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» » Night of the Demons (1988)

Short summary

On the night of Halloween, 10 teens decide to go to a party at an abandoned funeral parlor. "Hull House", rumored to be built on an evil patch of land & underground stream, is the place. While starting the party, the teens gather around a big mirror to perform a seance...BIG MISTAKE. They awaken some evil force and find themselves trapped and taken over one by one. Now it's a battle for who can survive and cross over the stream before going to hell....

Produced for a very modest $1.2 million, the film racked up outrageously large grosses in its limited release. Debuting in Detroit, it hit New York City at Thanksgiving and earned $3.109m, holding screens until the end of the year.

Linnea Quigley (Suzanne) and special effects artist Steve Johnson met when she came in to get the mold for her fake breasts done. They were later married.

Had the film opened nationwide with the numbers it earned in Detroit, it was projected to have earned $13 million domestically in its opening weekend - which would have ranked it amongst the top grossing horror films of its decade.

Shot in four weeks.

Linnea Quigley had to come in and practice eye-gouging.

Rue McClanahan - choreographer Amelia Kinkade's aunt - paid a visit to the set.

When we first see Angela (in the convenience store) she is wearing cross earrings. Later in the movie when she is dancing with Stooge (and she has become possessed), her cross earrings are upside down. A popular sign of "the devil".

Linnea Quigley (Suzanne) had gained noteriety for her portrayal of "Trash" in a The Return of the Living Dead (1985) and was asked to come in for an audition by the filmmakers, who were fans of that movie. She initially rejected the offer to audition, believing that she was too old to convincingly portray a teenager. Her agent insisted that she go in and after a couple more requests, she eventually did audition. To her surprise, she won the role.

Originally titled "Halloween Party."

An earlier draft of the script had a priest blessing the audience at the start of the movie.

Cathy Podewell quit her job working as a waitress in the wake of being cast as Judy.

One proposed alternate title for this film that ultimately wasn't used was "Demon Boogie."

Hal Havins refused to show his posterior in the mooning scene at the start of the film.

The house used as the main location was eventually demolished and subsequently replaced by a Ralphs supermarket.

The line "Eat a bowl of *beep*" that Hal Havins says was an actual remark that John Belushi said while performing a comedy routine live on stage.

Amelia Kinkade choreographed her own dance routine.

This film is the inspiration for horror thrash metal band Hull House fronted by actor Zach Martin under the name Zachy Gorehound.

In the scene where they look at the cracked mirror, there are 2 characters who aren't reflected. They're the characters that survive. Everyone who looks at the cracked mirror fragments dies.

User reviews


  • comment
    • Author: Andromakus
    The 80s were overrun by all those HALLOWEEN/Friday THE 13TH slasher-style horror movies, so this is something of a relief.

    Ten unbelievably annoying teenagers (would you want to hang out with these jerks?!) decide to throw a Halloween party at a local former funeral parlor called "Hull House". During a "past life séance" a demon is accidentally released, and each person becomes possessed and kills off the others.

    This all sounds very EVIL DEAD/DEMONS-ish, but Tenney lends some directorial style to the proceedings, there are some good one-liners, the music is excellent, the Steve Johnson prosthetic make-up FX are scary and Linnea Quigley is quite fun as a boy-crazy bimbo who pokes out eyeballs with her fingers and does an amazing new thing with a tube of lipstick!

    Great fun on a no-brainer level! After checking out the breakdown of the voting and the other posted reviews, I don't understand how this only received 4 out of 10 (?!)

    I give it, 8 out of 10.
  • comment
    • Author: Dugor
    Night of the Demons is by far one of my favorite horror films to date. You really cannot go wrong with this picture. It's directed by the master Kevin (Witchboard) Tenney and based on a Joe Augustyn script.

    The film is based on a rowdy group of high school teens who decide to throw a party in an old abandoned funeral parlor. Both Angela (Amelia Kinkade) and and Suzanne (Linnea Quigley) are the ones responsible for throwing this party together. They invite a small group of personal friends together and host this party on none other than Halloween Night. The party starts off as a real smash. However, throughout the course of the night, Angela and Suzanne transform into demonic characters and infect the rest of the guests.

    There are some real classics deaths in this one. Jill (Sleepaway Camp III) Terashita and her beau Philip Tanzini meet their untimely death, while they are "working it out," in a casket of all places. Stooge, who happens to be one of the highlights of the party, crushes them both in the coffin. This death here, is one of my all time favorites. Also, check out the lipstick scene with Linnea Quigley.

    This movie has it all, the house, the booze, naked chicks, violence and demons. If you are into real bad movies, like myself, then go ahead and check out this masterpiece.

    I am also pleased to report that Anchor Bay has received the rights to be able to release this fine movie finally on a DVD release. Boy, I cannot wait. The street date is slated for an August 24th 2004 release date.

    If you haven't seen nor hear of this movie then I advise you to go ahead and check it out. If you have seen this then hopefully you'll pick it up on DVD once its released. 10/10 for a classic!
  • comment
    • Author: inetserfer
    This movie just rocks. It has everything, Halloween, the costumes, the big house, demon possession, great 80s cheese music, even creepiness through-out. The demons are actually creepy. Director Tenney is obviously skilled at creating a creepy mood and the film is pretty stylish as well. Once the demon action kicks in, its fun. If you r a horror movie fan you owe it to yourself to check this out. I remember seeing Night of the Demons back in the late 80s on a rented VHS. Its directed by Kevin Tenney (witchboard 1 n 2, witchtrap, 2007-brain dead). It has Linnea Quigley ( Silent Night, Deadly Night, Return of the living dead, Nightmare on elm street-4, Night of the demons remake). Looking forward for more projects from the director Kevin tenney. Saw the sequel of this in the mid 90s on a VHS, which was OK. Saw the third part in the late 90s on a vcd, which was a bad movie. Saw the 2009 remake starring Edward furlong on a DVD, which I dint enjoy.
  • comment
    • Author: Bloodfire
    This movie took me by surprise. The opening credit sequence features nicely done animation. After that, we're plunged into a semi-cheesy production, betraying its low budget. The characters, typical American teens, are introduced slowly, with more personal detail than is usually found in movies like this. By the time the shlitz hits the fan, we know each one of the characters, and either like or hate them according to their distinct personalities. It's a slow uphill set-up, kind of like the ride up a slope of a really tall roller coaster. Thankfully, once the action kicks in, it's full blown old school HORROR! Steve Johnson's make-up effects are awesome. Equal in quality to much bigger budgeted films. And the scares are jolting. Kevin Tenney delivers his best movie ever, with heart-stopping surprises and creepy suspenseful set-ups. The tongue-in-cheek, sometimes cheesy, humor marks this film as pure 80s horror, as opposed to the sullen tone of earlier genre fare like "Night of the Living Dead" or "Hills Have Eyes." But for true horror fans, this one is worth checking out. Play it as the first entry on a double bill with the 1999 remake of "House on the Haunted Hill." The set-up and character dynamics are so similar that you really have to wonder what film they were actually remaking?
  • comment
    • Author: Pumpit
    Another great horror film that takes place on my fave holiday...Halloween, of course. !!!SOME SPOILERS!!! Angela invites a few friends from school to the abandoned funeral parlor Hull House.

    As they have their fun and games, demonic forces take over Linnea Quigley and then Angela, sending them on a murderous rampage. Good story, effects, and music. ***1/2 out of *****.
  • comment
    • Author: Endieyab
    IF you're looking for a typical slasher, horror flick, this is a good choice. Don't expect a surprise ending or even witty, interesting dialogue. You will get some screams, some gore, some pre-mortem nudity and some laughs. The point is, don't expect too much.
  • comment
    • Author: Cheber
    Night of the Demons is a great movie and an excellent example of how good low-budget can be. Sure, much of it is fairly predictable, but somehow it's still much more enjoyable than the crap we see these days being passed off as "Horror". I give the gore a solid 9, and the Demons' one-liners are actually funny. I'm still creeped out by "Stop looking at me!" The soundtrack is well done, I was surprised to hear "Stigmata Martyr" from Bauhaus! There is also some very nice T&A on display, as well as some hella good make-up effects. The second film in the series is pretty good too, but avoid the inferior third one. Night of the Demons may be dated, dark, and low-rent, but it still has a lot of potential. It's definitely worth a rental at least. Give it a chance tonight, just stay away from any old makeup! (you'll understand when you see it!)
  • comment
    • Author: Dondallon
    After much pondering, I finally popped this flick in recently and I have to say, I was surprised at how good it was. "Night of the Demons" is a classic 80's fright flick, complete with good scares, decent gore, and freaky chicks dancing to bad music.

    A group of punks go to an old, run down house to party it up and they soon find out that the place is haunted by an evil presence. One by one they are possessed and turn to the dark side, mauling and killing each other off. It's pretty rad.

    The special effects are good in this one. When the punks turn into demons, they are pretty damn hideous.

    Recommended for the 80's horror fan.

    7 out of 10, kids.
  • comment
    • Author: Wetiwavas
    This is a great horror film for people who don't want all that vomit-retching gore and sensationalism. This movie has equal amounts of horror, suspense, humor, and even a little light nudity, but nothing big. Linnea Quigley isn't over the top as she was in "Return of the Living Dead" where she danced naked on a crypt, but she is still essentially the same slutty character. Cathy Podewell is a virginal and chaste character before going on to "Dallas," and we are also introduced to Amelia [soon Mimi] Kinkade,the sexy and sinister would-be dark matron of the house. As she and Linnea are possessed and take over the house, they reanimate the bodies of their dead friends to scare the limits out of the survivors. I've heard a lot of people compare this movie to "The Evil Dead," but if anything, this movie is a rival to that one the same way Freddie rivaled Jason.This movie series though is far superior to that one !
  • comment
    • Author: Sinredeemer
    I originally saw this movie in a movie theater on Times Square in the late eighties. Who would have thought this film would spawn two sequels and have this cult following.Night of the Demons was like most other films that came out at the time.A group of horny teenagers find themselves trapped in some isolated local and then are killed off one at a time in various gruesome ways.Come to think of it the formula still is used and still seems to work as evidenced by Saw II that I recently saw.

    I saw Mimi Kinkade at a Fangoria convention about six years ago and she was so gentle hearted!I guess that makes her a pretty good actress if she could make a career out of playing this demon possessed woman in all these horror flicks.Anyway, I just this film again on VHS cassette and this movie still holds up.A little slow at the beginning as I remembered when I first saw it but then it quickly picks up pace. One of the eighties horror classics and worth a look!
  • comment
    • Author: Jox
    I remember seeing this film in the theater and liking it. I happened to stumble upon it on fear net last month and watched it again and found it better with age. First of all for those of you who describe this as 80s cheese if you objectively compare it with the horror flicks of the past 2 decades it compares quite well if stacked up against films in its unique horror sub genre which I would term action/horror as opposed to psychological horror such as "The Shining" or "the exorcist".

    Furthermore for its budget this film really delivers the goods (or in this instance bad). The film actually has some character development and gives enough of a history of the infamous hull house to get the atmosphere right before the characters set foot in the front door. The film also has several hilarious one liners and gives the appropriate mood that a creepy horror flick should have. If you compare NOD to contemporary big budget horror films such as "I am legend" (The Vincent Price version was much better) this film really stands out. Modern horror flicks have become almost completely dominated by CGI. Most have no plot or character devel at all and are completely predictable. The special effects dominate these movies from start to finish and the characters are 24k plastic. If this is 80s horror cheese I'll take it over 95% of current entries in the genre.

    On a closing note seeing NOD again made me remember the beautiful Jill Terashita and wonder why I have not seen her in more films horror or otherwise. Jill on the odd chance that you read this- I think you are gorgeous and should have been in more films. Lastly, if you like action horror flicks you will probably like this one a lot.
  • comment
    • Author: Yellow Judge
    Two sequels and a lame remake doesn't do anything to diminish the fun of this original film wherein a diverse group of high school seniors attend a Halloween party being thrown by 'weird' Angela at the deserted supposedly haunted Hull House. After staging an impromptu séance, demons come out to show these boys and girls how to really party.

    I'm surprised with how well this movies has held up. Yea there's a bit of dated 80's humor but for the most part it still works surprisingly well. Plus they just don't make Scream Queens like Linnea anymore, she's awesome in both this and 'Return of the Living Dead"

    Eye Candy: Cathy Podewell shows her butt; Jill Terashita goes topless; and scream queen Linnea Quigley goes full frontal
  • comment
    • Author: mym Ђудęm ęгσ НuK
    Very low budget, low quality special effects, terrible acting, and not very probable...these all should spell "Bad Movie". But, for Night of the Demons, I'll make an exception. This movie isn't "so bad its good". I hate that philosophy, and I will never use that for a movie. If its "so bad" then it really is "so bad", not "good". This movie was NOT strong on storyline. The storyline does not make much sense at all, I mean, its consistent for the most part, but very improbable. The acting was the worst quality of the movie. The acting was horrid. Most of the actors were probably poor college kids looking for extra money. But, the scares were GREAT! The characters were better acting when possessed than as normal people. I liked Rodger, the main character. He was realistic and different. Judy wasn't all that bad, she played a good "screamer". Angela was alright as well. I did like Sal Romero, his accent was actually funny. He was one of the 3 people (Rodger and Judy) to actually have a brain. The old man was funny as hell also. Reminds me of my neighbor but 10x worse. ANother good thing was that all the actors were no-name, so you couldn't tell who was next, who would make it out and whatnot. I rate this a 6.5/10, but since 6.5 cant be chosen, I'll round it up to 7/10. Watch if your in the mood for a mindless B-horror movie.
  • comment
    • Author: Nettale
    any movie that has a line of dialogue that goes something like this...."Judy's getting ready for her date, Butthole!" has to be good! I found this on DVD unrated, unedited and was pleasantly surprised, a lot of hard work was put into making this movie. I actually enjoyed this more that a lot of 80s movies I have seen. Great addition to my movie collection.

    The buildup was great, sets up the scares for the rest of the movie. Loved the GORE and the T&A. I never thought eyeballs being gouged out would look like popping boils, the color of the eye splatter was gross! I keep thinking that "Rog" looked like Tiger Woods but more black, anyone agree?
  • comment
    • Author: Invissibale
    And you know why? Because they thought (or at least made horror fans think) that a bunch of obnoxious, foul-mouthed, screaming teenagers, some stupid demons (Where do they come from? What is their purpose? Who knows?) and a dark mansion are all you need to make a horror movie. Needless to say, they were wrong. You also need a script, some logic, some rules, and some invention. This flick DOES have one scene that lives up to its reputation (the lipstick scene, of course), and a couple of funny moments (the kid brother's description of his mother's cookies, Linnea Quigley's "don't look at me" scene). It also has more profanity than any movie I've watched since I last saw "Reservoir Dogs". Literally every fourth or fifth word is a "f***" or a "b****". Then again, when a movie begins with FOUR false scares in its first 5 minutes, you know not to expect anything resembling good filmmaking. (*1/2)
  • comment
    • Author: Thorgaginn
    I didn't expect this little horror picture to be very good but, once I got past the slow beginning and they arrived at the funeral home, the picture really takes off. It is a film that is a little ahead of its time in horror pictures from the eighties. It has a little comedy and gruesome special effects for such a small horror picture. Check it out sometime, I'm sure you will enjoy it.
  • comment
    • Author: Huston
    This movie is my favorite one, even if it's a little cheezy!!! The plot is great, the characters are so greatly stereotypes,the effects are cool, this movie is actually scary!!
  • comment
    • Author: Perongafa
    I own the video to "Night of the Demons" and usually watch it in the autumn part of the season. I thought it had its moments with some of the demons possessing the party-goers. The house which appears like an old funeral home or closed down mansion, gives off a cold, mean-spirited aura. This of course adds to the dread that the movie heaves. The acting I might add is at times atrocious, but redeems itself by slick use of make-up and the claustrophobia of being closed in and around the darkened climate. There are quite a few eerie sequences going on, and you never know who may pop out, or who might be possessed. Its not the greatest horror spoof, but it works in ways than other cheap attempts. I would recommend this feature for those who want that Halloween spirit added to their thrills. Rated **
  • comment
    • Author: Frey
    I must say. This is easily one of my FAVORITE movies to watch on Halloween. The halloween party, the horrid acting, the guy dressed like and extra from Miami Vice. GREAT GREAT GREAT!!!

    *********************SPOILERS***************************

    I have a huge place in my heart for random 80's horror flicks and this one reached out and tugged at my heart strings. I always passes this flick at Blockbuster and always laughed at the cover of the box. Now every weekend I would grab a random movie I had never seen before...one weekend it was Angelas turn. She seemed to have been taunting me for months. So I took it home put it in and spent most of the movie underneath the blanket.

    For me, it was terrifying and gross. And not just the acting! Some of the things they came up with for this movie was AMAZING. I can honestly say the best part for me was watching Suzanne (played by a fellow iowan) stick a tube of lipstick through her nipple. It was random and I loved it. Watching creepy Angela FLOAT through the hallways and hearing her creepy demon voice was enough to have me awake ALL NIGHT LONG!

    It isn't one of the most clever or best acted horror movies. But its 80's cheese and its got all the elements you need. Creepy Goth Kid, Virgin, Slut, Naked Girls, Scary House, Bad Acting, oh and did I mention Naked Girls? All the elements were there and were put together in such a way that made for one of my fave movies. Kudos to the filmmakers.
  • comment
    • Author: Marige
    This is one of the best 80's haunted house flicks. Several teenagers decide to throw a party at a funeral home and before you know it all but two are possessed and chasing the only two good teens left trying to kill them. Great acting, special effects, direction and one liners. Linnea Quigley is great. Cathy Podwell is not bad either.See the unrated version if you have to choose between the two. Recommended.
  • comment
    • Author: Arryar
    'Night of the Demons' is a dodgy slice of 80s horror boasting a terrible script, some excruciatingly bad acting and lousy direction from horror hack Kevin Tenney.

    The derivative wafer-thin plot sees a bunch of obnoxious teens spending Halloween partying in a derelict spooky house; one-by-one they become possessed by the evil spirits that dwell there.

    Tenney tries desperately to emulate the visual style of The Evil Dead and the punk attitude of The Return of the Living Dead, but only manages to deliver a dull, tedious crap-fest that doesn't even manage to entertain on a 'so-bad-it-is-good' level. Tenney has nearly all of the ingredients necessary for a B-movie classic—monsters, naked chicks, and gore—but is missing the most vital one in order to make it all work: talent.

    The badly paced film takes an amazingly long time for anything noteworthy to happen and after 50 minutes of irritating 'crazy' shenanigans from the 'wacky' teens, I couldn't wait for them all to start dying.

    The special makeup effects from Steve Johnson are actually pretty good when they finally happen, but they are wasted on such a lousy film. Particularly impressive is a scene in which 80s scream queen Linnea Quigley pushes a lipstick into her breast and also rather good is a juicy double eye squish.

    Also worth mentioning are the lovely ladies who strip off during the course of the movie, making the experience slightly more bearable. The aforementioned Miss Quigley bares all for the camera (as usual) and lovely Jill Terashita gets her best attributes out for the lads. Gorgeous Cathy Podewell only manages a brief glimpse of her bare backside and a bra shot, but I'm not complaining—with such a dull movie, I was grateful for anything that might liven it up.

    'Night of the Demons' spawned two sequels, which are on my pile of DVDs-to-watch. Wish me luck!
  • comment
    • Author: TheMoonix
    I was a huge fan of this movie when it came out.I must have watched it on VHS 100 times.That being said its been a good 15 years since I've watched it & having just bought it & watched it on Bluray I have to say that I don't know what I ever saw in this movie.This doesn't happen very often with me usually a movie I loved as a kid is a movie I still enjoy as an adult. American Werewolf In London,My Bloody Valentine,Prince of Darkness & They Live just to name a few.Night of the Demons is an ugly movie loaded with stereotyped characters & trope after trope.Watching it now it reminded me of really bad dinner theater.This is not a so-bad-its-good b-movie or even one of the finer trashier Troma flicks.Nope NOTD exists in this vacuum of awfulness that is almost jarring to watch.I see no point in breaking down the story or explaining the highs & lows because I can sum up this movie in one sentence. Night of the Demons is a joyless scare-free Evil Dead knock-off that has absolutely zero redeeming qualities if your not a teenage boy living in the 1980's. Still I love Scream Factory & in 2013 my library increased with more of the movies they released & I'm looking forward to future titles to come.
  • comment
    • Author: spacebreeze
    Dear friends, I've never seen such a trash movie as NIGHT OF THE DEMONS (1988). It seems that the director Kevin Tenney had the intention to copy classics like THE EVIL DEAD by Sam Raimi (1978) or George A. Romero's RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD from the same year. The cinematography was lousy, the movie was very dark, so I had to turn the brightness control to the maximum. Indeed, horror pictures have to be dark, but not the way like NIGHT OF THE DEMONS. The entire movie was ridiculous, no suspense, worse actors except Alvin Alexis in the role of Rodger, and horrible make-up effects. An average vote of 5 stars for that movie? I can't believe this. Perhaps the users were pleased about the tits, asses and pussies of the actresses, they were indeed worth 5 stars. Regards, Hans-Dieter
  • comment
    • Author: Simple
    Somehow I was expecting something like Demons (Demoni)from Lambert Bava. Once you have seen that you just can't accept a movie like this. One reviewer even argued that "Night of the Demons" was better than Evil Dead. Well,that is just ignorance and sacrilege. "Evil Dead" is a horror classic. And almost everything that happens here is a direct copy from "Evil Dead". There is one scene where you will see the demon's viewpoint roaming through the house. The way the camera is used is the exact same way it is used in "Evil Dead" when deadites try to enter the cabin only not as impressive. But I don't mind if they use the same techniques,effects or even storyline as long as the movie manages to entertain you. And here starts the problem. "Night of the Demons" has a far to comedic approach to events. The acting is so bad (obviously) done on purpose that it removes all sympathy you might have for the characters. Also when something scary happens it just doesn't have the effect it should have. There are two or three scenes that really could have been scary if the acting at that time was truly serious. "Demons" from Bava showed a fine balance between,camp,humor,gore and thrills. "Night of the Demons" is more like a parody. I am sure that there is an audience for this movie. But if you are looking for thrills you are better off with classics like "Demons" or "Evil Dead". Do pay attention to the "twist" ending which is hilarious. It has nothing to do with the whole story but still makes more impact than the whole movie did.
  • comment
    • Author: Gavirim
    Many people don't appreciate dated or lower budget horror, but in my opinion you cannot be a true horror fan without at least a respect for the B-movie. This movie is enjoyable in only that way that 80's campy horror can be enjoyable. It doesn't take itself too seriously and you really shouldn't either. Often overshadowed by the slasher movies of the 80's, this one is a classic. Amelia Kinkade plays Angela. Watch for her creepy dance sequence. It's pretty memorable and what happens right after elevates Amelia's character, Angela from B Movie character to a horror powerhouse like Freddy and Jason. But unfortunately the 2 sequels that followed are inferior and wound up botching her character. Linnea Quigley does something very interesting with a tube of lipstick. And the gore effects are pretty cool.

    This movie is by no means a thought provoking kind of horror movie, where you are supposed to question the existence of humanity or anything like that. This is a horror movie with lots of drinking, sex, and drugs, and many many moments of "oh my god did she just?! Did they just do?!" Honestly as a shock value horror flick very few movies surpass this one. I'm probably a bit nostalgic for it, but only slightly I think a lot of the shock moments in this movie will get more people than most of the ones in "Saw" or "Hostel". The director had a really good feel on what would appeal to an 80's teen (and 90's teen in the near future.) Hull House is by far the best environment for a movie like this. The music is the greatest horror movie music ever! Far surpassing that of "Nightmare on Elm Street's". It throws a lot into the atmosphere of the movie.

    Overall rating: 7 out of 10.
  • Cast overview, first billed only:
    Hal Havins Hal Havins - Stooge
    Allison Barron Allison Barron - Helen
    Alvin Alexis Alvin Alexis - Rodger
    Harold Ayer Harold Ayer - Old Man
    Billy Gallo Billy Gallo - Sal (as William Gallo)
    Cathy Podewell Cathy Podewell - Judy
    Karen Ericson Karen Ericson - Judy's Mother
    Lance Fenton Lance Fenton - Jay
    Donnie Jeffcoat Donnie Jeffcoat - Billy (as Donnie Jeffcoat Jr.)
    Linnea Quigley Linnea Quigley - Suzanne
    James W. Quinn James W. Quinn - Clerk #1 / Demon Voices
    Clark Jarrett Clark Jarrett - Clerk #2
    Amelia Kinkade Amelia Kinkade - Angela (as Mimi Kinkade)
    Jill Terashita Jill Terashita - Frannie
    Philip Tanzini Philip Tanzini - Max
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