Firestarter (1984) – As youths, Andy McGee and his future wife, Vicky, participated in secret experiments, allowing themselves to be subjected to mysterious medical tests. Years later, the couple’s daughter, Charlie, begins to exhibit the ability of setting fires solely with her mind. This volatile talent makes the youngster extremely dangerous and soon she becomes a target for the enigmatic agency known as “The Shop.”
Firestarter 2: Rekindled – Charlene “Charlie” McGee has spent the past 10 years on the run from the unscrupulous government agents who created her. Now she’s through running and has decided to reclaim her life. A showdown is inevitable, and Charlie’s only chance for survival lies in a turncoat government agent and a half-mad professor named Richardson.
For thoughts on the Firestarter Collection, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Firestarter arrives on Blu-Ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment with digital AVC encoded 1080p transfers in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. This label is based out of Australia, but their discs will play in all Blu-Ray players including those in the United States. The original film has been released in the U.S. a couple of times, most recently courtesy of Scream Factory in 2017 which was derived from a 2K scan of the Interpositive. Given recent trends, we would be shocked if we didn’t have a 4K UHD Blu-Ray from that label within the next year or two. If this release had been able to give the original film a 4K upgrade, it would have been a stellar proposition for fans.
Based on what we see when comparing the two and seeing the verbiage of the release, it appears this collection utilizes the same perfectly solid older master from Scream Factory that gets the job done yet could be improved. The transfer retains a sheen of lovely film grain that resolves well a lot of the time, but some of it can become a bit loose. Instances of print damage such as white specks occasionally pop up, but overall clarity and detail are satisfying. The strongest element is the vibrant colors that are faithfully saturated throughout. There are plenty of landscapes to appreciate alongside the brilliant orange fire. Black levels do experience some instances of crush in some of the darker footage, but highlights rarely veer into blooming. Skin tones are natural and consistent with subtle facial features easily noticeable in closeup. When Firestarter does get a 4K UHD Blu-Ray upgrade, it will look brilliant.
Arguably the bigger news is Firestarter 2: Rekindled making its worldwide Blu-Ray debut. The only details about its source is a note saying it has been upscaled to HD. Given this was a television miniseries from 2002, we are guessing there were some corners cut that make a proper restoration near impossible, but it is hard to track down any definitive information. For being labeled an upscale, this presentation looks quite fetching for the majority of the runtime. Damage is rarely present with any fleeting blemishes feeling unobtrusive. Colors are favorably saturated with deep hues permeating the screen when it comes to production design and special effects. Black levels are passable with crush not serving as a notable issue. Clarity and detail are better than you would imagine when it comes to practical effects and background details in the setting. We are grateful to have this in HD in some form. Neither transfer is 5-star material, but these presentations are a good effort that should please fans.
Audio Quality
These new Blu-Ray releases come with an LPCM 2.0 track for Firestarter and Firestarter 2: Rekindled, which both feature the sounds of these installments quite well. Dialogue holds up consistently, coming through clearly without being drowned out by the music or sound effects. The environmental effects are delineated nicely with both of these kinetic stories featuring noise radiating from every direction. These films showcase music effectively, including a few tunes to complement the scores that make an impression. Everything renders with great clarity and a pleasing fidelity as they come through the room. The tracks avoid almost all instances of age-related wear and tear or distortion. These presentations more than prove their worth at every turn. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided on each disc.
Special Features
Firestarter
- Audio Commentaries: This disc provides a new film historian commentary track along with an archival director commentary track which allows for both a personal account of the production along with an objective look at how the film works as a feat of adaptation and its legacy. The filmmaker commentary track has a lot of dead air, so we would go with the new track if you can only listen to one.
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- Audio Commentary #1: Film critic/historian Lee Gambin and novelist and historian Aaron Dries
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- Audio Commentary #2: Director Mark L. Lester
- Playing with Fire – The Making Of Firestarter: A great 53-minute documentary is provided featuring interviews with Director Mark L. Lester, Actors Freddie Jones, Drew Snyder, Stuntman/Actor Dick Warlock, and Johannes Schmoelling of Tangerine Dream. There are some great insights into how the project was developed, the shooting locations, the work of the performers, the development of the score, the dangerous stunts, and more.
- Tangerine Dream – Movie Music Memories with Johannes Schmoelling: A 17-minute interview with Johannes Schmoelling of Tangerine Dream who discusses the background of the music group, how they developed their sound, transitioning into scoring feature films, and much more that is full of terrific insights.
- Johannes Schmoelling of Tangerine Dream Plays Charlie’s Theme – Live Performance: A two-and-a-half-minute piano performance of the tune from the film.
- Radio Spots: A four-and-a-half-minute collection of radio spots provided here.
- Theatrical Trailer: The nearly four-minute trailer is provided here.
Firestarter 2: Rekindled
There are no special features provided on this disc.
Final Thoughts
The Firestarter Collection features the original Drew Barrymore adaptation of the Stephen King story which entertains pretty well but ultimately goes on a bit too long and doesn’t nail all of the narrative elements that make it such a chilling outing. The material has proven to be somewhat difficult to get completely right on screen. The lesser-known television miniseries Firestarter 2: Rekindled is also included which finds the story going beyond what King imagined into some unique territory. The story shifts into superhero territory more than thriller, but it is such a cultural anomaly that you cannot help but appreciate its big swing. Both outings are flawed but worth watching for different reasons. Via Vision Entertainment has released a new Blu-Ray collection featuring a fine A/V presentation, impressive packaging, and some good special features for the first film. While we expect something better for the original movie at some point, this might be your only chance to snag an HD version of the sequel miniseries. Recommended
The Firestarter Collection is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Note #2: This release is an Australian import that can be played in Blu-Ray players worldwide.
Disclaimer: Via Vision Entertainment has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.