Friday, August 13, 2021

Burning Love on Friday the 13th

Started off the morning with breakfast and Hogan's Heroes. The others are pretty sure Hogan's losing his marbles when he insists they take up tent-making, basket-weaving, and kite-flying while they're under lock down. As it turns out, their new skills are a way for the crew to get an agent out of the camp under the Gestopo's noses.

Headed off to work as the episode ended. Spent most of a murderously hot and humid day that go up to nearly 100 degrees gathering carts and rounding up trash and recycling. Yes, I went inside for frequent drinks and to cool off. Had help from two of the teen boys later in the day. I did get stuck in a register for 20 minutes or so around 3:30 when a cashier went on break (two cashiers called out), but there were otherwise no problems.

Mixed feelings on next week's schedule. Monday and next Saturday off, which means I'll be able to get to the farm market, and only a four hour day next Friday. However, I also work two 8 and 1/2 hour days in a row. At least it's supposed to be much nicer and cooler next week. 

Rode straight home and into writing after work ended. The Red King considers Brett a distraction to the Queen of Hearts and thinks she might be trying to sway her into keeping her kingdom. Brett doesn't appreciate him forcing his rules on everyone else...and her 18-year-old son Adam doesn't appreciate him constantly calling him a child when he's practically a man.

Broke for leftovers at 6:30. Gene has trouble with the pop-up thing that gives him his questions on Match Game '76. (It would help if he didn't bang on the button that brings it up again!) Meanwhile, Richard has his own difficulties connecting to the contestant on the Head-to-Head with "__ and Cream."

Did the dishes as Match Game PM began. Fred Grandy's got himself quite a few fans when he announces that there's college kids from UCLA in the audience celebrating a football victory. Supposedly, he's so popular, Charles brings a huge trash can filled with "mail!"

Organized recent DVD purchases during Sale of the Century. The champ dominated full-stop today, buying two out of three Instant Bargains and one Fame Game and dominating the Speed Round. He picked up a painting on the Match the Prizes board.

Finished the night on YouTube celebrating Friday the 13th with a movie I remember seeing fairly often as a kid in the late 80's, Love at Stake. In 1692, Miles Campbell (Patrick Cassidy) returns to Salem, Massachusetts from Harvard Divinity School and becomes the assistant to meek local preacher Parson Babcock (Bud Cort). Greedy Judge Samuel John (Stuart Patikin) and Mayor Upton (David Thomas) want to buy up all the real estate in town and start rumors that there's witches in Salem. 

There is a witch in Salem, but not the people they're accusing. Faith Stewart (Barbara Carrera) is about the most obvious witch in the world, but she mostly uses her magic to mess with the townspeople. When handsome Miles spurns her for his sweetheart Sara Lee (Kelly Preston), she accuses the girl of witchcraft. Now Miles and Babcock have to figure out what's going on and how to keep Sara from being burned at the stake...and reveal the witch for what she is.

They were trying for goofy joke-a-minute comedy ala Airplane or Mel Brooks' History of the World Part I, but it doesn't really work with the story they're telling. Doesn't help that the performances are either too broad (Cort, Patikin) or fade into the woodwork (the lovers). Only Carrera as the actual witch causing the trouble leaves any impression. I remember this turning up a lot on cable in the late 80's and early 90's, but nowadays, I'd say it's for extreme fans of 80's comedies or the cast only.  

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