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DVD BeatQUID PRO QUO VADIS?: One of Movies Unlimited’s most asked-for titles is finally coming to DVD. Warner will be unleashing Quo Vadis?, the 1951 MGM epic of ancient Rome in an extras-packed special edition. Directed by Mervyn LeRoy, the film features Deborah Kerr as a Christian woman who gets involved with agnostic Roman soldier Robert Taylor. The romance blossoms as does Taylor’s religious beliefs, but at the same time emperor Nero (Peter Ustinov) plots to destroy Christians by throwing them to the lions and to burn down the city. The film is said to look and sound spectacular on this two-disc DVD after undergoing much restoration and the inclusion of Miklos Rosza’s overture that was originally presented in its early roadshow engagements. Documentaries, audio commentary and more bells and whistles will make this one of the year’s much-desired titles. A Blu-ray version will follow around Easter of 2009. THIS BUDD’S FOR YOU: Long in the works, Sony’s Budd Boetticher Box Set offers a five-disc collection of the Columbia Pictures western classics on which the legendary filmmaker Boetticher, star Randolph Scott and (usually) screenwriter Burt Kennedy collaborated. The films were originally shot as “B” pictures, but have grown in stature over the years and are now recognized for their complexity, craftsmanship and psychological dimensions, even in the wide open spaces. Included in this impressive set are: The Tall T (1957): Scott, as well as newlywed couple Maureen O’Sullivan and John Hubbard, are captured when their stagecoach gets hijacked by treacherous bandit Richard Boone. The true motives and agendas of all involved in the situation are revealed by film’s end. Decision At Sundown (1957): Gunman Scott has revenge on his mind over the wife who left him when he confronts nasty John Carroll in a small town. Buchanan Rides Alone (1958): In a small town, a young Mexican boy accused of killing a local creep with ties to powerful townsfolk is helped by drifter Scott. Ride Lonesome (1959): Scott is a bounty hunter going after a wanted murderer and his brother, who happened to kill Scott’s wife. Lee Van Cleef, Pernell Roberts and James Coburn co-star. Comanche Station (1960): The final collaboration of Scott and Boetticher showcases the actor as a loner (what else?) who joins a group of criminals to rescue a woman captured by the Comanches. CLEFT NOTES: Lionsgate will unleash two fan favorite Kirk Douglas genre outings, thanks to their relationship with French rights holder Canal Plus. First up is 1954’s Ulysses, with Kirk as the title hero in Homer’s Odyssey, in which the Grecian adventurer encounters the Cyclops, the sirens and the witch Circe. Anthony Quinn, Anna Magnani, and Rossana Podesta co-star. Also from the company is Rain Of Fire, a bizarre 1977 horror fest that might also be recognizable under the alternate titles, The Chosen and/or Holocaust 2000. Douglas plays an industrialist planning to build a nuclear power plant in the Middle East. After ordering the destruction of a cave that may have religious significance, Douglas discovers that his son Angel (Simon Ward) could be the anti-Christ. This movie was intended to take in some of the market that The Omen tapped into, but Rain Of Fire has its own brand of weirdness that must be witnessed to be believed. It’s the work of Alberto De Martino, the Italian maestro behind The Tempter and Operation Kid Brother. ALL'S WELLES THAT ENDS WELLES: Made during the 1950s but never finished because of financing problems, Orson Welles’ Don Quixote, the great director’s adaptation of Cervantes’ classic story, was completed by filmmaker Jess Franco for release in 1992. Unfortunately, the film got little exposure in theaters, but we’re happy to report that it is landing on DVD. Franco, who worked on the film as well as Welles’ Chimes At Midnight, tracked down footage, had characters’ voices dubbed (Welles had planned to record all the voices himself) and essentially cobbled together the work as best he could. The result is a bona fide curio featuring Spanish actor Francisco Reiguera as Don Quixote and Russian performer Akim Tamiroff as sidekick Sancho Panza. Now, if they could just piece together Welles’ Other Side Of The Wind, The Deep, etc. etc. AND SPEAKING OF WELLES…: While it won’t go down as Citizen Kane or Touch Of Evil or even Transformers: The Movie, Orson Welles’ performance as Judge Rauch in 1982’s Butterfly sure was award-worthy—he was nominated for both a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and a Razzie for Worst Supporting Actor. Meanwhile, Pia Zadora, the film’s star, won a Golden Globe, with whispers that it was because of the backstage efforts of her millionaire hubby Meshulam Riklis. With all this hubbub, no wonder Butterfly had developed a devoted following on VHS, and is now making its DVD debut. In this adaptation of the James M. Cain story, Ms. Zadora plays the long-lost daughter of mine guard Stacy Keach, who returns to her Arizona home to get the silver lode. Her plan involves seducing her reclusive father. Joining Welles and company are James Franciscus, Eddie Albert, Stuart Whitman, June Lockhart, Lois Nettleton and Ed McMahon. Hi-yooo! MORE OUT OF THE GATE: Lionsgate digs once again into its formidable library with two releases from Republic Pictures. In One Touch Of Venus (1948), Ava Gardner plays an ancient Roman goddess brought to life from her existence as a statue by window dresser Robert Walker, who then sets out to spread love throughout the world. If this sounds like Mannequin, the hit '80s film with Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall, you’d be right, although Mannequin failed to credit its inspiration. Lewis Milestone, who won acclaim turning Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet On The Western Front into a classic film, adapted another of the author’s books into Arch Of Triumph. In this 1948 effort, Charles Boyer plays a refugee doctor living in Paris who saves Ingrid Bergman from doing herself in and finds her a job as a nightclub singer. The two are drawn together, but when Boyer is deported, she gets involved with a possessive playboy. Charles Laughton is also on hand as a Nazi officer. While we welcome these fine films to DVD, we do want to make it known we are not happy with Lionsgate’s lack of interest in putting other Republic winners on DVD at this time. These titles would include Johnny Guitar, The Last Command, and several “B” westerns. BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME: Long in the works, Warner Bros. And The Homefront Collection is a doozy, a compendium of three patriotic movies from the WWII era with such extras as newsreels, shorts, cartoons and commentary. The flag-waving winners in the set include: This Is The Army (1943): This is the roadshow edition of this favorite starring George Murphy and Ronald Reagan as a father-and-son producing team who put on the greatest salute to U.S. forces ever, with music (and an appearance) by Irving Berlin. Songs include This Is The Army, Mr. Jones, Alexander’s Ragtime Band, and Oh, How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning, while stars include Joan Leslie, Kate Smith, Joe Louis, Rosemary DeCamp, and George Tobias; Michael Curtiz directs. Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943): Almost every star contracted by Warner put in an appearance in this song-studded extravaganza, with Eddie Cantor in dual roles as an agent for Dinah Shore and a showbiz wannabe bus driver. The amazing cast also includes John Garfield, Bette Davis, Olivia De Havilland, Humphrey Bogart, Alexis Smith, Joan Leslie, Dennis Morgan and S. Z. Sakall. Songs in the terrific Frank Loesser-Arthur Schwartz penned score include Blues In The Night, That’s What You Jolly Well Get, and the title track. Hollywood Canteen (1944): A salute to the Hollywood-based outpost for GIs during the war, which was co-founded by Bette Davis and John Garfield. There’s no shortage of stars here: The Andrews Sisters, Barbara Stanwyck, Jack Benny, Roy Rogers, Joan Leslie, and Eddie Cantor, as well as Davis and Garfield. Tunes showcased include Don’t Fence Me In, Tumbling Tumbleweeds, Getting Corns For My Country, and more. A CLOSER LOOK I: Overlooked in its theatrical run in early summer following a less-than-enthusiastic response at the Sundance Film Festival, Smart People may go down as this year’s smartest overlooked film. Dennis Quaid turns in a wonderful performance as a widowed Pittsburgh literature professor whose life is a mess. He’s self-absorbed, can’t seem to get his long-in-the-works novel published and barely maintains a house where he pays little attention to his overachieving high school student daughter (Ellen Page) or college-aged wannabe artist son (Ashton Holmes). The situation changes when two people enter his life. First, his slacker adopted brother (Thomas Haden Church) appears out of nowhere, announces he needs a place to stay, and moves in. Then he meets an emergency room nurse (Sarah Jessica Parker) whom he likes. Or, rather, re-meets, because Parker was once a student of Quaid’s. Appropriately, the dialogue between all the key characters from first-time writer Mark Poirer is smart, insightful and humorous with a nice edge to it, and neophyte director Noam Murro keeps things moving briskly and elicits strong performance from his ensemble cast. What makes this interesting is that the characters seem to know what’s best for their predicaments, but the least likely person comes through as a sage of sorts. We’ve seen similar stories before in the “Resurrection of the Down-and-Out Single Parent” mold before, beginning with 2000’s Wonder Boys (also set in the Steel City) to The Upside Of Anger to Dan In Real Life. Smart People is a worthy addition to the fold. ISN’T THAT SPECIAL: Several movies have returned to the DVD market as much-in-demand special editions, showcasing featurettes, documentaries, commentaries, extra footage, etc., etc. Included are: JFK (Ultimate Collector’s Edition) (1991): Just in time for Oliver Stone’s W, a portrait of George W. Bush, comes this new edition of the director’s controversial look at John Kennedy’s assassination. The three-disc set includes 17 minutes of extra footage, documentaries, a booklet and more. Capricorn One (Special Edition) (1978): Speaking of conspiracies, an all-star look at the purported faking of the moon landing is the basis for this entertaining saga. Stars include Sam Waterston, James Brolin, Elliott Gould, O.J. Simpson, Brenda Vaccaro and Karen Black, while Peter Hyams directs. Chaplin (15th Anniversary Edition) (1993): Robert Downey, Jr. turns in an Oscar-nominated tour-de-force portrayal of the great Charlie Chaplin in Richard Attenborough’s masterful biography. A cast reunion and documentaries highlight this special pressing that co-stars Anthony Hopkins, Kevin Kline, Penelope Ann Miller, and Diane Lane. Casino Royale (Collector’s Edition) (2006): Daniel Craig makes a strong first impression in his debut James Bond adventure. This edition includes loads of cool extras. Savage Streets (2-Disc Special Edition) (1984): Linda Blair is something to behold in tight leather, brandishing a crossbow, and seeking revenge in this 1980s exploitation classic. She’s on the prowl for the bad guys after her deaf-mute sister (Linnea Quigley) is assaulted. Turn your home into a grindhouse or a drive-in with this Death Wish, femme-style. Holiday Inn (3-Disc Collector’s Set) (1942): The Fred Astaire-Bing Crosby musical charmer that offered the screen debut for Irving Berlin’s White Christmas is showing up neatly wrapped with a newly colorized version alongside the original black-and-white, audio commentary, featurettes, a soundtrack CD and more. A CLOSER LOOK II: A prequel to Disney’s enormously successful 1989 animated entry, The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning chronicles life under the sea during the aquatic heroine’s formative years. In true Disney form, there is a tragic event that occurs in the young mermaid’s life, leaving King Triton a single father. The occurrence leads the regent to banish music in his undersea kingdom, and when Ariel and her sisters decide to sneak in their regular musical interludes, Triton goes ballistic. He leaves the mermaids under the care of evil Marina Del Ray and her helpers, and Ariel and family have to figure out how to escape from her clutches. The animation is colorful, the pacing swift, and the voicework—which features Jodi Benson returning as Ariel, and Sally Field as Marina—on-target. There are some original songs offered on the soundtrack, but the catchiest is an oldie— the calypso-tinged Jump In The Line, which was featured in Beetlejuice. Further, Ariel’s siblings seem to have been Bratz-erdized, as they now resemble the ever-popular doll/cartoon gals with their speech patterns and looks. For kids who dig Disney princesses, however, none of this will matter much. Behind-the-scenes features, a game, and a look at what goes on behind-the-scenes at The Little Mermaid on Broadway are part of the package. OH, THAT BARNEY RUBBLE—WHAT AN ACTOR!: Two Hanna-Barbera feature films from the Boomer Era find a second life on DVD when we welcome The Man Called Flintstone (1966) and Hey There, It’s Yogi Bear! (1964). In Flintstone, Fred, Barney, Wilma, Betty, Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm are involved in espionage in a 007 spoof filled with excitement, groovy 1960s (albeit stone-age-y) sights, and music. Yogi finds the world famous bear sent to the San Diego Zoo by Ranger Smith. Although he connives a way to secretly stay in Jellystone Park, he has to rescue his love Cindy when she’s taken by the circus. These movies are smarter—and more fun—than your average kids’ movies! THE CREATURES WALK AMONG US: Special effects innovator Ray Harryhausen is being feted with a few cool DVD releases: First, there’s a spectacular six-disc set called Ray Harryhausen Collectible Gift Set from Sony that boasts both black and white and colorized versions of It Came From Outer Space, Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers, and 20 Million Miles To Earth. The bonus gift is a nifty figure of the Ymir, the ever-growing critter from 20 Million. Also upcoming from the Harryhausen oeuvre (and Sony) is The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad (50th Anniversary Edition), his wonderful 1958 Arabian Nights saga with the Cyclops, fire-breathing dragons and sword-fighting skeletons. A CLOSER LOOK III: With cards prevalent on cable TV and on the Internet, winning over a new generation of fans, there’s little surprise that Hollywood has followed suit with films centered on the players who risk it all for that big-time pot. We’ve already had the blackjack-themed 21, the ensemble improv study The Grand, and Lucky You, a poker film with an A-list director (Curtis Hanson) calling the shots, that fared poorly at the box-office. Almost as an afterthought comes Deal, which is a solid Texas Hold ‘Em saga, but doesn’t quite dethrone Rounders as the king of this sort of thing. After all, it’s hard to compete with a film in which John Malkovich plays an Oreo-cookie-obsessed character named Teddy KGB. Instead of Malkovich, we get Burt Reynolds as a grizzled (and pasty-faced) veteran who has taken a hiatus from the game at the urging of his wife. But while watching a tournament on TV one night, he spots young card shark Bret Harrison losing to poker pro Jennifer Tilly. (FWIW, celebrity poker circuit regular Tilly isn’t playing herself.) After Reynolds bumps into Harrison again, he gets the fever, and volunteers to act as mentor to the hotshot. Heck, Reynolds even hooks Harrison up with the sultry Shannon Elizabeth. And we do mean “hooks.” It’s obvious that mentor and protege will eventually square off mano y mano on the poker tables, and while Deal has little in the way of originality, it mines the main conflicts fairly well. Reynolds risks his marriage, while Harrison risks his future. While there are some dramatic deficiencies, the card-playing is well handled by director Gil Cates, Jr., son of perennial Academy Award producer Gil Cates. If you’re a fan of cards—particularly Texas Hold ‘Em—Deal may not leave you flush, but it should offer you enough drama to skip the next tournament coming on cable. SPIDER MEN: William Hurt copped a much-deserved Academy Award for his stunning turn in 1985’s Kiss Of The Spider Woman. The actor portrayed a homosexual pederast, obsessed with a World War II era film, who is imprisoned in a Brazilian jail. He receives a cellmate in the person of political prisoner Raul Julia, and the two soon share an unusual bond, as Hurt attempts to tap into Julia’s creative side by spinning a tale that sparks his imagination. Sonia Braga co-stars under Hector Babenco's direction. This unique film, which was nominated for three other Oscars and was the inspiration for a Broadway musical, is finally hitting DVD. SILENT IS GOLDEN: Count 1924’s The Last Laugh as one of the true classics of the silent era. Kino is putting out a deluxe pressing of F.W. Murnau’s film, which starred the great Emil Jannings as a proud Berlin hotel doorman whose life is horribly disrupted when his new boss demotes him to washroom attendant. How Jannings deals with the situation is the stuff of great personal drama. The film was noted for its lack of dialogue relayed to audiences via title cards, as it was told almost entirely by innovative visuals that employed unusual camera angles, distorted lenses and innovative editing, making Murnau’s accomplishment even more impressive! A CLOSER LOOK IV: No, it’s not a documentary about a group of designers for Playtex. Bra Boys is a raw but compelling look at roughneck surfing culture in Australia, a fascinating, true story that is already being turned into a feature film with Russell Crowe and Phillip Noyce attached in different capacities. Crowe also narrates this saga, set mostly in a depressed area of Oz called Maroubra Beach. Located south of Sydney, it’s a badlands teeming with drugs, violence, and little family values. Here, the four Abberton brothers lived an existence beset with all of these problems. To offset the grind of everyday life, the family—like many others in the region—turned to surfing. The Abbertons befriended homeless kids, and their grandmother welcomed them into the household. Together, they became gangs—or “tribes”—depending on whether you’re a cop or not. But the clans cannot quite overcome their hostile environment. There is drinking and gang wars, and, later, murder. All the while, the siblings are winning awards for their amazing dexterity on surfboards. Bra Boys has been questioned about its objectivity. No surprise, because Sunny Abberton, one of the boys, directed the film, and he goes easy on his troubled brothers when their story gets darker. Still, this is a fascinating glimpse into a subculture that makes the characters in Point Break look like wimps. And the surfing footage is pretty awesome, too. CRITERION CORNER: More terrific films getting the first-rate treatment from the Criterion Collection. Each one is loaded with commentaries, featurettes and great extras, plus wonderful new transfers. Leading Criterion’s upcoming slate is the long-sought and legendary French adventure-farce Fanfan La Tulipe (1952). This charming 18th century costumer offered stage and screen sensation Gerard Philipe as the handsome if indolent peasant who signs up with Louis XV’s forces because of the glory promised by fetching if fraudulent fortuneteller Gina Lollobrigida, and gets into escapades calculated to bring the phony predictions to fruition. A new digital transfer and a documentary about Philipe’s storied and too-short life highlight the extras package. The remainder of Criterion’s November schedule offers their brand of bells and whistles to special editions of distinctive favorites. First is their long-promised rendering of Wes Anderson’s debut Bottle Rocket (1996). This offbeat offering garnered Owen and Luke Wilson early notice, as part of a trio of Texas misfits whose decision to embark on a small-time crime spree leads to a string of complications. Commentary by Anderson and Owen W. (who co-scripted), a making-of documentary, and the original 1992 13-minute short head the remarkable add-ons to this double-disc edition. Also on the horizon is Martin Ritt’s gripping take on the John Le Carre thriller The Spy Who Came In From The Cold (1965). This deglamorized look at espionage offered Richard Burton as a burnt-out British operative handed his last assignment, involving public discrediting so that the Soviets will unwittingly recruit him. New interviews with Le Carre and cinematographer Oswald Morris, a 1967 BBC interview with Burton and much more are included. Rounding out the releases is Wong Kar-Wai’s name-making opus Chungking Express (1994). The director memorably interwove the tales of a pair of jilted and heartsick Hong Kong cops (Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro) whose paths tenuously intersect at a late-night take-out joint. Criterion’s release includes a soundtrack remastered under Wong’s supervision, audio commentary, and more goodies. FROM THEATERS TO YOU—IN NO TIME FLAT: Here are the latest first-run titles that were just in theaters a second ago… The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian: The fantasy follow-up to The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe finds the year-older Penvensies returning to a Narnia where 1300 years have passed, and having to deal with the restoration of the young regent Caspian (Ben Barnes) to his usurped throne. With Peter Dinklage, Tilda Swinton; voicework by Liam Neeson, Eddie Izzard. The Deal: Amusingly snarky take on show-biz stars William H. Macy (who co-scripted) as a sleazy producer who takes a dry script about Benjamin Disraeli and massages it into a $100 million Jewish-themed actioner for converted star LL Cool J. Meg Ryan, Elliott Gould, Jason Ritter co-star. Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who!: Last spring’s smash CGI-animated adaptation of the favorite Seuss fable offers Jim Carrey as the voice of the pachyderm who discovers a microscopic populace on a flyaway mote, and pledges to protect them from harm. Steve Carell, Carol Burnett, Seth Rogen, Amy Poehler, Isla Fisher co-star. The Fall: Visually striking project from the director of The Cell focuses on an injured silent-era stuntman (Lee Pace) who befriends a small girl during his hospital convalescence, and who entertains her with a fanciful narrative of heroes on a magical quest. Fanboys: Controversy-plagued, cameo-laden geek-fodder comedy set in 1998, in which a trio of Star Wars fanatics seek to fulfill their dying buddy’s last wish by breaking into the Skywalker Ranch and hijacking a pre-release print of Phantom Menace. Jay Baruchel, Dan Fogler, Sam Huntington, Chris Marquette, Kristen Bell star. Fred Claus: Holiday comedy stars Vince Vaughn as the less successful, ne’er-do-well big brother of Santa (Paul Giamatti), who agrees to let him come to the North Pole and help out during the busy season in exchange for a 50K loan. Kevin Spacey, Miranda Richardson, Rachel Weisz, Kathy Bates, Elizabeth Banks co-star. The Happening: New York City is suddenly, shockingly stricken by an abrupt wave of mass suicides. Philly science teacher Mark Wahlberg and spouse Zooey Deschanel join the exodus from the Northeast’s population centers, and search for the plague’s uncanny cause, in M. Night Shyamalan’s latest thriller. John Leguizamo, Betty Buckley co-star. Hellboy II: The Golden Army: Ron Perlman is back as the comics’ irascible demon defender in another stylish stunner from Guillermo Del Toro, as he has to fend off the machinations of an evil elf prince (Luke Goss) with designs on taking the planet back for his race. Selma Blair, Doug Jones, John Hurt co-star. The Incredible Hulk: Marvel Comics’ green-skinned Goliath jettisons the Ang Lee angst in this more action-oriented reboot, as Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) tries to curb his terrible transformations while dealing with a relentlessly pursuing military and the threat of the Abomination (Tim Roth). Liv Tyler, William Hurt, Tim Blake Nelson co-star. Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull: After 19 years, Harrison Ford picks up the slouch hat and the whip once more, as the adventuring archaeologist returns in this 1957-set Spielberg / Lucas soiree, teaming with young biker Shia LaBeouf to race Soviet spies down the Amazon in search of an uncanny prize. Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone co-star. Iron Man: The Marvel Comics summer hit offers pitch-perfect work from Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark, the playboy munitions magnate who crafts an amazing battlesuit to escape the clutches of Afghani terrorists, and turns his technological triumph into a juggernaut for the just. Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges co-star under Jon Favreau’s direction. The Perfect Holiday: Engaging urban Christmas comedy regarding an aspiring songwriter / department store Santa (Morris Chestnut) who gets a chance to woo and win a gorgeous single mom (Gabrielle Union), who, unfortunately, is also the ex of the rapper (Charlie Murphy) he’s begging for a break. Queen Latifah, Terrence Howard, Faizon Love also star. Sex And The City: Four years after we last left them slinging back Cosmos in their slingbacks, HBO heroines Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Samantha (Kim Cattrall), Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) get caught up as they reconvene for Carrie’s imminent marriage to Big (Chris Noth). This summer's chick-flick champ co-stars Jennifer Hudson, Candice Bergen. The Strangers: Shudder-inducing home invasion saga offers an unsettling odyssey for a young couple (Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman) who face a night’s worth of mounting terrors in their isolated summer cottage at the hands of unknown assailants. This Christmas: Enjoyable holiday farce follows a large African-American family as they convene for their first celebration together in four years, and who strive to keep the wraps on their various personal secrets—from infidelity to interracial relationships to hassles with loan sharks. Delroy Lindo, Loretta Devine, Mekhi Phifer, Regina King, Chris Brown star. Vicky Cristina Barcelona: Woody Allen’s best-received effort since Match Point offers a surprising Spanish sojourn for a free-spirited filmmaker (Scarlett Johansson) and her strait-laced Master’s candidate pal (Rebecca Hall) as they encounter a charismatic painter (Javier Bardem) with designs on bedding them both. Penelope Cruz co-stars as Bardem’s tempestuous ex. WALL-E: Popular and praiseworthy parable from Disney and Pixar follows the travails of a plucky salvage robot left for centuries on a deserted, no-longer-habitable Earth who abruptly and amazingly discovers both companionship and purpose. Sigourney Weaver, John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy, Fred Willard, Jeff Garlin supply voices.
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