Stars: Drew Barrymore, Martin Sheen, George C. Scott, Louise Fletcher, David Keith, Freddie Jones, Heather Locklear, Art Carney

Director: Mark L. Lester

Summary: Stephen King's gripping story of a young girl possessing a deadly power capable of turning anyone opposing her into a ball of flame.

Drew Barrymore plays Charlie McGhee, a pre-pubescent girl whose moods of anger and frustration are manifested in the telekinetic creation of raging fires. Her parents participated in dangerous government experiments in the 1960s, and their bodies were altered in ways that affected the physical and mental makeup of their child. Now the CIA wants to harness Charlie's powers and use them as weapons of destruction. They successfully kidnap her, but can they contain her fears and blistering rage

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Stephen King wasn't exactly in peak form when he wrote Firestarter, so this 1984 movie adaptation was at a disadvantage even before the cameras rolled. There were so many King movies being made at the time the weaknesses of this one became even more apparent. In her first film role after her memorable appearance in E.T., Drew Barrymore stars as a little girl whose parents acquired strange mental powers after participating in a secret government experiment. From this genetic background she has developed the mysterious ability to set anything on fire at will, especially when she's angry. That makes her very interesting to government officials seeking to exploit her skill as a secret weapon. Her father tries to protect her by using his powers of mind-control, while George C. Scott plays an Indian who believes the girl must be destroyed. There is a routine climax involving a lot of impressive pyrotechnics, but none of this is grounded in a dramatically solid foundation, and none of the characters are developed enough for us to care about them. Director Mark L. Lester, who the following year made Commandowith Schwarzenegger, keeps the pace cracking along, but nevertheless the movie gradually turns into a laughable thriller with no suspense whatsoever. It's a movie only a pyromaniac could love. --Jeff Shannon

On the DVD:This is a largely no-frills presentation, albeit with a decent anamorphic print. The only extras are the original theatrical trailer and a nicely presented menu. A fold-out booklet has informative liner notes and a reproduction of the film poster.

Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Year:	1984
Release Date:	December 5, 2005
Runtime:	109 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	C H V 5007
Keywords:	English, General, Firestarter, Horror, Occult
Genre:	Horror/Occult