Tesla Model 3 - Review from the passenger seat

So, my uncle Howard "Biff" Tucker recently purchased a 2017 Tesla Model 3, which is, in a word, amazing.

PROS:
Unbelievable acceleration
Electric powertrain with good range
Attractive, but not mind-blowing, styling
Good materials in the interior
Enough electronic goodies to satisfy any car enthusiast and/or gamer.

CONS:
Deliberately mimimalist interior - Center screen is the only interior feature. Hard to see speed, turn signals, other vital vehicle information
Could use a heads-up display or second, smaller screen placed in front of the driver (like in the Ford Mustang Mach-E).
Rear seat could be bigger (The Model S resolves this).

My Uncle Biff knows I am a car guy, so he was busting to show off his new toy! The first thing I noticed was the crazy acceleration. He pulled out on to the main road and floored it. I was slammed against the seat. Tesla conservatively claims a 0-60 time of 5.1 seconds, but it felt a good second quicker. It reminded me of the launch of the Storm Runner roller coaster at Hersheypark, and could outrun a C5 Corvette off the line. In a YouTube video, it beat a Hellcat off the line, but had a quicker lap time, because Hellcats can't handle for crap. The Model 3's handling is decent, but since this is a sedan, it is not sports-car precise.

The other thing he wanted to show off was the "Toy Box." If you click on the Whoopee Cushion in the Toy Box, the car goes into "Fart Mode," in which you can make a Bronx Cheer emanate from any of the seats, or go off whenever a turn signal is activated (don't worry... It's just the sound and nmot the smell. Needless to say, my two boys, ages 10 and 9, got a huge kick out of this. Also, if you click on the reindeer in the Toy Box, it starts to "snow" in the car, and the radio plays Christmas music. Uncle Biff claims the range is a good 350 miles (keep in mind he lives in Florida, where there are no hills), and can recharge in about 30 minutes with a supercharger, but it can also recharge with a standard wall outlet, which takes several hours.

The next thing he showed off was the Autopilot, which is not only Adaptive Cruise Control, but uses the lines on the road to navigate the car around curves while keeping a reasonable distance from other cars. For safety's sake (and to avoid lawsuits "CYA") the car instructs you to keep your hands on the wheel. If you are near an obstacle, you don't hear a beep, but the wheel vibrates.Unfortunately, We didn't get to test this out on the highway. The backup camera, in addition to being a high-resolution camera with a very clear image, also shows how far away you are from the cars in front of you and to the sides, down to the inch. Parking this car is fascinating.

Overall, this was a real learning experience (this erased any stigma I once had about electric cars), and a fascinating car. And yes, if I had the opportunity, I would definitely buy one.

Oscars postmortem

First of all, I am glad I didn't enter an office pool this year, because all of my picks were dead wrong.

Surprises:

Olivia Colman, Best Actress: This winner for The Favourite was an underdog in this category. It was her first win. She gave a heartfelt speech, and was even kind enough to apologize to Glenn Close for winning. Colman gave a great performance in an outstanding movie and deserved the trophy.

Green Book, Best Picture: This was a controversial winner, because it supposedly is an old-fashioned look at racism and discrimination that received several mediocre reviews from critics, not to mention the family of Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali's character) accused the filmmakers of misrepresenting the character. Some people have said this could join "Crash" among the worst Best Picture winners in history. I don't agree. I thought the movie was pretty good, and Mahershala Ali was outstanding.

Spike Lee, Best Adapted Screenplay: This made me happy because this was, in my opinion, the best movie of the year. Spike Lee was exuberant, and threw some shade at the President, asking Americans to mobilize for the 2020 election and vote for unity and not hate. Noted movie critic D.J. Trump wrote one of his scathing 140-character reviews, "Be nice if Spike Lee could read his notes, or better yet not have to use notes at all, when doing his racist hit on your President, who has done more for African Americans (Criminal Justice Reform, Lowest Unemployment numbers in History, Tax Cuts,etc.) than almost any other Pres!" 

I am sure, like most of his other claims, the accuracy of these "facts" is questionable at best.

Black Panther: This movie won several "below the line" awards like costume design and production design. These were both won by African-American women, the first to win in both of these categories.

What went well:

Hostless with the mostest: Many of the viewers were hate-watching the Oscars, expecting a train wreck like the last hostless show in 1989. It was anything but. It opened with a high-energy performance by Queen, with Adam Lambert doing a fairly decent job fronting the band. Then, SNL alums Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Maya Rudolph cracking a few jokes and presenting the Best Supporting Actress award. I think this streamlined the show, because you are avoiding the bloat of a monologue, scripted bits and jokey introductions for the presenters. The show clocked in at a reasonable 3 hours and 17 minutes. I vote for not having a host in the future, unless they find a way to shorten the show (Easier said than done, because the idea of presenting some awards during the commercials went over like a lead balloon).

Shallow: Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga's heartfelt performance, which was staged and executed masterfully, wowed the crowd and the dozens of people watching from home. In the least surprising award of the evening, Shallow went on to win the Best Original Song Award.

What didn't work: 

Best Picture: See above. Some cranky critics are calling "Green Book" the worst Best Picture winner since "Crash." I thought it was pretty good, and Mahershala Ali, whose character stood up to racism with courage and dignity, deserved the award for Supporting Actor. Still, I would have given it to BlacKKKlansman.

Dead folks: Yes, the Academy president came out and said this is only a partial list. Still, that's no excuse for leaving off Carol Channing (she was nominated for an Oscar!), and Dick Miller, a longtime character actor best known for showing up in several Joe Dante movies, including the invincible Murray Futterman in the "Gremlins" movies, not to mention Gary Kurtz, who produced the original "Star Wars" trilogy.

Best social media reaction: You have to love Anne Hathaway and her self-effacing sense of humor... 

Overall, not a bad show. We will see what happens next year.

The 10 most overrated movies of all time

Okay, now for the fun part. Keep in mind, this is not a list of movies I hate, it is just a list of movies that won too many awards, acclaimed by too many critics, or seen by too many people given their quality (or lack thereof). Here goes.

To head off any complaints, Titanic is not on this list. I don't think it should have won a dozen Oscars, but I enjoyed the pacing, story and effects of this movie.

10. The Godfather, Part III: Viewed on its own, this is a decent movie. However, it pales in comparison to its two prequels, arguably two of the greatest movies of all time. This third installment, which was nominated for seven Oscars, including picture and director, has a muddled story, and some truly laughable moments, like Andy Garcia's ear-biting scene, Sofia Coppola's entire performance, and the end of the movie, which looks an awful lot like Arte Johnson's Tyrone F. Horneigh on Laugh-In. I will admit that Gordon Willis' cinematography deserved the nomination.

9. Avatar: This is the top-grossing movie of all time. The plot was a clone of Dances With Wolves (see below), and the high-tech effects made this movie look like a long cartoon. I heard it's better in 3-D.

8. Inception: This was a visually stunning movie. That having been said, I didn't understand a damn minute of it.

7. Dances With Wolves: I actually enjoyed this movie. However, it somehow beat Goodfellas, another one of the greatest movies ever made. Joe Pesci deservedly won his supporting actor award, but it's unbelievable that Scorsese lost out to Costner for what I think is the best directed movie ever.

6. Napoleon Dynamite: So many people thought this was hilarious. I didn't laugh out loud a single time at this dull movie. The only information I took from this is how much the title character looks like former Eagles QB Nick Foles.

5. Gladiator: This umpteenth take on the sword and sandal epic was just mediocre and had lousy digital effects, especially considering it beat out Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Erin Brockovich, and Traffic for Best Picture.

4. Shakespeare in Love: Meh. Although Steven Spielberg finally won, deservedly, for directing Saving Private Ryan, this blatant piece of Harvey Weinstein Oscar bait won the big prize.

3. Gandhi: This is a typical epic biopic, and it could just have easily been made in the 1950s. Not to diminish the importance of this important Indian revolutionary, but its epic style has been done dozens of times before, and it beat out E.T.!

2. The English Patient: Another undeserving Best Picture winner. A surefire cure for insomnia, this flick is overlong, glacially paced Oscar bait. This beat out Jerry Maguire and Fargo, both much better movies.

1. Forrest Gump: I do not hate this movie. This is on the top of the list because it beat not one or two, but three far better movies for Best Picture. This was in 1994, and this decent movie about a mentally challenged individual who experienced a whole bunch of historic events. Yes, it was cool how they digitally inserted Tom Hanks into shots with several presidents, but beat far superior movies like Quiz Show, The Shawshank Redemption, and Pulp Fiction, which is one of the best movies ever made, revolutionized the movie industry as we know it, and instantly turned my brother into a movie buff.

The 10 most underrated movies of all time

So, a lot of movies are really underrated. Sometimes it's because they were unfairly savaged by critics, sometimes it's because they are flops at the box office, or sometimes the movie's budget is so big, and expectations are so high. Here we go.

10. Pump Up The Volume: Christian Slater stars as an introverted high school student, who becomes an underground disc jockey. He eventually is pursued by the FCC as they try to pull the proverbial plug. This 1990 film was way ahead of its time, tackling issues like teen suicide and the potential problems with standardized testing.

9. Bubba Ho-Tep: Bruce Campbell is Elvis, who woke up after a 20-year coma. Ossie Davis is a man who claims to be JFK. This unlikely pair discovers a mummy who feeds on the souls of the elderly. Enough said. This has become a cult classic.

8. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang: A lot of you may not have heard of this movie. This is not long before Robert Downey Jr. hit pay dirt as Iron Man, and quite a while after Val Kilmer was "Iceman." It was written and directed by Shane Black, who wrote the first two "Lethal Weapon" movies, creating the iconic characters of Murtaugh and Riggs, and director of "Iron Man 3," which was a big leap over the mediocre second entry in the series. The movie has Downey's character accidentally ducking into a movie audition after his friend was killed and acing the audition. He is paired up with a Kilmer's character, an openly gay private eye. The two characters end up in the middle of a murder investigation, and all sorts of chaos ensue. The action and dialogue are both great, and this is a fine addition to the buddy-cop genre.

7. The Dark Knight: This was a wonderful movie that redefined and revolutionized both the comic book and action genres. Although Heath Ledger deservedly won posthumously for Best Supporting Actor, the film was not nominated for Best Picture. Because viewership was low for the Oscars, this prompted the Academy to change the rules and nominate up to 10 films for Best Picture in a very confusing process which I won't even attempt to explain.

6. Won't You Be My Neighbor: One of the best documentaries I have ever seen, and one of the best movies of 2018, this biography of Fred (Mister) Rogers was somehow not nominated for Best Documentary Feature. This is a travesty!

5. Life Itself: See above. Another great documentary, a no-holds-barred look at the life of film critic Roger Ebert, was also denied a documentary feature nomination.

4. Solo: A Star Wars Story: Everyone likes to throw shade at this movie because it grossed "only" $84 million on its opening weekend. People are blaming this movie for the death of the Star Wars saga. In reality, although not a masterpiece, it was a decent action movie with stunning visuals, and a surprising amount of character development. For the record, the plan is to put all Star Wars movies on hold after Episode IX later this year. Supposedly, director J.J. Abrams and the crew are sweating every detail to end the Skywalker saga with a bang, as opposed to the semi-mess that was Episode VIII (The Last Jedi).

3. The Cabin in the Woods: This is, hands down, one of the greatest horror movies ever made. It's not just a horror movie, it is a deconstruction of every horror movie, and provides an explanation for horror movie tropes. It is unpredictable, creatively written and pays homage to several horror and slasher movies (the great Joss Whedon was a co-writer). By the way, make sure you watch the last 20 minutes, when, frankly, all hell breaks loose.

2. The Cable Guy: So, I guess people at the time weren't used to seeing Jim Carrey in a more serious role, and I guess a lot of people, and critics, just don't like black comedy. This is about a man (Matthew Broderick), who is mentally disturbed, and gives him "the works" in exchange for his friendship. The results are bizarre, to say the least. The funniest scene in the movie takes place at Medieval Times where this exchange between Broderick and Janeane Garofolo as the "serving wench" takes place: 

"Can I get a knife and fork?"

"There were no utensils in medieval times, hence there are no utensils at Medieval Times. Would you like a refill on that Pepsi?"

"There were no utensils, but there was Pepsi?"

"Dude, I've got lots of tables."

Then, the two main characters battle in a great parody of the Star Trek episode "Amok Time," with Carrey providing the music.

Oddly enough, at the movie's climax, Carrey's character says about "Waterworld" (see below):

"I don't know what the big fuss is about. I saw that movie nine times. It rules!"

1. Waterworld: This Kevin Costner film was doomed from the start. At one point, the entire atoll set sank into the ocean, and the final price tag exceeded $200 million, the most expensive movie ever made at the time. However, what we have here is a very good action movie. It's derivative of Mad Max, (this time on a dystopian world almost entirely covered with water) and the acting is just okay, but the set decoration and action scenes are very well staged. There is also plenty of witty dialogue, thanks in part to Joss Whedon, who worked on the script, and Dennis Hopper, as the film's villain, The Deacon, who delivers most of these lines... 

When trying to stop their own gunner from blowing them out of the water: "Maybe he doesn't answer to Chuck. Call him Charles."

On the main character, a human who has "adapted" to the new world, with webbed feet and gills: "It's the gentleman guppy. You know, he's like a turd that won't flush."

The annual Oscar nomination rant!

Well, the Oscar nominations are out, and for a change, I don't have too much to complain about, so let's start with the good stuff:

Praises:

Black Panther: Finally, Marvel has done it! An MCU movie has been nominated for Best Picture! This is deserving of the nomination, because great characters, a compelling story, and a good message about multiculturalism make this truly one of the best movies of the year (for me, at least). I have some complaints below, however.

Roma: From a directing and visual perspective, this is a beautiful film, filmed in black and white. Film students will be analyzing this for years. However, the characters and story break no new ground. Director/co-writer/cinematographer Alfonso Cuaron said it was his most personal story, but regardless, it should be more compelling. Good, but not great, and not worthy of a Best Picture nomination. Will probably take cinematography, and could take directing, and is a shoo-in for best foreign language film.

BlacKkKlansman: This movie, based on a true story, is about an African-American undercover detective who is investigating the KKK. Adam Driver received a nomination for Supporting Actor, which he deserved, and Spike Lee was nominated for this "joint." A great film with great performances and a great story that has a lot of relevance today.

Acting/directing nominations: Once again, we have a diverse field of actors up for the Acting categories. Also, Spike Lee was nominated for "BlacKkKlansman," which, in his usually angry tone said never would have happened if not for the #OscarsSoWhite movement.

Bohemian Rhapsody: This movie tends to play a little fast and loose with actual events, often falling back on bio-pic tropes. However, it is Queen's awesome music and Rami Malek's portrayal of Freddie Mercury that drive this film.

A Star is Born: My wife wasn't too keen on this movie, because she wasn't sure what the point was. I perceived the movie as a look at the true power of music, and how the main point of making music is having something to say that other people want to hear. Also, the acting was great all around, and the soundtrack was nothing short of awesome.

Amy Adams watch: Adams is becoming the next Leo DiCaprio, now with 6 nominations and 0 wins. This year, she picked up a supporting nod for "Vice" as Dick Cheney's wife. Her competition is stiff this year.

Greatest Achievement by an Old Fart: Surprisingly, The acting nominees are mostly on the young side, but 71-year-old Glenn Close earned a seventh nod for her role in "The Wife." Surprisingly, Close has yet to win a trophy.

Best Original Song: We have a couple of strong entries this year, like Kendrick Lamar and SZA's "All The Stars" from Black Panther, but nothing will beat "Shallow" from "A Star is Born." When this is on the radio, my wife and I love to ask the kids "Do you hear Rocket Raccoon singing?"

Can you say snub?

Okay, now the fun part.

Won't You Be My Neighbor: This documentary about one of the world's kindest people, Fred (Mister) Rogers, was not nominated for documentary feature! This doc gave a comprehensive look at Rogers' life and his reason for doing what he did. I will admit that it had me choked up at times. This is simply unacceptable.

Black Panther: As happy as I was to see this film nominated for Best Picture, I was equally as angry to see this film shut out for any directing, writing, or acting nominations (Michael B. Jordan!). The rest of the nominations are for below-the-line stuff like sound, costumes, etc.

Bradley Cooper, the director: "A Star is Born,"which was nominated for Picture, Actor (Cooper), Actress (Lady Gaga), and Supporting  Actor (Sam Elliott). However, Cooper was snubbed for director. Some critics say it was because the film did not have a social agenda like many of the others.

John David Washington: This actor, Denzel's son, gave a great lead performance in "BlacKkKlansman" and received no recognition for it. Fight the Power!

Emily Blunt: After two supposedly great performances in "Mary Poppins Returns" and "A Quiet Place," She is also left out of the nominee pool. As most people know, Julie Andrews won Best Actress for the original "Poppins" many years ago.

Artsy-Fartsy Stuff: Even though Harvey Weinstein is gone, there are still the usual Oscar Baiters out there like "Roma" and "The Favourite." My favorite is, no pun intended, "The Favourite."

Crazy Rich Asians: I don't think this is worthy of a Best Picture nomination, but nothing? I would at least have looked into acting and screenplay nods for this one.

First Man: Damien Chazelle's film about Neil Armstrong was only nominated for Visual Effects. Not quite worthy of Best Picture, but how about directing, acting, and Justin Hurwitz for scoring the movie?

Mary Poppins Returns: (See Emily Blunt above) I agree with my brother that this was a great movie. I do believe this was worthy of a Best Picture nomination, and Emily Blunt as the title character should have been nominated. It probably would have won for Original Song, if it wasn't for a familiar little tune called "Shallow."

What/Who will win and who should win:

Best Picture

What will win: A Star is Born- This has all the ingredients- great acting, great music, a very good (albeit depressing) story, and moviegoers loved it. This will be a year a popular film wins Best Picture because of the award show's ratings, and that film will not be Black Panther.

What should win: BlacKkKlansman- Spike Lee is making a really good point about racism in America, how little has changed since the 1970s and what a long way we have to go. The ending, which brought up the riots in Charlottesville last year, was very poignant and effective.

Best Director

Who will win: Alfonso Cuaron, Roma- Like I said, this movie is kind of an Oscar baiter, and this was a visually stunning movie, even though it was kind of boring. 

Who should win: Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman- He has always been a good director, and this film is no exception. Hopefully, his first nomination will be a win.

Best Actor

Who will win/who should win: Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born- Cooper provides a great character arc for this performance, demonstrating a full range of emotions. He also has a good voice.

Best Actress

Who will win: Glenn Close, The Wife- I am going with my brother here that they will award this veteran actor for her body of work, like they did with Pacino and "Scent of a Woman," although he had many better performances.

Who should win: Lady Gaga, A Star is Born- Her performance of the movie's final song is what sealed this for me. If Oscar decides to award popular movies this year, she could win this one.

Best Supporting Actor

Who will win/who should win: Sam Elliott, A Star is Born- Yet another emotional performance from this movie as the brother of Bradley Cooper's character. He is basically the sane anchor of this film.

Best Supporting Actress

No pick: The only performance I saw here was Yaritza Apricio in "Roma," so I don't think I can make a qualified pick here.

Best Animated Feature

Spider Man: Into the Spider-Verse- Awesome. The best Spider-Man movie to date, which was brilliantly written and animated, and was very loyal to its comic-book roots. The two other movies I have seen here were The Incredibles 2 and Ralph Breaks the Internet, both of which were good, but not great.

Best Original Song

What will win/what should win: "Shallow," from A Star is Born- No explanation needed. Just listen to the song.

That's it for now. I will update this as I see more movies.

The Best of Aretha Franklin

Sadly, the reign of the Queen of Soul has ended. Aretha Franklin died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 76. This is the biggest loss for music since Prince died a couple of years ago. To me, her raw ability, operatic range and showmanship made her the best female vocalist of the pop era. Period, end of sentence. Need proof? She had 17 top-ten singles, and won 18 Grammys (Including eight wins in a row for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance). She was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and was an inspiration for multiple generations of vocalists, including Chaka Khan, (who gave an incredible performance at Aretha's memorial service), Whitney Houston, Adele, and even Freddie Mercury. No one else even came close. She was a pop diva before people even knew what a pop diva was. She was not only the greatest vocalist of all time, she was also a beacon for women and minorities, She was active in the Civil Rights Movement, the Me Too Movement, and supported the rights of Native Americans. Also, she helped to raise money for the "Save the Music" campaign to keep music education in public schools.

Aretha wasn't classically trained. She learned the piano by ear, and the rest of her training was from the church. So many of her songs, as well as her voice, have a strong gospel influence, which allows for a lot of vocal improvisation, as well as some unforgettable high notes. What made her truly great is that she used no gimmicks. All of her vocal runs and high notes came from her natural ability. She wasn't trying to show off or hit high notes on purpose (like Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Christina Aguliera, or nearly every performer on "American Idol" or "The Voice." Nor would she even think of using an Autotune.

According to accounts, she was generous and polite, but straightforward. For example, when she was asked about Taylor Swift, her response was "Nice gowns, nice gowns."

Here is what I think are her 10 best songs. Keep in mind, Aretha sang many covers, so some of the songs on this list are covers as well (even though some of the covers by Aretha were more successful than the originals.) Finally, As we all know, especially when it comes to music, opinions are like assholes... Everbody has one.

10. I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me), 1987, duet with George Michael. What do you get when you put two of the world's top vocalists together? A slick synth-heavy 1980s production, but still a damn good song that deservedly hit No. 1. As for me, there was no contest as to who outsang whom in this duet.

9. (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, This song was written specifically for Aretha by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. This was one of her anthems for womanhood, complete with soaring vocals and a memorable hook. In this clip from the Kennedy Center Honors, she brings the house down at 73, has writer Carole King beside herself, and even brings President Obama to tears!

8. The Weight (1972): This song, originally recorded by The Band, was covered by 41 different musicians and groups (including Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem). Aretha's was one of the best, giving the song a bluesy, gospel take, with Duane Allman accompanying on slide guitar.

7. Spirit in the Dark (1970): This song, written by Aretha, is probably the best demonstration of her gospel roots through her popular music. At about the halfway point the song speeds up and goes into full revival mode. Some of the (best) versions feature some guy named Ray Charles on the organ.

6. Respect (1967): This was the song that made Aretha a superstar. even though it was a Top 40 hit by Otis Redding two years before. However, Redding's version was a desperate plea from a man who wants to keep his woman, while Aretha's version is a statement from a confident woman who knows she is respected. Aretha's version, which adds the "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" chorus and the backup singers repeating "sock it to me." I would rank it higher, but I attribute its popularity to its status as a feminist anthem, and the fact is that she has written and performed better songs.

5. (Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone (1968): Great tune, great vocals, great horn arrangement, and great backup singing (from Aretha's sisters, Carolyn and Emma).

4. Think (1968): Most people from my generation and younger know this from "The Blues Brothers." I think the original was better, mostly because Aretha was in her vocal prime, hitting all kinds of crazy notes. Fun fact: Take a look at how bad the lip-sync is in "The Blues Brothers." that's because she, for all intents and purposes, never sang the same song twice, using different notes and flourishes on each take, showing how much interpretation many of her songs (as well as songs by many soul singers) are open to. James Brown's performances for the same movie were all over the map, so his performance eventually had to be recorded live.

3. I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You) (1967): This was the first big hit of Aretha's career. This is a great blues ballad, with accompaniment from some Stax Records personnel along with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section.

2. You're All I Need (To Get By) (1971): This was originally a duet between Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and was written by another famous duet, Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson. Even though Aretha tackles this song by herself, it is twice as good as Gaye and Terrell together. First of all, she uses a cool sixteenth note rhythm that drives the song (As long as I got you then baby you know you got me ohh!), as well as her unique vocal stylings, and a goose-bump-inducing note during at about the 2 1/2 minute mark. I can't get sick of listening to this song.

1. Don't Play That Song (You Lied) (1970): This Ben E. King cover isn't one of her best known songs, but it is my favorite. First of all, in addition to being the greatest vocalist of all time, she is also a damn good piano player. This is great for all the usual reasons: great horns, great backing vocals (Aretha allows her backup to pick up some of the melody), great skill on the piano, and incredible vocals that truly make this song her own. This was covered by several other artists, including first American Idol champion Kelly Clarkson, who is herself a very good vocalist. However, none came close to the Queen.

Other performances worth checking out are at the 1998 Grammy Awards, when she pinch-hit for Luciano Pavarotti who had a sore throat, and brought down the house with "Nessun Dorma." Finally, the 1991 film "The Commitments," about a soul band in Dublin, Ireland, has a few good covers of Aretha songs, particularly Maria Doyle's great rendition of "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)"

On a personal note, this has been a tough month for celebrity deaths. Two people who I greatly admire and respect (no pun intended), Aretha Franklin and Sen. John McCain, have died within days of each other. McCain died from a glioblastoma, the same type of cancer I am currently fighting.

One more matter to address. Some people may think this is crass, but I published my fantasy rock band made up of the best musicians alive today and the best of all time, alive or dead. Aretha was my lead female vocalist in both bands. Obviously, she is still the vocalist in my greatest band of all time, but I have to make a change in my band made up of people currently alive. This wasn't easy, because no one is even close to Aretha as a vocalist. I am choosing another living legend, Tina Turner, to take her spot. Tina has an interesting life story, and a strong voice with a distinctive raspy quality to it. Sing on, Tina!

Oscar changes...

On Wednesday, the Academy announced a few major changes to the awards ceremony to turn around the show's plummeting ratings. I am not sure about one of the changes.

Best Achievement in Popular Film Award: This is the most controversial change, and the one that concerns me the most. It is already being referred to as the "popcorn Oscar." Apparently the Academy (and ABC, see below) want to honor movies that people have actually seen. Even though the Academy expanded the Best Picture category so it can have up to 10 nominees, most nominees are artsy-fartsy and /or depressing movies that the general public has zero interest in seeing. I have a number of questions about this one, some of which may get answered in the future:

1. What defines a "popular film?" How much it grosses? The budget? The movie's net profit after production costs and marketing? The subject matter? The studio that releases it?

2. Who chooses the nominees? This would be a great opportunity for the Academy to leave this one up to moviegoers to goose the ratings. However, relying on the Internet to decide things may result in a disaster, like people deliberately nominating a turd like "Show Dogs" or "The Week Of," which is Adam Sandler's latest "masterpiece." Also, you have the possibility of fraud, such as hackers stuffing the virtual ballot box.

3. Can a film be nominated for Best Picture and Best Popular Film? This would have affected movies like "Titanic," "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" and even "Get Out."

4. What concerns me the most is that these changes were supposedly mandated, I mean "suggested," by ABC, the network that airs the Oscars. I agree there is a valid concern that not enough people are watching the Oscars, but also keep in mind that ABC is owned by Disney. The Mouse House is responsible for all the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, and the Star Wars movies, which could make up a substantial number of the nominees in this category. Is this a ploy to provide Disney with another avenue to promote its films and brag about awards?

The good thing is movies like "Black Panther" will be recognized. "Black Panther" was a damn good movie, and based on what I have seen so far this year, is worthy of a Best Picture nomination, as well as supporting nods for Letitia Wright and Michael B. Jordan.

In short, if the Academy is going to pander to the masses, they sure as hell better do it right.

Update: Apparently they aren't doing it at.all. The Academy postponed plans for this award, Hopefully indefinitely.

Running time: Last year's Oscars clocked in at a bloated 3 hours, 53 minutes. Not only did it end on a Sunday night when most people were in bed on the East Coast, but also shorted DVR owners who set it to record for 3 or even 3 1/2 hours. The Academy pledged to keep the show to 3 hours. One of the ways they propose to do this is by presenting some of the awards during commercial breaks. I don't have a problem with this, because the Tonys and the Grammys don't present all their awards on the televised show. Besides, the only people who give a crap about the Best Short Film category are the filmmakers and their families. This also will curtail the useless montages (which usually include the clop of Brando yelling "Stella!" in "A Streetcar Named Desire) and long musical numbers. My one request is not to chop the "In Memoriam" segment, because there are usually a few deaths that I didn't hear about over the course of the year, and it is always fun to complain after the fact about who they forgot to mention (RIP Abe Vigoda, Joan Rivers, Corey Haim, and many more).

Air date: In 2020, the ceremony will air on February 9, a couple of weeks earlier. I am OK with this because it will take attention away from the Golden Globe Awards, which is a farcical publicity stunt in which a bunch of hack foreign "journalists" award movies based on which studio gives them the biggest gift basket and award the actors who give them the most interviews.

Do you agree? Do you have any other suggestions to make the Oscars better? I would like to hear your thoughts on Facebook.