well, here is another perfect example of giving things a second chance, because this time around I absolutely loved it. The oddball characters are what make this movie original and unique, because these people aren't acting in a particularly normal way. In fact, the entire atmosphere of the film has a different aura about it and that's why it doesn't blend into the crowd, but rather, stands out. Max Fischer is a fantastic character - one that you kind of love to hate in the beginning, but one who ultimately learns his lesson and becomes likeable.
08. Amores perros (2000) dir. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu 9.5/10
This movie was right up my alley. One thing I'm a big whore for is movies that tell multiple stories, using multiple characters, that somehow intersect at some point...except "Crash". It's one of the things that I liked about movies, when I first started taking an interest, many years ago. At this point, I've written so much that I'm ready to let my original reviews do most of the talking.
From my original review on July 4, 2012:
In my experiences with these types of movies, the filmmaker's have to be very careful telling three separate stories and tying them together, especially as loose as the stories in "Amores perros" are tied together. They run the risk of getting the audience attached to the first set of characters and turning them off when they depart that storyline for an entirely new storyline, with an entirely new set of characters. However, this film does an excellent job of making all three stories enticing to the viewer. Honestly, if I were forced to choose a favorite story, I'd be hard pressed to. Each segment had it's strengths and each one stood apart from the others. The first story was a fine opening act and sucked the viewer in. It provided enough information about the subsequent stories to peek our interest and prepare us for what lie ahead. It provided a really great, everyday type story about an everyman pursuing his love interest, which happened to be his sister-in-law. The second story acted as a good halftime show, providing more comedy than the other stories, but still packing in enough poignant moments. That shot of Valeria staring out the window at her billboard, only to discover that it wasn't there anymore, was quite sad. The final story is a perfect cap to the whole tale, giving us the El Chivo character, one that I never expected to be nearly crying for. The scene where he phones his daughter had my eyes welling up.
07. Memento (2000) dir. Christopher Nolan 10/10
Ooooh, we're getting into the cream of the crop now, with the seven movies that I rated perfect '10/10' from the last 100. It's no surprise to me to see "Memento" in a TOP 10 spot, as it's been a favorite of mine since the first time I saw it, many years ago. In fact, I remember walking around Blockbuster, with my older brother, as he searched frantically for a videotape copy of this movie, citing that it was the best thing he'd seen in a LONG time. Well, I just had to see it, so, one day when he was at work, I popped it in and watched it, hoping to impress him when he got home. I don't remember how impressed he was, but I remember how impressed I was, with the film.
From my original review on April 3, 2012:
Perhaps that's why the character of Leonard is so relateable and likeable, because in the time frame that this film occurs in, we know nothing more or less than Leonard. When he's confused, so are we. When he's trying to sort out a problem, so are we. Add to that the use of narration by Guy Pearce that allows us to hear Leonard's thoughts throughout the film and we've got a guy that we can completely sympathize with and understand.
06. 3-Iron (2004) dir. Ki-duk Kim 10/10
The biggest discovery of the 100? Not quite. But a hell of a discovery, no less. Korea really stepped up to the plate during this 100 and proved to me that some of the greatest director's of this generation, call that country home. The film uses silence to it's advantage, but speaks volumes to it's viewers, providing a story that was easy for me to fall into.
From my original review on May 1, 2012:
"3-Iron" is not a straightforward film. In fact, I'd even go so far to say that "3-Iron" isn't going to be for everyone's tastes. However, I thought it was brilliant, in a word. It's funny, because there were elements of this picture that I really could have torn apart and nitpicked over, but when it came down to it, I couldn't stop basking at the sheer beauty and poetry that was conveyed here.
In "3-Iron" our main character, Tae-suk has absolutely no dialogue and our other main character, Sun-hwa, speaks only three words throughout the entire picture. It's a movie where questions arise and things don't always make sense, but one where the questions seem to play second fiddle to just sitting back and experiencing the film.
05. Head-On (2004) dir. Fatih Akin 10/10
This, my friends, was the biggest discovery of the 100 and by discovery, I mean the best film that I hadn't previously seen.
From my original review on May 19, 2012:
You know, we've seen this plot line a thousand times before, especially being churned out of the Hollywood machine. Two strangers meet, one usually wants nothing to do with the other one initially, they're somehow bound to one another and before the credits roll, they're in love. I could probably rattle of ten titles right off the top of my head that have followed this same, basic, cookie cutter formula, to a tee, for ages. Hell, Hollywood has been doing it for decades ("It Happened One Night" springs to mind). In "Head-On", however, Fatih Akin takes this same formula, adds some more coarse elements (nudity, coarse language, drug use, suicide attempts, rape, murder, a few bloody fight scenes, however short they may be), a little more structure and even kicks in some more elements to the plot. It's as if he went to the store and bought the romantic comedy outline and added some more, inventive things to it.
04. Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) dir. Quentin Tarantino 10/10
The rest of these were pretty much pegged from the time I saw them, so it wasn't a surprise to me to see this as the TOP 4 pictures.
From my original review on January 21, 2012:
Anyway, enough rambling. Why do I like "Kill Bill" and more specifically, why do I like "Kill Bill: Volume One"? Well what's not to like, really? For all intents and purposes this film is flawless. It gets it's point across, uses it's time perfectly and never, NEVER drags. You know, you can gather your most keen-eyed film snobs and they'll fill a college ruled notebook with all the references, samplings and "ripoffs" that Tarantino uses in this movie and then they'll chastise him for it. I've never been one for caring about someone sampling someone else's work, as long as it's not blatant and as long as it serves their story too and they use it respectfully. Tarantino borrowed from and paid homage to several different genres here, including wuxia films, spaghetti westerns and blaxploitation films and he meshes it all together in grand fashion. He samples the scores of Ennio Morricone and Bernard Herrmann, while mixing in pieces of country tunes, Gheorghe Zamfir virtuoso's and music by "The 5, 6, 7, 8's". In fact, the music is so perfect here that even a blind man would have to acknowledge the greatness of this picture.
Tarantino is no longer my favorite director, through no fault of his own, but it's hard to deny him. He's one of the few director's still making movies that allows me to have continued faith in the future of American cinema. You can say what you want about the guy, but he makes his brand of picture. Is he a self-indulgent filmmaker? YES! He throws conventional rules out the window, paying no mind to certain details, such as telling a film in linear fashion. In "Kill Bill", Tarantino tells the story in all different parts and it only adds to our laundry list of questions, but makes it that much more enjoyable when we finally start piecing things together. Let's also take for instance the back story of O-Ren Ishii, which Tarantino tells using a Japanese anime sequence - a perfect fit in this unconventional film. The bottom line is that when you look at "Kill Bill" it's hard to believe it came out of 21st Century Hollywood, because it looks so damn good and certainly sticks out like a sore thumb - a good sore thumb.
03. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) dir. Wes Anderson 10/10
I'm going to let my past review do the talking for this one, because I'm tired and it's my blog...so there!
From my original review on June 4, 2012:
Where do I even start with "The Royal Tenenbaums", a film I saw for the first time, probably close to ten years ago and one that I loved from the get go. It's always fascinated me how this film manages to juggle both comedy and drama so evenly and so flawlessly. Speaking of flawlessness, lets talk about the script, one that doesn't come with flaws, at least not any that I can see. I love how the film is based on a non-existent book and tells the story as if it were reading from it's pages, complete with narrator Alec Baldwin. We see some trademark Wes Anderson, as he uses the writing of words on the screen to establish key points and introduces the cast of characters in the beginning of the film, as if they were about to put on a play. The film holds together many different characters, including all the Tenenbaums mentioned above, as well as Raleigh St. Clair (Bill Murray), Margot's husband, Eli Cash (Owen Wilson), Richie's best friend and Margot's lover and Henry Sherman (Danny Glover), Etheline's suitor. The entire cast turns in fantastic performances, most notably Gene Hackman, who shows up ready to be a Wes Anderson character. It's funny how actors in Anderson's film can't just show up and phone in their performances. You actually have to go through a transformation, deliver your dialogue different and be unique to fit into Anderson's world.
02. Se7en (1995) dir. David Fincher 10/10
This one flip flopped with the #1 choice for a long time, before I finally decided to stick it in the #2 spot and let the #1 choice reign supreme. This is the second TOP 20 in a row, where a long time, personal favorite of mine got demoted to a #2 position.
From my original review on May 13, 2012:
This is another one of those personal films that would be filed under the heading of "movies my older brother introduced me to". I can still remember sitting in the bedroom that we shared, me on my bed and my brother on his, as I gripped the edge of my mattress, wondering if/when Mills and Somerset would be victorious. I was younger then and not as film savvy as I am today; the days when a clever plot could entice me as well as a Beggin' Strip would entice a hungry dog. I remember being absolutely and utterly blown away by this movie, buying it soon after and re-watching it dozens of times since that night. If I were to compile a list of ten films that made me want to be a film buff, "Se7en" would almost have to be on it. For me, it doesn't get much better than this. Even tonight, as I watched it for the umpteenth time, my heart still sped up when Mills and Somerset escorted John Doe to the scene of his final act. Goosebumps popped up across the surface of my skin as Somerset sliced open a box and said those tingling lines:
"California, tell your people to stay away. Stay away now, don't - don't come in here. Whatever you hear, stay away! John Doe has the upper hand!"
01. The Lord of the Rings (2001, 2002, 2003 - Peter Jackson) 10/10
With the exception of "Se7en", no other film came close to edging this one from it's top slot. It's a film that grows on me every time I see it. It amazes me, the number of people who don't like or don't really get the appeal of these movies. To me, they're flawless. "The Lord of the Rings" builds up a world, tears it down and rebuilds it, over the course of it's nine hour running time.
From my original review on April 14, 2012:
To those of you who think that "The Lord of the Rings" is merely nine hours of a hobbit walking and culminating with a ring toss into a fire pit, I feel sorry for you. I feel sorry that you will never be able to experience this nine hours like I did - with wide eyed amazement, feeling like a child again and getting pumped up during such scenes as Gandalf leading the Riders of Rohan down the mountainside, at the end of "The Two Towers". It's not only a road movie about a ring, but it's a movie about the total collapse of Middle Earth, a very intricate created world, complete with city names, made up races and detailed characters. Apparently Tolkien wrote the books during the years of World War II, so perhaps his vision of a world on the brink of destruction was what he thought was happening to this world. In "The Lord of the Rings" destruction is on the doorstep. There are many scenes where the characters give up hope and prepare themselves for death.
TEN WORTH MENTIONING: Gun Crazy (1949), The Asphalt Jungle (1950), The Mother and the Whore (1973), Yi Yi (2000), Spirited Away (2001), City of God (2002), Oldboy (2003), The Host (2006, Once (2006), Into the Wild (2007)
Whew! I love putting these TOP 20 lists together, but honestly, they're a BITCH to type out! Anyway, that's my TOP 20. As always, this is the time of year where I encourage comments, for people to come and voice their opinions about this list, where I went wrong and what I got right. Of course, I'll put together another TOP 20 list when I hit 601 movies watched. I'm officially announcing my hiatus from the blog at this point too. I need some time to recharge my batteries, but I'm sure I'll be back before too long. In fact, I'll be back later in the week to give you guys an update and explain, in more detail, what you can expect to see reviews for in the next 100. Until then, be well.
July 9, 2012 7:10pm
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