80sfilms

Stephen King’s Firestarter is what the 1984 film by the same name is based upon, and like most book turned film stories, something is lost in translation from the written word to the big screen.

Firestarter stars Drew Barrymore, in her first major role after E.T., as a little girl whose parents acquired strange mental powers after participating in a secret government experiment. She possess the ability to set things on fire at will, and when the secret gets out, the government will stop at nothing to get a hold of her skills.

Her father, who has the power of mind-control, strives to protect her.

David Keith plays the father in this film, and Martin Sheen and George C. Scott play adversaries trying to capture the child and exploit her talents.

The film was directed by Mark L. Lester and adapted from the King novel by Stanley Mann.

Keith had two other notable 80s roles in the films An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) and Take This Job and Shove It (1981). Barrymore also starred in the 80s films Far from Home (1989), Cat’s Eye (1985), Irreconcilable Differences (1984), and the aforementioned E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982).

Heather Locklear made a brief appearance in Firestarter, and she also starred in The Return of Swamp Thing (1989), ”Dynasty” (134 episodes, 1981-1989), and “T.J. Hooker” (85 episodes, 1982-1986).

Veteran actor Sheen was also in Wall Street (1987), The Believers (1987), The Dead Zone (1983), and Gandhi (1982). Scott also starred in Taps (1981).

Fans of Barrymore, Scott, and author King may find the sci-fi film Firestartermidly interesting, but it doesn’t have quite the bite that King’s other films had.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS