Firestarter (1984) Couldn't think of a more perfect Throwback Thursday post than a look back at this one......
Especially with the release yesterday of Stephen King's new novel "The Institute"....all about supernaturally gifted kids abducted and exploited by a sinister, shadowy cabal of evil adults......
So way back in the 80's, Uncle Stevie was just warming up, so to speak......(heh, heh, heh)....with a similar premise......a extra-powered father and daughter (David Keith, Drew Barrymore), relentlessly hunted by a vile secret government agency called "The Shop".
"The Shop"s resident mad scientist (Freddie Jones) has left Keith with Jedi-Mind-Trick abilities and and little Drew with the power to instantly immolate anyone stupid enough to threaten her and her daddy.
Fortunately for us, the bloodthirsty viewers, 'The Shop' employs vast amounts of men-in-suits who boldly chase and surround Keith and Barrymore........you'd think these intimidating assholes would know better.......
But bless their stupid little hearts, they invariably end up begging for their lives and whimpering like toddlers just before Drew lights 'em up, turning them into screaming, staggering bonfires.......(all of this accomplished, by the way, pre-CGI.....meaning real stunt guys on real fire)
This leads 'The Shop's oily bigwig (Martin Sheen) to deploy his creepy assassin John Rainbird (George C. Scott) who dreams of absorbing Drew's incendiary power before he kills her.....to better prepare himself when he moves on to the Great Beyond..........(Sheen shows the same reaction to the mad, mad, mad Scott that anyone would......as in..."O-kaaaaaaay...."
Need we say more?
The movie more than delivers on its expected, inevitable climax........which sees little Drew, madder than Carrie on Prom Night, unleashing fiery hell on 'The Shop' and its fleeing minions, giving all new meaning to the phrase "Burn, baby, burn"......
Fast and fun.....and heavily populated with top drawer actors. (in addition to Sheen and Scott, there's Art Carney, Louise Fletcher and Moses Gunn) And oh boy does this movie make the stunt team work hard for the money........BQ lights up 3 & 1/2 stars (***1/2)......nothing beats watching 'The Shop' flame up like Atlanta in 'Gone With The Wind'......
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