Journey step started: June 5, 2023
Journey step ended: July 16, 2023
Click the Google sheet to the right to see every item covered on this step of the journey.
The Book — Firestarter (1984) — Firestarter 2: Rekindled (2002) — Firestarter (2022) — Misc
The Book
Day 521: June 05, 2023
It is a glorious day when I get to start the next book in my multi-year journey. Today, I celebrate picking up “Firestarter”, a book more famous for Drew Barrymore’s portrayal of the girl with powers than anything else.
I’ve only read this once before, back in the mid-80s as a preteen, so my recollection is zero. I’m excited to experience this!
In memory of Shirley Jackson,
who never needed to raise her voice.
The Haunting of Hill House
The Lottery
We Have Always Lived in the Castle
The Sundial
What a sweet way to open the book! I’ve not actually read any of Shirley Jackson’s works or know anything about her, but I’m well aware of her lasting influence on the genre. I’ll make it a point to rectify that.
“Daddy, I’m tired,” the little girl in the red pants and the green blouse said fretfully. “Can’t we stop?”
This is the first line of the novel and I’m already thrown off kilter. If it doesn’t turn out that this opening scene is set during Christmas time, I’m going to be very upset at Daddy for allowing this color choice for his daughter’s outfit.
He was the sort that seemed the easiest to push, right down the line: he was white (Orientals were the toughest, for some reason); he was quite young (old people were nearly impossible) and of medium intelligence (bright people were the easiest pushes, stupid ones harder, and with the mentally retarded it was impossible).
Oh language of the 80s… We’ve evolved quite a bit over these 4 decades.
“I’m going to give you a five-hundred-dollar bill,” Andy said quietly, “to take me and my daughter to Albany. Okay?”
Andy uses a psychic “push” to make a cab driver think a dollar bill was a $500 bill. I wonder how much $500 in 1980 would be worth today.
Well, I found a neat little website that told me exactly how much!
He was thirty-four years old and until last year he had been an instructor of English at Harrison State College in Ohio.
According to my unscientific survey, 90% of Stephen King’s protagonists are English teachers.
She shoved the pay phone again, very lightly, and suddenly a tide of silver poured out of the coin return.
Charlie psychically robbed a pay phones to get some quick cash. Although I would have to imagine carrying around a bag of coins would be rather inconvenient.
I wonder in the modern world how she could accomplish something similar. Could she psychically transfer Bitcoin to an account?
The young fellow on the cot appeared to be doing something to his eyes. Yes, he was definitely doing something to his eyes, because his fingers were hooked into them and he seemed to be clawing his eyeballs out of his head. His hands were hooked into claws, and blood was gushing from his eyes. It was gushing in slomo.
The first make-me-sit-up-and-pay-attention moment in this book. A bad reaction to a an experimental drug. 😬
“Computer gave us a twenty-six-percent probability that he’s dead.”
“What?”
“Well, he’s overdone it before and wound up in bed. He’s doing something to his brain . . . God knows what. Giving himself pinprick hemorrhages, maybe. It could be a progressive thing. The computer figures there’s slightly better than a one-in-four chance he’s dead, either of a heart attack or, more probably, a stroke.”
Today, this would read “The algorithm” not “The computer”.
Day 522: June 06, 2023
I’m continuing to read Firestarter.
Andy & Charlie McGee spent the first portion of the book running from a secret government agency. Andy kept having convenient flashbacks that allowed we the readers to understand how he, his wife, and child got their super powers.
It was a bleak start, full of anxiety and desperation for the father/daughter duo.
Rainbird was a troll, an ore, a balrog of a man. He stood two inches shy of seven feet tall, and he wore his glossy hair drawn back and tied in a curt ponytail. Ten years before, a Claymore had blown up in his face during his second tour of Vietnam, and now his countenance was a horrorshow of scar tissue with runneled flesh. His left eye was gone. There was nothing where it had been but a ravine.
Boy, I hope they do this character some justice in the films!
Rainbird sat down. He was wearing old bluejeans and a faded chambray shirt.
If you use ChatGPT to create a Stephen King novel, you will find an English teacher and a chambray shirt somewhere in the plot.
Charlie knew all about the Catholic confession room because her friend Deenie had told her. Deenie said you had to tell the priest all the bad stuff you had done all week long. Deenie didn’t go yet because she hadn’t had first holy communion…
II hate to be the one to fact check Sai King, but Catholic kids go to their first confession BEFORE receiving first communion, not the other way around.
He didn’t like women who made fun of his looks. Most women were sluts anyway, his mother had been right about that even if she hadn’t been right about much else. And his mother surely would have known what to think about a high-tit bitch like this one.
Also, ChatGPT would have to add a male character who is extraordinarily misogynistic. One is found in every King novel.
Day 523: June 07, 2023
It’s my third day reading Firestarter.
Andy & Charlie McGee got into a literal fire fight at some old guy’s farm. The big Native American special ops guy, Rainbird, was introduced and despite being a evil ripoff of Chief Bromden from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, I’m fascinated to see where this character goes.
A good portion of this book, at least in the first half, consist of flashbacks to Andy’s time with Vicky, the origin of their powers, her death, and his chase to get back Charlie.
Since half of the tale so far is being told via these flashbacks, I wonder how the filmmakers approached it. Did they tell a more linear story? Or did they also start with a chase in New York City and then flash back to earlier events to fill in the blanks? Guess I’ll find out soon enough.
I found it particularly touching that Vicky was written as a character who had survived sexual assault as a child. The description of how Andy and Vicki had to carefully work their way towards intimacy was quite accurate, not exploitative, and I have to credit Stephen King in capturing that sensitive subject.
“It’s gonna be all right,” he told her, and rocked her, not really believing it, but it was the litany, it was the Psalter, the voice of the adult calling down the black well of years into the miserable pit of terrorized childhood; it was what you said when things went wrong; it was the nightlight that could not banish the monster from the closet but perhaps only keep it at bay for a little while; it was the voice without power that must speak nevertheless.
👏👏👏
None of the old-timers who sat around Jake Rowley’s stove in the Bradford general store had much liking for Vermont ways, them with their income tax and their snooty bottle law and that fucking Russian laid up in his house like a Czar, writing books no one could understand. Let Vermonters handle their own problems, was the unanimous, if unstated, view.
What Russian author is he talking about? It was Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.
“Two years ago, a bright twelve-year-old tapped into the USC computer. And by the way, I know your access code, Cap. It’s BROW this year. Last year it was RASP.”
Comical to think that super secret government agencies had passwords that were only four characters in life. Life in the early 80s was so much more simple!
But for all of that, a dog turd covered with frosting is not a wedding cake; it is simply a frosted dog turd,
I will never look at a piece of wedding cake the same again.
His admiration for the girl was unalloyed. Her father was turning into a fat, apathetic pudding; … he had given up and could now be canceled out of the equation. The girl hadn’t done that. She had simply hidden herself. And Rainbird never felt so much like an Indian as he did when he was with Charlie McGee.
We finally get the first direct encounter between Rainbird and Charlie. And King is at his best when main characters first meet!
Day 524: June 08, 2023
I’m more than halfway through Firestarter.
Andy & Charlie have been captured and kept apart in a government facility for months. The enigmatic Rainbird is working his way into Charlie’s confidence posing as a lowly janitor. When I left off yesterday, something big was about to happen.
I appreciate cleverness in a story, when a plot moves in an unexpected direction yet seems “obvious” in hindsight.
Andy had been made addicted to Thorazine by the government agents. He was able to kick the habit almost immediately while in a dream in which he subconsciously “pushed” himself to break free of it just like he had helped others perform similar acts of removing mental blocks over the years.
Clever. And appreciated.
Hockstetter had risen several floors past his level of incompetency…
Ah, the good old Peter Principle. That was quite popular during this time. I remember being forced to read that book when I was in high school.
“Sure,” he said softly. “Which of you wants to go get the little girl?”
No one moved. It was amusing, really; it occurred to Rainbird that this was the way the politicians were going to look when they found out it was finally done, that the missiles were really in the air, the bombs raining down, the woods and cities on fire. It was so amusing he had to laugh … and laugh … and laugh.
An absolutely spot-on observation!
Pynchot carefully hooked one of his wife’s bras behind his back. It hung limply on his narrow chest. He looked at himself in the mirror and thought he looked … well, very pretty.
Having one of the government scientists be a closeted cross-dresser seems so… distracting.
I get that we needed a character with something hidden and unstable to interact more dynamically with Andy’s power to “push”. But this “secret” is such a trope.
“He asked me what we’d do if we found we had a little girl who could progress from starting fires to causing nuclear explosions to cracking the very planet open. I thought he was funny, irritating, and almost certainly mad.”
“But now you think he may have been right.”
“Let us say that I find myself wondering sometimes at three in the morning. Don’t you?”
😲
Day 525: June 09, 2023
I’m finishing off reading Firestarter today!
It’s surprising that so much of the book takes place in a single location, the secret government facility that Andy & Charlie have been kept captive in.
Even so, it’s been exiting as Charlie has been growing and refining her powers while Andy broke free of his medicated state and is flexing his powers in developing a complicated plot to get them both free.
He tapped QUERY WHY SUPPOSED MENTAL DOMINATION ABILITY ANDREW MCGEE 14112 [PROBABILITY] RISES FROM 2% TO 35% WHEN CROSS-REFERENCED W/HERMAN PYNCHOT 14409 Q4
PROCESS, the computer answered, and then: HERMAN PYNCHOT 14409 ADJUDGED SUICIDE/PROBABILITY TAKES INTO ACCOUNT ANDREW MCGEE 14112 MAY HAVE CAUSED SUICIDE/ MENTAL DOMINATION/BREAK
Advanced AI today is terrible at answering “why” questions about how it reaches its conclusions. And a late 70s system? Nope.
The fact that he might be saving the world from some almost unimaginable armageddon by killing her had not played a part in his calculations, either.
A little bit of The Dead Zone leaked into this story.
Cap did not arrive in his office that morning until almost ten-thirty, an hour and a half later than usual. He had searched his small Vega from stem to stern before leaving the house. He had become sure during the night that the car was infested with snakes. […] He had pushed the glove-compartment button with a broomhandle, not wanting to be too close in case some hissing horror should leap out…
King’s description of Cap’s descent into madness – brilliant!
“Do you promise he’ll be all right?”
“Yes,” Rainbird said, but Andy felt it suddenly and completely: the force of the lie … all his lies.
I’ll have to push her, he thought with dumb amazement. Not him, but her.
I did not see THAT coming! 😲
Well, Andy didn’t end up pushing her after all. Instead, the unhinged Cap did something unexpected and set chaos in motion.
I think it would’ve been a much more powerful twist if Andy indeed did have to mentally push his daughter, maybe even cause one of those ricochets that could drive someone insane if not fixed.
The unexpected agent of chaos disrupting everything is a common technique King uses in these tense climaxes and it was a tiny bit disappointing here.
He might as well have been King Canute giving orders to the tide.
I’d not heard of “King Canute” before.
By the time they swung back toward where Charlie stood with her head down, small and deadly in her denim jumper and dark-blue knee socks, the trenches of fire had already begun to radiate from her toward them, like strands of some deadly spider’s web.
I wonder who would win in a battle of powers: Andy McGee or Carrie White?
That wraps it up for the book. It was another enjoyable experience!
Initial impression: At this early stage, King seemed to be stuck on the idea of people with super powers. Carrie White, Danny Torrance, Johnny Smith, Andy & Charlie McGee… With the exception of The Stand, this has been his go-to plot device. Fortunately, I know that he doesn’t strike this note again for a while.
The novel was longer than expected, but it didn’t feel too long. I gave it a B+.
Day 526: June 10, 2023
With the book so fresh in my mind, I’m listening to a number of podcast episodes that’ll fill me in on all the things I missed. Today, I start with The Losers’ Club.
Right off the bat, they didn’t sound too enamored with the book.
“I always thought it was a poor man’s Carrie. Telekinesis is way cooler than pyrokinesis.”
It was a consensus: They rated Firestarter 2 out of 5.
I’m very surprised as I thought It was a stronger work than The Dead Zone. But perhaps it was a matter of personal perspective as the intensity of a father trying to protect his daughter under extraordinarily difficult circumstances may resonate stronger with someone who has been a parent (and I don’t believe any of the Losers are).
I did learn from them that Drew Barrymore reprised her role as Charlie McGee on a Saturday Night Live skit. I’ll have to check that out when I get to watching the movie.
Day 527: June 11, 2023
Now listening to Derry Public Radio dissect the book, Firestarter.
Derry Public Radio is more of a split mind when it comes to Firestarter. Most thought it was great, but one was less than impressed.
A cool observation though:
“You believe that happy crappy? Don’t tell me, I’ll tell you.”
– The Kid, from The Stand
“Don’t tell me, I’ll tell you.” -The cabbie, from Firestarter
Are they related? 🤔
I totally missed this!
At the beginning of the book, Andy “pushes” the cabbie into believing that a $1 bill is a $500 bill.
I get that. Andy has the ability to manipulate people’s minds and get them to think whatever he wants.
Why, then, do the special agents from the Shop much later also see (at least temporarily) that same $1 bill as a $500 bill? Do Andy’s powers also stick to objects? I agree – this was a huge inconsistency!
The Shop was initially mentioned in The Stand (I didn’t remember that, but it’s there early on), The Tommyknockers, and The Mist. I’ll be on the lookout when I reach those last two works!
Day 528: June 12, 2023
Derry Public Radio covers the second half of the novel.
“There are two things Stephen King is just the master of writing about: Dreams and addiction.”
Couldn’t agree more!
“He immediately figures out the whole plan using the worst computer interface I have ever read.”
“It was the brand ‘Deus ex Macintosh’.”
Oh, I’m dying over here! 😂😂😂
Day 529: June 13, 2023
The Stephen King Podcast reviews the novel.
There’s a certain charm about listening to very old podcasts.
In this episode, they opened with a Stephen King news recap. They discussed the leaked, unfinished trailer of The Dark Tower movie, rumors about a future sequel and a TV series coming out of the same time, early images of Pennywise from the upcoming IT movie, and news about the scheduled writing of a third Talisman book, one that sadly never came to pass due to Peter Straub’s death.
They had fairly positive reviews about the book. They slammed the 1984 movie (which I will be watching next week). But most interestingly, they speculated whether Rainbird would have made a decent gunslinger in an alternate world.
“If it is the will of the Great Spirit and of my ancestors, Rainbird prayed silently, guide my hands and my eye that the shot may be true.”
Yeah, I can see it!
Day 530: June 14, 2023
The book reviews continue with Stephen King Cast‘s analysis.
“…and then we have Firestarter, which is a sci-fi thriller and if it were made into a movie today It would be a big budget blockbuster.”
Oh the naivete of a podcast host speaking in 2014! 😂
This reviewer observes/complains, like many other reviewers of this book, that one of its biggest weaknesses is the ineptness of the antagonist, The Shop. It’s staffed with special agents who couldn’t be employed anywhere else because of the myriad of personal issues and character defects they possess.
Day 531: June 15, 2023
Two more short podcast episodes about the book, then it’s off to the movies with three adaptations of the story.
First this morning is Stephen King Cast with a special review focusing on the ending of the novel.
The second show for today is Chat Sematary and their review of Firestarter.
Whoa, this is the first reviewer who said John Rainbird was a flat, two-dimensional character. Every other podcaster, and my self-included, thought he was a highlight of the story. I love that Chat Sematary has a different take!
Firestarter (1984)
Day 532: June 16, 2023
Tonight, I get to watch the first half of the 1984 film adaptation of Firestarter. I don’t think I’ve seen this movie since I was a kid!
But with the book still fresh in my mind, I’m sure it will be an interesting watch.
Directed by Mark Lester. Hmmm… Never heard of this guy. What else has he directed?
✔️Commando
✔️Roller Boogie
✔️Gold of the Amazon Women
✔️Armed and Dangerous (with John Candy)
Well, I’ve heard of the first film. But my hopes are high with the film I’m about to watch.
Don’t judge a movie by it’s title screen.
Heather Locklear
Martin Sheen
George C. Scott
Art Carney
Moses Gunn
These are some big names. Sounds like something that should’ve won an Academy Award!
Ahhh…. The good ole’ 80’s. Back when seatbelts were mostly for decoration inside the car.
He’s not as famous as the other actors, but Freddy Jones, who plays Dr. Wanless, was also the Mentat, Thufir Hawat, in David Lynch’s Dune.
Score 1 for being faithful to one of most memorable scenes from the book!
Wait… Andy McGee has the power to push *objects* as well as people? In the movie, it is he, not Charlie, who shakes a pay phone for money.
That doesn’t make any sense.
In the movie, whenever Charlie uses her powers, a mysterious hairdryer appears out of nowhere.
So… George C Scott as Rainbird…
What I expected for Rainbird vs what we got.
While I didn’t get Chief from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest to place Rainbird, we did get Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher) to play the farmer’s wife, Norma Manders.
The star power for this low-budget film is amazing!
Tell me this Shop agent on the left isn’t Matt Dillion. Go on, I dare you.
They made what was arguably the most interesting character in the novel, John Rainbird, just an average thug-for-hire in the movie. And a little long in the tooth for this role.
Disappointing.
And I think I’ll end here for the night, with Rainbird capturing Andy & Charlie at the lake house.
So far, this has been a pretty faithful, by-the-numbers adaptation of the book. Only a few changes, the biggest of which was casting the whitest old guy on the planet to play an unmysterious Native American.
We’ll finish this off tomorrow!
Day 533: Jun 17, 2023
Now onto the second half of the 1984 film adaptation of Firestarter. The first half was a fairly faithful paint-by-numbers telling of the story.
But now that the McGees have been captured, I’ll be looking to see if there’s any chemistry between Rainbird and Charlie in this film.
Theater attendees trying to escape after seeing the horrendous acting in this movie.
The little fire extinguisher in Charlie’s apartment was cute.
If they glued a football helmet to his head, would that have prevented Andy from using his powers?
They cut out the entire subplot of Andy learning about John Rainbird and warning Charlie about him in his note to her.
Here, Andy has no idea of his existence. Was betrayal too far out of Drew Barrymore’s acting range at that age?
Poor Martin Sheen. He’s get shot at in every Stephen King movie he’s asked to star in!
Bankshot, corner pocket.
Wow – that was not a good movie. It certainly didn’t age well with time.
The most interesting part of the book, the relationship between Rainbird and Charlie, was completely sterilized in the film. I dare say, George C Scott compromised everything through serious miscasting. David Keith’s head-grabbing performance was laughable as well.
Well, hopefully, they get things straightened out in the sequel – Firestarter 2: Rekindled! 😂
Day 534: Jun 18, 2023
The original movie sure did generate a lot of discussion out there in the podcast world.
First up is The Losers’ Club who provided their own commentary track to the 1984 film.
A very interesting discussion about a potential alternate version of this movie as directed by John Carpenter and with a different screenwriter that almost happened.
One complaint they had about the film from the outset was that it was too faithful to the source material. I’m this alternate version, it would have been a more linear story starting with Andy & Vickie in college and dispose of the flashbacks.
I think that could have been interesting.
When the movie isn’t compelling, then commentators focus on minutiae like “Wheat Raisin Chex”. 🤢
Day 535: Jun 19, 2023
Listening to the second half of The Losers’ Club‘s commentary track to the 1984 Firestarter movie.
These young whippersnappers couldn’t even pronounce ColecoVision properly!
Listen kids – pull up a chair and let grampa here tell you about the “golden age” of home video games. You see, there were three major players: Atari, IntelliVision and ColecoVision…
I fell out of my chair when one of the hosts of this podcast made a reference to The Ninth Configuration, a movie by William Peter Blatty that sits at #1 of my favorite movies of all time.
Someone commented, “I’m surprised that Drew Barrymore hasn’t revisited the character of Charlie McGee any point during her career.”
Oh, but she did. She did! In 2007, she guest-starred on Saturday Night Live and there was a spoof commercial for Firestarter Brand Smoked Sausages.
I’ve not been able to find the video, but if you can, please share!
Day 536: Jun 20, 2023
The Kingcast also provided their own commentary track to the 1984 Firestarter movie.
Regarding Dino DeLaurentis:
“He was responsible for some of the best movies in the second half of the 20th century. And he was responsible for some of the worst movies in the second half of the 20th century.”
I don’t think there’s much debate as to which half Firestarter belongs.
I learned my lesson that one SHOULD watch all of the credits lest you miss out on great actor names like:
“Dick Warlock”
A few podcasts have brought up the fact that John Carpenter was set to direct Firestarter but was pulled after the underwhelming box office results of “The Thing”.
In this Kingcast episode, the guest host mentions he read the original script Carpenter was going to use that deviated substantially from the novel, including the replacement of Rainbird with a new female scientist character.
Is this available online to read anywhere? Anyone know?
Day 537: Jun 21, 2023
The Kingcast tackles the second half of the 1984 Firestarter movie with their own commentary track.
The Kingcast crew got so bored with this film that they spent 30 minutes debating whether they could realistically defeat a box of toy plastic army men that came to life, as in the short story “Battleground”.
George C Scott goes from having a glassy eye to wearing an eyepatch. This was supposedly due to an eye infection (or irritation) he received from the colored contact lens.
Wait – there’s a pitch out there for yet ANOTHER treatment of Carrie? The guest host mentioned that it would take the story in a very different direction. But for the love of King, do we really need to dip our toes into the Carrie pool yet again?
Day 538: Jun 22, 2023
Derry Public Radio adds fun (which was sorely lacking) to the 1984 film adaptation.
“It wasn’t bad… It was nothing.”
A perfect summation of this movie!
They brought up this IMDb trivia note about the actor who played Andy McGee:
“The book ‘Creepshows’ by Stephen King says that David Keith was fourteenth choice.”
Was this a made-up fact? I can’t find any reference to that book anywhere. Does anybody know what this book is that they’re talking about?
” I wanted to see some chickens explode.”
They expressed some disappointment that favorite scenes from the book were not included in the movie.
Now moving on to Chat Sematary and their review of the original Firestarter movie.
The guess host is clearly unaware of the story from the novel as his main complaints are about the overall plot, not so much about the adaptation.
For example, he criticizes that the first half of the film is an “on-the-run” thriller while the second half stays in one place and is more science-fiction.
But that’s exactly what the story is, so we can complain about the film all we want, but not about that.
This is the second podcast in a row to mention this book called “Creepshows” and a different piece of Firestarter film trivia found in this book.
I finally found reference to it on Goodreads. I need to find this!
Day 539: Jun 23, 2023
The exploration of the original Firestarter movie continues with another visit from The Kingcast and this time with their good friend, Kate Siegel.
This episode was released just as Kate Seigel’s show, Midnight Mass, wrapped up filming. If you haven’t seen this work of genius from Mike Flanagan, you really should!
“Firestarter: The greatest metaphor for being a first-time parent that has ever been written.”
Kate made a compelling case for that hypothesis!
It’s heartbreaking to hear hopeful musings about the Firestarter remake which was still in the future at the time of this recording.
I haven’t seen that remake yet, but I hear it’s pretty bad.
Day 540: Jun 24, 2023
The Stephen King Podcast have a few thoughts to share about the 1984 Firestarter movie.
During the beginning-of-the-episode news roundup, one of the hosts wished that Pixar would do a treatment of The Dark Tower.
This was the first podcaster to give a negative review to the Tangerine Dream soundtrack.
It’s known that TD did not watch a single frame of the film and just handed the producers a whole bunch of music for them to figure out what fits with what. So I get that maybe the music did not add or enhance the story at all.
But for the most part, people have considered that soundtrack to be one of the few highlights of the film!
Day 541: Jun 25, 2023
Dark Tower Radio seems to have been on hiatus this year, so I head to the archives and listen to their commentary track to the 1984 movie.
A fun fan theory they posited: Carrie’s father, who in the novel was said to have possessed some powers himself, was a participant in the same government experiments as Vicky and Andy McGee.
A claim was made that the original Firestarter movie is more well known than Cronenberg’s The Dead Zone.
Is it? I don’t know that I agree.
Another humorous observation from the end-credits scene of Firestarter that I would never have noticed if it weren’t for dedicated podcasters like Dart Tower Radio:
I don’t recall seeing any “Speical Effects” in this film, but there were two people in charge of it!
Day 542: Jun 26, 2023
I’m nearing the end of the 1984 movie reviews. Two Guys to the Dark Tower Came offer their insights.
Once you remove the nostalgia factor, here’s what they’re left with:
“This movie is not that good.”
“No, it’s bad. Very bad.”
They brought up a pretty interesting fan fiction idea: What if Trashcan Man knew of the existence of Charlie McGee? Would he track her across the country to worship her?
Now reading “Streamin’ King” and his review of Firestarter.
Ah yes, I had heard about this rather unfortunate photo of Drew Barrymore and Stephen King at the Bangor premier of the movie, given the revelation that 9-year-old Barrymore actually began smoking cigarettes that year…
The other day, I mentioned that several podcasters referred to a book I had never heard of, “Creepshows: The Illustrated Stephen King Movie Guide”.
I’m happy to say I was able to locate a copy and use it as a fun reference to all of the SK adaptations up through the year 2000.
What does the Firestarter chapter have to say?
“The movie rights were purchased in 1980 for $1 million by Egyptian film producer Dodi Fayed (who was subsequently killed in the car crash which also took Princess Diana’s life in Paris in August 1997).”
“David Keith… was the fifteenth choice to play Andrew McGee”
I can only imagine who were in the list of 14 more desired choices. Al Pacino? Robert DeNiro? Dustin Hoffman?
Day 543: Jun 27, 2023
Every single podcast reviewing the 1984 Firestarter film mentioned that John Carpenter was initially tapped to helm it. Much speculation was made about what that would have looked like.
Well, I stumbled across a John Carpenter podcast where the hosts spent two episodes reviewing the “Carpenter scripts” for this movie. I’m excited to hear more about what could have been!
The first hour was spent discussing the book and the film that was released. They handled it as well as any of the dedicated King podcasts that I listen to. They know their stuff and love Sai King’s works!
One of them acknowledged the complaint at the thickness of King’s books; how many feel that he takes too long to tell a story. But I agree with his assessment: I really enjoy having more story, even when it’s about side characters who are not central to the plot.
All this talk of John Carpenter’s “The Thing” and I’m embarrassed to say I’ve never seen it. I think I’ll correct that oversight this weekend.
So this episode was all about the book and the 1984 movie. In the next episode (and it’s a long one) they dive into two different earlier scripts that John Carpenter could have used until he was booted from the movie.
Day 544: Jun 28, 2023
Now listening to the second half of a series that covers John Carpenter’s initial attempt to bring fire starter to the screen and a couple of early script drafts that dramatically change (improve?) upon the material.
In one of the original scripts, the story was told in a more linear fashion starting with Andy and Vicky in the college experiments. Also, Rainbird and Wanless We’re combined into a single character, a scientist named Roberta. However, Rainbird’s dark personality was completely eliminated, making the new character uninteresting.
These hosts agreed that it wasn’t the strongest of scripts, that there was not a focus on the child until the third act.
Day 545: Jun 29, 2023
It’s the final day of exploring 1984 Firestarter movie. I finish off this special episode that reviewed some of the original scripts that John Carpenter might have used had he proceeded forward with this film.
Day 711: Dec 12, 2023
***circling back***
Kingsize delivered a mega-episode about the little girl with a fire in her belly.
Day 712: Dec 13, 2023
***circling back***
I’m nearing the end of my “circling back” mode where I revisit all the books I’ve read so far and listen to newly released (or discovered) podcast episodes about them. I’m excited that I’m scheduled to start the next book in my journey this Sunday!
For now, I settle in with Just King Things and Firestarter.
Day 837: Apr 16, 2024
***circling back***
I’m only a week away from starting the next Stephen King book in my journey. But today, I revisit Firestarter with The Year of the Underrated Stephen King.
Day 838: Apr 17, 2024
***circling back***
Finishing off The Year of the Underrated Stephen King‘s rapturous review of Firestarter.
Firestarter 2: Rekindled (2002)
Day 546: Jun 30, 2023
Well, alright – it’s time to move on to the next blockbuster in the Firestarter franchise.
Since the original story had such a cliffhanger at the end (whatever happened after Charlie spilled the beans to the New York Times???), it demanded some sort of follow-up.
Enter “Firestarter 2: Rekindled” – a SciFi channel mini-series that spans almost 3 hours. I’m going to watch this over the course of the next 3 days.
I have to give them credit. This is the most practical solution to an ongoing problem that I can think of! Charlie often sets her bed on fire when having a bad dream.
The SciFi channel was known for their high-budget, extravagant opening title sequences. 🙄
Malcolm McDowell & Dennis Hopper are the two big names in Firestarter 2: Rekindled. The main character, Charlie, is played by Marguerite Moreau – who had her moment in the sun with the Mighty Ducks series.
Wait – McDowell is playing John Rainbird? You mean, they found someone even whiter than George C. Scott to play a Native American character? Like, we’re talking British white, here!
That’s one goofy looking guy they got to play a researching digging into the past of the Lot 6 trials. He looks like he just about to graduate high school.
I found myself yawning quite a bit throughout the first third of Firestarter 2: Rekindled.
Let’s hope the action picks up a bit in the next part tomorrow!
Day 547: Jul 1, 2023
Watching Pt 2 of “Firestarter 2: Rekindled” – the SciFi channel spectacular that just had to be made.
Takeaways so far?
✔️Charlie is a horny college student setting lovers on fire
✔️ If you like movies 90% filmed in a library, this is for you
✔️Waiting for Malcom McDowell to say “I lay all nagoy to the ceiling, my gulliver on my rookers on the pillow, glazzies closed, rot open in bliss, slooshying the sluice of lovely sounds.”
Creepy kid with no eyes thanks to advanced blurring CGI techniques.
That’s all I can stand of Firestarter 2: Rekindled for today. Thankfully, I’ll be done with the film tomorrow – but yeah, today’s viewing was less pleasant than yesterday’s.
Day 548: Jul 2, 2023
Finishing off with what I’m sure will be a thrilling conclusion to “Firestarter 2: Rekindled” – the SciFi channel epic sequel to the King classic.
My god, was “Firestarter 2: Rekindled” a bad movie or what?
Glad to be done watching that dreck.
There’s only a couple of podcast episodes that reviewed this film, and then it’s off to watch last year’s unasked for remake of the 1984 film.
But before I go, I will share the only modestly interesting clip from Rekindled – two kids playing psychic power table tennis:
Day 549: Jul 3, 2023
To help me digest what I just witnessed in “Firestarter 2: Rekindled” is Chat Sematary.
From this episode, I learned a depressing little fact: The actress who played the young Charlie McGee in Firestarter 2 did not live to see past the age of 21 having died from an accidental drug overdose.
The Losers’ Club had a rather lengthy episode reviewing Firestarter 2: Rekindled. I’m going to listen to some of it today.
“I think it’s a good laundry-folding movie.”
This may be the best review we’re ever going to hear about this sequel.
They spent considerable time talking about how The Shop was replaced with a lame-ass corporate name, Systems Operations
Now, here’s the gift that this Losers’ Club episode delivered on: An internet archive of the tie-in web site to Firestarter: Rekindled 2 that fills in much of the backstory as if it were an official hidden site of “Sys Operations Inc”.
This is pure genius cringe!
Day 550: Jul 4, 2023
The Losers’ Club put out the dumpster fire that is “Firestarter 2: Rekindled”. Finishing off this episode that I started yesterday.
” I think the only problem I had with that scene was that there was still 80 minutes left.”
😂 😂 😂
Firestarter (2022)
Day 551: Jul 5, 2023
Day 552: Jul 6, 2023
Here we go: I’m going to watch the first half of the Firestarter remake that was made last year. Time to see what all the fuss was about.
My prediction? Had this been the ONLY film adaptation of this book, it would’ve been received just fine. But since there’s an original version from 40 years ago, it’ll be deemed as a completely unnecessary endeavor.
It’s actually a bit of relief NOT to see some sort of cheap Dino De Laurentiis logo at the beginning of a SK movie!
Kicking off the movie with Charlie McGee as a baby setting things on fire, including herself, was a bold move.
Zac Efron is definitely more natural playing the father of a young girl than David Keith ever was.
The question is: Will Zac grab his head as well every time he “pushes”?
Oh, and blood drips out of his eye instead of the trope-y nosebleed.
I like this change!
Vicky McGee is played by the beautiful Sydney Lemmon, granddaughter of the incredible Jack Lemmon!
Are kids even allowed to play dodgeball in elementary school anymore? I thought that was one of those barbaric activities we’ve evolved away from since I was a kid.
The fact that they actually cast a Native American to play Rainbird makes this an immediately superior film to the original.
Oh – and Rainbird has powers too? I really like this twist!
The Charlie McGee blast is better than back when Drew Barrymore did it – but it doesn’t quite look like it’s had 40 years’ worth of technology improvements behind it.
Oh – I see what you did there, you people in charge of Easter Eggs.
Despite being in 93% of all films made in the past 30 years, I do not remember the name of this guy here playing Dr. Wanless.
I looked his name up and already forgot it – just like I’ve done a hundred times before.
And I’m stopping here at the halfway point. I’ll pick up part two tomorrow!
So far, not bad. Certainly better than the previous two film properties. But we’ll see if they put some serious budget into the final firefight.
Day 553: Jul 7, 2023
Finishing the Firestarter remake that was made last year. It’s been a decent film so far. Not blockbuster material, but definitely passable.
What? Charlie can speak telepathically with a nonverbal elderly lady?
Maybe I missed something, but she just comforted an old man with detailed words from near-comatose wife.
That was so random.
What’s with these sci-fi contact lenses? Are they really necessary for this story? It was distracting.
It turns out they were used to block out Andy’s mind control – but that seemed to be such an arbitrary deus ex ocula.
Can the final 30 seconds of a film completely ruin everything that came before it?
As seen in this Firestarter remake from 2022, the answer is yes. Yes it can.
Charlie and Rainbird are pals now and walk off into darkness along the beach. Are you kidding me? Huh?
I give this film a C+. It had some new takes on the story which made it interesting. I can’t say it was better than the 1984 original, but it definitely wasn’t as bad as Firestarter 2: Rekindled.
I would recommend this only if you’re completely bored or curious.
Day 554: Jul 8, 2923
The Losers’ Club scored an interview with the director of the 2022 Firestarter remake. I wonder if they got him to apologize for the ending?
I hadn’t realized this, but it had been 3 years without a Stephen King film prior to the 2022 Firestarter release. While there had been plenty of TV series, IT: Chapter 2 and Doctor Sleep We’re released in 2019.
These guys brought up the name Akiva Goldsman as someone attached to this film and expressed dismay over it. They weren’t the first ones so I checked out who he was.
He was an executive producer of Firestarter (2022). Looking back at his history, he was also responsible for A Beautiful Mind, Doctor Sleep and Star Trek: Discovery.
But he was also responsible for the horrendous Batman and Robin and the unforgivable adaptation of The Dark Tower.
This episode quickly turned into a Zac Efron swoon-fest.
They were imagining various scenarios in which Zac’s character could end up shirtless. For example, Charlie accidentally burns off Andy’s shirt. Or he removes his shirt to put out a fire somewhere. 😂
Great observation: Firestarter (2022) was completely devoid of any humor or levity among the characters. It was indeed a serious, dour film.
Yeah – what happened to the killing of Randall Flagg (the crow) from the trailer? That never made it into the movie for some reason.
Day 555: Jul 9, 2023
Listening to the second half of The Losers’ Club review of the 2022 Firestarter remake.
A Firestarter without enough fire? That’s what they complained about with the remake.
“Watching this movie is like reading a redacted document.”
He nailed it. The Firestarter remake had glimpses of a really good movie. But it felt like so much was cut out and left on the floor that it did feel quite disjointed.
Finally, they got to the interview with Firestarter’s director, Keith Thomas. He’s was known for the highly acclaimed movie, The Vigil, which is in my to-watch list.
Day 556: Jul 10, 2023
Continuing with the reviews of the Firestarter remake from last year, here’s Chat Sematary.
Semi-interesting bit of trivia: The guy who wrote the screenplay for Firestarter (2022) had at one point been hired to write a treatment for the only story in Different Seasons that hadn’t been adapted before: Breathing Method.
And we all know that one never happened.
Day 557: Jul 11, 2023
Getting close to finishing this step in my journey. Only a few days left for Firestarter! Here’s Derry Public Radio with a review of the film remake from last year.
“She does something to where it opens everything in this facility… Implying there are more people with powers in this facility.
When those doors open and the only person that leaves is fuckin’ Rainbird (because there are only six people in this movie)… when all of those doors open up, I was expecting the end of “Cabin in the Woods’. I was expecting superpowered people just pouring out. That would’ve kicked ass.
Instead, we meet Gail.”
Day 558: Jul 12, 2023
Kingslingers takes a whack at the Firestarter remake.
I’ve got no comments about this Kingslingers episode. They came out of the gate trashing this remake up and down.
I didn’t think this was a great film, but I don’t think it deserved the thorough bashing its received. I’ve seen much much worse in the King film world.
I would rewatch this over the original 1984 version any day.
Day 559: Jul 13, 2023
Next up to heap scorn upon last year’s remake of Firestarter is Dark Tower Radio.
They wondered if Rainbird was carrying Charlie to the headquarters of Rolling Stone. 😂
Day 560: Jul 14, 2023
“Streamin’ King” is a written series from Decider that reviewed any Stephen King movie that was available on a streaming platform. Here, they take on the Firestarter remake from 2022.
“Screenplay by Scott Teems, who’s writing Insidious 5, co-penned David Gordon Green’s Halloween Kills, and has a story credit on Green’s upcoming Exorcist remake.”
Since the biggest complaint about this film was its screenplay, that doesn’t bode well for the upcoming Exorcist films!
“Firestarter changes things just to change ’em, in a less sure-footed way that bumbles into a disastrous final act…”
A perfectly stated summation of this remake.
The Stephen King Podcast also reviewed the 2022 Firestarter remake.
Day 561: Jul 15, 2023
The Kingcast brought in a Star Wars novelist to review the 2022 version of Firestarter.
They were not kind to it.
Day 839: Apr 18, 2024
***circling back***
The Year of the Underrated Stephen King came back to the Firestarter franchise with a review of the totally unnecessary 2022 film remake.
Misc
Day 562: Jul 16, 2023
I have finally reached the end of my journey step with Firestarter! I finish with a comprehensive review of the Charlie McGee character (in all her various incarnations) in this special episode from The Losers’ Club.
For the most part, they covered the same ground as the dozens of other podcasts. But they did bring up two interesting things:
➡️ A lengthy discussion of Charlie’s firegasms in Firestarter 2: Rekindled
➡️ Asking ChatGPT to draft a sequel to Firestarter. It came up with Charlie growing up still on the run from a secret government agency and meeting up with a ragtag group of other firestarters to take them on. 😂
And with that, I’ve completed the 8th book in my Stephen King Journey. I leave Firestarter with a few thoughts and stats:
Number of items consumed: 35
Hours spent: 52
Days passed: 42
Movies watched: 2
TV Episodes watched: 2
Current ETA for completing the journey: Oct 2027
In summary, I found:
🟢 The book to be decent.
🔴 The 1984 movie to be pretty bad, even when making excuses for the 80s.
🟡 The 2022 remake to be unnecessary but not as awful as everyone says.
🔴 Firestarter 2: Rekindled – WTF!
Step rankings in my journey (based on entire experience – not just the book):
- The Stand
- Doctor Sleep
- The Shining
- Night Shift
- ‘Salem’s Lot
- Carrie
- Firestarter
- The Dead Zone