Few moments in the Cape Fear's history can claim to be as influential as the arrival of "Firestarter," the feature film adaptation of Stephen King's novel that launched the local film industry.
Released on May 11, 1984, the film starring Drew Barrymore turns 35 this year. To celebrate, Cape Fear Unearthed revisits the production's history, explores why Hollywood producer Dino De Laurentiis came to Wilmington the first place and how it led to what would become a transformative industry.
Joining the episode is special guest Martha De Laurentiis, the associate producer of "Firestarter" and influential figure in the establishment of film's presence in North Carolina. She is now the president of The De Laurentiis Company.
Cape Fear Unearthed is written, edited and hosted by Hunter Ingram.
Additional editing by Adam Fish. Recorded at WHQR in downtown Wilmington.
A StarNews Media Production. This season is sponsored by Northchase Family Dentistry.
Sources:
"Wilm on Film," by Ben Steelman and Amy Hotz
Various Wilmington StarNews editions, August-November 1983
New Hanover County Library archive records and photos
"Dino: The Life and Films of Dino De Laurentiis," by Tullio Zekich and Alessandra Levantesi
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The Downfall of Charles Town
Trouble Comes to Town
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The Showboat Goes to War
Blood and Honor at Ten Paces
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The Roots of the Azalea Festival
The Suicide Club
The Palace of Light
Wilmington in the Time of Nazis
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Ghosts of Gallows Hill
Massacre After Midnight
The Man, The Myth, The Hermit
The Lost Treasure of Money Island
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