A weekly look at the entertainment landscape from The Contending.
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In Another World: A Pop Culture Podcast A celebration of pop culture. Every week, join host Zacary Landolt (@zacarywithnoh insta/Twitter) as he dives into a discussion about a different piece of pop culture. Sometimes it’s an old favorite, or a “pop culture blind spot” that needs to be filled in. Joined by lovely, entertaining guests, and filled with fun segments, it’s always sure to be a good time! Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inanotherworld/support
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Before Megan ventures off to Atlanta to cover this year’s SCAD TVfest, we take a look at Max’s new drama series, The Pitt. Does it have the right stuff to be considered an Emmy player? The series calls back to a time when medical dramas were prominent on television, but the format of The Pitt (each episode playing out in almost real time) is someth…
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We’re breaking into another episode of Desperate Housewives. This week, Joey and Clarence tackle “Come In, Stranger,” the fifth episode of the series. We open with a strange break-in, discovered by Susan. Naturally, it’s Mike Delfino at the center of the crime, and Susan’s discovery of a screwdriver leads her to explore a new relationship with a co…
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This week, we’re using this episode to kick off a side piece podcast series dedicated to the Oscars 2025 craft nominees. First up are the Original Song and Original Score categories. Joey, Megan, and Clarence chat about the merits of each nominee, predict the front runners, guess as to who could be the potential spoilers, and lament the ones that g…
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Do you like mincemeat pie? Mrs. Huber (Christine Estabrook) sure does, and she’s not afraid to make it both into a pie and into a tortured but hilarious metaphor! Yes, it’s time for our latest episode of Desperate Housewives Revisited covering Episode 4, “Who’s That Woman?” In this episode, Lynette (Felicity Huffman) faces tough decisions regarding…
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On Thursday, The Academy will unveil their nominations for the 2025 Academy Awards in 23 categories. It’s finally time for The Contending to lock in their final predictions, so most of the team gathers around the Water Cooler to weigh in on the frontrunners and potential spoilers for nominations. Plus, it’s a tight two hours! We’re deeply appreciat…
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In our third episode of Desperate Housewives Revisited, we revisit Episode 3, “Pretty Little Picture.” It’s a lop-sided episode with Susan and Bree boasting the best material and Gabby and Lynette relegated to B-minus plot lines. After realizing the pending date of Mary Alice’s dinner party, the women decide to honor her memory by hosting a dinner …
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Welcome to 2025! Kind of sucks so far, but we’re keeping our positivity up by listing out most anticipated films and television shows of the new year. What makes our list that’s also on yours? We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week. We’re deeply appreciative for your shares,…
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Welcome back to the second podcast in Desperate Housewives Revisited, a look back at the Emmy-winning first season of the enormously successful and Emmy-winning ABC dramedy series. This week, we take a look at Episode 2, “Ah, But Underneath.” The episode establishes a routine that the series will follow throughout its run: a few moments are spent w…
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This week, we recap last night’s Golden Globes and do a deep dive on a few Oscar categories, namely Best Actress, Best Actor, and Best Picture. Fair warning: there’s a lot of Demi Moore on this podcast. We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week. We’re deeply appreciative for yo…
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While the shortlists receive a good amount of coverage after their announcement, there are three categories that don’t get as much coverage. The short film categories (Animated, Documentary, and Live Action, respectively) are some of the biggest prognosticator blind spots since these films don’t get talked about as much year-round, but you can find…
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Welcome to the first podcast in Desperate Housewives Revisited, a look back at the Emmy-winning first season of the enormously successful ABC dramedy series. We break down why we’re revisiting the series, why we love it, and with which Desperate Housewives personality we most identify. After examining the history of the Marc Cherry series, we deep-…
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Jonathan Abrams grew up on the potboiler legal thrillers of the 1990s. I’m talking about films such as A Few Good Men or The Firm or The Client or any of the John Grisham or Grisham-esqe adaptations that ruled multiplexes 30 years ago. These are films that have a storied cinematic legacy based in classic films like The […] The post ‘Juror #2’ Scree…
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We’re reacting to the recent drop of the 2025 Oscars official shortlists. What films missed out? What performed well? We look at all 10 categories and break things down for you. Then, we talk about what Christmas-adjacent films populate our viewing times this year. We’re not talking It’s A Wonderful Life but more films that might […] The post Oscar…
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‘September 5’ Cinematographer Markus Förderer Rose To the Challenge Of Lensing Action Inside a TV Studio [PODCAST]
Tim Fehlbaum’s September 5 is one of those films where their crafts don’t draw attention to themselves. The artisans supporting Fehlbaum’s taut direction and the fantastic ensemble cast so convincingly orient the audience within the world of the 1972 Munich Olympics that one almost takes for granted this isn’t a documentary. Everything from the exp…
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‘Twisters’ Sound Mixer Devendra Cleary On Braving the Oklahoma Elements For Sonic Authenticity [PODCAST]
Twisters sound mixer Devendra Cleary spent many hot, humid days on location in Oklahoma capturing all aspects of sound for Lee Isaac Chung’s summer blockbuster. The shoot was a fast-paced one, particularly so for a large film. Daily safety briefs came first, but the shoot required extensive planning on how to capture live sounds as […] The post ‘Tw…
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‘Nickel Boys’ Director RaMell Ross On Leveraging the Lyricism Of Imagery To Relay a Lived Experience [PODCAST]
Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Nickel Boys tells a fictionalized account of two young men — Elwood and Turner — who bond amidst the horrors of the Nickel Academy. The novel was heavily influenced by the real life Dozier School in Florida that operated for 111 years after which dozens of bodies were uncovered in […] The post ‘Ni…
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Joey, Megan, and Clarence are joined by The Contending contributor Mark Johnson to break down the 2025 Golden Globe nominations. Plus, we look at whether or not critics awards matter in the Oscar race and who benefitted most from week one of the critics phase. We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward […] The post Oscars 2025: 2025 Go…
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Megan caught up to Jon M. Chu’s Wicked, and she loved it. After she raves about Cynthia Erivo’s performances, we break down what works (Those performances! Those musical numbers!), what doesn’t (Wome of the camerawork), and what will likely break through at the 2025 Oscars. Will Wicked star Cynthia Erivo knock out a Best Actress contender? Then, [……
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‘Conclave’ Screenwriter Peter Straughan Adapts Robert Harris’s Novel To Explore the Secret World Of Papal Elections
When approaching his writing projects, Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning screenwriter Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) looks for a personal connection to the material. It’s that connection that gives his best work that extra spark, and he often finds it when the projects deal with themes of loyalty and betrayal. Those themes existed at t…
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We’ve all seen Gladiator II and have definite opinions on some hot topics, including Denzel Washington, flooding the Colloseum, Paul Mescal, and properly channeling rage. We break down our feelings on Ridley Scott’s latest film and try to figure out where it stands within the Oscar race after good box office but middling critic and audience reviews…
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#79. And Just Like That: Season One Wrap Chat (w/ Joey Moser & Ryan C Showers)
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1:31:53And just like that, it’s time for a new episode! On today’s show, two former guests (Joey Moser, of Awards Daily, and Ryan C Showers, host of “Scream with Ryan C Showers”) head back to chat about the season finale of the HBOmax hit series, “And Just Like That”. The fab trio discuss all the plot lines from season one that had everyone talking: the i…
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Well listeners, the time has come to talk about the film that your host, Zacary Landolt, has been looking forward to for so long. That’s right…it’s time to talk about Scream 5! Or…Scream. Scream 2022? Honestly it’s a choose your own adventure for the title. On today’s show, of course Zacary is joined by Devyn Ray, who was here through most of the S…
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#77. Scream 4 (with Devyn Ray and Tom Cornell)
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1:13:40Listeners, we’ve reached the last Scream movie before the new film that is officially released today! And don’t you worry, we will be here next week with our review/thoughts/feelings of the newest chapter. But until then, we’re here to talk about the sequel from 2011 that was a true reunion of sorts, bringing our original trio back for another bloo…
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#76. Scream 3 (with Ryan C Showers)
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1:01:44This week on the show, we continue our journey through the Scream film franchise, and on today’s episode we travel to Hollywood to get into the suspense and thrills of Scream 3! Now our usual horror guest, Devyn, is out today, but we have a fabulous guest to join for the Scream 3 chat. Direct from the hit horror podcast, “Scream with Ryan C Showers…
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It’s time to scream again! Zacary, and guest Devyn Ray, are back to talk about the 1997 sequel that still holds up to this day: Scream 2! They discuss all that made this iconic horror movie so successful, including the new cast that was filled with future superstars. And just like every horror movie episode, they’ve got fun segments to close out th…
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This week one the show it’s the return of Devyn Ray, which means we’re talking about horror. The next franchise journey her and host Zacary Landolt are going on, is through the Scream series, in anticipation of the release of Scream on January 14th, 2022! They go into their favorite iconic scenes from the film that started it all. Also tune in for …
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#73. Sex and the City VS. And Just Like That (with Joey Moser)
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1:20:47Well listeners, if you must know, Sex and the City is one of your host’s favorite shows ever (warts and all). So of course with the release of the much anticipated continuation series, And Just Like That, there was bound to be an episode on the subject. Dropping by the show is an old friend of the podcast, Joey Moser, who’s a writer over at Awards …
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#72. Fan Girl Series, Vol. 3: Joan Cusack
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1:22:46The time has come for another edition to be added to our “fan girl series”! We’ve previously celebrated Barbra Streisand, and Whoopi Goldberg, and today we add comedy icon, Joan Cusack, to the group! Host, Zacary Landolt, is joined by Gavin Mevius (host of the podcast, “The Mixed Reviews”), and together they dive into her amazing career, and highli…
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#71. Cooking show divas (with Nick Kochanov, host of “The Good Vanilla”)
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58:58Listeners, as you know, this is a pop culture podcast, and if we talk about formative pop culture figures in my life, it definitely included some fabulous ladies of the culinary world. There’s something so soothing about being shown some delicious-looking food, in a kitchen we will never be able to afford. For today’s episode we welcome to the show…
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It’s almost time for Halloween, listeners! Since “Halloween Kills”, the newest addition to the Halloween film franchise, from director David Gordon Green, came out a couple weeks ago, we figured we would discuss it for our Halloween episode! Tune in to find out Devyn’s thoughts on the newest Michael Myers tale. Also we talk about the return of Kyle…
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It’s already the end of Zacary and Devyn’s journey through the Evil Dead film franchise. It’s the shortest amount of time that it’s taken to finish! Tune In as they discuss: the film’s shift in tone, the gore, the performances, and to find out just how many buckets of fake blood were needed to film the final scene! And as always, they give out thei…
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Is that Ash, in King Arthur’s court? Why, yes it is! Which means we’re covering the third film in the Evil Dead franchise: Army of Darkness! It’s not every day you get a medieval twist on a horror sequel, and we have the truly kooky Sam Raimi to thank for it. Devyn and Zacary dive into all the comedy, special effects, and even the alternate ending …
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Zacary and “Queen of the spooky”, Devyn Ray, are back to dive into the second entry in the Evil Dead film universe. They talk about how the sequel is not quite a sequel, and more of a re-do, only this time with a much bigger budget. Also, they dive into the amped up special effects in the sequel, and praise the powerhouse horror performance from Br…
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We're back at it after a mini break, and just in time for the month of October, we're diving into another horror movie franchise! This time we are discussing the cult classic, The Evil Dead (1981)! Joining again, as guest cohost, is the lovely, "Queen of the spooky", Devyn Ray, and she's here to discuss every bloody detail of this wild indie horror…
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#65. Film Fridays: Freddy Vs. Jason (with special guest: Tom Cornell)
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1:31:24The time has come, listeners, to say goodbye to Jason Vorhees, and everyone we met on our Camp Crystal lake sagacity ! But Zacary and Devyn welcome a very special guest for this week’s episode…it’s podcaster/YouTube content creator, Tom Cornell! Zacary also cohosts his other show “Messy Mondays”, with Tom, so this week is truly a crossover event. A…
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#64. Film Fridays: Friday the 13th (2009)
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1:02:07Well listeners, this week we learned a lesson from this film, which was, “don’t ever trust Michael Bay with anything”.Today, Zacary and Devyn are talking about the 2009 remake of Friday the 13th. It somehow manages to deflate any real mystery from the story, and commits the ultimate crime of explaining TOO MUCH.But don’t worry, because the only thi…
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Well campers, we’re getting a little bored with Camp Crystal Lake. How about we head to space? Grab your machetes and let’s go! Today we are talking about sequel that sent Jason Vorhees to the final frontier. Devyn has been very excited to get to this particular movie, and It was Zacary’s first time watching, so it was a party! This movie is some r…
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#62. Film Fridays: Jason Goes to Hell- The Final Friday
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1:04:38Hey campers! As always, we’re headed down to Camp Crystal Lake, to get into the latest misadventures with Jason Vorhees. But this sequel is an odd one, as it technically features people posessssed by Jason Vorhees. Does it count as a satisfying last chapter for the franchise ? Tune in to hear Zacary and Devyn get into it! As always, they close thin…
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#61. Film Fridays: Friday the 13th Part 8- Jason Takes Manhattan
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1:13:59It's time to climb aboard a boat with Jason, and an endless supply of teen targets, and head to the city that never sleeps! Anyone who's been listening to this series knows that Zacary has been so excited for this sequel in the franchise, and after seeing it, he can only say that he was...disappointed. For a film that relies on a gimmick, and even …
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#60. Messy Mondays: "I warned you!"
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1:21:18Well listeners, they gave you fair warning, and now the time has come for Zacary and Tom to float away, and continue to have messy Mondays somewhere else! But they have one last fun show before they go, and don't worry, they have all of the details so you'll know how to follow them on their new adventure! Also, to keep things light and fun, we star…
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#59. Film Fridays: Friday the 13th Part 7- The New Blood
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1:12:35Hey campers! It’s time to head down to Crystal lake again, for the newest recap of Friday the 13TH. This week, we’re covering the 7th entry, Friday the 13th Part 7: The New Blood. Apparently this was the movie that one of the producers wanted to “win an Academy Award”. SPOILER ALERT: it did not, in fact, win any Academy Awards. This is the first mo…
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#58. Messy Mondays: The Airbnb Fiasco
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1:12:13This week, Zacary starts off the episode with a “messy moment” of his own. Tom’s waited days to hear the tale of the disastrous Airbnb, and why not just air it out on the pod, because after all, that’s what the show is all about. After Zacary’s saga, they dive into Tom’s current love of the Gossip Girl reboot, Drag Race All Stars 6, and a million o…
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#57. Film Fridays: Friday the 13th Part 6- Jason Lives
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51:15It’s time for, yet another, trip down to Crystal Lake, only this time, let’s just call it “Forrest Green”. Partners on this horror journey, Zacary and Devyn, dive into the sixth entry into the Friday the 13th film franchise, and the first one that truly seems to be aware of just how goofy and fun these films can be. They discuss all of the hilariou…
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#56. Messy Mondays: Tom and Zacary recorded a theme song
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1:27:48It’s time for another edition of Messy Mondays, and since Tom and Zacary discussed the topic of jobs last week, they figured they would start things off with the very light topics of death, and the year of 2020. Don’t worry, they find a way to somehow make jokes and get some levity into the program. They also talk about the upcoming theme song that…
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#55. Film Fridays: Friday the 13th Part 5- A New Beginning
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1:04:05It’s time for another “Film Fridays”, and another trip down to our beloved Crystal Lake. As always, we’re joined by “the queen of the spooky”, Devyn Ray, to unpack all of the crazy that lies in this fifth installment into the Friday the 13th film franchise. Zacary and Devyn discuss the continuing story of a now teenage Tommy Jarvis, from the last f…
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#54. Messy Mondays: A Talk About…Jobs
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1:15:11It's Monday, so Zacary and Tom are joining up again for another edition of, "Messy Mondays". After a particularly entertaining rant about the Olsen twins, your hosts dive into an honest chat about their work histories. The bad bosses, the awful customers, the wild coworkers, they go into ALL of it. And after that chat they go into the "Messy Monday…
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#53. Film Fridays: Friday the 13th Part 4- The Final Chapter
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1:07:45It’s time to head to Crystal Lake again, to spend some more time with our boy, Jason Vorhees! We’ve reached the fourth entry in the Friday the 13th film series, which adds 80’s child star, Corey Feldman, to the mix. It also wouldn’t be a Friday the 13th movie without a fresh crop of teens to terrorize! There’s even an appearance from the ever kooky…
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#52. Messy Mondays: “I’d rather die, than be wet!”
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1:18:11It’s time for another edition of “Messy Mondays”, and on today’s show Zacary and Tom are taking a trip down memory lane, through their respective dating lives. They talk about men who love to ghost, ones who can’t read a room, and men who just generally act a fool. They also close things out with a few “messy moments” from the web. --- Send in a vo…
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#51. Film Fridays: Friday the 13th Part 3
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1:00:37It's Friday again, which means it's time to head back to Crystal Lake, to spend another "Film Fridays" with Jason! This week, host Zacary Landolt, and guest co-host, Devyn Ray, discuss (and roast) the third installment in this franchise. When this movie was released it was presented with 3-D technology, which means a whole lot of visual gags. One w…
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#50. Messy Mondays: "Will & Grace gays"
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1:16:21
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1:16:21It’s time to jump into another edition of “Messy Mondays”, for Monday, July 5th. This week, hosts Zacary Landolt, and Tom Cornell discuss this weeks episode of Rupaul’s Drag Race: All stars 6, Fear Street 1994, and other pop culture moments from the past week. Later, in the official Messy Mondays segment, they get into a discussion about masculinit…
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