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Lord of the Rings Media Movies

The Two Towers DVD Release Dates 335

Posted by timothy from the waiting-for-the-hi-def-version dept.
FortKnox writes "Mark these dates on your Calendar: 8/26/03 & 11/18/03. These are the (US) DVD release dates for The Two Towers. Like Fellowship, the first date is the release of the DVD, and the November date is the release of the special edition (with rumored extra 48 minutes of footage). Another one ring.net page has more details on the actual footage."
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The Two Towers DVD Release Dates More

The Two Towers DVD Release Dates

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  • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 )
    Comment removed based on user account deletion

    • Re:Forget that! (Score:2, Interesting)

      by toddestan ( 632714 )
      You mean you are going to buy the first edition when it comes out? I plan on renting that. I'll buy the special edition.

      I'm kind of tired of the re-release game they play with DVDs - though it is nice with Lord of the Rings that they tell you in advance that there is a special edition coming out. But I do expect after the third movie for a super-duper special edition box set we'll all have to have.

  • You know (Score:2, Flamebait)

    by Raul654 ( 453029 )
    It's one thing to have a lot of hype on slashdot about lord of the rings. It's another thing entirely to give it its own catagory. That's just sick.

    • Re:You know (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Ark42 ( 522144 )
      So does The Matrix and Starwards... what I want to know is why Futurama doesn't have its own catagory :)

    • Re:You know (Score:3, Funny)

      by Dirtside ( 91468 )
      It's one thing to have a lot of hype on slashdot about lord of the rings. It's another thing entirely to give it its own catagory. That's just sick.
      But how could they not? It is, after all, our precioussss.... yesss.... we loves it...

      *shakes head* Whoa, sorry, got carried away there a second.

    • Re:You know (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Rob Simpson ( 533360 ) on Thursday April 24, 2003 @01:40AM (#5796986)
      Ah, but the beauty of it having its own category is that you can exclude it using your Preferences/Homepage menu, instead of whining about LOTR topics. So, uh, why didn't you go do that?

    • LoTR is much-loved by the "techie" crowd (Score:5, Interesting)

      by MtViewGuy ( 197597 ) on Thursday April 24, 2003 @06:24AM (#5797733)
      Actually, I think LoTR is a very well-loved book among the regulars on Slashdot because they all admire Peter Jackson's audacity and vision to actually film three movies out of a book (a long-time favorite among Slashdot readers) that everyone else had said could not be turned into theatrical features.

      It also helps that Jackson created almost from scratch a visual-effects team that has done amazing CGI work that rivals anything done by the folks at Lucasfilm.

      It's the reasons I mentioned above that LoTR deserves its own category in Slashdot. =)

  • Waiting for the complete set? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by ic3p1ck ( 597610 ) on Wednesday April 23, 2003 @11:32PM (#5796577)
    I'm personally waiting for the complete box set. I hope it will include all the extended versions of the three movies with all the extras, i.e greater than the sum of these intermediate special edition releases.

    • The smart move (Score:3, Interesting)

      by WIAKywbfatw ( 307557 )
      Amen to that. The smart move here is to wait until after all three movies have been out on DVD for about a year and then buy the "ultimate, super-duper, this-is-the-one-that-you-really-want" box set that contains all three extended additions and tons of extras.

      If you really need to see them on DVD before then either borrow a friend's copies or rent them out.

      Anything less will only lead to disappointment, in the next life if not this one.

      • Herein lies the problem (Score:5, Insightful)

        by Galvatron ( 115029 ) on Thursday April 24, 2003 @12:36AM (#5796815)
        I KNEW this was going to happen. With so many people getting burned on special editions, people won't buy the original releases anymore. Now, the studios are practically obligated to make special editions, which further reinforces people's avoidance of the standard edition. I honestly think the DVD market is permanently fucked up by this, I can't see any way that the studios can reverse the assumption that all movies that were at least decent will have special editions, so there's no point in buying it when it's first released. I'm sure it was a tremendous moneymaker when they started, but now Hollywood's shortsighted greed has obligated them to waste money printing a non-special edition that no one wants, and filming special filler, just so that people will believe them when they release the real version.
        • Seems like to counter this problem, Japanese DVD releases are *never* complete. I'll use Evangelion series as an example - but to get all of the footages (including the short live-action one), you'd have to buy something like 4 different editions - and even at usually 40-50 dollars *per*disc*, there are still people doing it - albeit complaining while doing so.

          I dunno. Given sufficiently dedicated fans, I think they can make this into a big money making venture, but at a heavy cost (wallet-wise) to the rea
        • I think you have to understand why we're getting two different releases of each LoTR film on DVD.

          The first edition is the version we originally saw in the theaters, the version that is likely to be a big hit in the rental market (Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, etc.). The second edition is the long edition movie on two discs with added scenes, Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks, multiple track commentaries and two-disc Supplementary material set intended for the serious videophile and serious movie fan. For h
        • Of course there's a solution. Don't make standard editions anymore, and release the special edition on the normal release date.
          I don't know who's buying these standard editions. Rental places, I guess. I don't know ANYONE who bought the standard edition of FotR. OK, one guy did, but only because he didn't know the special was coming out, and he was trying to sell it for a month before he finally unloaded it for something like $5.
        • At least the LOTR people are upfront with it and tell everyone there will be a special one later. They did this with the first one as well, in case someone doesn't know. They were nice enough not to piss people off by first releasing the normal one and then announce the special one two months later when the fans had already bought the first one. I guess when you have a movie that'll make one "billion" dollars either way, you can afford to be nice (but it still isn't the norm in movieland so props to them fo
      • Actually, I'm planning on buying both versions of the DVD, because I'm sure none of my friends are going to let me keep borrowing their copy to let me watch it 30 times before the extended DVD comes out. Renting is out of the question, because the cost of renting a movie that many times would be rediculous.

        Sure, if you're only planning on watching it one or two times, renting might be a better plan, but I'm already having withdrawls since the movie left the theaters in my area a month or so ago.
        • There's a book you might want to read... I hear the graphics are pretty good and it follows the original storyline. :-P

          Seriously, I can see watching a movie a couple times, even buying a movie if its really good. But watching it 30 times in a 6 month period? No, there are some issues with that. You realize that it 5 times a month, which is more than once a week on average. You need some help.

    • I'm guessing the first box set will have 9 discs - 2 for each film and 3 for extras (1 extras disc for each film.)
    • Don't get your hopes up, though.

      I think when the Complete Set comes out (if that is possible) maybe some time in 2005 it'll just be a repackaged Extended Edition sets with only a very tiny amount of tweaking to the first two movies. I don't think Peter Jackson wants to spend even more time to do all-new edits of all three movies just to satisfy the completist crowd. =(

  • Save your money. (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Asterax ( 522761 ) on Wednesday April 23, 2003 @11:33PM (#5796582) Journal
    I really don't see much point in buying the LotR DVD's seperately. You just know that New Line will compile together all three movie's in one big massive package with an infinite amount of DVD extra's.

    • Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)

      by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Wednesday April 23, 2003 @11:35PM (#5796591)
      Comment removed based on user account deletion

    • Re:Save your money. (Score:5, Insightful)

      by evilviper ( 135110 ) on Wednesday April 23, 2003 @11:59PM (#5796685) Journal
      Well, some of us buy DVDs for the movie, and don't care very much about the rest. Deleted scenes are always good, but if you want interviews with air-headed actors, just watch the late shows.
      • I'd say that the FOTR extended edition DVD is one of the best featured DVDs available. Besides the deleted scenes and the four commentary tracks there's the excellent 4-hour making of documentary that I'd say is worth the $30 on its own. And then there's hoards of artwork and an interactive editing thing that's pretty cool.

        • Great value (Score:3, Interesting)

          by Stickster ( 72198 )
          I agree completely. But then, New Line [newline.com] has made a habit of releasing some of the best DVD's available. Cf. David Fincher's [imdb.com] Se7en [imdb.com], which also featured four very informative commentary tracks by a number of cast and crew personnel. Admittedly it was not of the scope of LotR, but a fascinating movie nonetheless. That and Fox's special edition of Fincher's Fight Club [imdb.com] were pretty much my favorite DVD's as far as fulfilling the promise of "film school in a box." However, New Line's edition of P.T. Anderson's [imdb.com] Boog [imdb.com]
      • Just a note that the extra footage in LOTR is not deleted scenes. They were never meant for the theater release but are made specifically for the DVD release. Peter Jackson has been very upfront about the fact that he thinks DVD's can add an extra dimension to the film and has incorporated this concept from the beginning. /b

      • Air Headed Actors? (Score:5, Informative)

        by tid242 ( 540756 ) on Thursday April 24, 2003 @09:33AM (#5798998) Homepage
        but if you want interviews with air-headed actors, just watch the late shows.

        Not all actors are airheads, i saw THIS [artistsnetwork.org] interview on the Charlie Rose show (PBS) on December 3rd with Viggo wearing a shirt stating "No Blood For Oil"

        Charlie Rose: You're obviously making a political statement with your T-shirt.

        Viggo Mortensen: I wouldn't normally, but it's sort of a reaction to... I've heard a lot of people say to me and I've read in a lot of places about the first movie, and increasingly about the second one... I've seen where people try to relate it to current situation--specifically the United States and their role in the world right now. And I -- if you're going to compare them, then you should get it right--I don't like hearing... I mean I play the character who's defending Helms Deep and I don't think that The Two Towers or Tolkien's writing or Peter's work or our work has anything to do with the United States' foreign ventures at this time. And it upsets me to hear that in a way. And it upsets me even more that questioning what's going on right now, what the United States is doing, is considered treasonous really: "How dare you say that? How un-American of you." And really, this country is founded on the principle that if the government isn't serving the people you at least have the right to say, "Wait a minute. What's going on?" And there're no questions really being asked, at large, about what we're doing. Whereas in The Two Towers you have different races, nations, cultures coming together and examining their conscience and unifying against a very real and terrifying enemy. What the United States has been doing for the past year is bombing innocent civilians without having come anywhere close to catching Osama bin Laden or any presumed enemy, and, as a distraction, we're now--apparently it's a given--we're hell bent on increasing the bombing that's been going on for the past eleven years in Iraq. And I don't think that the civilians on the ground in those countries look at us in the way that maybe Europeans did at the end of World War II, waving flags in the streets, I think that they see the US government as Saruman.

        Elijah Wood: As a threat.

        VM: Yeah, as a threat. And they're terrified--and have been for a long time--and we are not the good guys, unfortunately, in this case, and ...

        CR: Even though right after 9/11 there was an extraordinary amount of public support for the United States to do something.

        VM: I'm supportive of the United States. I'm an American. And I have nothing against patriotism. But if one is going to compare then the comparison is quite the opposite of what is being made.

        CR: Let me just make sure of the comparison. Because I asked you about the T-shirt at the beginning and you said you made it yourself.

        VM: Yeah.

        CR: The idea... you object to the comparison of this film with respect to American involvement with Iraq or--

        VM: United States government

        CR: --with the Afghanistan war or the war against terrorism--in comparison with the film because of your opposition to American policy.

        VM: And the idea is--in that comparison--is that the United States is like the good guys in our movie against the bad guys in our movie and I think the opposite is true unfortunately.

        CR: We're the bad guys because we responded to--

        VM: You know, the people who are terrified at Helms Deep, who are outnumbered in this incredible violence and desire to control--to destroy--the people of Rohan and the rest of the free peoples of Middle-earth, and to control their wills, to control their infrastructure--or destroy it--that's what we're doing in these countries. That's really what we're doing unfortunately. I'm not saying to anyone, to you, or to you, or to you: "This is what you should believe." I'm just saying, why not ask the question: "Why are we doing this?"

        EW: Sure.

        VM: And I

    • Re:Save your money. (Score:5, Insightful)

      by coupland ( 160334 ) <<moc.liamtoh> <ta> <esahcd>> on Thursday April 24, 2003 @12:09AM (#5796724) Journal
      Your comment makes no sense. If a single compilation is what you want then you are guaranteed not to get it. The media industry has proven time and again that it makes no sense to release something their customers want when it's easier and more profitable to release many iterations of something you ALMOST want. Hopefully you'll buy them all and make them rich. Star Wars for example, will we ever see a digital DVD compilation? No. Not while you keep buying things piecemeal...
    • I really don't see much point in buying the LotR DVD's seperately. You just know that New Line will compile together all three movie's in one big massive package with an infinite amount of DVD extra's.

      This is my intention as well. I'd rather shell out $150+ for the 12-disc super extra collector's edition box set, than buy each movie separately. I intend to wait until this is available. In the mean time, I'll borrow them from the library [slashdot.org] (I'm #5 of 39 holds for the 4-DVD version of FOTR, having already
  • You now that there is a special edition coming out down the line, and the date of release for that matter! None of this, I bought the DVD and they fleeced me be releasing a special edition.
    • Um...last time they were quite specific about the release dates (and contents) of each version as well.
    • They did exactly the same thing last year.

  • Likewise with FOTR extended DVD (Score:4, Interesting)

    by PovRayMan ( 31900 ) on Wednesday April 23, 2003 @11:35PM (#5796588) Homepage
    I'm hoping I get a $10 coupon to the Return of the King movie.

    I'm a poor college student and I was so happy that I could spend $30 on a 4 Disc DVD, and get a FREE (afternoon shows here are $5.50) showing of the newest LOTR movie. It was very nice walking in to the theature after classes, handing them my coupon, and sneaking a bottle over to the water fountain because I was too broke to even afford a drink.

    Well I got my fingers crossed.

    • Re:Likewise with FOTR extended DVD (Score:5, Insightful)

      by buffy ( 8100 ) <buffy@pa[ ]et.net ['rap' in gap]> on Thursday April 24, 2003 @12:07AM (#5796713) Homepage
      I'm a poor college student and I was so happy that I could spend $30 on a 4 Disc DVD, and get a FREE (afternoon shows here are $5.50) showing of the newest LOTR movie. It was very nice walking in to the theature after classes, handing them my coupon, and sneaking a bottle over to the water fountain because I was too broke to even afford a drink.

      Wait a sec. You were broke, but still had the $30 to spend on a 4 Disc DVD? That's sick.

      Broke is broke. Having $30 to by a movie that you have the luxury to have a DVD player to play in is NOT broke.

      So sayeth the fat white computer dude with a good job, and who worries about buying that new Wolverine XBox game 'cause he hears it kind of sucks. -buf

    • You're like my sister's boyfriend, who told a homeless person "Hey I'm sorry I'd give you some change but I'm poor" the guy yelled at him "You're poor! I live on the fucking street with one pair of clothes with no money to eat and YOU'RE POOR!" Kind of makes you look at the word "poor" in a whole new light.

  • Release date mix-up (Score:5, Informative)

    by dzym ( 544085 ) on Wednesday April 23, 2003 @11:35PM (#5796590) Homepage Journal
    The actual release date for the DVD with the theatrical version of the movie is august 26th, 8/26, not June 28th, 6/28.

    Hope that helps.

    • The actual release date for the DVD with the theatrical version of the movie is august 26th, 8/26, not June 28th, 6/28.
      Hope that helps.

      Helps what? Rip out my heart, stomp on it, and pour salt all over it? The release quickly went from 2 months away to 4 in the time it took me to click "read more"!!

      Now I might as well wait for the Extended-Super-Delux edition...

  • On DivX though. ;) That said, I will be buying the DVD, if for nothing else than the surround sound. Good movie, can't wait for the third.
  • I was hoping for a rerendering of Pixar's "Geri's Game" starring Gollum. Now that I'd pay for. Or at least get Pixar to put on Geri's Game on the same DVD. My precious-s-s.....

  • We have such super high quality versions of LOTR, but just try finding ONE good quality copy of Meet the Feebles...

  • Why yes... (Score:5, Informative)

    by GarfBond ( 565331 ) on Wednesday April 23, 2003 @11:42PM (#5796617)
    If by 6/28/2003 you mean 8/26/2003 (bit of an odd typo...), then yes, that is the expected release date for TTT :)

    Here's the Official Site [lordoftherings.net] if you don't believe someone's scanner for this info.

  • the onion (Score:5, Funny)

    by DanThe1Man ( 46872 ) on Wednesday April 23, 2003 @11:46PM (#5796634)
    (with rumored extra 48 minutes of footage)

    That remindes me of an Onion side story title: "DVD contains two hours of previously unseen movie"

  • some news on the extended edition (Score:5, Informative)

    by TerraFrost ( 611855 ) on Wednesday April 23, 2003 @11:48PM (#5796644)
    While we're talking about the Two Towers, the extended edition will have 43 extra minutes (compared to the 32 extra in FotR), and have more than 150 cgi scenes (compared to the 35 extra in FotR).

    Sources:
    http://www.theonering.net/perl/newsview/8/10503906 13
    http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=14590

  • Lucas (Score:5, Funny)

    by grungebox ( 578982 ) on Wednesday April 23, 2003 @11:50PM (#5796652) Homepage
    I think George Lucas should watch the DVD extras so he can learn a thing or two about making good movies.

    • Re:Lucas (Score:3, Insightful)

      by BollocksToThis ( 595411 )
      Umm, did anyone happen to watch the extras that came with the first DVD?

      I did, and what I saw amounted to one big fucking commercial.

      "Hi, I'm some chick who works for bla bla corp, oh look! Collector's editions of the original trilogy in book format! That's pretty interesting, why don't we show some shots of that while I keep talking? Did you know we sell these? Mmmm, these books sure do look nice... I wish I could be saying 'Only $69.95!' right about now... hey, let's have a shot of the director. He
      • I believe he means the extensive and informative extras that came with the real (read: extended) version. The first one was to get fanboys to spend extra cash to have it early and give something to Blockbuster and idiots who don't know any better or don't care.

        • The first one was to get fanboys to spend extra cash to have it early and give something to Blockbuster and idiots who don't know any better or don't care.

          Or, perhaps, for people who found the discipline of a three-hour theatrical release superior to the wandering three-and-a-half-hour monstrosity of the extended edition.

          I liked all of the scenes that were cut from the extended FoTR, especially the pub scene, but it's in most respects a better movie without those scenes. That's what I'd prefer to see. N

    • Re:Lucas (Score:3, Insightful)

      by daVinci1980 ( 73174 )
      Why is it that when Lucas re-edits movies and adds scenes to them, we consider it evil, but when its LoTR its okay?

      And before you think I'm just whining, consider the amount of bandwidth [google.com] spent discussing this specific evil.
  • Is it possible to play the normal versions of the movies on the special edition DVDs?

    It would be convenient to be able to compare the theatrical release with the extended version without having to buy both editions. Of course given that they'd love to sell two copies of the movie to every person it's probably a vain hope.

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by account_deleted ( 4530225 )
      Comment removed based on user account deletion
    • It's not just a scam to get money out of you either. The theatrical DVD has just that: the theatrical version. There are no special commentaries or anything fabulous on them.

      The bonus disc only contained material that was previously available on the official web site. The only reason that they have this release is that the video market demands that a film be available within a certain time frame from original release. They just don't have time to finish the special extended versions in time, so they rele

  • In other news (Score:5, Funny)

    by djupedal ( 584558 ) on Thursday April 24, 2003 @12:12AM (#5796735)
    Mark these dates on your Calendar: 4/28/03 & 8/11/03. These are the (China) DVD release dates for The Two Towers. Get in line now...(and wear that mask, dammit).

  • Gonna start a piracy thread! (Score:4, Funny)

    by sludg-o ( 120354 ) on Thursday April 24, 2003 @12:26AM (#5796785)
    Another one ring.net page has more details on the actual footage.

    I bet KaZaA has more than just the details

  • For Your Consideration (Score:3, Insightful)

    by D+iz+a+n+k+Meister ( 609493 ) on Thursday April 24, 2003 @12:39AM (#5796823) Journal
    I was in the Philippines over the New Year and I came across a very nice Muslim women who sold me an awards screener for The Two Towers on DVD for $2 US. I have seen the movie in the theater(obviously) so I can attest to the screener's validity and quality. Basically a pretty dope find, and the whole movie is on exactly 1 DVD(huge plus IMHO).

    I also bought all 3 Indiana Jones movies and the first 3 Star Wars captured from Laser Disc on DVD. Total cost: $14 US. Arrrr Matey!!!

  • Great (Score:2)

    by rf0 ( 159958 )
    It comes out on whilst I'm on honeymoon :)

    Rus
  • Wantsssss... M. Mm. My Preciousssssss
  • Like a lot of people, I got the normal DVD release of the Fellowship before knowing that there would be an extended special release.

    Of course, I had to buy it and it was an excellent purchase !

    This time I'll know better.

    So the plan is to get the DVD just before the release of "The return of the King" and spend all day watching the extended version of the first two films and top it of with the final on the big screen.

    LOR Goodness !
    • I pre-ordered the Fellowship of the Ring DVD release (standard edition).

      I was then working away in Switzerland for a few weeks and couldn't resist 'Der Herren Der Ringe' (when I found out it had the English soundtrack). This meant I could watch it a whole 2 weeks earlier than if I waited until I got home.

      I then pre-ordered and bought the special Edition.

      Do I feel bitter? Nah.

  • The Two Towers - Purist Edit (Score:5, Informative)

    by tangent3 ( 449222 ) on Thursday April 24, 2003 @02:40AM (#5797165)
    For those who are interested, there is a "Purist Edit" of The Two Towers floating around the Edonkey network. The quality isn't that great, being a rip of a rip squeezing 2 hours and 15 mins into 1 CD.

    The purpose of the edit is to make the movie follow more closely to the original books. It's amazing the work the editor has done by selectively removing scenes and rearranging them - without messing up the sound synchronisation. Now there are no longer any elves in Helm's Deep, Faramir is a good guy again, and the ents aren't idiots anymore.

    Here's the ed2k link:
    ed2k://|file|Lord_of_the_Rings-The_Two_Towe rs-The_ Purist_Edit.avi|729462784|ec0671172619e490d7b0ea6b 5278468c|/

    More information in the sharereactor [sharereactor.com] forums.

  • Actually (Score:2, Interesting)

    by krelian ( 525362 )
    I am realy looking forward to seeing what documentaries they are going to put on this DVD. The first movie had 2 disc's worth of doc's in it and they all were very intresting. The thing is that alot of them were based on general LotR stuff not specifically FoTR and i guess that they would not just repeat the same old doc's.

    I consider the first movie extended edition to be the best DVD release ever made, they really have high standards to repeat on future releases.

  • i've seen the Two Towers DVD out here in Russia for over a month now. obviously, there's no extra footage, but it's nice to watch this film in the comforts of my flat.
  • the WHY is that the divxs of this movie are already available on all your neighbourhood friendly peer2peer networks? rips of pre-release DVDs??? or pirated camera prints? Unfortunately, I have a slo connx, but I hear that these divxs were the real thing... DVD print... something is amiss here.....
  • When something STARTS obsolete it really pisses me off. If the friggin edition is so special, release it, not a gap-filling money-harvesting disc that WILL be useless in a few months. I like money, I love it, but I know one can make much more money NOT calling people "stupid".

    After a few months, the hype was gone, and with it the desire of buying LOTR. Should they release the special edition at once OR later, but NOT releasing the idea of an special edition side-by-side the normal one, I'd be with it right
  • ... that's 28/6/2003 and 18/11/2003, or 2003-06-28 and 2003-11-18

  • What I want to know, is when the 'Collectors Edition' will be released, and what'll come with it.
    The Fellowship came with two daff Arrgonath bookends, I'm wondering if the Two Towers will have Orthanc and Isengard bookends...

  • Maybe the extra 48 minutes (Score:4, Funny)

    by jgerman ( 106518 ) on Thursday April 24, 2003 @05:03AM (#5797510)
    ... contains the scenes where Gimli kicks everyone's ass for making him comic relief.
  • I've seen the DVD ripp [izonews.com] of this movie floating around. I watched it on a friends xbox, and the picture was really good.
    I am wondering, if there's several months to go before the DVD release, how can there be a DVD ripp out on the net??

    I think I'll buy this movie when it comes out on DVD, but I'll prolly wait for the special edition. I have both versions of the first one, and it kinda feels like a waste...
  • I haven't seen the extended FOTR but I have the 'regular' version on DVD. Is the extended version really cool? Is it worth getting the extended FOTR and should I wait for the extended TTT?

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