Comic Review: Battlestar Galactica

I was a kid when the first Battlestar Galactica series was on TV. I vaguely remember years later putting together Dirk "Faceman on the A-team" Benedict was also Starbuck on the show. (I also remember Buck Rogers but that's another story.) Anyway, I remember reading about the new Battlestar Galactica and most of the reviews were positive. I watched the minseries with Mrs. Savvy and we both liked it... smart sci-fi seems to be the theme lately. I've also been reading the Red Sonja comic being published by Dynamite entertainment and found it extremly well done. Dynamite is a small publisher that primarily publishes books based on licensed properties, (Highlander, Red Sonja, Xena Warrior Princess, Army of Darnkess, Highlander, and Lone Ranger) They've published issues 0 and 1 for Battlestar Galactica and I have to say it's been excellent. Written by Greg Pak (also writing an excellent Incredible Hulk run for Marvel) with art by Nigel Raynor. Check it out at your local comic store.

Aeon Flux

I rarely do this, but I copied an entire article about Aeon Flux from the awesome Aint It Cool News Website. I highly recommend everyone who enjoys movies and comics to check this site out. Harry Knowles is the proprietor of the site, and it was this article that prompted me to give this movie a watch... I had wanted to like the film, but was wary... of course, the promos for the flick made it appear to be hot chick (Charlize Theron) kicking ass in a futuristic action scenario while dressed in tight leather, but as anyone who has seen Barb Wire can tell you, sometimes that just ain't enough.

I recently watched the DVD of the movie, with my wife, and the review was a solid 2 thumbs up. I use her as a barometer for my geekiness; if she likes it as much as I do, it must be good. The key is that the movie actually required us to use our brains a bit (gasp!) and pay attention. Holy crap, a Hollywood that didn't require us to drop our I.Q.'s to the median so that we could just the mindless, moronic masses in enjoyment. Check out the article.

Harry says - AEON FLUX is not AEON SUX!
I completely understand why Paramount was scared of this film and to show it. In fact, when I was on the set outside Berlin talking to one of the writers that was telling me what he and his co-writer were attempting to do with this story and the world of AEON FLUX – I laughed. I really did. I laughed one of those, “Oh the red states are going to love this,” sort of laughs.

Not that this film is anti-Republican – but seriously how many in the Bible belt are really going to be down for a film with plot devices involving drug induced higher planes of psychic existence where people of similarly augmented consciousnesses can gather to plot in total chemical secrecy the overthrow of their utopian existence? A film, whose design, is wholly bizarre Euro-sci-fi-esque – without a single thing that they can recognize as familiar or comfortable. How about this – how about the subject matter of cloning as the sole way to preserve humanity – because… well, it turns out “God’s Chosen Few” that survive the great decimation of mankind… well, it’s those godless fucking scientist that save mankind with their Satan ways.

Yeah, this is gonna play real well in the truck-stop edges of America. But they sure do seem to want to sell the film to that audience. Guns, action, ‘splosions – why, this thing must be a testosterone fueled relative of BARB WIRE… lol… This film owes a lot to Mario Bava’s DANGER: DIABOLIK – a film that I happen to love. Or Elio Petri’s THE TENTH VICTIM. But it isn’t either of those films. AEON FLUX exists in its own particular universe of logic and invention.

Imagine a Utopian society – forced to be Utopian by the industrial evils that forced the surviving remnants of mankind to live and exist inside the last walled city on Earth. Imagine, that this civilization was formed and created and molded by a group of pharmaceutically empowered scientists that – have been building on each generation’s innovations and work… for 400 years. They can place a message in a bottle of water that doesn’t need a cork or parchment… You just drink it and the chemicals create the interactive conscious conversation – by creating a psychic link between you and the engineer.

Harnesses that dial in alternative levels of existence to maximize the finite amount of space that your walled existence has. Where science and medicine has progressed to such a level that if you chose to, you could have your feet replaced with hands – that function absolutely perfectly – giving you the astonishing agility of King Kong, or at the very least Cheetah… you know, Tarzan’s monkey. Where grass can be engineered into very dangerous BLADES of grass, where strange fruits on trees become sentient spore hurling ‘darts’ that inject you with some manner of badness.

However, all of this oddness would be so much bric-a-brac if it didn’t actually serve the story and the narrative. This isn’t an action film. It’s a hard science fiction mystery. Where are people disappearing to? What is the truth of our existence? Why do I remember things that I haven’t lived? How do I know people that I do not know? It’s an existential crisis of consciousness and being.

I don’t expect a lot of people to dig this film, not because I’m some big brain that looks down on humanity as ignorant retches, but rather… I happen to like SCIENCE FICTION that isn’t just “Sci-fi”. That isn’t just popcorn space ships and light sabers and swagger. That plays its concept straight and isn’t constantly winking at you demanding that you laugh at the implausible craziness of that funky looking alien in the corner. This is science fiction where the technology isn’t all over the place, hell most of it is built in, and not in the typical way. We’re talking about implanted cel phones that you just think about dialing or answering and you’re talking and listening and there is no outside noise.

How much of my liking of this film has to do with the fact that… well, I thought it was going to suck?

Probably a certain degree. That the conditions for me seeing this were that I not publish my review till noon today, I guarantee that wasn’t because they thought I’d like it. That all the screenings for critics took place at 10pm in their respective towns, thus meaning that it’d be past the paper’s publishing time before they could write up their response. Well, that’s just not a good sign. BUT more to the point, when I went to Berlin and talked with everyone on set – looked at over 2000 stills from the production, I could just find 3 shots that I thought were really interesting. That’s not very good.

I got a real weird vibe from Karyn Kusama on set, I could tell she wasn’t fond, or seemingly fond of having press on set to serve as a distraction. Or maybe, she just didn’t like me. I never wrote up that set visit because when it came right down to it – most of what the writers and producers were talking about different “high-minded” science fiction concepts. The sort of things that are usually the first things to go when adapting Phillip K Dick, because they're considered unfilmable. Every time he’s adapted – the first thing left on the shelf is anything having to do with existential crisis and drugs. However, both items are absolutely paramount to the telling of a good Dick story. That’s why I’m utterly thrilled by A SCANNER DARKLY as handled by Linklater – he’s all about the drug and existential crisis and the inner workings of perception. THANK GOD.

In a way, AEON FLUX is more Phillip K Dick than any Phillip K Dick film thus far. Which in a way, kinda reminds me of a great old Boris Karloff film called THE BLACK ROOM that Columbia produced back in the day. You see, THE BLACK ROOM is actually a better tonal adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe – than any of the films that were made in the period that purported to be based on Edgar Allan Poe.

But what about Peter Chung’s creation and isn’t this all his? Absolutely and absolutely not. I love Peter Chung’s original AEON FLUX, but what it wasn’t – was a cohesive narrative. What it was, was a brilliant propulsive anarchistic expression of pure wanton joy of amorality infused with dozens of wonderful narrative science fiction concepts as spice. I loved it. This is a cohesive narrative. This isn’t anarchy. This isn’t amoral. It may be for some, but frankly – I feel they’d be wrong. All peoples have a right to overthrow their governments by violent means if that government abuses it’s power and people. It’s kinda how the United States was formed. What’s beautiful about this is… Instead of Aeon Flux being a mindless goose-stepping terrorist/freedom fighter – she’s given the intelligence to see that what she thought was true, was not, that the threat perceived was real, but from a different source – and that in the end the band of “terrorist” ends up being mankind’s greatest patriots – protecting and saving the last free state of mankind.

I like that. It’s a good narrative. I’m actually surprised this is PG-13. The whole drug issue was handled in such a way, that I’m betting the MPAA – didn’t even get what was going on there. In fact, I’m sure they didn’t see it as a communal trip, but that’s what it was. And it’s very cool. While the non-stop killing of the tail end of the third act… well, I kinda can’t believe that got through. Sure, it’s mostly bloodless… unless you count Charlize’s fingers digging into the bloody bullet wound of her companion as she fishes for a bullet… twice. Or the shard of glass cutting into her hand as she used it to cut into a jugular.

I do wish this was an R-rated film. Why? Because I wanted wanton nudity with Charlize. Ok, I’m male. And I don’t hide it. You do get boob edges and nude backs and that glorious nightgowny thing she wears. Most of the sexuality she wields in this film is infused into her action sequences. I love the earring tongue fishing. I was on set for that shot, and it got one of the best audience reactions of the film.

What’d the audience think? Almost everyone there seemed to dislike it or not know what they thought… that sort of “I need to digest that or see it again” type of response. The two other critic types that I talked to afterwards – well… they loved it. Interesting, eh?

If you loved films like CQ, GATTACA or EQUILIBRIUM (for more than the Gunkata) – then you might very well really dig this film. If you found those films tedious bores… well, you’ll probably think the same of this. And lastly, if you constantly go around telling everyone you know that BLADE RUNNER and MINORITY REPORT are terrible adaptations of Phillip K Dick, but still cool as hell Sci-Fi… then you might, just might love this thing.

I won’t call this a great film or a pinnacle of the genre. In the end, I’m betting that A SCANNER DARKLY will make this film look like an “almost fantastic” film. This is a very accomplished and well handled work of intelligent science fiction. I hope it finds the cult audience it deserves, though I’m absolutely convinced it won’t do well at all at the box office.
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I'M Back

Okay, everyone I'm back off the ledge. The Sox season is officially over, as far as I'm concerned. In my opinion, the season was officially over on Aug. 26th. David Wells had just given the Sox 7 strong innings against the Seattle Mariners. 2 Earned runs, and after Mike Lowells hit gave the Sox the lead, things were looking good. Mike Timlin, the normally trusty veteran entered the game in the 8th, providing the bridge until Papelbon takes over in the 8th... and promptly blew up. The Yankees had lost earlier that day, so a win would have pulled the Sox within 5 games, which considering how they had been playing was amazing. The season was over, and as of today, the Red Sox have a losing record against the A.L., and only their 16-2 record against the N.L. prevents them having a truly awful record. So the challenge for Theo in the offseason is to find the pieces to fill in around Schilling, Ortiz, Manny, and Papelbon to make them a playoff team again. The joy of 2004 is gone, the Theo has received 2 honeymoon seasons. He blew up the team in 2005 but they still made the playoffs and lost to eventual world series champion White Sox. This year is abysmal.

Okay, now that's over, and don't expect a lot more Red sox posts. Later today, a movie review of a surprisingly good Sci-Fi Flick, Aeon Flux.

It's (Almost) Over

Thank you, Mr. Theo Epstein, for sending my beloved Red sox into battle with almost no quality pitching against the Yankee offensive juggernaut. Repeat this next year and you can join old friend Dan Duquette, who once said that Roger Clemens was on the downside of his career and therefore not worth signing to a new contract. This was 3 teams, 1 world series, and 5 CY Youngs ago!

Simple equation. Red Sox have to win the next two games or the A.L. East is done. 2 wins and the horror show of the last 2 days means relatively little, because the Yanks will leave town up 2 1/2 games, with 4 more games between the two teams. Lose and the Sox have to struggle for the wild card, which doesn't seem likely. I believe in Schilling, (which is why he isn't even pictured), but Wells has to be vintage Wells to pull this thing off.

Is it any wonder I drank so much last night I have a hangover today?

gut check time

So things went a bit awry last night, and in an ugly (and not unexpected slobberknocker of a game) the Yanks won 14-11. However, before Red Sox Nation begins to panic, I would like to quote a line from Walter (John Goodman) to The Dude (Jeff Bridges) in the Big Lebowski: " Nothing is fucked, dude."

the pressure has increased dramatically, and it's time for Josh Beckett to start earning his money. I considered today a toss up; now it's a must win. If Beckett can step up, things go back to 2 1/2 games, then ace Yankee killer Curt Schilling takes the ball tomorrow and gets a win to settle things right back to where we started this whole thing; 1 1/2.

Heroes and Villians

So game 1 went as expected, with the evil empire and their ginormous salaries, monstrous egos, and arrogance won, effectively putting arguably their best pitcher this year against the 5th starter for the Sox. Big game tonight, since a win resets the table for a 3 game series in which the Sox start Schilling, Beckett and Wells; possibly the threesome they will have to count on in the playoffs.

Quick question to the Yankee lovers... why do you hate the Red Sox? It's obvious why I hate the Yankees; they have an unfair advantage over every other team in baseball, so I would hate them no matter what team I root for. Inviting a 200 lb bully to beat up on a bunch of other guys in 1 on 1 competitions in which they outweigh everyone else by a minimum of 80 lbs, (and most teams far more than that.) So I understand fans of this rigged league supporting their team, it's easy. But why the hatred for the less well equipped teams in baseball? Remember this. The next championship the Yankees win on a level playing field will be their first, while the Red Sox won that 2004 series as economic underdogs.

The Big Series

Yanks/Sox. 5 games. Yanks lead the AL East by 1 1/2 games, and I can't help but feel good after the beating the evil empire took yesterday at the hands of the mediocre Orioles. So here's my quick look at the series before I head off to work.

Game 1: Jason Johnson vs. Chien-Ming Wang. Johnson is 3-11 with an ERA over 6. Wang
is 13-5 with a 3.84 ERA. I think Wang has been possibly the most consistent Yankee starter, and Jason Johnson is a castoff of the Cleveland Indians. Wang has struggled a bit, but this pick is a no-brainer, advantage Yankees.

Game 2: Jon Lester vs. Sidney Ponson. Lester is 6-2 with a 4.09 ERA. Ponson is 4-5 with a 5.82. I'm confident giving the nod to Lester here.

Game 3 Josh Beckett vs. Randy Johnson. 2 former World Series Yankee killers match up. Both guys seem to be head cases. Beckett is 13-7 with an ERA og 5.2 Randy is 13-9 with a 4.92 ERA. Toss-up.

Game 4 Curt Schilling vs. Mike Mussina. The premier pitching match-up of the series, Sunday night's ESPN game of the week. Schilling is 14-5 with a 3.83 ERA. Mussina is 13-5 with a 3.54 ERA. However, big game, at Fenway, big stage, Schilling vs. Yanks. I pick Schilling on this one. both pitchers have struggled a bit of late, but I expect a well pitched game on both sides.

Game 5 David Wells vs. Cory Lidle Match-up of the two #5 starters. Wells is 2-2 with a 6.06 ERA. Lidle is 9-9 with a 4.64. Wells has been coming on and Lidle has struggled a bit, but I am still considering this a toss up.

So in conclusion, I see 2 Sox wins, 1 Yankee win, and 2 toss ups. Split the toss ups and I see a 3-2 Red Sox win of the series. This would put them within 1/2 game of the Yankees at the end of Monday, which I will gladly sign on for.

It's a Looooong Season

I haven't mentioned the boys from beantown in a few days because, well, if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all. The week of Aug. 4-Aug. 10 was absolutely atrocious for the Sox, a 1-5 week against some of the worst MLB has to offer. that's the beauty of baseball. 162 games. A season running from April, when it's still cold and you still have snow in many parts of the country, to Oct. (or even November, remember Yankee fans ?) A rough 10 game stretch equals 1/16 of the season. Think about that. 10 games equals one NFL game.

This is why you don't panic and become reactionary like the yahoos who call talk radio stations, whether it be in NY or Boston or Chicago. This is why I sometimes feel a small, very small, amount of sympathy for A-hole. Many unreasonable fans make their decisions based on a pitch to pitch basis, and that is no way to view a 162 game season.

So now, after a very ugly sweep against the Orioles (hey, a win is a win is a win, right?) the schedule gets tough. First up is 3 with Detroit and their best record in the A.L. and then 5 with the Yankees, a brutal series with a doubleheader on Friday followed by a day game Sat and then a slight rest until the Sunday night/Mon. afternoon game. This will test both teams bullpens and it is the time of season when people start stepping up, sometimes unexpectedly.

I attended the horrible loss to the Evil Empire in the Pedro pitched, Grady Little mismanaged game in the ALCS a few years back, and as the game went on and my buddy Woodman the Yankee fan (hey, he took me to the game, so cut him some slack) and I began to feel very strongly the hero would be someone unexpected. can you say Aaron Fucking Boone? -

Movie Review: Running Scared

I wish I had gone to see Running Scared in the theater. This was easily one of those films that a large screen with a booming sound system would have carried me along as the film winds its way down the rabbit hole and through a bizarre, surreal ride of violence and perversion. (Yes, there is a reason why Mrs. Savvybeast did not watch this with me.)

I watched the first 45 minutes in a start and stop fashion and was very underwhelmed. I watched the last 75 minutes straight through and found myself getting caught up in the frenetic pace and some solid acting (although not from bland lead actor Paul Walker). I enjoy films that use the Alice in Wonderland metaphor, propelling characters through a dizzying array of bizarre set pieces. The Matrix used the idea, (the original, before the series went down the crapper.) The Martin Scorsese flick from the 80's does it with After Hours. The Rob Zombie film House of 1000 Corpses utilizes this idea as well.



The real find for me in this film was super sexy actress Vera Farminga. An early season demonstrated her tremendous "ass-sets" but she won me over with her character, a loving mom, devoted daughter, yet tough as nails, sexy as hell wife. Her ability to convey emotions ranging from compassion to horror to rage in one very key scene (don't want to spoil it, but let's just say children are in jeopardy of something unspeakable at the hands of a pedophile couple).

Best of all, Vera is a Jersey girl, born in Passaic County on Aug. 6, 1973.

Jersey Rules, baby!

F**king Hummer Commercial!

I've seen this freaking Hummer commercial a bunch of times but today, at the end of a long list things that have irritated me today, and even after getting in a late gym workout (late because my underarmor pants were dirty, so I had to do laundry to get a clean pair to even hit the gym, but I digress)... Anyway, let's end this unending run on sentence and begin anew...

The commerical I refer to goes like this: A woman is with her son at the park and he is next in line to use a slide or some such thing. Another boy cuts in front of her son and begins his turn on the slide (or whatever). Mom explains to the rude boy's mother that her son was next in line. Mom two (a republican, I would guess), replies "Well, now my son is next" (I enjoy the subtext of 'What you gonna do about it, bitch?' Anyway, Mom number one's response is only logical. Buy a huge Hummer so no one will ever push your son around again. WTF!!!.... You might as well pull out any of the metaphor for the bigger, most powerful vehicle, and cut to the chase... tell Mom #1, the play by the rules mom, that the only real hope for success in this country is to play hardball... why not encourage her to buy an AK-47, the gun for when, as Samuel Jackson says in Jackie Brown " When you absolutely, positively, gotta kill every
motherfucker in the room, accept no substitute." (Jackie Brown, 1997)

Back IN

Thanks to the Angels win over the White Sox, and the Red Sox 2-1 record over the White
Sox, the Red Sox lead the A.L. Wildcard standings right now. Coupled with Liriano, one of the 2 studs on the Twins, who is now hurting, the Sox are in and looking good, at this moment.

That is all.

Slipping Away

A crushing loss last night for the Red Sox. 5th starter Jason Johnson went six innings with 1 earned run. The Sox were leading the Devil Rays 6-1 in the 6th inning. The Yankees had already won, so the pressure was on, and the bullpen melted, giving up 5 more runs to lose 7-6. (The Devil Rays had scored an unearned run on Johnson)

So today as I blog this, the Red Sox are not in the playoffs. They trail the Chicago White Sox by 1/2 game, and are now tied with the Twins.

Fargo

My slow but steady building of the DVD Library my wife and I have put together recently acquired a few new additions. A backlog of material is currently building, so in order to motivate myself to watch more stuff, I will begin offering up my two cents of a review on the various films I watch. Today, Fargo.

Fargo is one of the better Coen brothers films, and after the two most recent "Coen lite" films: Intolerable Cruelty and The LadyKillers, it was nice to rewatch Fargo for the bazillionith time and remember how great these guys are when they are pushing themselves. Personal favorites for me include Blood Simple (their debut), Miller's Crossing, Fargo, Barton Fink and the Big Lebowski.

I actually watched Fargo the other day during the insane heat wave we were suffering through in the East. The constant snow and cold of the film actually helped to transport me to a cooler place (I think Mr. Green may have helped as well.)

Anyway, if you're looking for a film with a rising body toll, spot on acting, perfect pacing (much like a perfect album lacks any filler material, a great flick never feels slow). Fargo is dark and offers a glimpse into people who are truly happy and appreciative of their normalcy, while others lack any realy sense of morality, justice, or basic human decency. It is no mistake that the film ends with Margie (Frances McDormand) riding with the albino, (Peter Stormare). Purity looks evil in the face and finds herself speechless and sad. Poignant, man, really poignant.

Some Thoughts on Red Sox/Yankees

The Yankees made some great deals prior to the MLB trading deadline, bringing in Bobby Abreu (filling their need for an outfielder since they are missing 2 starting outfielders, Sheffield&Matsui). As importantly, they added Corey Lidle, a starting pitcher with a career winning pct who immediately upgrades the Yankees pitching and gives them a veteran, reliable fifth starter. As I stated earlier, I tip my hat to the Yankees.

However, I am tired of reading/seeing/hearing Yankee fans and egotistical, arrogant, "homer" announcers like Michael Kay genuflect at the altar of the his Yankee paymasters, on his knees ready for a group blowbang of the entire roster, crowing about how the Red Sox were unable to accelerate their lead while the Yankees struggled with injuries. First off, 200 million dollar teams don't struggle with injuries, they may have to play some portion of their season with a very good team and not a superstar laden, 1-9 all star team, but the talent remaining is at an level many teams would still kill for, even after the injuries. Anytime you can trot out Derek Jeter (possibly this years MVP), Alex Rodriguez, (reigning MVP) Jason Giambi (former MVP), Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada and Johnny Damon, plus a pitching staff that contains Mike Mussina, Randy Johnson, the Whanger, and quite possible the greatest closer of all time in Mariano Rivera, you are still a very good team.

Now I realize the Red Sox have plenty of talent as well. (Even with their paltry 120 million dollar payroll, which is about %60 of the Yankees) but let's not forget the amount of injuries the Red Sox had suffered throughout the first 100 games of the season.

The starting rotation was supposed to consist of Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett, Tim Wakefield, Matt Clement, and David Wells. Schilling and Beckett have been solid, even though Beckett worries me at times. They've been able to take the ball every 5 days and provided the Red Sox with a legitimate chance to win. However, Matt Clement has only provided 12 starts and he has been out since the middle of June. David Wells has given the Sox 3 starts! He started once in April, once in May, and once in July. Finally, Wakefield provided 19 starts, but he is currently out, with his last start on july 17. Add in the missing Coco Crisp and you begin to realize the Sox have struggled with injuries as well, including going most of the season with 2/5 of their starting rotation missing! So remember that when someone cries about Yankee injuries.

Better Lucky than Good

Thanks to Fausto Carmona (pictured) blowing up again, the Red Sox keep pace with the Yankees and take over sole possession of first place in the wild card race. Things are looking kind of shaky right now for the BoSox, with "the captain" Jason Varitek having knee surgery, the very iffy performance of David Wells on Monday night, the continued absence of Matt Clement and Keith Foulkes, Trot Nixon's head to the DL, Wakefield's absense, and the surging and healthier Yankees making a very strong push. Basically, Schilling and Beckett really have to give great starts everytime out and hope that with the offense and the end of the relief guys (Timlin to Papelbon) holding things down wins can be had on a regular enough basis... tenuous, at best.

What to say

I can not handle heat like this... really. I didn't work today, using a sick day, because I really did not want to leave the house. I was up early and the heat index was already 95, at 7 in the morning! I shot out and dropped off some drycleaning and a Netflix movie I was sending back. Stopped for a Taylor Ham/Egg/Cheese sandwich (hey, it is Jersey, ya know). Spent the majority of the day in my air conditioned bedroom or air conditioned attic. Read, drank coffee, surfed, watched movies.

Rewatched Fargo... movie review to come tomorrow.

Now I sit, deliberating if I should also take tomorrow off. I really hate this heat. I went out a second time today, primarily because my desire for food overwhelmed my desire to avoid heat. Plus the chance to eat it in an air conditioned diner... so after some coffee, salad, lemon chicken soup (tasty!) and Chicken Florentine on a bed of rice, I skipped the desert and headed back home...

It also may bear mentioning Alan Green span has beenb visiting as well, although it's almost too hot to hang out with him. Almost.

Sav

Too lazy to post a pic, sorry.. will do better when the heat breaks.. have I mentioned how much I hate it?

Hot Enough For You?

Don't you just hate when some jackass looks at you while your shirt is clinging to your chest, sweaty chest hair tangled protruding through the openings between buttons and your sunglasses are slipping off from the sweat running down your balding head and making your ears wet... and asks you "Hot enough for you?". Or is that just me?

Anyway, despite Mr. Bush's stated disbelief in Global Warming (or evolution, diplomacy, and humility and , well this could go on forever. It IS FREAKING HOTTTT!!! I got sunburnt just from running a few errands today, quick dashes into the store and back to the car..