Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Firestarter Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 29, 2024

Mark Lester's "Firestarter" (1984) and TV mini-series "Firestarer: Rekindled" (2002) arrive on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films. The supplemental feature on the release include exclusive new audio commentary by critic Lee Gambin and novelist/critic Aaron Dries; archival program with Mark Lester; archival program featuring musician Johannes Schmoelling; vintage promotional materials for the film; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

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.

***

A second disc features the complete TV mini-series Firestarter: Rekindled (2002), starring Marguerite Moreau, Malcolm McDowell, Dennis Hopper, Danny Nucci, and Skye McCole Bartusiak.

Firestarter Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Firestarter arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films.

The only other release of Firestarter that I have in my library is this release from British label Plan B Entertainment. I did some comparisons with it and while this release offers an extremely similar presentation in some areas the visuals are not identical. I assume that there are minor encoding discrepancies that are responsible for the differences.

The overall quality of the visuals is pretty good. However, the larger your screen is, the easier it will be for you to observe the inconsistencies that I mentioned in our review of the Plan B release. For example, some visuals can exhibit mild harshness that is not inherited. Also, the grain structure is not as even and attractive as it can be. To be clear, you will not be distracted by any serious anomalies, but you will be able to tell that the entire film should have a better organic appearance. Color balance is good. However, in some darker footage mild black crush sneaks in. Image stability is good. There are no distracting large debris, marks, cuts, warped or torn frames to report. My score is 3.75/5.00.

The TV mini-series Firestarter: Rekindled are presented in an aspect ratio of 1.34:1 and reveal even greater inconsistencies in terms of image quality. However, I must immediately mention that some of the material features stylization that produces banding-like effects and even unique image distortions, so there are many intended fluctuations. On the other hand, it is very easy to tell that the master that was used to source the presentation is not new and has conventional limitations that can be avoided. On a large screen, the TV mini-series can look mostly decent and in some areas good, but there is plenty of room for meaningful improvements, some of which are encoding improvements as well.

Firestarter Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Firestarter and Firestarter: Rekindled are presented with LPCM 2.0 tracks. However, only the former can be viewed with optional English SDH subtitles.

The quality of both tracks is very, very good. However, despite the large gap between the two, I think that Firestarter has a much more interesting soundtrack that is likely to force one to pay close attention to the LPCM 2.0 track. Tangerine Dream's music and some of the action effects create more excitement, especially in the second half of the film. The dialog on Firestarter: Rekindled is very clear and easy to follow, so you should not be concerned that there are no optional English SDH subtitles.

Firestarter Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

BLU-RAY DISC ONE - FIRESTARTER

• Commentary One - in this 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 - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critic Lee Gambin and novelist/critic Aaron Dries.

• Playing with Fire: The Making of Firestarter - in this archival 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).

• Tangerine Dream: Movie Music Memories - in this archival 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).

• 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).

• Trailers - presented here are two vintage trailers for Firestarter. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Radio Spots - presented here are several vintage radio spots for Firestarter. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

BLU-RAY DISC TWO - FIRESTARTER 2: REKINDLED

• Bonus Features - there are no bonus features on this disc.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT

• Cards - six collectible cards. (See screenshots).

Firestarter Collection 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. This two-disc collection also features the TV mini-series Firestarter: Rekindled, which are decent at best, so consider them a bonus feature. The main attraction is Lester's film, which is presented with an exclusive new audio commentary and several very good archival programs. RECOMMENDED.