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There's a small set of seasons that lurk after the best of winter, but before spring is in the air. You're emerging from the wonders of a White Christmas (TM) --- those beautiful, light, star-filled dustings of a snowfall, so picturesque. Then slogging into the wet, deep, and ongoing snowfalls that you shovel every day. And then --- worse! --- the melting of that semi-season into the wet, drippy, soggy next phase --- the season of mud. Both the slogging snow and mud seasons are drags on the spirit for those who live through them --- they possess an endless feel of oppression. Contrast this with the blazing sun and hot desert environments of, well, Westerns. Even in the most desperate of Western films, the atmosphere is usually sunny, with vistas of mesas and rock formations as far as the eye can see. Think John Ford Westerns as a prime example. It's as if the West is centered in Monument Valley, Arizona --- everything farther west is California, and everything eastward is St. Louis. And 98% of American Westerns follow suit…Website and blog: www.thosewonderfulpeople.comIG: @thosewonderfulpeopleTwitter: @FilmsInTheDark
Devin & James are back in the saddle for another roundup of Italian flicks. A sampling of the cultiest of all cult genres, the SPAGHETTI WESTERNS! When Clint Eastwood rode through Spain and called it Mexico in 1964's Fistful of Dollars, it started a legit European phenomenon that would produce over 600 titles in barely over ten years! Whereas the American Westerns often whitewashed and mythologized its own westward history, the idea of the good guys always wearing white was losing steam by the 1960s, and the Italians had no sentimentality toward the Earp or James clans as historical figures. The Italian Western hero was the epitome of the anti-hero. Not so much straddling the line between good and bad, but rather stomping on it with their spurred boots. The settings may have been North American, but the politics were purely Italian. We start our discussion with the G.O.A.T., the transformative masterpiece that is Sergio Leone's ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST. We then move on to the sub-sub-genre of the Zapata Westerns (set within the Mexican Revolution) with Damiano Damiani's criminally underappreciated A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL. Then we lighten the mood a bit with a couple of Westerns that border on comedies while still being bloody and wild. The master Sergio Corbucci (so much more than "The Other Sergio") takes us on a wild ride across the border and back in COMPANEROS, and we finish up with the first film in Gianfranco Parolini's super-stylized hero-in-black series, SABATA! We've wrangled all your favorite Spaghetti West heroes: Nero, Milian, Van Cleef, Bronson, Fonda, Volonte, Kinski, and so many more. But when you hear the harmonica or banjo begin playing, you better run!
Medaya Ocher and Eric Newman speak with megawatt mystery maven Tana French about her latest novel, The Hunter. Set in the fictional rural Irish town of Ardnakelty, The Hunter is a dark, slow-burning story of the ties that knit together small communities–and the animosities that tear them apart. French talks about how American Westerns influenced the tone and texture of her latest novels, where she gets the ideas for her dark stories, and how her globe-hopping childhood made her the mystery writer she is today. Also, Leslie Jamison, author of Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story, returns to recommend Eliza Barry Callahan's The Hearing Test: A Novel, as well as Emmeline Clein's Dead Weight: Essays on Hunger and Harm.
Medaya Ocher and Eric Newman speak with megawatt mystery maven Tana French about her latest novel, The Hunter. Set in the fictional rural Irish town of Ardnakelty, The Hunter is a dark, slow-burning story of the ties that knit together small communities–and the animosities that tear them apart. French talks about how American Westerns influenced the tone and texture of her latest novels, where she gets the ideas for her dark stories, and how her globe-hopping childhood made her the mystery writer she is today. Also, Leslie Jamison, author of Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story, returns to recommend Eliza Barry Callahan's The Hearing Test: A Novel, as well as Emmeline Clein's Dead Weight: Essays on Hunger and Harm.
Jonathan Penner and Otto Bruno join Mike to kick off a month of discussing American Westerns. We begin with one from German emigre Fritz Lang with his 1952 film Rancho Notorious. The film stars Arthur Kennedy as a ranch hand whose fiance is murdered in a tale of hate, murder and revenge.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth-podcast--5513239/support.
Jonathan Penner and Otto Bruno join Mike to kick off a month of discussing American Westerns. We begin with one from German emigre Fritz Lang with his 1952 film Rancho Notorious. The film stars Arthur Kennedy as a ranch hand whose fiance is murdered in a tale of hate, murder and revenge.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth-podcast--5513239/support.
Encore! Encore! - This month we're revisiting some of our favorite episodes from the last year. First on the roster: "The Best of the West" Redford and Newman, nowdays those names go together like Damon and Affleck, but there was a time, not so long ago when the first real Bromance team almost didn't happen… and did you know one of the iconic American Westerns was directed by an Italian auteur? Get ready for some gun-slinging and some hit song singin'... To find out more about this and past episodes' movies, including trivia and other fun facts, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website. And check out our Instagram, @cinemasoundspod.
The hero in American Westerns (and Samurai tales and post-apocalyptic movies like "Mad Max") is the Warrior Archetype personified, at least in its latter-day configuration of the solitary man of violence, who lives by his own code and operates as a law unto himself. In this episode, we'll attempt to tie this figure in to the world we've been describing through our prior 45 episodes.New episodes every Monday. SUBSCRIBE and REVIEW.The War of Art - https://amzn.to/38vTIDdGates of Fire - https://amzn.to/3kjpFAX
Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid (1970) and Once Upon A Time in the West (1968) Redford and Newman, nowdays those names go together like Damon and Affleck, but there was a time, not so long ago when the first real Bromance team almost didn't happen… and did you know one of the iconic American Westerns was directed by an Italian auteur? Get ready for some gun slinging and some hit song singin' And there's someone right here who can sing a darn pretty tune, my multi-hyphenated wingman and cinephile, John Schwab ….and Let's go to the movies. Check out our page on the episode here.
Does Sam Elliot know he's not a real cowboy? Would you watch the Oscars if it was broadcast like the Super Bowl? Whether we can move past the term “urban” and ideas of virtue signaling… In this episode, we talk about… Deconstructing the myth of the American Westerns and Sam Elliot's mustache More Oscar drama and a suggestion for a 5 hour Super Bowl-esque broadcast Advocating for a creative way to excite audiences about the filmmaking process Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman and moving past “urban” characters The reality of rejection and audition success rates of actors Ask No Film School: Should people start boycotting Chinese made goods, specifically filmmaking equipment? Addressing virtue signaling and the need to take action Links to Resources: https://www.nofilmschool.com/money-survey Find No Film School everywhere: On the Web https://nofilmschool.com/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nofilmschool Twitter https://twitter.com/nofilmschool YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschool Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nofilmschool Get your questions answered on the podcast by emailing editor@nofilmschool.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Many hundreds of films have been shot on location in the American West. The rugged, inhospitable landscapes are an integral part of what gives so many American Westerns their distinctive character. Although the region is vast, stretching from the Rockies in Wyoming and Colorado to Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and California, a few locations have captured the lion's share of the film industry's attention. What is it about these landscapes that makes them so photogenic? And how did they get that way? In this episode, Craig Jones casts light on the answers to these questions. He is a Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at Colorado University at Boulder. His research aims to uncover the origin of mountains and elevated topography in continents, primarily in the western United States. His main tool for doing this is seismology, but he also incorporates observations from other disciplines, such as gravity measurements, paleoaltimetry, and petrology. He has written a book on the Sierra Nevada and leads field trips to the rugged terrains we're discussing here. For podcast illustrations and to learn more about Geology Bites, go to geologybites.com. Follow Geology Bites on Twitter @geology_bites, @oliverstrimpel, and on Instagram oliverstrimpel.
This episode explores the life and movies of Jimmy Stewart, and the contribution he made to the film library of American Westerns. We visit Indiana, Pennsylvania, and tour the Jimmy Stewart Museum to delve into his military career and his film legacy.
Australian Director Justin Kurzel got his start in the theater. He started working on short films and made music videos with his brother. Eventually, he made the jump - thanks to his clips - and started making films. Kurzel was hesitant to take on the first project he was offered, ‘The Snowtown Murders.’ Essentially, the story uncovered true events, revolving around a local murder and a spree or torture. Regardless, he made the movie (in the area where the event happened), and continued to take on challenging films, such as ‘The Turning,’ ‘Macbeth,’ ‘Assassin’s Creed,’ and now, ‘True History of the Kelly Gang.’ In this interview, the writer-director talks about making bold decisions, how toxic masculinity plays into the film, the history of Ned Kelly, why they chose to use the word “True” in the title, and the difference between Australian and American Westerns. If you enjoyed this interview, join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5
Douglas Brode is retired professor from Syracuse University with a deep love for film--particularly westerns. Today, he's published over 35 books (including many on westerns), and has thrived as a screenwriter, playwright, novelist, film historian, film critic, and multi-award winning journalist. In this special episode, Abigail and Doug explore the 1948 classic, Red River (featuring John Wayne and Montgomery Clift), and how it changed westerns forever by unraveling the psychological impact trauma can have on a person, portrayed in a film noir style. Listen to this episode to learn how westerns and World War II changed movies forever, and how Red River's portrayal of the human psyche made a story like nothing Doug had ever seen before. Email Abigail at abigailkperry [AT] gmail [DOT] com to discuss such topics more. *****Interested in other topics discussed in this podcast? Explore these resources for your own creative journey. The Twenty-First Century Western: Read Douglas' latest book on western, released December 12, 2019.See more of Douglas' books on filmWatch Red RiverIntro Music: “Open Those Bright Eyes” by Kevin MacLeod, edited for this podcast’s intro and closing. License: Creative Commons
January 16 – March 2, 2018Kathleen O. Ellis GalleryGallery Talk: Thursday, February 1, 6pmReception: Thursday, February 1, 5-7pmLight Work is pleased to present Land of Epic Battles a solo exhibition of prints by Philadelphia-based artist Justyna Badach. Land of Epic Battles features Badach’s new series of large, hand-made dichromate prints, made using film stills from ISIS training videos. For a year she experimented with darkroom techniques before discovering a 19th-century process that would allow her to use gunpowder as a pigment. The resulting incendiary prints initially look like antiquated documentation of Middle Eastern sites and landscapes. The texture of the heavy-weight watercolor paper needed for this process adds a layer of abstraction more akin to the language of drawing and painting than photography. Rather than using images of carnage and gore, for which ISIS videos are infamous, Badach’s edit reveals a vast, enduring, and majestic landscape that dwarfs the players in the conflict and exposes the futility of war.Land of Epic Battles continues Badach’s ongoing interest in male culture and the machismo of Hollywood films and media. As a child, Badach emigrated from Poland and learned to speak English by watching American TV. Fascinated by the deeply coded American cinema, she later created Epic Film Stills, a project that explored how classic Westerns such as Wyatt Earp and Young Guns glorify the violence of American colonialism. In this series, Epic Film Stills, she focuses on the landscape, which echoes the romanticized version of Manifest Destiny and its violent ideology that she first recognized in American Westerns and which may, in turn, be the lens through which most Americans make sense of Middle Eastern terrorism. In describing this body of work Badach states:“My work examines the transmutation of history and repackaging of violence through appropriation and re-contextualization of images derived from films created for a male audience. Land of Epic Battles focuses on the hyper-masculine world of ISIS recruitment videos that have grown out of the social and cultural voids that mark this moment in time.”Besides armored vehicles, the black ISIS flag, artillery, and explosives, each ISIS cell includes a media-savvy creative, equipped with video camera, microphones, laptop, and Final Cut Pro, who carefully documents the destruction wrought by this cell and disseminates this material on encrypted websites and YouTube. Reality TV, DIY citizen-journalism, and video games (specifically Grand Theft Auto) have clearly inspired these works. ISIS videographers carefully edit the action with rousing music and linger in slow motion over point-blank gunshots, beheadings, and crucifixions. Voice-overs promise a life of respect, power, comradery, and victory for young men who have been brutally marginalized and stripped of culture.lg.ht/LandofEpicBattles—Justyna Badach’s family arrived as refugees in the United States in 1980. She currently resides in Philadelphia, where she is an artist, educator, and museum professional. Her work has been exhibited extensively in the United States and abroad and is in the permanent collections of Cranbrook Art Museum, Portland Art Museum, Museet for Fotokunst Brandts, Odense, Denmark. Her artist book is in the Special Collection at the Rice University Library, Houston, TX, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA and Haverford College. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including; Queensland College of Art Griffith University in Brisbane, Art Wonderland Space in Copenhagen and the Temple of Hadrian in Rome to most notably in the US at the Corcoran Gallery, D.C., Portland Art Museum, James A. Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, PA, and Catherine Edelman Gallery, Chicago among others. Badach participated in the residency program at Light Work in 2012.justynabadach.com—Special thanks to Daylight Blue Mediadaylightblue.comLight Worklightwork.orgMusic: "Sleepers" by Sergey CheremisinovMusic: "Vela Vela" by Blue Dot Sessionssessions.blue See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Before the age of 30, Rishi Rajani rose to become president of Lena Waithe's Hillman Grad Productions, the company that brought you Queen & Slim and BET's Boomerang and Twenties, among other projects.In this episode, he talks about how Hillman Grad wants to help other people break into Hollywood—especially underrepresented creators who want to make protest art. He also talks about how he worked his way up from the mailroom, and why, in 2020, the mailroom still matters.Because Rajani climbed the rungs himself, he knows how hard it is—and he has a bold idea for how to end the problem of rich kids getting all the best Hollywood internships and other opportunities.Look for our full profile of Ranjani in the upcoming issue of MovieMaker Magazine, which also profiles LuckyChap Entertainment, the company founded by Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, Sophia Kerr and Josey McNamara.Here are highlights from our interview with Rishi Rajani, with timestamps:1:50: Rishi Rajani interview begins. 2:00: We talk about The 40-Year-Old Version, Radha Blank's debut film, premiering at the Sundance Film Festival.3:45: Rishi Rajani talks about his job interview with Lena Waithe.4:00: "Bringing other people up... has really been the core mandate of everything we do." 5:40: How an unsuccessful collaboration ultimately got Rajani his job.9:30: "If you're truly going to be supporting younger voices, you have to get their stuff made."11:30: His Malawi-born father's love of American Westerns.15:50: Let's talk about overcoming nepotism.19:00: The rich-intern problem, and how Hillman Grad wants to fix it.21:00: How high you have to score on The Black List to draw Hillman Grad's attention.31:30: Let's talk about Queen & Slim. 34:00: His advice for people who want to produce movies.36:35: Why working your way up from the mailroom is no joke. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
SMLXL Born in England, Jane 'Spider' Fawke grew up watching American Westerns at a Saturday morning program near where she lived. It wasn't John Wayne who captured her attention, but the beautiful vistas of Monument Valley in the background. Growing up poor, Jane gravitated to the fashion scene in Paris after graduating from the Royal College of Art with a Masters in Fashion & Textile Design. After some encouragement from a friend, Jane moved to New York. Jane came to America after 10 years in the ready-to-wear industry in Paris, France and speaks fluent French and Italian. She designed in the US for another 15 years. Then, sensing the onslaught of 'throw-away' fashion, Jane pursued her second dream, to become a Park Ranger. She started by volunteering to be on a team that spent long hours daily creating defensible space - clearing weeds, grass and brush. The first day she came home exhausted and after a good night sleep, woke up excited to return and continue her work the next day. Soon a permanent position opened and Jane was hired by the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency in Thousand Oaks in 2002. Jane and her husband, Alan, bought their desert home in 2005, and moved here full time in 2015, two years after her retirement. Jane received her Desert Naturalist Certificate from UC Riverside in May of this year and does a lot of volunteer work with kids – and recently worked with the JT Clean Team, cleaning up Tortoise Island in downtown Joshua Tree. In this episode, Jane also tells a story about an early tortoise sighting at her property and the interpretation from a friend, a Hopi Chief.
Welcome to Hollywood and Beyond Podcast with Steven Brittingham. Excited to announce Michael Pare (Eddie and the Cruisers / Streets of Fire)) as my special guest! I had a blast speaking with Michael about his role as the villain in the revenge-themed western: “Once Upon A Time In Deadwood”. Michael shares his filming experience in a very interesting and truly in-depth manner. He shares behind-the-stories of the film and shares his thoughts on why American Westerns have extra significance in film history. Be sure to hear Michael's thoughts on what makes the great actors so good. And what connection to Charles Bronson does Once Upon A Time In Deadwood have with one of the characters and one of the filming locations? Find out when Michael joins Steven on the show! A true delight and honor having Michael on the show! Try listening via wireless speakers or pc speakers for ultimate sound results. Hollywood and Beyond Podcast - Created, Produced, Edited, Sound, Guests Booked By, and Hosted by: actor/writer Steven Brittingham “Meaningful Interviews” Hollywood and Beyond Theme: Dario Saraceno Contact Steven with your questions or comments: hollywoodandbeyondshow@gmail.com For professional inquires please contact Steve's publicist Lisa Rodrigo at:allmypromotions1@gmail.com Thank you for listening! See you on the next episode.
The blankets of snow brought upon by the chilling February freeze have left us here in the Pacific Northwest mostly trapped within our homes. To keep warm we gather around the warm glow of our televisions and screen our favorite winter Western, Sergio Corbucci's The Great Silence. Yet again we return to our hosts' favorite genre, this time with a side of meatballs as we move on from the classic morality of American Westerns like Shane (1953) and into the morally complex and politically driven Westerns from Italy. Corbucci's icy masterpiece was made during a time of political upheaval in America, and so the violence portrayed in The Great Silence not only serves as amazing spectacle and artistic beauty, but also as a strict reflection of concurrent American politics; just as all the greats are. Bundle up tight this week as we look at a particularly cold and brutal Western that's as legendary as it is gorgeous to behold. Time Stamps: Box Office: 0:00-15:33 Streaming: 15:33-20:48 The Great Silence: 20:48-1:01:00
Louis L'Amour's The Walking Drum, a historical novel set circa the 12th century in Europe and the Middle East, is less concerned with being an adventure story and more concerned with telling the reader about worlds that are different from their own. Mathurin Kerbouchard isn't always the most complex character, but the things he learns, the places he goes, and the people he meets all come together to form a novel that evokes American Westerns but is set far away from the American West.
Louis L'Amour's The Walking Drum, a historical novel set circa the 12th century in Europe and the Middle East, is less concerned with being an adventure story and more concerned with telling the reader about worlds that are different from their own. Mathurin Kerbouchard isn't always the most complex character, but the things he learns, the places he goes, and the people he meets all come together to form a novel that evokes American Westerns but is set far away from the American West.
Sharpen your blades because we travelling east for this episode! That's right, we've got our first Akira Kurosawa film to breakdown, and it's his 1961 film Yojimbo, which was heavily influenced by American Westerns, and also inspired that very same genre after its release. Join us as Dean explains what gruel is, Daniel gets infatuated with an eyebrow, and we both get into an argument about whether this film can be classified as a comedy. As well as the breakdown, we also answer some listener questions, have another battle in a movie quiz and find out the results of the last two movie drafts (As well as do this weeks draft on 'Best movies remade from foreign films'). We then talk about what else we've seen during the week, including 'Ocean's 8' and the new Pixar film 'Incredibles 2'. So come on in and join our journey! If you enjoy our show, please support the podcast by becoming a patron! For as little as a dollar a month, there's plenty of rewards and benefits we have lined up for you along the way, including a weekly patron only podcast where we breakdown movies not on the Top 250 list, and the ability to shape the podcast the way you would like it! So please go and check out the page, see if anything interests you, and we hope you can join our little community and help make this podcast grow! https://www.patreon.com/themoviejourney FOLLOW US: Twitter: https://twitter.com/themoviejourney Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themoviejourney/ This episodes promos are from The Contrarians! (@contrarianprime) Alex & Julio challenge popular opinion by praising the movies you hate and trashing the movies you love. We urge you to check out their awesome podcast! www.wearethecontrarians.com As well as The Reel Feels Podcast! (@reelfeelspod) Just two friends reviewing the world of cinema one movie at a time. There's laughs, frustration, and tears. They get it done, they get down to... The Reel Feels! Go and check them out! SHOWNOTES Introductions/iTunes Reviews (0:00) Yojimbo Breakdown (SPOILERS) (14:20) Final Thoughts (1:04:36) Our Rankings (1:06:42) Listener Reviews/Questions (1:09:53) Twitter Poll Results (1:20:19) Pop Quiz Asshole (1:24:14) 'DvD' Challenge (1:27:37) Next Week's Movie (1:29:27) What Else We've Been Watching (SPOILER FREE) (1:31:43)
Finally, an episode we’ve been looking towards since the start, one of the most beloved American Westerns and a film listed on the AFI’s list of Hundred Best Films: 1969’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, featuring the classic pairing of Paul Newman and Robert Redford in the titular roles. An affable, seriocomic romp through … Continue reading BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID!
We did it. We recorded episodes for the whole trilogy. Welcome back, friends. This week we completed our Back to the Future suite with Part III. Needless to say, Heather hated it. Blame was placed on Not Timothy as well as Matt Allex, we spend a fair amount of time talking about CONvergence, Edgar shared his fond choldhood memories, we both talked about the corss section of Time Travel stories and American Westerns, and Heather slows down. Also, Heather mentioned the High Five Guys, and Edgar Apropos of Nothing. Check out one or the other, but certainly not both, if you've got more than an hour to spare and don't mind being That Guy Laughing To Themself.
If you're any movie fan, you know that lots of what's called "film" today has its roots in American Westerns (some of which, ironically, have their roots in other genres...). That said, who can't quote a line from The Good, The Bad and the Ugly or Tombstone? The Garage Hour goons got all worked up for this one, cataloging all the best cowboy and Western cinema (and Western-derived) action, from the Magnficent Seven, Once Upon a Time in the West, City Slickers, Silverado, Eldorado, Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid, 3:10 to Yuma and everything between, plus all of the mecha Westerns (Road Warrior, anyone?) and space Westerns (Firefly), plus cartoon Westerns like Trigun and Western television shows like Deadwood, The Rifleman and Brisco County. On top of all that are copious ratings of the best good guys, and more importantly, the best bad guys, from Lee Van Cleef's Angel Eyes (and Henry Fonda's interpretation of the same role) to Brian Denehey's bad town boss in Silverado. While we're at it, R.I.P. Eli Wallach (the "Ugly" in the epic Good, Bad & Ugly spaghetti Western), who shuffled on in June of 2014. You were the best.
Boss Nigger is one of the American Westerns that worked used the feel of the Euro-westerns that came to the fore in the mid-1960s, but with an African-American twist. The film stars Fred "The Hammer" Williamson as "Boss" and D'Urville Martin as "Amos" – two bounty hunters who become sheriff and deputy of a small western town. The twosome battles bad guys, civic corruption and racism with words and guns.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Boss Nigger is one of the American Westerns that worked used the feel of the Euro-westerns that came to the fore in the mid-1960s, but with an African-American twist. The film stars Fred "The Hammer" Williamson as "Boss" and D'Urville Martin as "Amos" – two bounty hunters who become sheriff and deputy of a small western town. The twosome battles bad guys, civic corruption and racism with words and guns.
Jazz pianist Monte Alexander talks about how growing up in Jamaica influenced his music as well as his love of American Westerns and country music.
Barry Newman is the mysterious man in the white Dodge Challenger, running away from the cops and his own screwed up life. I discuss the movie as a meditation on motivation, an allegory for the lost soul, and as a Caterpiller promotional film. I compare it (somewhat) with the 1997 version and with Smokey and the Bandit and American Westerns, but mostly with ancient mythology. I boldly suggest that beautiful women can represent both innocence and death, depending on whether they are nude or wearing a cloak and that "J. Hovah" is a little too on-the-nose for a character name. And I use my new CO3U microphone with very good results.