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TORONTO

[TIFF '12] ‘Byzantium’ To Premiere, Bloody New Imagery!

Movies
Posted by MrDisgusting on July 24, 2012 @ 12:14pm
Category: Movies / Images

While we wait for the elusive Midnight Madness line-up, we’ve scored a list of the first titles playing at this September’s 37th Toronto International Film Festival. Films announced include titles in the Galas and Special Presentations programmes. The announced films include 17 Galas and 45 Special Presentations, including 38 world premieres.

Although horror is slim pickings (for now), the one premiere that stands out is Neil Jordan’s Byzantium, starring Gemma Arterton, Sam Riley and Saoirse Ronan

In the film, “Two mysterious women seek refuge in a run-down coastal resort. Clara meets lonely Noel, who provides shelter in his deserted guesthouse, Byzantium. Schoolgirl Eleanor befriends Frank and tells him their lethal secret. They were born 200 years ago and survive on human blood. As knowledge of their secret spreads, their past catches up on them with deathly consequence.”

We’ve also landed a handful of new stills from the hotly anticipated vampire thriller.

The Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 6 to 16, 2012.

‘Frankenstein’s Army’ Premiere Info And A Look At One Of The Film’s Contraptions

Movies
Posted by EvanDickson on April 20, 2012 @ 7:25pm
Category: Movies / Images

A few quick nots regarding Dark Sky’s Frankenstein’s Army. We’re getting word from Horror.Nl that the film, which sounds really cool, will be premiering in ???* before moving on to its UK theatrical release. Also a plus? Apparently there’s no CGI in the film (we’ll see if that means no CG or just very little CG). Hopefully all of this will lead to a stateside release.

*UPDATE – Turns out there is no firm premiere city as of yet.

Set toward the end of World War II, Frankenstein’s Army stars Karel Roden, Alexander Mercury (The Golden Compass), Joshua Sasse (The Big I Am), Luke Newberry (The Heart of Me), Andrei Zayats (X-Men: First Class), Mark Stevenson (The Last Horror Movie), Hon Ping Tang (The Fifth Element), Cristina Catalina (Eastern Promises), Robert Gwylim (Escape from Sobibor), and Jan De Lukovicz.

The film, “takes place toward the end of World War II, as Russian soldiers push into eastern Germany and stumble across a secret Nazi lab, one that has unearthed and begun experimenting with the journal of one Dr. Viktor Frankenstein. The scientists have used the legendary Frankenstein’s work to assemble an army of super-soldiers stitched together from the body parts of their fallen comrades – a desperate Hitler’s last ghastly ploy to escape defeat.”

Head inside for a steampunk looking contraption from the film. READ MORE

Finally a Batch of Images UK Supernatural Thriller ‘The Awakening’

Movies
Posted by MrDisgusting on November 03, 2011 @ 6:59pm
Category: Movies / Images

awakening110311 Finally a Batch of Images UK Supernatural Thriller The Awakening

Recently acquired for US release by Cohen Media Group is Nick Murphy’s period supernatural thriller, The Awakening, which stars Rebecca Hall, Dominic West and Imelda Staunton. Finally a official poster and stills have been released. Click above for the entire gallery. Check out clips and a trailer inside.

The film world premiered at TIFF (read my review here) and is opening in UK cinemas on November 11.

“Haunted by the death of her fiancé, Florence Cathcart is on a mission to expose all séances as exploitative shams. However, when she is called to a boys’ boarding school to investigate a case of the uncanny, she is gradually forced to confront her skepticism in the most terrifying way, shaking her scientific convictions and her sense of self to the very core.” READ MORE

Indie

Toronto After Dark Film Festival Event Report: Day 7 and 8

Movies
Posted by Mike Pereira on November 03, 2011 @ 4:44pm
Category: Movies / Indie

Toronto After Dark Film Festival Event Report: Day 7 and 8

Toronto After Dark – Day 7

Just four more features to go before the curtain falls on TAD 2011. It suits me well that today’s line-up seems more like a subdued offering. Calm before the storm.

ANIMAL CONTROL

A rather sweet 17-minute short about a lonely taxidermist who befriends a dog he thought was dead. Animal lovers will no doubt squirm but ultimately be moved by the film’s message.

3/5 Skulls

THE CORRIDOR

A group of five friends take a trip to the cottage, attempting to mend their wounded relationship. What they encounter is a mysterious supernatural element that threatens to destroy them for good. The Corridor, a sci-fi/horror, is reminiscent to something you’d find in a Stephen King story. It’s driven by the characters’ rich dynamic. Each one is distinct and contains their specific internal demons. The damaged relationships between these men are the strongest aspect in this film. The ensemble delivers fine performances.

While the supernatural element is original, I found it got too increasingly bizarre that it only helped to withdraw me from the elements I liked the most. The visual effects more often than not, appeared a tad too phony for my taste. The lagging pace is also, a big determent. In the end, I just wasn’t invested enough in The Corridor.

2/5 Skulls READ MORE

Taste the Atmosphere in French-Language Trailer for ‘Livid’!

Movies
Posted by MrDisgusting on October 29, 2011 @ 4:03pm
Category: Movies / Videos

Taste the Atmosphere in French Language Trailer for Livid!

Bloody Disgusting ready “Fabien” has a little Halloween treat for you as he discovered the French-language trailer for Inside directors Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo’s nightmarish Livid (review) is now online and brooding after the break.

“‘Livid’s true gift is its creative madness, a film that’s drenched in imagery that will resonate with viewers for decades,” I stated in my review out of TIFF this past July. David Harley was also a huge fan stating that it “demands that its audience watch it through Fulci-tinted glasses as it weaves a fantasy horror tale heavy rooted in nightmare logic and Hammer aesthetics, a style that really hasn’t been replicated to this extent since the Godfather of Gore passed away in the 90′s.”

Arriving in theaters next year from Dimension Films, the pic is a horror fairytale set during Halloween night when three youths decide to burglarize an old lady’s desolate house, but what awaits them is no ordinary house… Do NOT expect another Inside and I believe you’ll be pleasantly surprised. READ MORE

Indie

Toronto After Dark Film Festival Event Report: Day 6

Movies
Posted by Mike Pereira on October 26, 2011 @ 6:00pm
Category: Movies / Indie

Toronto After Dark Film Festival Event Report: Day 6

Tonight’s screening of The Divide is a sell-out. Audiences were treated to the appearances of such genre favorites, Michael Biehn (Terminator & Aliens) and Milo Ventimiglia (“Heroes”). So far, this was the most enthusiastic crowd response at this year’s Toronto After Dark.

BLIND SPOT

A single take 6-minute short about a guy so caught up with settling an issue with a travel agent, he doesn’t realize some serious shit is going down all around him. While the film lacks a punchy ending, the visual effects are pretty impressive.

3.5/5 Skulls

THE DIVIDE

As of late, audiences have been treated to a seemingly never-ending stream of post-apocalyptic titles such as, I Am Legend, The Road and The Book Of Eli, to name a few. The Divide is yet another entry. I came into this film with minimal expectations. The opening moments of mass destruction soon changed all that. Director, Xavier Gens (Frontier(s) & Hitman) brings us a vision that’s both equally beautiful and horrifying. READ MORE

A Guest Adds Himself to Class Photos in Second ‘Awakening’ Clip

Movies
Posted by MrDisgusting on October 26, 2011 @ 12:32am
Category: Movies / Videos

A Guest Adds Himself to Class Photos in Second Awakening Clip

Recently acquired for US release by Cohen Media Group is Nick Murphy’s period supernatural thriller, The Awakening, which stars Rebecca Hall, Dominic West and Imelda Staunton.

The film world premiered at TIFF (read my review here) and is opening in UK cinemas on November 11. We already shared with you one clip that took you to the attic and inside a creepy dollhouse, now watch as Hall talks with West about a haunting series of images that display an added “guest”.

First ‘Awakening’ Clip Heads to the Attic and Inside a Dollhouse

Movies
Posted by MrDisgusting on October 24, 2011 @ 2:47pm
Category: Movies / Videos

First Awakening Clip Heads to the Attic and Inside a Dollhouse

Recently acquired for US release by Cohen Media Group is Nick Murphy’s period supernatural thriller, The Awakening, which stars Rebecca Hall, Dominic West and Imelda Staunton.

The film world premiered at TIFF (read my review here) and is opening in UK cinemas on November 11. The first clip has gone online where you’ll see a mysterious child running upstairs in a large and empty-looking house, a distraught-looking woman running after him with her hair all askew, and at the top of the house a truly terrifying dollhouse.

UK Quad for Supernatural ‘The Awakening’

Movies
Posted by MrDisgusting on October 13, 2011 @ 8:35pm
Category: Movies / News

Recently acquired for US release by Cohen Media Group, an international quad one sheet has been released for Nick Murphy’s period supernatural thriller, The Awakening, which stars Rebecca Hall, Dominic West and Imelda Staunton.

The film world premiered at TIFF, read my review here.

‘You’re Next’ Concept Poster Wears a Mask

Movies
Posted by MrDisgusting on October 10, 2011 @ 2:58pm
Category: Movies / News

Phantom City Creative is getting behind this years big festival winner, which will be slashing its way into theaters late next year via Lionsgate.

The artists has unveiled a concept poster for Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett’s You’re Next! (review), which boasts the multiple awards won at last month’s Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas.

In the home invasion horror starring Nick Tucci, Wendy Glenn, AJ Bowen, Joe Swanberg, Margaret Laney, Amy Seimetz, Ti West, Calvin Reeder, Larry Fessenden, Kate Lyn Sheil, Barbara Crampton, Rob Moran and Sharni Vinson, “A family comes under a terrifying and sadistic attack during a reunion getaway. Barricaded in their secluded country home, they have to fight off a barrage of axes, crossbows and machetes from both inside and outside the house. Unfortunately for the killers, one of the victims proves to have a talent for fighting back.”
READ MORE

[Final Report] TIFF ’11: Full Coverage, Reviews and Interviews!

Movies
Posted by MrDisgusting on September 29, 2011 @ 3:51pm
Category: Movies / News

After weeks of insane coverage, I’m excited to announce the conclusion of our Toronto International Film Festival coverage, which also included reviews and interviews from various “Midnight Madness” features.

Beyond the break you’ll find our breakdown of each film reviewed, along with link to interviews, images and even trailers (if available). If you’d like to see what else you’ve missed, click here for EVERYTHING.

[Final Report] TIFF 11: Full Coverage, Reviews and Interviews!

Movies
Posted by Brad McHargue on September 27, 2011 @ 4:33pm
Category: Movies / News

Acquired by Lionsgate with hopes of becoming their next big franchise, Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett’s You’re Next cleaned up the horror awards at the Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. The home invasion slasher won “Best Picture,” “Best Director” (Wingard), “Best Screenplay” (Barrett) and “Best Actor” (Sharni Vinson). In the film a family comes under a terrifying and sadistic attack during a reunion getaway.

In addition to our first rave review out of TIFF, below you’ll find Brad McHargue’s thoughts on the film that he calls “one of the best theater-going experiences of the year.”

[Fantastic Fest 11 Review] Youre Next Cleans Up Awards, Another Rave Review!

Movies
Posted by MrDisgusting on September 27, 2011 @ 2:35pm
Category: Movies / News

Completely over-hyped in my opinion, Brad McHargue heads to Cuba with his review of Alejandro Brugués’ Juan of the Dead, which screened at this past weekend’s Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. In the film an outbreak hits Cuba on the anniversary of the revolution, so Juan and his friends set out to conquer the undead who, according to government reports, are unruly Americans continuing their quest of undermining the regime.

“ ‘Juan of the Dead’ is a fun little zombie film…in a landscape where everyone and their mother are making zombie films, [it] definitely stands out as a unique little take on an often overplayed sub-genre.”

You can get Brad’s full take by clicking the title above.

[Review] FF 11: Juan of the Dead Fun & Unique

Movies
Posted by MrDisgusting on September 27, 2011 @ 2:32pm
Category: Movies / News

Brad McHargue writes in from Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas with his review of Doug Aarniokoski’s The Day, which boasts the impressive cast of Shawn Ashmore, Ashley Bell, Cory Hardrict, Dominic Monaghan, Shannyn Sossamon and Andrew Coutts. WWE Studios acquired the film after it’s Midnight Madness premiere at TIFF. In a post-apocalyptic future, five survivors wander along rural back-roads seeking shelter, which turns into a battleground where they must fight or die.

“ ‘The Day’ is so firmly entrenched in its post-apocalyptic style that it fails to cull together anything we haven’t seen before. Add in questionable acting, thin characters, and just plain old bad CGI, and ‘The Day’ does little to draw the viewer into its view of the end of the world.”

Click the title for the entire review.

[Review] FF 11: The Latest Apocalyptic Tale, The Day

Movies
Posted by David Harley on September 26, 2011 @ 5:10pm
Category: Movies / News

I love a film that gets people talking, which is why Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo’s Livid is so fascinating. I enjoyed the atmospheric horror quite a bit, while stringer Brad McHargue wasn’t as impressed. Now, inside you’ll find the strongest opinion yet as Bloody’s David Harley was a big fan of the Inside directors’ latest.

Inside you’ll find Harley’s thoughts on the horror fairytale that’s set during Halloween night when three youths decide to burglarize an old lady’s desolate house, but what awaits them is no ordinary house…

[Review] FF 11: Livid a Unique and Beautiful Vision!

Exclusive

[Interview] TIFF ’11: ‘You’re Next’s Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett, Actress Sharni Vinson!

Movies
Posted by Mike Pereira on September 26, 2011 @ 2:30pm
Category: Movies / Exclusives

The thought of being terrorized in the safety of your own home will always rank right up as one of people’s biggest fears. Filmmakers are very aware of this since they’ve been dwelling into this terrifying concept time and time again with the never passé, home invasion subgenre. It’s been the perfect avenue for directors to showcase/show-off their technical craft. Some of my favorites have been Straw Dogs (the Peckinpah original, of course) Black Christmas (don’t you dare ask which one), Funny Games (both versions actually), Panic Room, Inside and the criminally underseen, Them.

At this year’s TIFF, we got two…that I’m aware of; Joel Schumacher’s Trespass and Adam Wingard’s You’re Next. In the past, my biggest issue with home invasion films was how a great deal of them couldn’t quite manage to sustain the tension and my interest for their entire running time. Most fizzle out before they even enter the third act. Director, Adam Wingard and writer, Simon Barrett, the duo behind one of last year’s biggest gems, A Horrible Way To Die, have managed to take this subgenre into fresh and exciting new areas with You’re Next. This is the type of film that begs to be experienced with a large audience. Its bold attempt to mix up horror and comedy at any given moment, gives this thriller an unpredictability and sense of unease since the viewer has no idea where he or she will be hit next. I had the opportunity to chat with Adam, Simon and their badass leading lady, Sharni Vinson.

[Interview] TIFF 11: Youre Nexts Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett, Actress Sharni Vinson!

Movies
Posted by Brad McHargue on September 26, 2011 @ 2:30pm
Category: Movies / News

Premiering at the TIFF before screening this past weekend at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, I was a mediocre fan (yet enjoyed it quite a bit) for Inside directors Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo’s follow-up nightmare Livid, which went with atmosphere over gore.

Bloody D stringer Brad McHargue reports in from FF where he stands firm with the opposing crowd: The film fails to overcome the weak script.

Inside you’ll find McHargue’s thoughts on the horror fairytale that’s set during Halloween night when three youths decide to burglarize an old lady’s desolate house, but what awaits them is no ordinary house…

Interview

[Interview] TIFF ’11: ‘The Day’ Stars and Filmmakers Answer: Who is Guy Danella?

Movies
Posted by Bloody Disgusting Staff on September 24, 2011 @ 6:14am
Category: Movies / Interviews

Just a week ago TIFF’s Midnight Madness played host to the world premiere of Doug Aarniokoski’s The Day, a new indie action thriller described as an “apocalyptic siege warfare film.”

Aarniokoski, a Robert Rodriguez protege, best know for his second unit director work on Takers, Resident Evil: Extinction and even Once Upon a Time in Mexico, is behind the camera for the flick featuring an all-star cast including Shawn Ashmore (X-Men, Frozen, Mother’s Day, The Ruins), Ashley Bell (The Last Exorcism), Cory Hardrict (Gran Torino, Battle: Los Angeles), Dominic Monaghan (Lord of the Rings, “Lost”) and Shannyn Sossamon (Catacombs, One Missed Call)!

Read inside for our exclusive in depth interview with the cast and crew of WWE Films’ major apocalyptic acquisition.

“In a post-apocalyptic future, an open war against humanity rages. Five survivors wander along rural back-roads, lost, starving and on the run. With dwindling food stocks and ammunition, an attempt at seeking shelter turns into a battleground where they must fight or die.”

Interview

[Interview] TIFF ’11: Writer/Director Sean Durkin Talks Cult Drama ‘Martha Marcy May Marlene’

Movies
Posted by Bloody Disgusting Staff on September 22, 2011 @ 3:16pm
Category: Movies / Interviews

Perhaps the most difficult title of the year to pronounce, Martha Marcy May Marlene (review) has made its way from Sundance to Cannes, around the world at different film festivals. Fox Searchlight will release it in October, but not before playing it at the New York Film Festival.

The film stars Elizabeth Olsen as Martha, a young woman who leaves a cult led by Patrick (John Hawkes). As her sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson) and her husband Ted (Hugh Dancy) take Martha in, they can’t cope with her disturbing behavior. Writer/director Sean Durkin explained how he determined what specific social interactions Martha would get just a little bit wrong.

[Interview] TIFF 11: Writer/Director Sean Durkin Talks Cult Drama Martha Marcy May Marlene

Movies
Posted by MrDisgusting on September 21, 2011 @ 4:36pm
Category: Movies / News

Lionsgate is back in the horror biz as they’ve acquired the best genre film out of the Toronto International Film Festival, You’re Next (review), which premiered to a sold out crowd during “Midnight Madness”.

Directed by Adam Wingard from a script penned by Simon Barrett, You’re Next is a petrifying horror story starring Sharni Vinson, Joe Swanberg, A.J. Bowen, Nicholas Tucci and Barbara Crampton.

“In ‘You’re Next’, during a family reunion getaway, the Davison family comes under a sadistic attack. When Crispian Davison (Bowen) brings his new girlfriend (Vinson) along to celebrate the wedding anniversary of his parents (Moran and Crampton), the family’s evening together is shattered when a gang of mysterious killers begin to hunt the family down with brutal precision. Unfortunately for the killers however, one of the victims harbors a secret talent for fighting back.”

Snoot Entertainment’s Keith Calder and Jessica Wu produced the project with Simon Barrett and Kim Sherman.

The film reunites the principal cast from Wingard and Barrett’s shocking serial-killer thriller A Horrible Way to Die, which screened at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival.

NextLandscape090911 TIFF 11: Lionsgates Next Big Franchise!

Interview

[Interview] TIFF ’11: ‘Kill List’ Director Ben Wheatley

Movies
Posted by Bloody Disgusting Staff on September 21, 2011 @ 2:55pm
Category: Movies / Interviews

Kill List has been playing the film festival circuit, including SXSW, London Frightfest and The Toronto International Film Festival this year. Director Ben Wheatley was in Toronto on the second to last day of the festival, the last Midnight Madness slot of the week.

We don’t want to spoil too much, so you can still discover the film fresh. It is basically about two hit men, Jay (Neil Maskell) and Gal (Michael Smiley), killing people on their list and discovering a cult conspiracy. Festival audiences have been blown away by the horrific surprises, though the film has opened to UK audiences this month.

A softspoken Brit, Wheatley sat in the Fairmont Royal York’s Epic restaurant eating a sandwich between interviews. Nearing the end of the festival circuit, he lamented that he hadn’t actually gotten to see other movies. Still, he was there to talk about Kill List so we got his spoiler light thoughts on the film, his horror inspirations and his next film, a change of pace comedy.

[Interview] TIFF 11: Kill List Director Ben Wheatley

Exclusive

[Interview] TIFF ’11: Director, Cast of ‘Lovely Molly’!

Movies
Posted by Bloody Disgusting Staff on September 20, 2011 @ 2:38pm
Category: Movies / Exclusives

One of the cooler movies to world premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival was the Eduardo Sanchez-directed Lovely Molly, which Mr. Disgusting was a pretty huge fan of.

Screening as part of the “Midnight Madness” portion of the fest, the film begins when “newlywed Molly Reynolds (Gretchen Lodge) returns to her long-abandoned family home, frightful reminders of a nightmarish childhood begin seeping into her new life. She soon begins an inexorable descent into evil that blurs the lines between psychosis and possession.”

Inside you’ll find out exclusive chat with Sanchez and Lodge, along with co-stars Johnny Lewis and Alexandra Holden about the chilling demonic tale.

[Interview] TIFF 11: Director, Cast of Lovely Molly!

Movies
Posted by MrDisgusting on September 19, 2011 @ 2:48pm
Category: Movies / News

Directed by 28 Weeks Later‘s Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, and starring Clive Owen, I thought Universal’s creature feature was going to be a no-brainer. Unfortunately, Intruders makes the same mistakes as dozens before it, a third act that may as well been “all a dream.”

“What begins as a masterfully crafted creature feature ultimately falls flat on its face knocking out all of its teeth…If you’re able to overlook a sh*t finale, and over used CGI, ‘Intruders’ is still a pretty OK film loaded with some freaky imagery and ghostly attack scenes. It’s sort of a psychological fairy tale that may deliver enough punches for a home video audience.”

Click the title for the entire review or here for all of your TIFF news and reviews.

intruders081511 [Review] TIFF 11: Psychological Horror Intruders Falls Flat On Its Face

Movies
Posted by MrDisgusting on September 19, 2011 @ 2:48pm
Category: Movies / News

Mixing rock stars and a prison riot sounded like a good idea, but unfortunately word out of the Toronto International Film Festival premiere was that French filmmaker Alexandre Courtes’s The Incident is completely lackluster. Fred Topel reviews.

“What keeps the film from being any fun is the pace is so slow that a small burst of energy isn’t enough to recover. The atmosphere is just unpleasant, not scary, so the kills aren’t glorious.”

Click the title for the entire review or here for all of your TIFF news and reviews.

[Review] TIFF 11: The Incident Both Unpleasant and Not Scary

[TIFF '12] ‘Byzantium’ To Premiere, Bloody New Imagery!

‘Frankenstein’s Army’ Premiere Info And A Look At One Of The Film’s Contraptions

Finally a Batch of Images UK Supernatural Thriller ‘The Awakening’

Toronto After Dark Film Festival Event Report: Day 7 and 8

Taste the Atmosphere in French-Language Trailer for ‘Livid’!

Toronto After Dark Film Festival Event Report: Day 6

A Guest Adds Himself to Class Photos in Second ‘Awakening’ Clip

First ‘Awakening’ Clip Heads to the Attic and Inside a Dollhouse

UK Quad for Supernatural ‘The Awakening’

‘You’re Next’ Concept Poster Wears a Mask

[Final Report] TIFF ’11: Full Coverage, Reviews and Interviews!

[Fantastic Fest '11 Review] ‘You’re Next’ Cleans Up Awards, Another Rave Review!

[Review] FF ’11: ‘Juan of the Dead’ Fun & Unique

[Review] FF ’11: The Latest Apocalyptic Tale, ‘The Day’

[Review] FF ’11: ‘Livid’ a Unique and Beautiful Vision!

[Interview] TIFF ’11: ‘You’re Next’s Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett, Actress Sharni Vinson!

[Review] FF ’11: ‘Livid’ Creepy, Yet Weak

[Interview] TIFF ’11: ‘The Day’ Stars and Filmmakers Answer: Who is Guy Danella?

[Interview] TIFF ’11: Writer/Director Sean Durkin Talks Cult Drama ‘Martha Marcy May Marlene’

TIFF ’11: Lionsgate’s ‘Next’ Big Franchise!

[Interview] TIFF ’11: ‘Kill List’ Director Ben Wheatley

[Interview] TIFF ’11: Director, Cast of ‘Lovely Molly’!

[Review] TIFF ’11: Psychological Horror ‘Intruders’ Falls Flat On Its Face

[Review] TIFF ’11: ‘The Incident’ Both Unpleasant and Not Scary

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