Out of all of the earlier Stephen King novels, Firestarter seems like one of the hardest to adapt for film. Two versions to date, and for some reason people just keep fucking it up when they bring it to the screen. As far as this film goes, I thought it was another missed opportunity in adapting what should be a fairly straightforward story into a potentially terrifying adaptation of Stephen King's 1980 novel. I mean, for Pete’s sake, the series Stranger Things is virtually a complete lift of this story. But like Mark Lester's 1984 version, the filmmakers can't quite nail it. I know, it's all subjective, I'll leave the real analysis to the film critics, but for me, what started off with killer potential peters out into a confusing and lackluster finale.

But, there are definitely things about this version of Firestarter that I dug. There's a great scene with the mighty Kurtwood Smith, and the casting for the John Rainbird character is vastly better this time around. But my favorite thing about 2022's Firestarter is the film score, written and performed by horror-synth master John Carpenter and his band. Like most of my favorite scores, even removed from the film experience, the music is killer. Obviously recommended for any of you fellow Carpenter devotees. And it was an interesting choice having Carpenter and crew create this score - if I remember correctly, Carpenter was actually slated to direct the first film adaptation, but circumstances intervened. So as a fan of the story, this collection of film music is a fascinating look at Carpenter's perspective and tone, giving us a fleeting image of what his version of the first film might possibly have felt like.

The band keeps each piece brief, using their arsenal of huge swelling synthesizers and layered electronics to create a dark and forbidding atmosphere that emits a feeling of loss and dread from the start. Some tracks like "Mother's Love", "Are You Scared of Me?" and "Bless Mommy" use just minimal, emotionally wrought piano arrangements with some subtle backing pads, weaving together quiet and intimate moments of familial stability and longing and loss that are more bittersweet than anything. But when it kicks into more intense sequences, those keys unfold into a quasi-orchestral level of immensity, full of towering drones that loom over muffled rhythmic beats melting into murky electronics, and ominous single-note peals that ascend over the slowly building technoid space like warning flares. The guitars kick in on "Lot 6", the main title theme, and it's sinister, powerful music. Carpenter and company proceed to expertly piece their sounds together, leaning heavy on those threatening layers of greyscale drone that pulse and throb beneath sheets of icy orchestral minimalism.

Look, I love Tangerine Dream. I fucking love Tangerine Dream. And their score for the first film really is gorgeous, with just its faint hint of discoid propulsion set in place alongside the waves of dreamy, neon-blurred electronic keys. And it's easily my favorite aspect of that first film. But it never felt quite right for the source material - listening back to my beloved vinyl copy now, there's virtually nothing going on that evokes the dread, latent power and creeping paranoia of King's narrative.

But Carpenter offers exactly the musical mood and textures that the story does need, and while it's not as impactful as some of Carpenter's earlier scores, it's still quite an experience. The off-and-on sequenced rhythmic beats are sometimes joined with an almost industrial-sounding metallic snare sound that really cranks up the tension and fear on the more driving tracks. Surges of overdriven electronic noise are used as a disorienting element beneath the bleak, haunting ambience; organ sounds appear in clouds of funereal mourning, and heart-pounding synth arpeggios churn like prog-rock grooves. Massive dronefields sweep into the distance akin to Lustmord's fearsome low-frequency constructions, albeit delivered in more compact, succinct doses. Aside from the automatically nostalgic feel of those classic Carpenter tones and textures, the score doesn't reach for any kind of "retro" quality; this sounds contemporary. When the second half of the score takes over, the action sequences that make up tracks like "Rainbird Fights Vicky" and "Sniper Attack" come to the fore, each possessing a harrowing quality, and that killer drum machine sound on "Charlie's Powers" is instantly reminiscent of the percussive parts of Escape From New York. Oh, and the climactic "Charlie's Rampage" is where their distorted, metallic guitars erupt into action, laying out an almost doom-laden riff amongst the swirling electronics. But there is always restraint. More than anything else, Carpenter imbues this with an unshakeable sadness that radiates from almost every melodic phrase. So well done.

Ultimately, Carpenter's FireStarter score delivers everything that I love about his other film music work; it's more on the dark, shadowy, ambient side of his sound, punctuated with sparse eruptions of distorted guitar chords for maximum impact - the minimalism and overbearing shadow of dread and conspiracy that seeps through the music actually recall elements of his Halloween III: Season Of The Witch score, another one of my favorites. It's not as spare and piercing as that classic score, but it carries a similar weight.

The layout and design of all of these physical editions from Sacred Bones look rad as hell; in particular, the label put together a very, very cool die-cut sleeve for the vinyl, which is available in a mix of colors.