Firestarter Collection: Limited Edition (Blu-ray Review)
- Review Date: Apr 15, 2025
- Format: Blu-ray Disc
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Director
Mark L. Lester/Robert IscoveRelease Date(s)
1984/2002 (March 13, 2024)Studio(s)
Universal Pictures/USA Films (Via Vision Entertainment)- Film/Program Grade: See Below
- Video Grade: See Below
- Audio Grade: See Below
- Extras Grade: B-
- Overall Grade: C+
Review
[Editor's Note: This is a Region-Free Australian Blu-ray import.]
Stephen King’s 1980 novel Firestarter was adapted by Mark L. Lester four years after its publication and released through Universal Pictures with a mild box office take, but poor critical reception. Lester, who was fresh off of the controversial teens-gone-awry crime thriller Class of 1984, was hired after John Carpenter had been let go from the project once The Thing failed financially two years prior. Stephen King’s name as a brand was strong enough to warrant the miniseries sequel treatment in 2002 with Firestarter: Rekindled for the Sci-Fi Channel, but interestingly, the 2022 remake helmed by Keith Thomas (The Vigil) featured a signature John Carpenter score, which was the most praised aspect of the entire production. One way or another, Carpenter’s name was going to be associated with Firestarter in some capacity.
Surprisingly, 1984’s Firestarter is quite faithful to its source material, almost slavishly so. The structure of the story about government experiments gone wrong in the form of the telepathic Andy (David Keith) and the pyrokinetic Charlie (Drew Barrymore), a father and daughter on the run from agents out to capture them for further experimentation, isn’t all that much different from the book; with flashbacks interwoven throughout to explain how all of the present events came into being. Stephen King himself found 1984’s Firestarter to be “flavorless,” which is odd since it adheres so closely to the original material. Then again, Stephen King’s taste in adaptations of his own work is quite varied, if not questionable. The film can be a bit slow, despite all of the exciting and explosive set pieces, and there’s only so many times that Charlie can set someone on fire or blow up a car before it becomes taxing on one’s patience. The special effects are well-realized and the actors are game, but more often than not it feels over-expository and long-winded.
Having read the original novel, I didn’t have any real expectations going into Firestarter. While Drew Barrymore isn’t the first person I would have thought of for Charlie McGee, her presence in the film makes a lot of sense. She was a very familiar face at the time due to the popularity of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and would also later appear in another Stephen King-related horror film, Cat’s Eye. David Keith and Louise Fletcher do good work here, though George C. Scott portraying an indigenous character is a tad on the cringe side, to say the least (it’s one of the few things that the remake actually got right). Curiously, Martin Sheen plays a corrupt government agent after having already portrayed a diabolical political figure in David Cronenberg’s adaptation of King’s The Dead Zone the year before. It’s a fine cast, but a slow film overall.
In 2002, a made-for-TV sequel would emerge with Firestarter: Rekindled, shown in two parts over the course of two nights. The story takes place many years later as Charlie (Marguerite Moreau) is in hiding at a college university when she’s discovered by Vincent (Danny Nucci), who has been hired to find her under false pretenses. Once located, the still very-much-alive John Rainbird (now played by Malcolm McDowell) seeks her out with new experimental victims by his side to do his telekinetic bidding. The film also features Dennis Hopper and Darnell Williams, but was unfortunately not very well received and did poorly in the ratings. To date, the 2022 remake, while panned by both critics and audiences, was the more financially successful of the three Firestarter endeavors, but only mildly so. Stephen King and horror fans alike have come to embrace the original 1984 film in the years since, though most would acknowledge that it’s not top-tier Stephen King material, neither on the page, the big screen, or the small screen.
Firestarter was shot by cinematographer Giuseppe Ruzzolini on 35mm film with Arriflex 35 BL-3 cameras and anamorphic lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Via Vision Entertainment’s Blu-ray release features an older master than the one used for the 2017 Scream Factory Blu-ray, which is likely the same master included on the 2014 Universal Blu-ray. As such, there’s much less detail in the image and on the edges of the frame. It also appears overly scrubbed, lacking a refined grain structure. It’s certainly cleaner since the Scream Factory Blu-ray has some minor scratches and speckling, but that comes at a cost. The color palette fares well, though blacks are a little too deep. The bitrate tends to hover around 30 to 40Mbps when there’s plenty of detail on the screen to take advantage of. It’s very watchable, but definitely doesn’t appear as crisp or as detailed as the 2017 2K interpositive scan, let alone a new 4K scan of the original camera negative with High Dynamic Range.
Audio is included in English 2.0 mono LPCM with optional subtitles in English SDH. The Scream Factory and Universal Blu-rays feature a DTS-HD Master Audio track, and to be honest, I can’t tell much of a difference. It’s also not an overly impressive soundtrack to begin with, but it’s good enough for what it is. It’s flat without much in the way of dynamics, but dialogue is usually clear and discernible. Sound effects and Tangerine Dream’s electronic score have some push to them, but nothing that a stereo or surround track can offer. It’s decent enough, but I can’t help but feeling that a multi-channel upgrade would be beneficial, especially for the score.
Firestarter: Rekindled was shot by cinematographer David Boyd on 35mm film, finished on video, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.78:1. No information is given on the age of the master, but it’s reasonable to assume that it’s the same age, if not older, as the master used for the original film. It too carries a bitrate that sits between 30 and 40Mbps when detail on the screen is high. It’s a solid-enough image considering its source, despite the low grade digital effects. It lacks definition in the shadows with very little contrast, but decent color. If nothing else, it’s a step up from the aged 2002 DVD release.
Audio is included in English 2.0 LPCM. Unfortunately no subtitle options are available. Surprisingly, stereo movement is frequent with clear dialogue exchanges and some mildly aggressive LFE. The score has some decent bite to it, as well.
FIRESTARTER (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO): B-/B-/B
FIRESTARTER: REKINDLED (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO): D/C+/B
Via Vision’s Limited Edition Firestarter Collection contains 2 Region-Free 1080p Blu-rays in a blue Amaray case with a double-sided insert containing a collage of artwork for both films on the front and a still from the first film with credits for both on the reverse. Everything is housed in a rigid lenticular slipcase that also contains 6 art cards within their own dedicated folder. The following extras are limited to the Firestarter Blu-ray only as Firestarter: Rekindled is bare bones:
- NEW Audio Commentary by Lee Gambin and Aaron Dries
- Audio Commentary by director Mark L. Lester
- Playing With Fire: The Making of Firestarter (HD – 52:40)
- Tangerine Dream: Movie Music Memories with Johannes Schmoelling (HD – 17:07)
- Johannes Schmoelling of Tangerine Dream Plays Charlie’s Theme (2:33)
- Theatrical Trailers (Upscaled SD – 2 in all – 3:42)
- Radio Spots (HD – 6 in all – 4:34)
All of the extras are ported over from Scream Factory’s Collector’s Edition Blu-ray release of the first film, aside from a new audio commentary with the late film critic and author Lee Gambin and novelist and historian Aaron Dries. The Still Gallery from the Scream Factory Blu-ray hasn’t been included, but it’s worth noting that the Plan B Entertainment Region B Blu-ray includes an audio commentary with author Johnny Mains, while the NSM Records Region B Blu-ray features an audio commentary with Wicked-Vision magazine’s Daniel Peree and Lisa Schmidt, and the Koch Media Region B Blu-ray contains additional trailers for the first film. Meanwhile, the USA Home Video DVD release of Firestarter: Rekindled contains a set of cast filmographies, for whatever that’s worth.
The original Firestarter has always had its fans, and some of the most hardcore genre fans have pleasant things to say about Rekindled, as well as the remake; but it’s safe to say that there hasn’t been a truly definitive version of the story on screen just yet. Via Vision’s Limited Edition package of the original and its sequel is a good way to get both in one fell swoop, especially the sequel since it’s not available on Blu-ray anywhere else in the world. It’s a package that needs work, as well as the remake to make it more complete, but it’s a decent encapsulation of a very minor franchise.
- Tim Salmons
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