| | | | Firestarter
(1984) |
ritten by the novelist who never ceases to amaze, Stephen King, Firestarter is a movie which is not so much about "monster scary" as it is about "reality horror".
The subject matter in this film could very well be true; supernatural events hidden from us by our own government. More probable then far-fetched, director Mark L. Lester and producer Dino DeLaurentiis take us on an intimate journey into the lives of a man named Andy McGee and his daughter Charlie, who look to the outside world like your average suburban family.
Average, though, they are not. Charlie and Andy are on the run from the government because of something that happened to Charlie's parents before she was born. Andy(David Keith) and his wife-to-be Vicki(Heather Locklear) took a dose of a chemical called "Lot 6" in a voluntary college experiment. It gave Vicki the ability to read minds, Andy the ability to make people do what he wants, and their 8-year old child Charlie(Drew Barrymore) the ability to cause things, and people, to shoot up in flames (a condition also known as Pyrokenesis).
A secret government agency called "The Shop" have been after Andy and Charlie for a long time, and Charlie feels subconsciously that she deserves it. She is totally distraught over her condition and blames herself everytime her pyrokenesis "gets away" from her. However, she doesn't deserve what "The Shop" has in store for her and her father. They plan to use Charlie for warfare, and plan to kill Andy alltogether.
"The Shop" even went so far as to leave a message to Andy that they were serious through torturing the beautiful blonde Vicki by ripping her fingernails off and smothering her.
From that moment on, Andy and Charlie have been on the run, but are eventually taken over by "The Shop". "The Shop" puts Charlie through a bunch of experiments and fellow government agent John Rainbird(George C.Scott) deceives Charlie into thinking he wants to help her father and befriend her.
The climax of this film is the most exciting. Charlie's father is shot and killed in front of her eyes and Charlie is no longer willing to show mercy on "The Shop". Incredible fireballs burst through the air, killing hundreds, and the youthful Charlie is now free to out "The Shop" by giving her story to The New York Times.
Thought-provoking and intriguing, Firestarter is one of the best Srtephen King films and a must-see for Drew fans. Even as a young girl Drew Barrymore is a great actress, and is successful in making the viewer commiserate with the lives of these extraordinary people, the very likes of which could be living hidden in our own world.
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This was one of my favorites as a young girl. My grandfathers friend from his work gave it to me, knowing I loved scary movies and Drew Barrymore.
I'm not that much younger than Drew, so I feel we grew up together, and watching this film takes me back to my childhood. It is definitely a classic thriller.
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Of his novel Firestarter, stephen King once said this "While Firestarter is just a novel, it's components are based on actual happenings... The U.S. government has indeed administered potentially dangerous drugs to unwitting subjects on more than one occasion; Both the United States and the Union of Soviet Social Republics have programs for isolating the so-called "wild talents"... and perhaps putting them to use. Government funded experiments in this country have centered on influencing the kirilian aura and telekenesis... If I mean to suggest anything, it is only that the world, although well-lighted with flourescents and incandescent bulbs and neon, is still full of odd dark corners and unsettling nooks and crannies." 
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Drew, who is now an ex-alcoholic, had her first taste of champagne (and her first time ever passing out drunk) while drinking at the Firestarter wrap party at Dino DeLaurentiis's beach house.
Drew found George C.Scott "huggable" when they made Firestarter.
Drew described the producer, Dino DeLaurentiis as "an absolute doll, so sweet and so very Italian."
During one scene where burning pieces of metal fell from a helicopter, one touched Drew's shoulder. She said it burned for a second and she got all queasy and felt like she was going to faint.
Firestarter was Drew's first extended trip away from home and the shoot was scheduled for three and a half months.
Drew Barrymore said that at the time of Firestarter her and her friends were into horror stories. She said she liked the concept because she jokingly thought the idea of being able to set someone on flames could come in handy.
There is a tv show based on the movie called "Firestarter 2: Rekindled". Drew Barrymore does not play Charlie, instead the role is played by Marguerite Moreau.
The farmer and his wife that befriend Charlie and Andy are none other than Art Carney, who also played Norton on the famed 'Honeymooners' and Alice Fletcher who was the evil grandmother from 'Flowers in the Attic'. -Thanks to Tiffani Hunt
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Of filming Firestarter, Drew Barrymore once said this: "It was a tough schedule. I was so tired that much of that time is a complete blur. All that stands out in my memory is the horrible creamy chicken soup and salad I ate for lunch every day, and how I'd try to sneak hot salsa into my friends bowl of soup."
For the filmning of Firestarter, Drew and her mom Jaid situated themselves in a charming old two-bedroom home located in Suburban Echo Park, North Carolina, where they seemed to step into the slow rhythms of a different culture. From the outset, though, the shooting schedule prooved gruelling, particularily on Drew, who was in nearly every scene of the movie. Work began when the sun went down and continued late into the night. Drew slept until early afternoon, then attended three hours of school before arriving at the set.
While filming, George C.Scott told Drew "Drew, just forget about the camera and do your job." Drew later said that that, along with Steven Spielberg's advice, are the two best things she's ever been told.
Drew said that on the set of Firestarter, her and Stephen King would talk for hours about music, tv shows, movies, and even things as ordinary as who made the best hamburgers.
Drew became close friends with her Firestarter stand-in, Jennifer Ward. Jennifer was an outgoing, smart girl of similar age who while filming became Drew's constant companion. Drew admired Jennifer because she had a conventional family, while Drew's homelife was dysfunctional.
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|  |  |  | | Firestarter
Locations |
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Wilmington and Lake Lure in North Carolina were both used.
Chimney Rock Park, North Carolina. In Rutherford County. [Thanks to Jayme]
Can you help? Do you know any of the North Carolina filming locations used for Firestarter? [Please send them in]
|  | | | | ![[Letterbox -NOT 16:9 Enhanced]](lbx.gif) | ![[STEREO or SURROUND]](dd2.gif) | Trailer |
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Virtually no songs were played in the film, only a brooding score plays in the background which was composed by Tangerine Dream (the same group who did the score for Vision Quest). The music is very atmospheric and makes a great backdrop for the film.
The tracks on the Firestarter soundtrack, all composed by Tangerine Dream, are:
1.Crystal Voice
2.The Run
3.Test Lab
4.Charlie The Kid
5.Escaping Point
6.Rainbirds Move
7.Burning Force
8.Between Realities
9.Shop Territory
10.Flash Final
11.Out Of The Heat
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Soundtrack Available:
Used On CD
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| | "Will she have the power... to survive?"
| |  | | Drew Barrymore stars as the girl who's hotter than most... |
 | | David Keith, from An Officer And A Gentleman also stars. |
Year:
| 1984 | Studio:
| Universal Pictures | Director:
| Mark L. Lester | Starring:
| Drew Barrymore,
David Keith, Heather Locklear, Martin Sheen, George C. Scott,
Louise Fletcher, Art Carney, Freddie Jones | | - | - | Genre:
| Thriller | | | | + | interesting plot, good acting, good special effects, an adorable Drew Barrymore | - | Hmmm, can't think of any |
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