Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Firestarter Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 26, 2018

Mark Lester's "Firestarter" (1984) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British label Plan B Entertainment. The supplemental feature on the disc include audio commentaries with director Mark Lester and horror writer and anthologist Johnny Mains; new program featuring musician Johannes Schmoelling; vintage promotional materials for the film; and more. The release also arrives with a 24-page illustrated booklet, as well as collectible art cards and poster for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Reacting

I have seen Mark Lester’s film Firestarter a couple of times over the years and I had always assumed that its message was too obvious. Earlier tonight, I discovered that I was wrong. I am going to share with you how it happened because I think that it may actually help some people see the film from a slightly different angle, which I had always thought was the right one.

A good friend, whose opinion I value a lot, stopped by my place and I invited her to view Firestarter with me. Like me, she had seen the film, but the last time she did was apparently long before the high-definition format was launched, so as you can imagine our viewing of it was a bit of an ‘eye-opening’ experience for her. As the final credits appeared on the screen, she commented how scary it would be to have a real person with the paranormal skills that Drew Barrymore’s character has. I asked her what she meant, and her answer instantly made me realize that even though we had previously seen Firestarter we had not seen the same film. It was obvious to my friend that a real person capable of unleashing devastation as easily as Barrymore’s character does would be incredibly scary. This is not the answer I expected because there are already plenty of people in this world that could do so simply by pressing a tiny button. I then tried to explain what I always thought was obviously scary, which is that rogue government officials could very easily manufacture pretexts to abduct this special person and transform it into the ultimate living weapon. It took me some time to convince my friend, and to be honest I was a little surprised that it did. Think about it. Who are the villains in Firestarter, the girl and her father, or the rogue government officials? Let me try to clarify my point in a slightly different way. What is scarier: having an unlimited number of superfast cars on our highways, or one-third of this unspecified number being reckless drivers operating budget cars? The answer seems too obvious to me, and I assumed so was the message of Firestarter, but as I discovered tonight not to my friend.

Many of you that have seen Firestarter will probably compare it to Brian De Palma’s The Fury, and rightfully so because it is another film that uses a story about exceptionally gifted people who become targets to warn how easily a government that is supposed to defend the interests of its people can become their greatest enemy. These films also share a fairly similar atmosphere that makes them attractive as psycho-horror thrillers.

The crucial nuances that ensure different viewing experiences come from the dramatic character transformations that the two films introduce. In this film Barrymore’s vulnerability, in particular, makes it impossible to replicate that very distinctive sinister edge that defines the final third of De Palma’s film.

The legendary German electro/ambient group Tangerine Dream created the moody soundtrack. It blends wonderful synth themes that have a pretty dramatic effect on the action and even the rhythm of the film.

Firestarter Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Mark Lester's Firestarter arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Paln B Entertainment.

The release is sourced from the same restored 2K master that Scream Factory used in the United States for its Collector's Edition of Firestarter. I have mostly mixed feelings about it because it frequently makes the film look very harsh, almost as if it was intentionally sharpened, and during daylight footage the effect frequently becomes borderline distracting. The good news is that plenty of the darker footage looks far better balanced, though here black crush frequently sneaks in as well. So on a larger screen these are the most pronounced fluctuations that sensitive viewers will likely notice (see screencaptures #14 and 17). The color grading is excellent. The primaries are solid and very nicely saturated, while the existing ranges of nuances are as good as you can expect from a film of this caliber. (The crushing mentioned above, however, does have an effect on them as well). Image stability is great. Finally, there are absolutely no debris, scratches, damage marks, cuts, stains, or other conventional age-related imperfections. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Firestarter Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The lossless track is immaculate. The film is complemented by a very effective soundtrack created by the legendary band Tangerine Dream and hearing the rich synth themes flood the speakers is quite the treat. Clarity, depth, and balance are fantastic throughout the entire film.

Firestarter Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original U.S. theatrical trailer for Firestarter. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Radio Spots - a collection of original U.S. radio spots for Firestarter. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• Stills - a gallery of vintage stills for Firestarter.

• Live Performance of "Charlie's Theme" - presented here is a live performance of "Charlie's Theme" courtesy of Tangerine Dream's Johannes Schmoelling. (3 min).

• Tangerine Dream: Movie Music Memories - in this new video program, Johannes Schmoelling recalls how he became a member of Tangerine Dream, and discusses the enormous impact the band's successful contribution to Thief had on their image and popularity, the band's creative process, and the conception of the soundtrack for Firestarter. The program was produced by Aine Leicht and Cliff Macmillan for Shout Factory. In German, with imposed English subtitles. (18 min).

• Playing with Fire: The Making of Firestarter - in this new video program, director Mark Lester recalls how he was brought on board by the legendary producer Dino De Laurentiis to shoot Firestarter and discusses in great detail the production process, the original novel that inspired the film, and some of the key themes from it. Also, there are clips from new interviews with actors Drew Snyder (Orville Jamieson), Freddie Jones (Doctor Joseph Wanless), and Dick Warlock (Knowles) who recall their contribution to the film, as well as Johannes Schmoelling. In English and German, with imposed English subtitles where necessary. The program was produced by Aine Leicht, Ken Leicht and Cliff Macmillan for Shout Factory. In English, not subtitled. (53 min).

• Commentary One - in this new audio commentary, director Mark Lester recalls how various key segments from Firestarter were short in Wilmington, North Carolina to avoid union fees; the action footage and the need to use numerous stuntmen, Tangerine Dream's score. The commentary was recorded for Shout Factory in 2017.

• Commentary Two - in this audio commentary, horror writer and anthologist Johnny Mains talks about the era in which Firestarter emerged, the trend that it was a part of and the history of its conception, the real experiments that were conducted in the United States, producer Dino De Laurentiis involvement with the film and his interest in other Stephen King projects, Mark Lester's direction and the management of the special effects in the film, etc.

• Art Cards - four exclusive art cards for Firestarter. (See screenshots).

• Poster - exclusive poster for Firestarter. (See screenshots).

• Reversible Cover - exclusive poster for Firestarter. (See screenshots).

• Booklet - 24-page illustrated booklet featuring Dr. Charlie Oughton's "Twisted Firestarter: Bringing Charlie to Life" and credits.

Firestarter Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mark Lester's film could very well be the most accurate cinematic adaptation of a Stephen King novel. I think that it carries a very relevant message, but earlier today I was quite surprised to discover that apparently it isn't quite as obvious as I assumed it was. If you see Firestarter for the first time on Blu-ray and enjoy it, also check Brian De Palma's The Fury, which deals with a lot of similar themes. Plan B Entertainment's release is sourced from the same restored 2K master that Scream Factory used in the United States for its local release, but I have somewhat mixed feelings about it. The film definitely looks very healthy, but it also has that rather harsh edge that was present on Scream Factory's 2K remaster of John Carpenter's The Thing. On the other hand, this is a very handsome release with a great selection of bonus features and even a few collectible items. I think that fans of Firestarter will like it. RECOMMENDED.