BEFORE: We drove upstate yesterday, to Lake George, NY, for a few days of R&R, which we definitely both deserve. We haven't taken a true vacation, or even a road trip, since the spring - I did go to visit my parents in June, and to San Diego in July, but neither really counted as a vacation. However, it seems we may have delayed our fall getaway a bit too long, since 1/2 of the town of Lake George is already shut down for the season, and most of the restaurants are open only on the weekends - but still we found a great BBQ restaurant, the Barnsider, for my birthday dinner.
I'm going to wrap up Shock-tober with a Stephen King marathon, and since last night's film name-checked the film "Carrie", I feel I'm justified - plus both "Omen IV" and tonight's film both feature young girls with evil powers.
THE PLOT: A couple who participated in a potent medical experiment gain telekinetic ability and then have a child who is pyrokinetic.
AFTER: This was a relatively tame way to kick off the Stephen King chain (although technically I suppose I kicked it off with "The Shining" and "Silver Bullet"). Other than a few pyrokinetic outbursts, there's not much shock value here - in fact, most of the film is pretty boring, and feels longer than it needs to be.
We see flashbacks of the drug experiment that gives a couple psychic powers, and causes their daughter to inherit different fire-based powers. The father and daughter are on the run for the first half of the film, and held in captivity by the guvmint in the second half.
I'm not sure I buy the theory that says that if the little girl can turn a cinder block into, well, cinders, she could someday destroy the earth with her power - it seems like a rather large leap in logic. Isn't it safe to assume that someone's mental power might have some kind of limit?
And apparently this film takes place before the American Fire Safety Council developed the "Stop, Drop and Roll" method for dealing with being on fire - so the effects of the little girl's ability are enhanced by her victims' panic.
Starring Drew Barrymore (last heard in "Curious George"), David Keith (last seen in "The Two Jakes"), Martin Sheen (last seen in "The American President"), Heather Locklear, George C. Scott (last seen in "The Hustler"), Art Carney (last seen in "Last Action Hero"), Louise Fletcher (last seen in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"), with a cameo from Antonio "Huggy Bear" Vargas.
RATING: 4 out of 10 asbestos suits
SPOOK-O-METER: 2 out of 10. Charlie ends up blowin' stuff up real good. But not very scary.
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