She is the FIRESTARTER

 

Jeri Jacquin

Available on Digital and coming to Bluray and DVD from director Keith Thomas and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment based on a Stephen King novel is FIRESTARTER.

Andy (Zac Efron) and Vicky (Sydney Lemmon) are raising their young girl Charlie (Ryan Armstrong) in a bit of isolation. That is because when Charlie was a baby, she showed the powers pyrokinesis. That is not a surprise as dad Andy has the power of telepathy and mom Vicky is telekinetic being part of a chemical drug experiment years before.

Trying to evade those looking for them and that includes John Rainbird (Michael Greyeyes) so Vicky stays home, and Andy works as many paid gigs as he can get using a bit of his powers for cash. Charlie is at school, but she is not quite fitting in and when something upsets, her powers shake to her core.

That sets off alarms for Captain Jane Hollister (Gloria Reuben) who is helping Dr. Wanless (Kurtwood Smith) find Andy, Vicky and Charlie. After their home is invaded, Andy and Charlie have no choice but to go on the road and try to stay one step ahead of capture.

Yet Charlie learns what happened to her parent and why they want her so badly. They think dealing with the young girl will be easy, they do not know Charlie!

Efron as Andy gets to be a strong father for Charlie and would do anything to protect her. It is hard explain what happened and the consequences to the young girl but once they are on the run, Charlie gets it. We now live in the realm where Efron gets to play a dad – when did that happen? That being said, he played it well.

Armstrong as Charlie is a young girl trying to fit in and not quite understanding why she is the way she is. As her powers grow, controlling them becomes difficult and frightening for her. Relying on her father to guide her, there comes a moment when it is all on her and Armstrong gives it with fire and rage.

Greyeyes as Rainbird is on a mission to find Charlie and is going to do whatever it takes to make that happen, even the worse thing he can. Lemmon as Vicky lives day to day wondering when they will be discovered and what will happen to her young daughter.

Reuben as Hollister has a mean streak and does not hesitate to use her force but in a calm manner that is just as disturbing. Nothing worse than a twisted woman on a mission. Smith as Dr. Wanless tries to present himself as caring about Andy and Charlie but you only have to see him for two seconds to know his goals are self-serving and destructive.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us to all experience and re-experience in our own home theaters. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

MOVIES ANYWHERE gives viewers the ability to download the Movies Anywhere App. With that you can view films by downloading or streaming to your favorite device using a Digital Code. For more information on Movies Anywhere please visit www.MoviesAnywhere.com.

Bonus Features include Alternative Ending, Deleted and Extended Scenes, Gag Reel, A Kinetic Energy, Spark a Fire, Igniting FIRESTARTER, Power Struggle and Feature Commentary with Director Keith Thomas.

FIRESTARTER is a creation of Stephen King from his novel by the same name written in 1980. Nominated for many awards, the novel was turned into a screenplay that landed in theatres first in 1984 with a very young actress named Drew Barrymore.

This updated version still embraces the relationship between Charlie and her father and the evil that is trying to destroy them. That is the heart of the story, and it keeps that momentum going.

In the end – embrace the fire within!

Her Life is Told by THE GLORIAS

 

THE GLORIAS is available for purchase on Digital and Streaming exclusively on Prime Video starting September 30^th.

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Digital and streaming exclusively on Prime Video from writer/director Julie Taymor and Roadside Attractions based on  her book My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem is THE GLORIAS.

A young Gloria (Ryan Armstrong) is being raised by mother Ruth (Enid Graham) and father Leo (Timothy Hutton). Living from one money making plan to another, the family is constantly on the road. Eventually Gloria beings to understand what is happening with her parents as Ruth moves into a family home with her daughter.

Finding herself in India, Gloria (Alicia Vikander) begins to see the injustices that the women in the country endure. Returning home, she heads for New York trying to find work as a writer. Her writing jobs seem to focus more on the fashion and homemaker genre which is not something she is interested in.

Finally, a story of the working conditions of Playboy bunnies allows Gloria to do a serious piece that gets both good and bad reactions. The more articles she writes, the more she feels there are more important issues that need to be addressed and that women would welcome to read about.

Gloria (Julianne Moore) is till writing but finding herself going headfirst into the rights of women and finding other women that are like minded. Starting Ms. Magazine gets quite the reaction from the men and resounding applause from women. She knows there must be more as the ERA becomes her next focus with the help of Bella Abzug (Bette Midler), Flo Kennedy (Lorraine Toussaint) and so many more.

Friends like Wilma Mankiller (Kimberly Guerrero) of the Cherokee Nation, Gloria finds the sense of heading in the right direction with her goals of women's rights and the stereotypes and stigmas that makes the women today freer to make their own way.

But there is still so much more to do!

Moore as Gloria gives a stunning performance as a woman who is pushed on a mission to help those who need it the most - women. Moore has the perfect demeanor to play Gloria Steinem and every moment she is on the screen I want to see more and more. Gone is the brilliant red hair for the iconic middle-parted hair with equally iconic glasses. Moore brings Gloria completely to the screen and her scenes with Vikander are brilliant and I loved them.

Vikander as the younger Gloria sets the groundwork for her 'future' life and work. Through her writing and tenacity, she paved her own way in showing the discrepancies that the country turned a blind eye to. Vikander gives her time period of Gloria the discovery of how she is perceived personally and professionally and does not accept it in the slightest. The trick is discovering how to make the change that makes the loudest noise to attract those who can also be part of the change.

Hutton as Leo is a father Gloria loves but as she grows older, she experiences the effects of his inability to be a stable figure in her life. In a young girl’s life, that can all be an adventure, but as Gloria gets older there becomes a time when all of it brings a hard decision. Graham as wife Ruth was once a writer herself but became a wife and mother. After years of uncertainty and no roots, it affects Ruth to the point of being debilitated.

Midler as Abzug is funny in her own way but also right in the way she says it. Midler was actually a great choice for this role. Toussaint as Kennedy also has the lungs and belief in what Gloria and the others are trying to do. I love the way she brings swag to a role.

Guerrero as Mankiller has not only generations of issues plaguing her people of the Cherokee nation but knows it is time to make a patriarchal change for leadership. Her portrayal and friendship with the Gloria’s are something I deeply related to and enjoyed. Both Guerrero and Moore's scenes together are pure wonderful.

Other cast include Victor Slezak as Walter, Allie McCulloch as Brenda Feigen, Janelle Monae as Dorothy Hughes, Mo Plenty as Charlie Soap, Annika Pampel as Olga, charles Green as Ted White, Margo Moorer as Barbara Jordan, Bethany Geaber as Joanne Edgar, Monica Sanchez as Dolores Huerta, and Ariadne Joseph as Dr. Gloria Scott.

THE GLORIAS is a look at the life of Gloria Steinem from different ages in her life. What makes this film so unique are the conversations between the stages of her life filled with the uncertainties, questions, yet there is a comforting towards each of them with support and encouragement that I'm sure most of us wish we could do with our own era-selves.

Learning from an early age that fending for one’s self is difficult enough without the low expectations that men seem to have for the time, Steinem shares her journey. Daring to push further and further she gathered other likeminded women who saw the potential for change and did not stop until it reached the ears of the country. All of what these women did are being put to the test even today in our political climate. This is the perfect time for the film to be released.

The cast is amazing working together from the young Gloria of Ryan Armstrong, to Vikander, to Moore it is a smooth transition between them all. Even in flashbacks, director Taymor brings about a seamlessness so the story flows and hopefully right up to an Oscar.

In the end - she was part of a fight that needed winning!