Tag Archives: Paul Black

177: Leaving Neverland 2 Roundtable

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In 2019, a bomb exploded in the Michael Jackson world, when British TV director Dan Reed premiered a four-hour TV series about Wade Robson and James Safechuck – two men demanding millions of dollars from Michael Jackson’s posthumous estate as compensation for alleged childhood sexual abuse. A co-production between Britain’s Channel 4 and America’s HBO, the show generated months of scandalous, sensational and extraordinarily biased media coverage, much of it demanding the all-out cancellation of Michael Jackson.

For a while, that looked like a possibility – but ultimately, Jackson weathered the storm. His music streams went up instead of down. A Michael Jackson musical debuted on Broadway, won a string of awards and has become one of the highest grossing shows in New York theatre history. Its London transfer has just been nominated for three prestigious Olivier awards. New versions have now opened in Germany and Sydney. Meanwhile, Lionsgate has invested $150m in the most expensive Hollywood biopic of all time, Michael.

But six years later, Reed has re-emerged with a 49-minute sequel, subtitled Surviving Michael Jackson and focusing on Robson and Safechuck’s ongoing legal efforts to obtain hundreds of millions of dollars from Jackson’s estate. It premiered this week to substantially less fanfare than its predecessor and extremely poor viewing figures.

In this roundtable episode, a panel of experts react to the latest episode of Leaving Neverland and consider what it means for Michael Jackson’s legacy.

This episode was edited by Charlie Carter.

Participants
• Charles Thomson – An award-winning crime reporter who has spent years investigating the Michael Jackson allegations, appearing in various books and documentaries.
• Taj Jackson – Michael Jackson’s nephew and the Jackson family’s loudest voice against Leaving Neverland and the allegations it documents.
• Anika Kotecha – A lawyer and co-founder of campaign group MJInnocent – which challenges biased and inaccurate reporting on the allegations against Michael Jackson – who was asked by Dan Reed to appear in Leaving Neverland 2.
• Jenny Winings – A long-time fan who was on the defence witness list for Michael Jackson’s 2005 trial, appeared in the documentary Square One and is actually featured in Leaving Neverland 2.
• Paul Black – A professional filmmaker and editor, who offers expert insight into the construction of the latest episode.

Additional Links
• The “Square One” documentary on YouTube.

Like this episode?
• If you have the means, consider a donation in any amount through PayPal to help cover our costs of creating the show. All proceeds go towards online running costs, upgrading equipment, and charity donations.
• We also have an official merchandise shop. Support The MJCast and Michael Jackson all at the same time by buying some of our fun merch.
• Learn all about the various ways you can support and engage with The MJCast through visiting our website.

Connect with Us
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If you have feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. Keep Michaeling!

175: Ten Years On and Goin’ Strong

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Jamon Bull, Charles Thomson, and Paul Black join forces to launch Season 11 of The MJCast. The fellas discuss Kingvention 2025, Brad Sundberg’s upcoming Australia and New Zealand tour, newly upscaled Michael Jackson short films, the recent troubles facing the biopic, and the impending sequel to 2019’s Leaving Neverland, “Surviving Michael Jackson”. Welcome to Season 11!

This episode was edited by Jamon Bull.

Discussion Topics
• Kingvention has been announced for May 24th in London.
• Brad Sundberg is coming to Australia.
• Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall era short films, including Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough, Rock With You, and She’s Out of My Life, have been upscaled and re-released on YouTube.
• Following the Financial Times story on the latest extortion attempt against Michael Jackson, the biopic is experiencing production issues.
• The sequel to Leaving Neverland, “Surviving Michael Jackson”, is due in March.

Additional Links
• Judy Garland’s “Get Happy” video.

Like this episode?
• If you have the means, consider a donation in any amount through PayPal to help cover our costs of creating the show. All proceeds go towards online running costs, upgrading equipment, and charity donations.
• We also have an official merchandise shop. Support The MJCast and Michael Jackson all at the same time by buying some of our fun merch.
• Learn all about the various ways you can support and engage with The MJCast through visiting our website.

Connect with Us
• TheMJCast.com
• Bluesky
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Mastodon
• X
• Threads
• YouTube

If you have feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. Keep Michaeling!

172: Mick Garris Special

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Mick Garris, renowned producer, director, screenwriter and novelist joins Paul Black for an in-depth interview about his amazing career, including his work with Michael Jackson.

Garris began his journey with Michael Jackson when both he and his wife appeared as zombies in the “Thriller” short film. Years later, because of his work with Stephen King, Garris was pulled in to work on what became the “Ghosts” short film. He co-wrote the story with Jackson and King, and was the original director on the project, then under the title “Is This Scary”. He worked closely on set with Jackson for two weeks, though, later, Stan Winston would take over as director when the project was shelved due to the 1993 allegations levelled against Michael Jackson.

Garris has long been an icon in the film industry, and particularly in the world of horror, having worked with Steven Spielberg on multiple projects, and achieving major success via his many collaborations with Stephen King, including directing the hugely popular series, “The Stand”, the TV adaptation of “The Shining”, and much more. He also directed “Critters 2”, “Psycho IV: The Beginning”, and co-wrote the screenplays for major feature films such as “Batteries Not Included”, “The Fly 2”, and “Hocus Pocus”. In 2005, he created the Showtime anthology series, “Masters of Horror”. Until last year, he also hosted the popular podcast, “Post Mortem”, which features interviews with major filmmakers and other creators.

In this chat, Garris talks about his experiences on the sets of these two iconic short films, and gives insights into working with The King of Pop, as well as his memories of the friendship they developed.

Wishing all our MJ Fam around the world a happy Thriller Night!

Special thanks to Friend of the Show Adam Green for connecting us with Mick.

This episode was edited by Paul Black and Jamon Bull.

Additional Links
• Mick Garris’s website, Instagram, and Twitter pages.
• Mick’s “Post Mortem” podcast.

Like this episode?
• If you have the means, consider a donation in any amount through PayPal to help cover our costs. All proceeds go towards online running costs, upgrading equipment, and charity donations. Learn all about the various ways you can support The MJCast through visiting our website.
• We also have an official merchandise shop. Support The MJCast and Michael Jackson all at the same time by buying some of our fun merch.

Connect with Us
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• Facebook
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If you have feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. Keep Michaeling!

162: Bob Jenkis Special

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Bob Jenkis, award-winning filmmaker and editor, joins Jamon Bull and Paul Black for an in-depth interview about his career and his work with Michael Jackson.

Jenkis is an icon in the world of music videos, film and advertising, and is known for shaping the look of modern film editing. Working in the industry since before the dawn of MTV, he has edited clips and cut music videos for an incredibly wide range of music legends, including Janet Jackson, Madonna, Prince, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, James Brown, and many, many more. He has also been deeply involved in the production of large-scale network television specials and concerts.

His long-running relationship with Michael Jackson began in the early 1990s, when he made spots for the “Dangerous” album—work which was used later as the opening to Jackson’s European Tour, his “Live In Bucharest” concert film, and was included in two compilations of music videos under the title “Brace Yourself.” Jenkis also edited “Live from Bucharest”, an epic task he completed in only 10 days before it aired on HBO. He continued to work on a number of projects for the King of Pop over the years including never-before-seen versions of Ghosts and the HIStory teaser, and concluded his time working with Michael by consulting on promo spots for “This Is It” just months before Jackson’s passing in 2009.

In this deep-dive chat, Jamon and Paul get the inside scoop on all of these incredible moments in Michael Jackson history, as well as rare insights into the technical elements of these massive projects.

This episode was edited by Charlie Carter.

Additional Links
• Bob Jenkis’ website.

Like this episode?
• If you have the means, consider a donation in any amount through PayPal to help cover our costs. All proceeds go towards online running costs, upgrading equipment, and charity donations. Learn all about the various ways you can support The MJCast through visiting our website.
• We also have an official merchandise shop. Support The MJCast and Michael Jackson all at the same time by buying some of our fun merch.

Connect with Us
• TheMJCast.com
• Facebook
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If you have feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. Keep Michaeling!

161: Ghosts Roundtable

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Adam Green, Paul Black, and Hannah Savage join host Jamon Bull for a deep-dive discussion around Michael Jackson’s masterpiece, Ghosts. They chat about all aspects of the incredible short film (which is so often neglected by a mainstream audience), including the story, music, choreography, cinematography and editing. Plus, they explore whether Ghosts has aged well, in comparison to another iconic Jackson short film, Thriller. Finally, they dig into an assortment of other topics around this project, including the ’93 version, the making of, the boxset, and assess why Ghosts didn’t achieve the widespread acclaim of some of Jackson’s other major works.

This roundtable group brings incredible insights into the history and context of the Ghosts short film through their unique perspectives as film makers and editors, and they have great stories to share, such as Paul Black’s experience of sitting just a few seating away from Jackson himself, at the 1997 Australia premiere of the film.

Happy Thriller Night!

This episode was edited by Jamon Bull.

Participants
• Adam Green (film director and host of The Movie Crypt podcast)
• Paul Black (Sydney-based Film editor, and Friend of the Show)
• Hannah Savage (YouTube documentarian who has made a great videos about Blood on the Dance Floor, Ghosts, and other MJ topics)
• Jamon Bull, co-host of The MJCast

Additional Links
• Official, full-length short film of Michael Jackson’s Ghosts.

Like this episode?
• If you have the means, consider a donation in any amount through PayPal to help cover our costs. All proceeds go towards online running costs, upgrading equipment, and charity donations. Learn all about the various ways you can support The MJCast through visiting our website.
• We also have an official merchandise shop. Support The MJCast and Michael Jackson all at the same time by buying some of our fun merch.

Connect with Us
• TheMJCast.com
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Mastodon
• Twitter
• Threads
• YouTube

If you have feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. Keep Michaeling!

152: Thriller 40 Roundtable

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Michael Jackson’s album, Thriller, is undoubtedly one of the most iconic and important albums in music history. Released 40 years ago, on November 30, 1982, it changed the landscape of pop music, and may have even saved the music industry itself.

In this episode, Charlie Carter hosts a deep-dive fan discussion reflecting on all things Thriller 40. Joining him are guests Damien Shields, Shawn Shackelford, and Paul Black. The guys talk about the continuing influence of Thriller, the bonus tracks included on the 40th anniversary edition, the long-awaited release of the 4K versions of the short films “Thriller” and “Beat It”, the upcoming documentary by Nelson George, and they contemplate what they would have liked to see on their own version of the Thriller 40 release.

This episode was edited by Jason Garcia and Charlie Carter.

Participants
• Charlie Carter, Audio Producer of The MJCast
• Damien Shields, author of Michael Jackson: Songs & Stories From The Vault, and creator of the podcast series The Genesis of Thriller and the upcoming Faking Michael.
• Shawn Shackelford, long-time Jacksons fan and regular guest of The MJCast.
• Paul Black, Sydney-based Film editor, and Friend of the Show (whom we’re happy to have back on after a long absence!)

Connect with Us
• TheMJCast.com
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• YouTube

If you have feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. Keep Michaeling!

113: Season Five Christmas Special

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It’s that time of year when Jamon, Q and Elise come together to celebrate the holidays and reflect on the year that was…it’s The MJCast’s annual Christmas Special!

The team wraps up Season Five (a season filled-to-the-brim with major highs and lows) with discussion of developments in the world of Michael Jackson, including updates on the MJ biopic, the Estate’s 2020 MJ Broadway musical, as well as a bizarre and potentially very negative MJ-inspired musical told from the perspective of his glove, and much more. The MJCast Correspondents also chime in with news on charity efforts, Janet Jackson, the Jackson family, and more.

It’s been a whirlwind year, and a tough one for many in the worldwide Jackson fan community. And yet, as the trio revisits clips from Season Five Specials and reflects on the past year, it is clear that this has also been The MJCast’s best season ever, with incredible guests, and a real sense of love and community.

This is Q’s final episode as a regular host of The MJCast. Q has been integral to the identity of the show since its inception, and he will be missed. Jamon and Elise send their love and thanks for all of Q’s contributions as well as his friendship. And not to worry, listeners: Q will appear on The MJCast in the future, just less regularly. There will be Q-rants to come in 2020 and beyond!

We want to thank our listeners for all your support throughout the year and hope that you enjoy our episodes coming up in Season 6! Happy holidays, #MJFam!

News
• A Michael Jackson biopic is reportedly in the works, from Bohemian Rhapsody producer Graham King.
• A very strange stage musical, For the Love of the Glove, supposedly based on Jackson’s life, is opening in Los Angeles in January.
• Ephraim Sykes has been cast in the MJ role for the upcoming Broadway show, “MJ: The Musical.” (Skykes’ recent interview in Rolling Stone.)
• The French MJ fan lawsuit against ‘Leaving Neverland’ has been postponed due to strikes.
• The Game recalls the time when Michael Jackson called him to work on a collaboration with 50 Cent.
• The MJ Estate settles with Disney over ‘The Last Days of Michael Jackson’.

Season Five Highlights
• Episode 097 – Bill Whitfield Special
• Episode 100 – Brad Buxer Special
• Episode 101 – Taryll Jackson Special
• Episode 103 – Vindication Day Special with Larry Nimmer
• Episode 104 – June 25th Special with Jenny Winings
• Episode 107 – Allan ‘Big Al’ Scanlan Special
• Episode 109 – Michael Trapson Special
• Episode 110 – Thriller Night Special with Paul Black and Adam Green

Main Discussion Topic
• A year in review.
• The MJCast’s official interview with Q, as he reflects on five seasons as co-host.
• What’s to come in Season 6.

Finds of the Week
• Jamon – New rehearsal footage from MJ’s 30th Anniversary concert.
• Q – ‘I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus’ gets a brand new official video.
• Elise – MJ-inspired art by Miguel Wilson, including a very cool Thriller shirt available for sale.

Correspondent Appearances
• Steven Hodges of MJFFC (Charity Correspondent)
• Janneke van der Linden of Jackson Source (Jackson family Correspondent)
• Courtney and Kam of Janet Today, Janet Tomorrow, Janet Forever podcast (Janet Jackson Correspondent)
• Charles Thomson (Legal Correspondent)

Ads & Music Breaks
• Michael Jackson – Off The Wall (Nick Party People Remix)
• Michael Jackson – Another Part of Me (Regrooved Fire Remix)
• Michael Jackson – BEATiCURE (The King of artPOP by Robin Skouteris)

Connect with Us
• TheMJCast.com
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• YouTube

If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. Michael On!

110: Thriller Night Special with Paul Black and Adam Green

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Happy Thriller Night 2019! It’s the podcast team’s favorite night of the year, and, in this special episode, Q leads a deep dive discussion into Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and “Ghosts” short films. He’s joined by regular guest and film editor Paul Black, as well as first-time guest Adam Green, who is a well-known filmmaker, podcaster, and expert on the horror genre.

The guys discuss Paul and Adam’s professional backgrounds in the film world and how Jackson inspired aspects of their careers, as well as their memories of first seeing “Thriller” and “Ghosts”. Paul Black wins, as usual, for having the best “Ghosts” fan story ever! Their main discussion topic examines these two iconic short films from a filmmaking perspective: Paul and Adam compare filming techniques, cinematography, special effects, the different tone of each film, horror genre elements, what sort of impact they might have if they had been made today, and much more. For anyone interested in looking at these films from a technical perspective—or simply with the love of horror, or of Michael Jackson’s amazing creativity—this chat will be your ghoulish dream-come-true.

The MJCast wishes all of our listeners a great Thriller Night!

Additional Links
• Episode 025 – Right Place, Right Time… Black Magic
• Episode 034 – June 25th Special feat. Kevin Stea
• Episode 041 – Michael Jackson & Prince Roundtable (Part 1)
• Episode 042 – Michael Jackson & Prince Roundtable (Part 2)
• Episode 066 – Long Hair Don’t Care
• Adam Green’s Twitter, Instagram, official website, IMDB page, and iTunes page for his podcast, The Movie Crypt (co-hosted with Joe Lynch and Adam’s adorable Yorkie sidekick, Arwen).
• Adam’s interview with Taj Jackson about Leaving Neverland on The Movie Crypt podcast.
• Frozen (2010) movie trailer
• Hatchet (2007) movie trailer
• Holliston (2013) Season 2 commercial
• Jack Chop (2009) short film
• Monster Problems (2016) short film
• Scary Sleepover – Episode 2.4 “Slash”

Ad & Music Breaks
• Michael Jackson – 2Bad (Ghosts Mix)
• Michael Jackson – Ghosts (Early Version)
• Michael Jackson – Thriller 35th Anniversary (SWG Remastered Extended Mix)
• Scandroid – Thriller (Official Lyric Video)

Connect with Us
• TheMJCast.com
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• YouTube

If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. Michael On!

051: He’s a Lover, Not a Fighter

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On Episode 051 of The MJCast, Q and Jamon are flying solo. The fellas begin the show by discussing follow-up around Sky Arts’ decision to pull the broadcast of their Urban Myths ‘MJ’ episode. After this, news galore! Jamon and Q then talk about Janet Jackson’s baby boy, The Jackson’s 50th Anniversary world tour, a wrap up of Brad Sundberg’s 2017 Aussie In The Studio With MJ tour, Ne-Yo’s tribute to Michael Jackson and some new Nick* remixes. This is followed by discussion around Taika Watiti’s new animated film about Bubbles, Navi as Michael Jackson in Lifetime’s new biopic and all kinds of news around Paris, Prince, Marlon, 3T and Tito. With a brief segue into a legal update from Charles Thomson, the boys then wrap the show with discussion around Neverland’s prospective sale, Thriller and Bad’s recertification and the possibility of a new Jacksons TV show. We hope you enjoy this episode of the internet’s premiere podcast on all things Michael Jackson and the Jackson family.

Follow Up
• Sky Arts Urban Myths backlash

News
• Janet Jackson gives birth to son Eissa Al Mana
• The Jacksons are embarking on a 50th anniversary world tour in 2017 including a Blenheim Palace UK performance with Kool and the Gang
• In the Studio with MJ Australia tour roundup
• Taking the Stage; Ne-Yo’s MJ tribute
• Nick* has dropped a number of new MJ remixes including Billie Jean (Nick* Redux), They Don’t Care About Us (Nick* Crook County Remix) and Man In The Mirror (Stripped Mix)
• Taika Waititi to co-direct a biopic on Michael Jackson’s chimp Bubbles
• MJ impersonator Navi is set to play Michael in a new Lifetime biopic
• Paris Jackson’s new interview with Rolling Stone and an accompanying podcast around the interview experience
• Paris Jackson’s interview in CR Fashion Book 10
• Paris Jackson signs with IMG Models
• Paris Jackson presents at the 2017 Grammy Awards and Prince Jackson releases a video in support of her
• Prince Jackson continues his charity work with Heal Los Angeles
• Taryll Jackson launches a new trailer for his new musical project
• Marlon Jackson takes part in an interview around fears of Trump presidency negative impacts
• Jackson Source has launched the 2016 edition of Jackson Magazine, featuring an interview with Tito Jackson and a range of other Jackson family related stories
• Tito Jackson drops new music video for his hit single We Made It
• 3T are to perform at We Love the 90’s festival on August 26th in The Netherlands
• Neverland sale price slashed by $33 000 000
• Thriller and Bad re-certified with record breaking sales figures
• Members of the Jackson family partner with Scout Productions

Finds of the Week
• Jamon – Michael Lopez’ brave battle with cancer
• Q – Rockabye Baby – Lullaby Renditions of Michael Jackson

Additional Links
• The MJCast: Episode 049 – Season Two Mixtape
• The Jacksons: An American Dream
• The MJCast’s Cascio Case legal documents repository
• Charles Thomson’s website, Facebook and Twitter pages
• Brad Sundberg’s website and his Facebook and Twitter pages

Music Breaks & Ads
• Janet Jackson – Rhythm Nation 2017 (Bit Error Remix)
• Michael Jackson – Remember The Time (Human ’86 Remix)
• 3T – Sex Appeal (Organized Playas Remix)
• Michael Jackson – Man In The Mirror (Groovefunkel Remix)
• Invincible Ad Break
• Thriller 25 Ad Break

Connect with Us
• TheMJCast.com
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• YouTube

If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on the show, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. Keep Michaeling!

Episode 042 – Michael Jackson & Prince Roundtable (Part 2)

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Welcome to part two of our Michael Jackson & Prince roundtable discussion, a new format for The MJCast which a panel of expert participants discuss a particular topic in depth. For this second and concluding episode, returning guest Paul Black continues moderating our discussion around the two legendary entertainers, Prince and Michael Jackson. Participants again include Samar of The Michael Jackson Academia Project, Casey Rain and Kim Camilia of The Violet Reality, Charles Thomson, Jamon Bull of The MJCast and of course, Paul Black. Beginning with an exploration into the participants personal experiences with Michael Jackson and Prince, Paul then leads us in a comparative discussion around the unfortunate deaths of both artists, their commitment to challenging expectations in a corrupt entertainment industry and finally their impacts on culture, style and fashion.

Participants

Topics

  • Our personal experiences with Michael Jackson and Prince
  • The deaths of Prince and Michael Jackson
  • Artistic independence (challenging the industry)
  • Cultural impact
  • Michael and Prince as style/fashion icons

Links

The Violet Reality on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Music Breaks & Ads

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TheMJCast.com
Facebook
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Instagram
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If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on the show, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. Keep Michaeling!

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