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A slightly rattled Capone says PARANORMAL ACTIVTY 2 is a scarier and more satisfying horror experience!!!
Hey everyone. Capone in Chicago here.
The plan was to come home from the Wednesday midnight screening of the sequel to the most profitable film of all time, go to bed, get up slightly early Thursday morning, and write the review. Yet here I am at 2 a.m., just back from PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2, wired beyond words and, yes, more than a little freaked out. I'm going to attempt to write a spoiler-free review, but this is the kind of film where some people's definition of "Spoiler" might vary drastically. So if you don't want to know any major plot points, you may want to hold off reading this review. Warning given.
I saw the first PARANORMAL ACTIVITY on the first day of my first Fantastic Fest last year, with one of those great Austin crowds you always pray you'll see a good scary movie with and makes it real easy to love just about any movie. I didn't doubt that I was pulled in and scared nearly to death by the first film, but I was fully primed to get scared. With PA2, I was the only critic in a theater full of citizens, all of whom loved the first film as well. But Chicago crowds can be rough on horror films. For example, they might nervously laugh when they should be quiet. But I'm here to report that the crowd I saw this movie with was unbelievably quiet at all the right spots…except when they were gasping or screaming or saying things like "No, no, no, no..." Oh, wait, that last one was me. I think it's fair to say that director Tod Williams (taking over for the first film's Oren Peli) has studied PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, figured out what worked and what didn't as much, and added a few wonderful twists with the help of screenwriter and T.V. veteran Michael R. Perry.
As the film begins, we see a new family's home movies. A pretty mom, dad, teenage daughter, and an infant named Hunter. We soon find out that mom is actually stepmom, although everyone seems to get along great and is appropriately doting on baby Hunter. Forgive me for not knowing any of the actors' names. The only thing the studio has confirmed so far is that Katie Featherston from the first PARANORMAL ACTIVITY reprises her role in this film, which is true. Soon after we've established the home layout and family relationships of this new family, Katie shows up, and we immediately remember how, um, unwell she looked the last time we saw her. Turns out she's the sister of the woman of the house, who I think got a mention in the first film as being someone who was mutually tortured by unseen entities along with Katie when they were children. Has she arrived in her demonic state to cause more havoc? It doesn't seem so, but when the couple asks where her beloved Micah is, she brushes off the question with something along the order of "He didn't feel like being social today." Uh oh.
But then, guess what? The next time we see Katie in the home movies, Micah (Micah Sloat) is with her, and a title card tells us that the scene we're watching is 60 days before Micah is killed. For the first time, we realize that PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 is a prequel, and that at this point in time (still 2006, the same year that Katie and Micah were terrorized), none of the things we saw in PARANORMAL ACTIVITY have happened. After the new couples' home is vandalized (although weirdly nothing was stolen), they have video cameras installed around the house (if you've seen the trailer, you know the angles--pool, kitchen, dining room, entranceway, baby's room), and once again we have multiple static views to get used to while director Williams systematically ignites our nightmares with sound effects, doors opening and closing, a nervous and highly sensitive dog, and general mayhem created around a baby boy named Hunter.
The first few encounters with this unseen force are remarkably similar to events that occurred in the first PA, but there's something a bit more menacing going on in PA2, a lot of which has to do with the victims being a family unit and not just a couple of borderline obnoxious people that don't know when to stop. Admit it, more than a few of you were happy to see Micah die in the original film. But the family unit in the new film is functional, happy, and, above all, likable.
(Sidenote: I absolutely recognized the lead actress from some TV shows, and it's killing me that I can't remember from what. I'm sure many of you will clue me in and make me feel very dumb for not coming up with her name.)
There is something about putting a baby in a kind of vague danger that really upped the ante for me with PA2. In some films, putting an infant in harms way is cheap and awful; here, it's spooky as hell. And if it's even possible, I felt more of a sense of dread than I did during the first go-round, and anytime the baby started crying and someone ran from downstairs to check on him, I tensed up at the thought of what they might find waiting in or absent from that crib.
While the mom clearly remembers a time in her life when being scared was a daily occurrence (yes, the two sisters convene to discuss the weird events, with Katie offering up ironic "just ignore it" advice), it's her stepdaughter that does some investigative work and provides us with enough clues to figure out what's probably happening to this family and why. Dear old dad is a non-believer, so much so that he fires the housekeeper when he catches her burning incense to drive out "evil spirits" while holding the baby.
But PA2 works best in those overnight security camera moments, just like the original--Night #1, Night #12, Night #15. As soon as the world is seen from those familiar angles, my heart started racing and my eyes started scanning the scream for anything out of the ordinary. Sometimes, it's something simple like a falling frying pan or a moving door or a shadow cast from an unseen source. Other times, it's far worse. In most ways, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 exceeds the scares of the first film, and does so without resorting to easy special effects or growing the plot outside of the home. There were a few times when I questioned why a family member might pull out a video camera at a particular moment in the story, but every time I screamed, I kind of forgot to consider the question. The caliber of the acting is better in the new movie, and that means a great deal toward selling the fear.
Not to ruin anything (closest thing to a true SPOILER, coming up), but at one point in the story, the action shifts to a post-PARANORMAL ACTIVITY timeframe, and that is something you do not want to miss if you loved the first movie. And the way the two sets of events are linked is kind of great, as is the way that little details from Katie and Micah's story are birthed in this story (remember that burned photo of Katie as a little girl found in the attic in the first movie?). So there you have it. I was a big fan of PARANORMAL ACTIVITY and I'm even more impressed with the new movie that borrows its style and pacing but ramps up the tension and scares considerably. See PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 with someone you love and doesn't mind having their arms bruised and torn up. And a big thanks to the beyond-respectful crowd in Chicago I shared this experience with. You guys were fucking awesome, and your screams were priceless.
-- Capone
capone@aintitcool.com
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...in a long time to give me the heebie jeebies. Maybe because my girlfriend has a little sleepwalking problem?!
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Something I said? Was it the heebie jeebies line?
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One review even called it "The Godfather Part 2 of the found footage genre". The sequel to me looks far more interesting than the original. The trailers got be because I had no clue what the movie was about and I liked that. These days far too much is given away. I also thought a ghost putting a baby in the middle of a street was fucked up, so the movie was defnitely different. <p>Part 1 didn't scare me, but I didn't hate it. I could relate to being alone and hearing weird noises so my reaction was to laugh most of the time because we're all suckers when we are alone.
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Wasn't it supposed to come out this October too?
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...for a week after watching it. This is coming from a lifelong fan of horror, who is well into his thirties. It's a simple concept that PA employed, but it works so well on primal fears. I'm looking forward to this sequel, in spite of my reservations in continuing on after the great ending of the first film. Thanks for the review Capone!
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Having enjoyed the first one, I pretty much went in not knowing what to expect in terms of quality with the 2nd film. I will pretty much agree with much of what Capone says here. Better acting and better pacing made the film more involving. Being a Father myself, Baby Hunter upped the tension for me and had me hooked in more than I expected. There is one scene in particular (spoiler) where the mother was trying to get to Hunter and unsuccessfully couldn't get to him TWICE. Any parent protective of their child will definitely be affected by that scene. All in all, it was more clever than I expected it to be (read: Twists at the end Capone mentions) and it was the perfect way to kick off the countdown to Halloween.
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Just got back from the Seattle screening. I agree with most parts of Capnone's review, but I was a bit dismayed that so much of this was a prequel. There were many effective shots (that part FilmFam311 mentioned was pretty much the "money shot" to me) but I guess I was expecting more. Yes the acting was much better here, but the original will likely stick with me more because it was so out-of-the-blue, where this seems like a smartly played retread.
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Was it me or were most of the scenes from the trailer not in the film? I don't remember seeing the family arguing in the kitchen, and I sure don't remember the dancing dude out in the street with the baby. Then again, I did step out to pee for a bit.
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I will not watch the second. Before my daughter was born, the common "child/son/daughter in harm's way" routine was no big deal. The Orphanage is the last scary/suspense movie (with kids) that I will ever see again.
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Enjoyed the first film and the second was just as good if not better. However if they make a part 3 am going to need a little more than loud noises,crashes and invisbile forces.It works twice but a third time might be pushing it am gong to need something with a little more substance. Plus what happened to the dancing dude out in the street with the baby? Or the Katie hooded like figure standing in the kids bathroom. And what happened to the maid when she came back? Although it was cool to have a running parallel story occuring at the same time as the first film.
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as opposed to being surrounded by a bunch of people in a packed cinema eating pop corn and the like?
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I guess if you watch it in the packed cinema your kind of like a helpless passive observer.Watching it at home would be like putting yourself in the shoes of the characters of the movie. Both are effective scares but work on you in different ways. I tell you after watching the first one at home at night it'll definately make any strange noise you hear in your house super creppy.
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..the answer is no!
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I saw the first one alone, at a matinee. I think these are films that, at home or with a theater crowd, work best without distractions and letting the "quiet" of soundtrack/proceedings to work their way into your psyche. I wasn't so much scared while watching the first film, but it definitely makes its impact known when one has to go to sleep, in the quiet darkness of their own home. In addition to Sairimmer's comment about strange noises rattling your nerves, I'll add that I no longer leave doors open either, even if probably wouldn't do a lick of good at stopping a demon anyway. *LOL*
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Well they did tried closing the door to their bedrooms in the first film and the demon just started banging on the door...
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Nature's way of keeping Demons out. Works with vampires too. "Um, hi, yeah, can I come in?"
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Rattled indeed.
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I HATE jump scares, if just for their cheapness, but goddamn if that jump scare in the kitchen wasn't magnificently planned and played out.
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some folks at imdb weren't impressed by PA2. How much better or worse is PA2 v. PA1 ? tia
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I didn't find it scary either ways, too de-sensitized/cynical, but a friend had this gem to share.<p> He saw at around 10pm with couple of friends who had come over for game of poker over weekend [all night thing]. He got tired and went to sleep at 2am in one of the rooms. Around 4am we heard a scream loud enough to wake up neighbors on floor above and below us. As it turns out, one of the guys had just gone to say goodbye and had opened the door just as he woke up [kinda].
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The early reviews on the message boards at IMDb are very negative. Based on their comments, I figured the film was a "Blair Witch 2"-sized misfire. But the comments here have me thinking "Paranormal Activity 2" might be pretty good.
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...Gretchen Mol really knew her husband had talent when she agreed to fuck Oren Peli if it got hubby the gig. Good to hear one of her will-do-facials-for-work-gambits finally payed off...
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Oct. 21, 2010, 8:05 a.m. CST
I can't watch this kind of shit...
by The_Floating_Skull_of_Robert_Loggia
Paranormal Activity didn't really bother me while watching it, but, after--and I'm talking for weeks and weeks--it fucking terrified me. I slept like shit, jumped at every creak and bump (damn you cats!), and couldn't get images from the film out of my mind (especially the pulling off the bed sequence). I'm a good Catholic boy, so demons and demonic possession flicks like this...well...they creep me right the fuck out. I will NOT be watching PA2. Fuck, I close my eyes when the commercials come on. Yes, I'm a pussy.
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Thanks for making me feel better about this.
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Really?
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Because you get all paranoid and shit that one of your friends or family members sleeping with you in the house could be the demon host. Let that shit marinate for a while and try to sleep. =P
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And I don't mean that in a snobby way. I have just never been entertained by the hand held/found footage type of film. I don't know why. Maybe its a disconnect. Ive seen both Blair Witch movies(I actually enjoyed the second one and am not afraid to say it MFER'S!)I saw Cloverfield and wanted to strangle someone, saw Jersey Devil and so on and so forth. The only one that actually got me was REC...and that was mostly because I was impressed by the integration of the special effects and the choreography.
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as soon as I seen them giving away screening's.
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What the f. I can't even look up any cast members beyond Featherston to answer your question, Capone. IMDB has been ruined.
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Good review, I'll be checking it out on DVD. But I'm surprised to hear how PA1 freaked anyone out. I'm no fearless soul, but I found the movie underwhelming and totally not scary. I just felt like I was watching a low budget indie film putting some mildly original spins on a lot of cliches. And god that guy was annoying, and the girl was no great prize. Conversely, I thought Blair Witch was relatively terrifying. I didn't quite relate to those characters that much more, but the PA1 couple was unbearable, couldn't put myself in their shoes for one second.
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You've hit the nail on the head! I feel exactly the same.
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If they actually used the same conceit as the first, and actually made it work....I think this is where Blair Witch 2 ultimately failed. They had a brilliant, unique premise to work off of....And they ultimately second-guessed themselves. Then again, who knows....Maybe it would have sucked either way. Now, pay attention: This only works once or twice, maybe three times at the outside....Don't keep trying the same thing, or you will ultimately fail, whether or not the film makes money or not. MOVE ON when the thing's done, ok? Because my talkback on 'Paranormal Activity vs. Blair Witch' will be unmercifully scathing, and may cause spontaneous abortion in women who are pregnant....Or who plan to become so.
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The first PA underwhelmed me. I found the characters so utterly unlikeable that the danger they were put in just never seemed that tense to me. I couldn't relate to people who knew they were being chased around by a demon....an honest to god bona fide demon...and didn't think "maybe I should contact some sort of religious authority to handle this thing." I know they didn't want a remake of the Exorcist, but it seems to be the next logical step. I respect what they ended up making though, which was a very low budget film that managed to hit big and apparently scare the pants off of most of America, and even if I didn't really sink into the reality that was being created, I'm willing to chip in to see the next one.
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Oct. 21, 2010, 11:52 a.m. CST
Don't feel like watching a kid die this week, sorry.
by Stuntcock Mike
Especially when he has the same name and is the same age as my kid.
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in the 1st film to die. And the demon was the most inept and motiveless entity I've ever seen in a film. The demons from every movie from exorcist to constantine would slap that fool demon silly
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As soon as I saw the word "prequel," my interest in this one dropped like a rock. So they're saying a bunch of scary stuff happened BEFORE the events of the first movie but the couple being haunted/possessed/whatever never mentioned it or made any connection with the events of this movie? I must be missing something here because that sounds too dumb for words. Hopefully it will make more sense than Capone's description due to him trying to avoid spoilers. The first movie was okay but not nearly as scary as the hype made it out to be. And Micah was perhaps the biggest tool I've ever seen in a horror movie. You think you are dealing with a demon and you go around taunting it? If any character completely deserved what they got, it was him.
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paramount is keeping the actor's names secret as part of the marketing
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She played President Taylor's daughter on 24. She was also on SIX FEET UNDER, JERICHO, WEEDS, and JOAN OF ARCADIA. I recognized her in one of the clips they released.
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There actually is a reason why the first movie's characters aren't aware of what's going on in this one, but it's way to spoilery to say why.
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every Halloween for the next 10 years. Oren Peli is a one trick pony and don't expect much from his Area 51 movie. I will only pay for a Paranormal Activity movie if Katie Featherston takes her top off.
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I don't know, I just kind of liked it. I hated the original and didnt get the appeal. Working at a video store at the time allowed me to see the second one free and i expected to hate it and was actually kind of into it. I think most of the people that "hate" it didnt even see it and the rest probably hated the fact that it wasn't filmed like the first one. I don't know. I liked it, back then anyway.
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Oct. 21, 2010, 1:40 p.m. CST
The demon is kind of a jackass, so them not knowing makes sense
by terry1978
Probably pulled some stunts to make it seem like a random occurence, or memory wiping or some shit like that.
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First time I made a mess.
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At all. I just have a hard time buying those "docu-dramas" or whatever they're called. I wasn't too crazy about Cloverfield, [REC] or Blair Witch, either. To me, the lack of any real editing or photography just kind of saps the reality, no one says or does anything that seems natural and it sucks me right out of what I'm watching. Im interested in Troll Hunters (or whatever it's called). District 9 did it right in my mind. An interest-building documentary segment that sets up the second and third acts. Watching someone's home movies is supposed to be a punishment, not entertainment.
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wire foo blair witch
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then my wife cried for 10 minutes and we had to pray. I don't watch scary movies with her anymore.
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Was successful because it was new and unexpected. I don't think they can "surprise" the audience twice... but I could be wrong. I am confused as to why they brought in a new director. The direction was the one part of the film they had locked in IMHO.
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...the shit out of me. The jumps themselves aren't frightening, but just the feeling of dread leading up to the events themselves are just creepy as shit. Because we've all had a mini-episode like that. Being in a creepy house all alone, up late at night, mind wandering, listening to creaks and cracks, getting the imagination going. This is the only movie that I had trouble sleeping after seeing. All those cheesy movies about zombies, vampires, Hellraiser, etc. are more campy scary, but this is the one of the few movies to actually creep me the fuck out. I'm not sure how you can replicate the same sense of suspense and dread as the 1st, but I'll be there opening night.
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You lost a customer for this movie, Hollywood and AICN. Damn thing keeps popping up, which I would be fine with, but it SUPERIMPOSES the AICN homepage and starts playing automatically. Fuck you. Not getting my money. Ever.
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PA was awful. Boring, annoying characters, and then I have to hear from everyone how scary it is. It wasn't. Could the second one be good? Sure, but I doubt it if it follows the same pattern/feel as the first. I watched PA in a dark room alone (how I watch almost all my horror movies....okay, movies in general....go ahead and make the jokes). Nothing. I just stared at the screen like I was reading small print during a commercial. Congrats to them for making a successful movie but count me out for this one. I fell for the hype/friend recommendation trap for the last one and was severely disappointed. If this is supposed to better then imagine how disappointed I will probably be....now THAT is scary.
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Oct. 21, 2010, 5:54 p.m. CST
Is the fat chick with a nice rack a ghost now?
by HarryKnowlesNonExistentInceptionReview
Just asking. I'll see this the same way I saw the original, either on OnDemand or else I'll Red Box it.
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...that it's all "found footage", how the fuck do they explain a title card explaining that the scene is from 60 days agao???
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Oct. 21, 2010, 6 p.m. CST
Oh, btw, it's Sprague Grayden from Jericho and 24...
by HarryKnowlesNonExistentInceptionReview
Whatsamatter Capone? Can't type the letters: www.imdb.com?
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I didn't sleep right for weeks after seeing PA last year. I'm talking about keeping the lights and the TV on. I live alone half the time (long story), and that first week was especially bad! I have the DVD, but haven't watched it once.
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but she does wear a bikini in the swimming pool. So that's something.
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Just confirmed at comingsoon.net.
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I didn't think Paranormal Activity was scary and I'm increasingly wary of any movie positively reviewed on this site. Also, I'd rather watch Poltergeist.
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Yeah. Sure. Whatever Cappy. As far as I'm concerned, bending over for MACGRUBER has forever robbed you of ANY credibility for ANY movie reviews again.
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It's found footage that has been edited to be presentable to an audience. Haven't you seen the first one? Wasn't their some kind of title card that said this? I mean it's kind of obvious dude.
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I saw the first one and it was about as alarming as my morning bowel movements. How the fuck could this shit scare anybody who's half a man? Pathetic fucking assholes. I kept waiting for something "scary" to happen, and suddenly the movie was over and all I saw was a fucking lame ripoff with some savvy marketing. How anybody can give this shit a positive review boggles my mind. This is the reason there's so much crap out there - ignorant fuckheads let this shit slip, and not only that, they praise it! Why should anybody try to make anything better when offal like Paranormal Activity makes millions? I find this absolutely disgusting, I find this review absolutely disgusting, and this web site is an enormous piece of shit. You motherfuckers should be embarrassed, but you're too fucking stupid to feel that way. Jesus Fucking Christ!
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The acting was so bad right from the beginning it just took me straight out of it. Freaking awful actors. And spending nearly the entire moving watching a door move slightly. I don't get why people thought it was terrifying. She gets dragged out of bed and thats the climax? Seriously?
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I'm not one of those macho assholes that acts like he isn't capable of being scared by movies. There are scenes in Pet Sematary (Zelda...), that despite the film's flaws, send chills up my spine. Seriously. I just got a chill thinking about Zelda while I wrote that. Blair Witch gives me the creeps when they hear babies crying in the woods. Session 9 made my blood run cold. <br><p> But this.... Just a bunch of jump scares. And to be fair, they're done well. I jumped. A lot. But you know what? <br><p> Silence... Silence... Silence... BAM!!! <BR><p> That isn't scary. It's loud, and startling, but it isn't scary. So while I do think it is possible to be frightened by a movie, I don't think Paranormal Activity, or its sequel, is particularly frightening.
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I watched it alone at night, was ready to be frightened. nothing fucking happened! only good thing was the blast sound effect somewhere in the middle of the film. Really this is some hyped bullocks.
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He gave it 1 1/2 stars. He gave the first one 3 1/2. I'll still see it; I just hope it's better than the first movie.
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I haven't read Ebert's review yet--but it sounds way off the mark. At WORST, PA2 is exactly more of the same from PA, with a couple new scares. It's at least as clever as the first. Guess I'll have to read his write-up; I don't see how PA2 can be two stars less.
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Ebert just dumped on it. Like diarrhea dumped.
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I found the first movie overrated. Maybe it was because I didn't see it until it was released on DVD and the hype was way out of control by then, but I just didn't get what the hype was about.
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PA2 is full of 'gotcha moments' It falls into the bad horror category of loud noises and sudden appearances onscreen to try and scare us. Is it fright or just surprise? If you like those moments then this movie is for you. If you want a good horror flick that is full of dread and the anticipation of terror...this falls way short.
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I find 'Gotcha Moments' a better descriptive than 'surprise moments'...so I'll use it! :-)
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After reading AICN for years, I have come to the conclusion that the Alamo Drafthouse is just another cinema, like any other, that is placed on a pedestal by Harry and co simply because it's their local cinema. If they had been from Denver, I'm sure some cinema in Denver would be declared the greatest ever etc. <p> Secondly, I have also concluded that the "great Austin crowd" Capone (who admittedly is from Chicago, not Austin) talks about are just a bunch of yelling, whooping, cheering idiots who will applaud anything and make up the lowest common denominator of movie-going audiences aka Transformers fans. This appears to be a phenomenon that exists only in America where people seem to cheer everything that happens on screen, thus missing tons of dialogue that can't be heard over their inane noise-making and thus rendering them incapable of understanding the plot as they marvel at how shiny Batman's batarangs are. <p> You don't get that in Europe. Sure, if something funny happens the audience laughs but we don't cheer every action scene or holler everytime something "scary" happens. We watch the movie. We don't force ourselves to react to it, we like to be absorbed by it, to pay attention to what's going on. Watching a movie in some American cinema's is sitting on a bus where everyone is talking to everyone else using their phones and speaking in loud, obnoxious voices, drowning out the driver's voice when he tries to tell you that the next stop is coming up. <p> So forgive me if I don't trust the reactions of this "great Austin crowd" who many at AICN have declared to be insane in many an interview where Austin screenings are mentioned, prefaced with the declaration that there's nothing like it. But that's not necessarily a good thing. After all movies are meant to be heard as well as seen and not drowned out by whooping idiots who will cheer the opening of a door.
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You raise a valid point, even if I disagree (I like PA and PA2).<p> People talk about how cliche it is in all the old-school horror movies when the chick looks behind a bush or in a cupboard and instead of being attacked by the killer, a cat jumps out or it's just a mouse or some shit. Even the best films like Alien was guilty of using this trick.<p> But the point is, they ARE jump-scare moments. And I don't see what's wrong with building a movie around such moments when you can attribute them to a single source, like the demon in PA / PA2. The only false scare in PA2 is when the stepdaughter screams, and when they go investigate, turns out she was looking at a huge turd in the toilet.<p> So fright vs. surprise. It's all in the mind of the moviegoer, so what's the diff? If it elicits a reaction, it served its purpose. What matters is the STORY behind it. In PA, we KNOW there's a demon at work moving all the furniture, dicking with the pots and pans and cupboards, etc.
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Hahahah except for Katie's Braclet. Also did everyone else hear that the Dad owns some Burger Kings? Can we be expecting some BK tie in soon then?
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I wasn't as kind as Capone....http:///www.guttermagazine .com
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Oct. 22, 2010, 3:22 p.m. CST
movies are meant to be heard as well as seen and not drowned out
by fat_rancor_keeper
"movies are meant to be heard as well as seen and not drowned out by whooping idiots who will cheer the opening of a door" <P> So your the guy who snitched on me and my friends at that showing of District 9 when we were screaming FUCCCKKK YEAAAA at the final robot fight scene!?
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Yet didn't hate the dad also look just like the dad?
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Really enjoyed the first film. <p> This film, however, was a huge letdown. Barely anything happens. There's a moment in the kitchen that's pretty cool. And that's about it. <p> Don't waste your time or money.
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the questions left by the first film. But money makes the world go round.
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Sorry, completely fucking impossible that PN2 has more value than a handful of dogshit.
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the Chicago crowd will still be crying over spilt Paranormal Activity 2.
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You are a drooling pussy now as far as I'm concerned. i can so picture you crying in the back of the theater because a fucking door closed! Jesus fucking christ, man!
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Was boring and the ending when Katie kills her sis and bro-inlaw. Lame and this is coming from someone who liked the first one. Jesus, Katie could have whipped out her titties or atleast show the baby being sacrificed or something.
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For that incoherent post above...
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I agree. Like I said, if that's your thing--shock value--then so be it. I guess I just wish movies that were classified as 'horror' would give me that overall feeling of dread..a creepy factor so to speak.
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I mean, jebus Capone, that was planty plant!
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It was a boring POS home movie with extra noises. Predictable as hell, and no one in my audience jumped. It SUCKED ASS.
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$6.3 million U.S. box office for midnight showings of "PA2", besting the previous record (for R-rated movies) that was held by "Watchmen" ($4.6 million).<P>The average American moviegoer is part chimp, part sheep, and wholly retarded.<P>"Skyline" is lookin' mighty good right about now. Maybe not so original in concept, but hopefully clever in execution.
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Yes, this movie was taken place before the events of the Micah and Katie haunting, but the ending was taken place after. So that makes this movie a sequel. I saw P.A. 2 yesterday and I thought it was just great. Just the way a horror film is supposed. Maybe a lot of you hate it because it had no special effects, no blood & gore, no naked women like most teen slasher flicks are. I thought "PA 2" was true horror at it's best. They made it seem realistic. The first "PA" film was pretty good but the sequel was a major improvement, in my opinion. I'm usually never scared watching horror flicks since I'm used to them, but this movie was actually pretty creepy. I thought "PA 2" was perfect, the writing was great, nothing wrong with it at all.
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I respected the first film for the director's sense of opportunism and the way it was marketed, but it wasn't very good nor was it scary. I saw the film with a couple of friends who are fellow horror fiends and we ended up laughing during the film. I hate people laughing during films when it's not called for, but I couldn't help it - the film was awful. I just cannot fathom how people are so scared by a door moving. <p> I honestly haven't been scared by a film since Sigourney Weaver turned into one of those hell hounds in Ghostbusters - that freaked me out when I was four-years-old, but ever since I've been able to handle any film that's been thrown at me. I'm not sure why. Perhaps I was desensitisied from watching films like Aliens when I was seven; maybe I am just a sociopath. The one that has come closest in recent years is 'Don't Look Now' which turned a subsequent holiday to Venice a little creepy when I saw some of the locations used in the film. I'm fascinated by people who are terrified by horror films, especially ones that are as tame as Paranormal Activity. Is it genuine fear and discomfort, or just that they talk themselves into it before they watch it? <b> Brocknroll - I don't think people hate it because it lacks gore and tits, I just think people generally think it's weak filmmaking. I love the original Night of the Living Dead, but contains little of said items. Eyes Without a Face - bar one infamous scene - lacks them, but that's great. Heck, I even liked the original Blair Witch Project! <p> But, obviously, one man's scare is another man's joke.
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Brocknroll - I don't think people hate it because it lacks gore and tits, I just think people generally think it's weak filmmaking. I love the original Night of the Living Dead, but contains little of said items. Eyes Without a Face - bar one infamous scene - lacks them, but that's great. Heck, I even liked the original Blair Witch Project! <p> But, obviously, one man's scare is another man's joke. <p> P.S. Did anybody think that 'expert' they called in the original film looked like Steve Martin?
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Oct. 23, 2010, 2:54 p.m. CST
Still NOT scary, but more interesting than the first.
by GibsonUSA Returns
(SPOILERS!!) <BR><BR> The funny thing I was wondering was...how did Katie get from her house (at the end of PA1) to her sister's house in this movie?<BR> Was she running down the street in that bloody shirt? LOL
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the reason it's haunting these people specifically and the peeps in the first film is explained in this. @gibson, it's pretty obvious the demon can teleport or move at super speeds dude, this is evidensed a few times. it can make it's host dissapear and reappear someplace else instantly.
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do you know why the baby giggles at the end? do you know why it's crying when it's mother dies, and then laughs when the demon picks it up? ...because the demon takes control of it as soon as he picks it up and is laughing through the baby. sort of like a creepy victory laugh. now stir on that shit when you go to bed tonight.
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Something about these two films brings out all the people who talk nonstop at full volume during movies. Is that a nervous reaction to the scares? Is it all the toughguys who go to show how unafraid they are?
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inconsiderate fucktards who think they're sitting in their fucking living rooms and couldn't give a rat's ass about the other people who paid to watch the movie also, not listen to their retarded fucking conversations.
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...was as the teen possessed by the demon out to get Denzel in FALLEN.
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Yeah, we had one asshole in my theater too who decided he needed to laugh really loud during the best parts of the movie. Only it wasn't ha-ha laughter, it was that forced, weird laughter you hear when someone is clearly uncomfortable. Basically the douche was trying to break the tension in the theater by making noise (even though he'd never admit that, I'm sure). The movie was great -- much better than slasher movies or torture porn. Slasher movies get by on camp value and who the hell enjoys torture porn? I'll take a movie with a slow build that forces the audience to use their imaginations any day.
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I don't think the demon teleported or moved super fast. It spent most of PA2 in that house and, despite all the cameras, there were clearly blind spots. It was definitely aware of cameras (see the ending of PA1 where it smiles and finally destroys that camera at the end) so it probably knew how to get in without being detected. That shot of the dad watching TV where you see Demon Katie standing in the background watching him was phenomenal. If they had done that same shot and instead of standing, she'd just walked by from one room to the next, I really think people in my theater would have lost their minds.
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I really enjoyed it. It walked a really fine line a couple of times, when it came to gimmicks...but it never went too far. I thought it was a great companion to the first one.
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Oct. 24, 2010, 8:30 p.m. CST
Saw this Thursday at 10pm for the "imax experience"
by Detective_Fingerling
it was great fun. I have a lot of fun being in a packed theatre watching these kinds of movies. I saw the first one at home and it wasn't as suspenseful as this one. There were a few jerkoffs who had to make the funny comments when shit got tense but it wasn't too bad. The kitchen jump scene was awesome! True story - two Latin American girls behind us started hyperventilating and screaming in Spanish during the mom pull down the stairs scene and had to leave because they were freaking out so bad.
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I'm glad they cast the sister with almost as big titties as the gal in the 1st movie...nice attention to detail. And the teenage daughter is on her way to having a pretty decent rack too. the scenes in the pool are very nice.
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I absolutely HATED, was bored to tears by Blair Witch and Open Water. I thought Cloverfield was ok. I'm 42, lifelong horror fan but hard to please. I've so far refrained from seeing the PA movies. Should I? Am I missing something? Bad filmmaking, blurry shots, amateur acting doesn't really do it for me.
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I didn't mean to sound snobbish or patronizing at all but I guess I did. I know those qualities (amateurish filmmaking and acting) for some enhance the thrills, just not for me.
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my review was written by a life-long horror fan. Pass. On both of them: http://www.guttermaga zine.com
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then i threw up my pea soup all over some body.
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the lead actress in sprague grayden she played olivia taylor in 24 and was in jericho tv series and the movie rocked btw
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Very appealing, real family. What they explained was just enough, not too much. And the scares were better. Sprague Grayden was also excellent. MAJOR SPOILERS <p> <p> You can read the films as pieces about women entrapped and subjugated. Katie and Kristi are fodder for the demon because their great-grandparents made a bargain for wealth and fortune (and they got it - both Katie and Kristi became involved with well-to-do men and lived comfortable lives which were then destroyed). They are then belittled and ignored by their male spouses, and Katie urges Kristi to do the thing always done in abusive households and in their own household as children - ignore the evil, which is what drove their mother mad. In the end they all lose everything. <p> It's not the most amazing horror film I've ever said and it's not better than [REC], but it is smart, has ideas, and is at least as good as [REC] 2.
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Okay seriously nothing happened for 90 minutes. Terrible movie.
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Really? That's the best they could come up with? Jesus.
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I weep for those so easily amused they find movies like this entertaining. Nothing happens except a few doors open and some cabinets open. It's like this movie was made by people with zero imagination. You'll be tempted to see this...don't bother.
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Wait...when did it go ape shit? The first movie had a more exciting finale than this piece of shit.
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I had allot of fun with it. It's like playing Where's Waldo as you scan the still room looking for something to move in the background. Then after doing that for a few scenes it gets ya with a massive jump when you weren't expecting. Loved how the evil entity was honing it's skills for taking the baby by practicing on the pool cleaner every night. They both would have around the same weight so the entity could focus enough and not end up dropping the baby. Whatever evil is in charge of this demon would be pissed if it fucked that up.
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I actually liked it, so haters can fuck off. What I don't get is why this movie is rated R. Aside from some language there is no other reason.
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I mean, I get that people are entitled to their opinion, and all movie going experiences can differ from theatre to theatre, crowd to crowd, etc. But what's with the extreme hate for this film? If the film was bad, sure, but it wasn't. And if you didn't like it, than screw off. It's a lot easier to rag on a movie than appreciate it for what's its trying to do. To call it "shit" or say it's "stupid" means you don't have the right words to explain anything in a detatched, critical manner. It also means YOU were probably scared and the real pussy is all you haters for not admitting that it accomplished 100% what it set out to do, make you jump and scare you. If you don't like it, than fine. Come back and post an opinion when it actually contributes a valid opinion. Otherwise, go watch your Teletubbies.
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Paramount is investing nothing and idiots are opening their wallets for cheap scares and lousy gimmicks.
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Or somethign like Gone with the Wind if you adjust for inflation, etc...why do you think PA is even in the ballpark?
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yes you can't go wrong dumbing down a horror movie for the idiot masses. And I hope everyone here who enjoyed the first one is well under 30...if not go buy some IQ pts somewhere..anywhere..
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Go see almost anything with a zombie in it. All Resident Evil movies qualify. Let the Right One In had one or two scares, but was not a dumb horror movie. This was not great cinema, but it was a fun scary movie.
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Oct. 26, 2010, 11:42 p.m. CST
Cloverfield 2 should be a docu recounting the event
by the Green Gargantua
just sayin, haters can eat me. (and than spit me out)
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I avoided the 1st one in the theaters as it seemed really dumb & gimmicky. I watched it at home, late at night, with the lights off. Incredibly spooky & effective. The spre-quel lives up to the hype & ties in very cool with part 1. It might be slightly less scary because you know what to expect, but I think it actually improved on the original. I can't wait for next Halloween & part 3.
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Saw this and Dahmer vs. Gacy the same night in Tulsa last weekend. I hated the first Paranormal Activity... It was a horror movie about ghosts who just make noises in the next room all the time. Fucking boring. But the sequel kicked major ass. Adding the baby was very effective.
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Spoilers in just the respect that, unlike the first film, which by "Night #5" or so I was on the edge of my seat, this one had me yawning. And the ending was the not the cheapest lamest ending I have ever seen (no that goes to the grade Z rental I saw earlier in the week) but it did in my opinion chicken out. C'mon they had surveillance cameras in EVERY ROOM and we first get a terrible shaky cam sequence where I couldn't tell if the character holding it was battling a washing machine, a can of paint, or themselves; and then... text telling us that such and such happened after such and such. with all those camera they could have shown us what happened, no??
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...and I'm not as lame as this film. I've seen better from high school film students.
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Yeah, like Paranormal Activity is sooooo superior to Saw. Yeah right. Yet PA gets like 100,286 articles while Saw 3D, the (supposed) final installment, gets none. WTF.
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Oct. 30, 2010, 5:05 p.m. CST
In 2009, AICN made love to TWILIGHT while ignoring SAW VI.
by GibsonUSA Returns
And here is me going WTF:<BR> http://tinyurl.com/37r4fcy <BR><BR> Now, it's time to make love to Paranormal Activity 2 while ignoring SAW 3D. Based on this, I conclude that AICN's audience is comprised of teen girls. Thats my only explanation.
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I took a girl to this... she wanted to go, i paid for the tickets... it was so horrible that she apologised to me and offered to refund me. This movie is unbelievably shit, Capone I feel betrayed, i can't trust you at all, that review felt like a plant after seeing the actual movie.
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There's a button you can click to restore IMDB to the old settings. Just click that and then you're good to go and you've got the same IMDB you've always had.
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I enjoyed PA2 much more than the original, probably as I did not like the annoying couple and wanted them to die from about 5 minutes in. I invested much more with the characters in 2 so subsequently when it all kicked off I felt genuine terror for them. The baby aspect also took things up a notch for me, being a parent probably does not help but the scenes with Hunter really filled me with dread. The acting was in a different ball park too. These films are not gonna be life changing or alter the course of world cinema but are good fun date movies and I even got laid this time, Thanks PA2 :O)
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And demons, and all that Biblical stuff? Whenever I've seen clips from these movies, I just roll my eyes and chuckle.
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