BALDWIN: I gotta a fever for film

Published 11:42 am Friday, May 29, 2020

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Greetings, my post quarantine cinephile survivors of Winchester.

Another week down, another week of changes.

Selected establishments have been authorized to reopen if all guidelines are met to ensure social distancing standards are met. Some establishments are checking employees upon their arrival, and some businesses are checking customers as well. 

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Some movie theaters may or may not reopen June 1.

Physical spacing issues, limited seating capacity versus cost of operation, and taking the temperatures of a paying public causes concerns for some theater chains.

Taking a temperature and mask enforcement is a great deal of concern of employers and employees alike let alone the anxiety some face when dealing with the possibility they could be exposed at one point.

What happens if a customer comes back with a temperature of 100.4? Do you drag them farther into your facility to an “isolation” room all the while contaminating a larger area or do you banish them to the parking lot? Ah yes, the proper protocol for dealing with a fever of a fellow human can be daunting if ill prepared.

Today we will prepare you by putting that mind at ease with a brief lesson in fever films.

“White Line Fever” (1975) is an action crime neo-noir starring Jan-Michael “Airwolf” Vincent and pregnant wife, Jerri, Kay “House” Lenz, who battle with cargo crooks and a corrupt business corporation.

“White Line Fever” was a solid vehicle and just one of the several titles in the popular niche of 1970s trucker romanticism, which was an update to the Western that replaced horses with big rigs to address modern-day sensibilities.

The most memorable of these titles was 1978’s “Convoy,” which starred Kris “Blade” Kristofferson and Ali “The Getaway” MacGraw.  Be sure to check this genre out

“Cabin Fever” (2002) is a horror comedy that follows a group of college graduates who rent a cabin in the woods and quickly become victims to a flesh-eating virus.

Cowritten and directed by Splat Pack alumni, Eli “Death Wish” Roth, was inspired by a real experience he encountered when developing a bizarre skin infection while on a trip to Iceland.

Full of gore, dark comedy and decent acting by Rider “Boy Meets World” Strong, Jordan “Death Proof” Ladd and Kentucky’s own Joey “Good Behavior” Kern makes “Cabin Fever” a must for fans of 1970s low budget horror and “Evil Dead” styled fare.

No fever is hotter than “Saturday Night Fever” (1977).

Brooklyn native Tony, portrayed by John “Pulp Fiction” Travolta, oozes Studio 54 wannabe as he escapes his bleak days of work and family for nights of passion, drama and disco.

This love letter to disco was a block office hit but also served as an early eulogy for a part of the 1970s pop culture that would perish quickly after its birth.

“Saturday Night Fever” was gone on to become a classic, and the soundtrack was a killer with a majority being carried by The Bee Gees.

Corny at times, cool in others, “Saturday Night Fever” is an inferno of disco entertainment.

Remember, if you or someone around you has a temperature running 100.4 degrees or higher, you have a fever. Stay at home, stay in bed and rest. Keep hydrated to replenish fluids lost through sweating, and your prescription by Doctor Rick is to watch two films a day during your recovery.

Calibrate your temperature guns and have a film-tastic day.

Rick Baldwin is a writer, filmmaker and film/music historian. He is president of the Winchester-Clark County Film Society. Find more from Rick on Facebook. He is on Twitter @rickbaldwin79  and can be reached by email at rickbaldwiniii@hotmail.com.