Skip to main content

The MONTH of HORROR - Day 3: Firestarter

If Stephen King ever wrote an X-Men comic, it would be 'Firestarter'.

Released in 1984, Drew Barrymore had to have been the ideal casting choice for a young girl with "pyrokenesis", the ability to set anything on fire with her mind. On the run with her father, who has his own powerful gift of mind control, government agents are hot on their trail. It's not the FBI, but a super secret branch simply called "The Shop", and they have their own agenda for what they intend to do once they capture these mutant fugitives.

Sounds like a pretty fun little story, right? At times it is but unfortunately it doesn't sustain what should be a campy, entertaining idea, and instead winds up becoming a bit of a bore. The set up is great, the movie looks decent enough, the pulsing, synth heavy musical score by Tangerine Dream is a stand out, and the characters seem interesting but then what went wrong? I'm going to guess budget was a problem, and they spent it all on the effects heavy finale, which may have handicapped large portions of the rest of the film where it simply becomes too talky.

There is one character in this movie though that I need to shine a spotlight on, and not because it's a great character but more so because it's an extremely weird one, leading to several uncomfortable scenes. Academy Award winner George C. Scott plays an "exterminator", basically an assassin, who is a straight up pedophile. I'm not being over-dramatic in my word choice there either, his entire motivation is to run away with Drew Barrymore's 8-year old character, and become her lover. He sports an eye patch, a long grey ponytail, and is constantly aroused around her, even touching her inappropriately. I was so creeped out by many of their scenes together that it tarnished my overall experience with this flick.

This isn't a bad movie, nor is it a great movie, it merely exists. If you're a Stephen King fanatic then yeah, you may as well check it out, if you haven't already. It's not one of the best adaptations of his material, nor is it the worst--far, far, far away from the worst!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

#CocktailHour: Slushtail

  Summer approaches, inspiring thoughts of sunshine, backyard parties, and having a tip and sip with friends.  With that in mind, I bring you this week sunny beverage. To make a slushtail, mix a can of frozen orange juice, a can of frozen lemonade (or limeade), a can of pineapple juice, a couple cups of black tea (or English Breakfast), and two cups of bourbon- such as Southern Comfort, in a pitcher.  When it's all nicely mixed, put it in the freezer until it's a nice slushy consistency. Scoop the slush into a cocktail glass, and pour in some Sprite or 7-Up.  Add a little umbrella for some frivolous fun, and a straw. Voila!  Ready to enjoy. This is a very refreshing drink.  The fruit juices, Sprite, and bourbon- when chilled makes for a great punch-like drink.  The bourbon doesn't overwhelm juices.   In fact, they are all nicely balanced in terms of flavors.  The sourness of the citrus fruits contrasts well with the slightly sweeter Southern Comfort.  It was refreshing enou

Unlock your fate with The Puzzle

When my dad wasn't working, building stuff or being my dad, he was making puzzles. It was a guaranteed way for him to unwind. So it was with great interest that I sat down to watch Italian filmmaker Davide Melini's award-winning short The Puzzle. You see, the mother in the five-minute film likes to relax with puzzles just like my dad. Unfortunately, her good-for-nothing son keeps harassing her for money. Losing herself in her favourite passtime, the mother soon discovers that completing this puzzle might unlock a nightmare. The Puzzle has been an official selection at more European film festivals than you can shake a stick at, and was voted Third Best Italian Film at the Rome International Film Festival in 2008. Having watched it, I'm not surprised. It's a tight little film that hits you hard in the final few seconds. You can tell Melini cut his teeth as an assistant director for legendary Italian filmmaker Dario Argento. But enough chit chat on my part. See if yo

The Animated Addict: "The Adventures of Tintin" (2011)

If you're a 40 + white dude, like myself, you may remember a comic series called " The Adventures of Tintin ".  I know I remember them.  This series, dating back to 1929, got turned into a animated feature film by Steven Spielberg in 2011. After buying a model of ship called The Unicorn, teenaged journalist Tintin finds himself on adventure that will take him from the high seas, to the low deserts, and from the distant past to the present.  With his trusty dog, Snowy, by his side, Tintin uncovers a story connecting two men across the centuries.. . The story is really quite good.  It's well crafted, and high paced- with just enough slow moments to build and develop the world and the characters.  This is the sort of adventure story you'd find in the old serials of the 1930's and '40's.  In fact, it felt like it was the sort of tale that you'd find Indiana Jones undertaking.  I found myself swept up, and swept along as our hero swung from one e