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Today we would like to draw your attention to two European horror films that seem very promising.


Last week the Austrian-German film »The Devil's Bath« already started in cinemas. In the main role we see Anja Plaschg, who, as Soap&Skin, should be no stranger to friends of dark musical sounds. Of course, it's not surprising that she also wrote the soundtrack for the film.

»The Devil's Bath« tells the story of a woman named Agnes, who is almost crushed by the constraints of marriage and social life in Austria in the year 1750. The hard everyday life, combined with deep religiosity and the impossibility of breaking out of the given circumstances, ensure that Agnes' state of mind is increasingly darkening and a catastrophe is approaching.

The extremely melancholic and hopeless pictures from the trailer make you want more. In addition, the directors Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala (»The Lodge«, »Goodnight Mommy«) have already proven themselves with their works in the past. For horror fans who have a certain interest in the historical setting, this film should be a no-brainer!

Watch the trailer here:
https://youtu.be/PaGMdANhmrw


On top, we have some French spider horror on offer: In »Infested«, Kaleb, a collector of exotic animals, brings a spider of unknown origin to his apartment. The hairy little animal is characterized by a special aggressiveness and toxicity. Then, of course, what has to happen happens: the animal escapes and soon after, Kaleb's entire apartment block becomes a death trap. 

Judging by the trailer, it seems that »Infested« does not reinvent the wheel: scary animal breaks out. Scary animal kills people. A scenario we have witnessed more often than we'd like to. The positive reviews, however, speak for the film. So it could definitely get its deserved place on the menu of those interested in animal horror.

Here's the trailer:
https://youtu.be/LR-uiy20_zM

»Infested« is hitting German cinemas today.


Which movie are you more interested in?

That was unexpected! Yesterday evening the first teaser trailer for the live-action remake of »How to Train Your Dragon« dropped on YouTube. We knew somewhere in the back of our minds that there would be a live-action film, but the trailer caught us pretty off guard.

Visually it is quite impressive. The look of Toothless is particularly nice, since the CGI animators have found a good balance between adopting the original design and at the same time integrating the dragon harmoniously into the real setting. Generally, the remake is in good hands with Dean DeBlois, the director and screenwriter of the animated trilogy, who will also take on these roles here, as well as John Powell, who will once again compose the music. Gerard Butler is also the only right choice for the role of Stoick, to whom he already lent his voice. To what extent (or whether) the makers manage to add any significant added value to the story of the great original remains to be seen. This first preview doesn't show any new scenes. Anyone who has seen the first part of the film series will recognize the images in the trailer:
https://youtu.be/5lzoxHSn0C0

The film will be shown in cinemas next June. What do you think of the trailer?

For our postcard in November, we asked John to lie in wait for a snapshot and lo and behold: he quickly caught Winnie "The Godfather" Pooh and his henchmen Tigger and Piglet in their nasty machinations! What deal are they currently negotiating with Kingpin and Cobra Command 🤔?

You can find the Poohfather 🌹 and many more great toy photos with funny cross-overs on John's Instagram account. And you'll get a free copy of this postcard in every package we send to you in November 📦!

This summer, just before the San Diego Comic Con weekend, we went to the cinema to watch »Deadpool & Wolverine«. We started the convention weekend well amused and were excited to see what collectibles would be on display in San Diego (or at Sideshow Con) and at the concurrent conventions in Hong Kong at ACGHK and in Shanghai at China Joy from the film we enjoyed so much.

We were sure that Hot Toys would be bringing the two heroes of the film to life. Still, we could hardly believe what we saw. In addition to Deadpool and Wolverine, the line-up also included Ladypool and Kidpool. The figures were completed by Babypool, Dogpool and Headpool as accessories. In addition to the regular and deluxe versions, Wolverine also appeared in a »TVA Jacket« version.
https://www.space-figuren.de/advanced_search_result.php?inc_subcat=1&keywords=deadpool%2B%2526%2BWolverine&filter_id%5B0%5D=8

That was already so much more than we expected and we felt really well served by Hot Toys.

But the 1:6 top dog is now upping the ante! A few days ago, there was a small Facebook teaser in the form of a damn cool reel with Ryan Reynolds. It announced a brand new Deadpool, beautifully weathered, equipped with plenty of accessories and, to top it off, with a second, unmasked head, which looks great!
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1294366441915456

But that's not all! The manufacturer has apparently taken the film's home cinema release as an opportunity to drop even more announcements, that blew us away: Hot Toys is bringing out all four Resistance characters, namely Dafne Keen as Laura, Wesley Snipes as Blade, Jennifer Garner as Elektra and Channing Tatum as Gambit! This is absolutely amazing!!! To celebrate, we put on »Like A Prayer« by Madonna and danced around our desks ...

Now we can hardly wait for the first prototype pictures.

Over the past few days, film studios and streaming platforms have given us exciting new trailers and previews. Here's a small selection.


SECRET LEVEL

Prime Video has a very special pre-Christmas gift in store for video game fans. The game anthology series »Secret Level« is going to be available on the platform from the 10th of December. It tells rousing stories from the most popular video game worlds such as »Dungeons & Dragons«, »Mega Man«, »Crossfire«, »Warhammer 40,000« and »Sifu«. The episodes are visually distinguished from each other by their individual animation style. Behind the whole idea and realization are the creators of »LOVE, DEATH + ROBOTS«, another anthology series, which was a huge hit. If you're not convinced yet, you can look forward to an interesting cast, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kevin Hart, Keanu Reeves, Ariana Greenblatt, Emily Swallow and many more. Gamer or non-gamer, the trailer causes goosebumps:
https://youtu.be/SvY9Uq7I30Y


MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING

Following »Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One«, which was finally released last summer after being delayed multiple times, fans fortunately won't have to wait this long for the sequel »Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning«. The eighth film in the »Mission: Impossible« franchise is set to hit theaters next May. Tom Cruise takes on another dangerous mission as Ethan Hunt after the events of the seventh film and starts his journey to a sunken submarine. It is the key to taking down a dangerous AI entity. The trailer reveals, which risky realms the action hero finds himself in:
https://youtu.be/NOhDyUmT9z0


DISNEY+ 2025

Last but not least, Disney gave us a preview for the streaming year 2025, which will be especially exciting for those with a Disney+ membership. Some well-known series are getting a new season, including »The Bear«, »Star Wars: Andor« (which is going to be renamed »Andor: A Star Wars Story« for the new season) and »Percy Jackson and the Olympians«. Boredom in the streaming universe certainly won't come up when we look at what's new for 2025. »Ironheart« and »Daredevil: Born Again« from the MCU as well as »Alien: Earth« are guaranteed to make the coming year exciting. Take a look at the preview for yourself:
https://youtu.be/gnwpxgR3STE

The HBO series »Dune: Prophecy« premiered yesterday. The first season, which includes six episodes, is set in the early days of the legendary Bene Gesserit sect, over 10,000 years before the birth of Paul Atreides. At the center of the story are the sisters Valya (Emily Watson) and Tula Harkonnen (Olivia Williams), who fight against forces that threaten the future of humanity ...

Denis Villeneuve’s »Dune« films set the benchmark! The series, which is based on the 2012 novel »Sisterhood of Dune« by Brian Herbert (the son of »Dune« creator Frank Herbert) and Kevin J. Anderson, is in good hands at HBO, because they are very familiar with series about intrigue and power struggles. It is no coincidence that the critics repeatedly draw parallels to the »Game of Thrones« series. And we admit that after the first episode of the series, we are already hooked!

Ridley Scott's »Gladiator II« opens in cinemas this week. Our Mick watched a preview of the film last night. Here is his review:

Hollywood likes to play it safe. And every studio fears nothing more than a flop. So they like to bet on movies that promise to be a sure bet. And these are usually franchise films and sequels. The audience doesn't have to be introduced to a new, unfamiliar topic, which would require significantly more marketing costs. And if a film was successful, the masses will flock to the sequel. This calculation has led to many an old blockbuster receiving a late sequel, especially in recent years. This is also the case with the Oscar-winning »Gladiator« from 2000. Ridley Scott, who celebrates his 87th birthday at the end of the month, once again sat in the director's chair.

The result is a thoroughly entertaining movie that has a lot to offer and that repeatedly tries to tie in with the story of Maximus from the original film. And so comparisons between the two films are inevitable. »Gladiator II« fares much worse. On the one hand, it seems like a copy of the first part for long stretches, but never reaches its depth and emotional impact. Paul Mescal in the lead role as Lucius does a good job, but does not step out of Russell Crowe's shadow. These sandals are simply a size too big for him.

Lucius is one of the defenders of the last free city in North Africa. His wife is killed in the attack. Lucius blames the Roman tribune Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) for this and swears revenge. The Romans win the battle and Lucius is captured and enslaved. He is bought by the slave and arms dealer Macrinus (Denzel Washington), who quickly recognizes his talent as a gladiator (which sounds very familiar to us somehow)...

All of this is dealt within a hurry and so the story didn't really grab me emotionally at first. With the casting of Pedro Pascal, it seems as if the Maximus role has been split between two actors, with Pascal handling the military part. Pascal is really good in his story arc. For me, his part is the most interesting in the whole film.

The emperor was also doubled by the brothers Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn). Both try to play the decadent psychos, but compared to Joaquin Phoenix's Commodus, they seem unthreatening and downright harmless and a bit like decals. Denzel Washington stands out the most from the cast, but when does Washington not do that? The development of his character seems a bit erratic to me at the end.

I also found it a bit annoying that the movie tries very hard to keep Lucius' origins a secret and sells it as a big revelation when Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) recognizes her missing son in him. We all know that since the trailer. I also have a problem with Lucius's lineage in particular, which is to the detriment of the lore of the first part.

The portrayal of gladiators once again makes all the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. This has nothing to do with the state of historical research and is pure, unruly group slaughter. But in this respect, the first »Gladiator« was already pure fantasy. Here, »Gladiator II« tries to up the ante with spectacles like a rhinoceros-riding gladiator or sharks in the Colosseum. But never mind, it's entertainment and not a history lesson.

My conclusion: »Gladiator II« is anything but a masterpiece, but the film is certainly entertaining popcorn cinema without great pretensions, nice to watch with a slightly stale aftertaste.

For all Elvis Presley fans, the TV evening is saved - as long as you are a NETFLIX subscriber. As of today, the new documentary »Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley« can be seen in the stream.

The documentary seems to be largely focussing on the legendary »'68 Comeback Special« which brought Elvis back to the stage and back to fame after a long low. The backgrounds are also illuminated, including comments by other stars and companions such as Bruce Springsteen, Baz Luhrmann, Conan O'Brien, Darlene Love and of course Priscilla Presley!

Here's the trailer in case you wanna get a taste:
https://youtu.be/JHStpufGGzA

We're definitely up for it, because Elvis can never go wrong 🤩🎶. And if there's somebody out there who's been keeping an eye on the stunning 1/4 Elvis Presley statue by Blitzway, you need to know: we do exactly have 1 last piece left in stock 🕺!

It is time for some exciting news from the world of toys and collectibles!

The Lucca Comics & Games Con took place in Tuscany on Halloween weekend. Along with the San Diego Comic Con, this convention is one of the places where Infinite Statue & Collectibles and Kaustic Plastik like to celebrate their world premieres. This year, the Italian partner brands presented a very special highlight: »Boris Karloff« in his legendary role as Frankenstein's Monster in the Universal classic from 1931. Our Mick has reviewed the program of their 1:6 film figures and listed the latest news and new products. You can find his article here:
https://action-figure-district.de/celebrating-cinema-history/

There was also great news (including the first teaser image) from Hot Toys, the top dog in the 1/6 figure world has grabbed the license for the Netflix series »Arcane«. What a perfect timing for the launch of season 2!

And Sideshow also made an announcement on social media that caught our attention:
„Sharpen your swords and clear some shelf space, the world of »Mythic Legions« is on its way to Sideshow! We're thrilled to announce that we will be partnering with Four Horsemen Studios to create some legendary statues of their incredible characters!“
We are very excited to see which large-scale Four Horsemen resin heroes and villains Sideshow will present to us.

The latest episode of their YouTube series »NEXT LEVEL SHOWCASE« went online at Prime 1 at the weekend. As always, there were a number of high-end statues to marvel at. Exciting license announcements included »Doom - The Dark Ages« and a license for collectibles for the »Fallout« TV series. But the absolute highlight was a work in progress clip for »The Lord of the Rings«. A Treebeard statue in 1:4 scale ... Yes, you heard right: one four scale!!! Can you imagine what a gigantic chunk this will be? You can find the Prime 1 video here (the LOTR section starts at minute 38:00):
https://youtu.be/0XSehFuITRQ

Holy moly, dear Bud Spencer & Terence Hill fans! Our buddy Henning was very busy in the last couple of days with doing reviews of our four brand-new 1/12 scale PVC statues by INFINITE.

Bulldozer and Papa Joe each were treated separately - Bambino and Trinity have closely been inspected together in a third review. If you are curious about this really stunning line of affordable collectibles then prepare yourself a hearty pan of beans for dinner and devour the corresponding playlist on the DARK SCHNEGGE channel as a side dish:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL13aKHRbQSyQknLw_FZVVWRawLiSu4S3m

All 4 figurines are, by the way, available from our stock :)!

Last weekend, the first D23 Brazil took place and two new action-packed trailers from the Marvel Universe were revelead by Disney. First, we get a special look at »Thunderbolts«, which tries to bring us closer to the seriousness of the situation with the typical antihero humor. However, we still don't get to know what's going on with the mysterious Bob, whom the squad encounters on a mission. Besides this, it becomes clear that the team will be put to the test not only physically, but also emotionally. Check out the trailer to get a feel for it:
https://youtu.be/8IiAm7KUuoY

»Thunderbolts« is scheduled for release on May 2nd, 2025.

On the other hand, we have a new trailer for the fourth part of the »Captain America« film series. It reveals more about the conflicts Sam Wilson will face in »Captain America: Brave New World«. What we're most looking forward to is of course a hopefully epic fight against the Red Hulk. Because this is already hinted at in the trailer. Check it out:
https://youtu.be/1pHDWnXmK7Y

Captain America can be seen in action from mid February 2025 in theaters.

The wait for the grand finale of »Arcane« is finally over! Once again, Jinx, Vi, Caitlyn, Ekko and other well-known characters are going to bring nerve-wracking suspense to Netflix. But the trailer reveals that also new faces will interfer with the action:
https://youtu.be/ysqiEC6bLUI

Jinx has killed Silco and fired a missile at Piltover. With this cliffhanger, we enter the second season from tomorrow. The plot follows on from the first one and is again divided into three acts, which will be available from November 9, 16 and 23. This much is clear: the conflict between the sisters Vi and Jinx is coming to a peak, and Piltover's fate is uncertain. After all, Jinx wants to see everything burn...

Even though the new season of »Arcane« ends, the potential of the »League of Legends« universe is not yet fully exhausted. So we are curious to see what else awaits us after this successful series. But for now, let's enjoy the final season and hope for a satisfying ending.

Mario and Luigi go on an adventure journey together again! Today is the release of »Mario & Luigi: Brotherhood« for Nintendo Switch. This time, the brothers dive into the sea to fight side by side in turn-based battles and solve thrilling puzzles. The RPG elements make the game stand out as a spin-off from the »Super Mario« universe. Fans of the »Mario & Luigi« video game series had to wait nearly a decade for this new part. Check out the trailer for a first look at the gameplay:
https://youtu.be/s5I3DcapElQ

The plumbing brothers Mario and Luigi set sail as the world of Concordia is broken apart into many islands. During their adventure, they meet new friends like Connie, who's made it her mission to reunite Concordia into a mainland again. While the brothers help her, the villainous Zokket and his Extension Corps stand in their way. There's also a reunion with familiar faces, including Princess Peach and Bowser. Sounds like a lot of fun 😜!

A few days ago, Netflix released a teaser for the second season of »Squid Game«. The series will start on December 26, 2024:
https://youtu.be/lQBmZBJCYcY

Three years have passed since his »Squid Game« victory. Now Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) is returning with a plan. Once again, he's taking part in the deadly children's games.

When Squid Game launched in 2021, the series sparked a real hype and became one of the most successful Netflix series in the history of the streaming provider.

Originally, Emmy-winning series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk had not planned a sequel, but the huge success of his series proved him wrong. At this year’s Netflix Geeked Week, season 2 was announced for December and director and creator Hwang Dong-hyuk revealed that he wants to end the series with a third season.

We are looking forward to the sequel. The teaser looks already really evil!

A new trailer for »Star Wars: Skeleton Crew« was dropped at the weekend. The first two episodes of the new Star Wars show can be streamed on Disney+ from December 3rd.

The Mouse Corporation has not exactly covered itself in glory with the last Star Wars series. Fortunately, the plug was pulled on »The Acolyte« after the first season. The previous shows were already weak. So expectations for the next Star Wars series are currently extremely low, especially since the new series is primarily aimed at children. Some folks are actually talking of "the Goonies in space".

But what is it about? A group of children from the suburbs on an Earth-like planet discover a hidden spaceship of the Old Republic. After pressing a few wrong buttons, the kids find themselves in space and a hyperspace jump takes them far away from home and catapults them into the middle of an adventure in which they meet Jude Law and the pirates from »The Mandalorian« among others...

The trailer is actually very reminiscent of the 80s. The suburbs and the group of children make us think of »The Goonies« but also of »Stranger Things«, a series that made great use of the retro charm of the 80s.

Of course we also have to talk about the elephant in the room. No, we don't mean the boy from the Max Rebo species, but the 80s music. Because "Major Tom" by Peter Schilling is actually used as the soundtrack for the trailer, but sung in an Huttese language version, which then breaks the theme with a wink. This shows that they want to do some things differently here. And maybe that's what Star Wars needs right now: no heavy Skywalker Jedi lore bombast, but also no woke tutoring lessons to educate the audience, but simply a space adventure for the whole family.

The images in the trailer look pretty damn good:
https://youtu.be/f19gfOMZTtg

And if we don't expect anything, we can only be pleasantly surprised. We'll be tuning in on December 3rd - totally floating weightless, of course 😄.

With our 💥 Product of the Month 💥 November, we are diving deep into the world of Greek mythology together with TBLeague. We simply couldn't resist the Golden Medusa in 1:6 scale. And we can say we were lucky that the sight of the Gorgon didn't turn us to stone, because many unfortunate heroes of antiquity shared this fate. That's why the clever Perseus avoided looking her directly in the face, but merely looked at her reflection in his shield when he cut off her snake-crowned head.

Medusa is probably the most prominent of the three Gorgon sisters and has made it into numerous movies. Hammer Films, for example, used the Greek myth for their 1964 horror film »The Gorgon«. The most famous depiction in pop culture, though, is likely the stop-motion Medusa created by Ray Harryhausen in »Clash of the Titans« from 1981.

The Golden Medusa from TBLeague offers an interpretation that is sure to delight both lovers of ancient Greece and horror fans. Medusa dons an expressive head full of venomous snakes and a wide-open mouth that flashes the sharp fangs of a predator. What other manufacturers would have long called "Deluxe Version" and sold for a significantly higher amount is standard at TBLeague and you get the full package here: Medusa can either be displayed on two legs with a fully movable, seamless body - or you can transform her, like Ray Harryhausen did, into a hybrid creature with the lower body of a snake! The figure is designed in such a way that you can simply put the legs into the snake's lower body. This will make her a creature that is sure to be unique in your collection:
https://bit.ly/sf_pdm_nov24

As if her (literally) petrifying gaze wasn't enough, Medusa is also armed with a sword, trident and bow and arrow. In addition to the golden version, the Gorgon also appears in a silver variant, which not only differs in the armor colors, but also comes with a different head (with a relaxed neutral expression) and thus appears less threatening.

As our Product of the Month, we chose the golden version because we liked her aggressive expression, which gives off significantly more horror vibes, a little better. Of course, an "all-in set" with both heads to swap would have been really awesome. So now you are spoiled for choice - or you can take both and cast the second one as one of her immortal sisters Stheno and Euryale.

To get the collector community in the mood for Halloween, Sideshow has been hosting their online event »Spooktacular« from October 21st to today, October 31st.

On the first day, the manufacturer opened the event with a booth tour in which the hosts led us through a collection of new and old horror and, in the broadest sense, scary collectibles. These included the Vampire's Lust and Succubus Premium Format Figures, the Frankie Reborn Statue and the Frankenstein's Monster Statue, for which Sideshow presented a new exclusive version in black and white as part of the Spooktacular. The Riddler is definitely a truly terrifying character from the DC Universe - and he was presented to the world for the first time in Sideshow's Premium Format during the stream. When he will be listed for pre-order is still a riddle at the moment ;).

There were also 1/6 scale figures on display, both the company's own like Pennywise from the 1990 film and David from »The Lost Boys«, for whom the first unboxings and reviews have been available on YouTube for a few days, as well as pieces from Hot Toys. For example, Beetlejuice from the current hit film and the Xenomorph from »Alien: Romulus«, which was already on display at the Wonder Festival in Shanghai at the beginning of the month, were shown now.

Also presented live during the booth tour for the first time (as far as we know) was the Weapon X Premium Format Figure, which had already been teased on Sideshow's website for a while, but stood out during the booth tour.

The manufacturer also provided behind-the-scenes insights into some of the product highlights, such as an unpainted but still impressive 3D print of the Krampus Premium Format Figure - an upcoming Sideshow Original that we are really looking forward to! The manufacturer also gave us a new product from their »Court of the Dead« line. We are very excited about the Exraile Premium Format Figure!

These and other interesting impressions can be found in Sideshow's Spooktacular playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3FTmzoDV6yGr6J30fkpA0ikGCWKFvMa
 

Just in time for Halloween, the likely most anticipated horror film of the year will be released in German cinemas: of course, we are talking about »Terrifier 3«. After the quite passable first part, the gorehound community was literally taken by surprise by the sequel. In 2022, the audience was offered a top-class gorefest, which, due to its mercilessness, left many viewers shaking their heads. The expectations for the third part are therefore extremely high. Director Damien Leone announced in advance that he was planning to give the audience some nasty stomach strikes already with the opening scene!

In terms of storytelling, the film follows the events of the predecessor. Sienna and her brother Jonathan are still very upset after the Halloween massacre. They hope to be able to leave the dark past behind and lead a reasonably normal life again. Fortunately, the Christmas season is just around the corner. After all, what better way to overcome serious traumas than to have a contemplative celebration in the circle of loved ones? But we all know that this won't be happening: Art the clown returns from the realm of the dead and wraps himself in the costume of Santa Claus. However, instead of gifts, love and contemplation, Art serves death, hatred and carnage.

With »Terrifier 3«, the Christmas movie genre will have a very unexpected title added to it. Let's hope that the streaming providers will take care in the future not to catalog the film too carelessly. Otherwise, some family celebrations could be haunted by an unpleasant surprise. ^^

In any case, we are really looking forward to the return of Art and recommend that you take a look at our »Terrifier« category. There we have several collectibles from the franchise to pre-order:
https://www.space-figuren.de/Filme/Terrifier:::4681_5526.html

The uncut version of »Terrifier 3« is currently shown in cinemas.

What do you think of the film? You can get a first impression from the trailer:
https://youtu.be/egI9GUIjeYE

THE HOTTOYCAST is a podcast by Michael Crawford, Jeff Parker and Eamon O'Donoghue on the topic of high-end action figures. For the current episode, they brought on our friend Fabio Varesi from Kaustic Plastik as a guest.

Fabio talks about his passion for films and figures and answers questions from the podcasters about new licenses and the newly announced high-end MAESTRO line.

If you are a 1/6 collector, you should definitely check out this insightful HOTTOYCAST episode. You can find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcast platforms. Enjoy!

Last week, Apple TV+ released a first trailer for the second season of the Golden Globe- and Saturn Award-nominated series »Severance«.

Mark leads an office team whose members can no longer connect their respective memories of their work and private lives after a surgical procedure. The working "innie" knows nothing about his private "outie" and vice versa. But is one complete without the other half?

The dystopian series raises a lot of interesting questions. Season 1 captivated us from the first minute. If you haven't seen it yet, we highly recommend the series! Season 2 starts on January 17th, so there's plenty of time for a rewatch of the first season to refresh your memory. Here is the new trailer:
https://youtu.be/VwP6M9zS_pQ