This was a classic horror movie. I don't remember seeing the lead actor in anything other than this and as Rodney Dangerfield's son in Back to School but he's really great in this as Arnie. The mood and writing are great and if you like older, classic cars you'll freak for Christine. The type of ending is overdone now but at the time it was really killer, and the soundtrack is amazing too. Nothing I didn't like about this one.

Christine was not a film John Carpenter had planned on directing, as most of his films were personal projects, not just jobs. But after the poor reception that The Thing received, he needed a project that would jump-start his career. It may not be frightening. But sometimes, you need to make money to live on.Richard Kobritz, who produced Salem's Lot, was given some two unpublished manuscripts from King to consider for their next film adaptation. He chose this one over Cujo, as he felt that story was silly. One was "Christine" and the other was "Cujo." Korbitz chose Christine because he thought Cujo was too silly.This film was already in production as the book was being published. In its original prose form, it's made clear that the original owner of the car, Roland D. LeBay, is the one possessing it. But in the film, from day one, there's an evil force that powers this 1958 Plymouth Fury (a '57 and two other Plymouth models, the Belvedere and the Savoy, were also used to create the car).That malevolent spirit shows up on the assembly line, when Christine cuts a man's hand off and then kills another worker who dares to ash his cigar on her upholstery.Fast-forward 21 years and Arnie Cunningham (Keith Gordon, Dressed to Kill) has only one friend - Dennis (John Stockwell, who became a director and helmed Blue Crush, Turistas and Crazy/Beautiful, amongst others). His life gets better when he buys Christine for $250, an action that no one understands.Arnie not only restores the car, he restores himself. Tossing his glasses, he begins to become more arrogant and dresses like a 1950's greaser. That allows him to hook up with the new girl in town, Leigh.Dennis worries about Arnie, so he begins to study the dark past of his car - like how it killed its previous owner and his family. It tries to do the same to Leigh, jealous of anyone who gets close to its owner.After a fight with Arnie leads to him being expelled, Buddy Repperton and his gang completely destroy Christine. As Arnie watches, it comes back to life, repairing itself and hunts the gang down, one by one. There's an incredibly directed scene here where a flaming Christine (obviously this scene influenced the close of The Strangers: Prey at Night) chases Buddy to his death.The murders don't stop there, as Christine even kills Darnell (Robert Protsky, Grandpa Fred from Gremlins 2), the owner of the garage where Arnie fixed up the car. This leads state policeman Rudolph Junkins (Harry Dean Stanton, always a welcome face) to investigate Arnie.Dennis and Leigh try to save Arnie by luring Christine to Darnell's. They think it's just the car coming to battle them, but Arnie is behind the wheel as it crashes, sending him flying through the windshield to his death. They finally get the car into a crusher, but even as it's deposited into a junkyard as a cube, it's already reforming to the tune of "Bad to the Bone." If you look close enough, the singer of that song, George Thorogood, is working in the junkyard.There's a lot more that was jettisoned from the book, like how crooked Darnell was, the romance between Leigh and Dennis, Junkins getting killed by Christine and her coming back and hunting down the rest of the gang after she's crushed.There's just enough Carpenter (and a great score alongside frequent collaborator Alan Howarth) to make this movie worthwhile. It's not the best of his films. Nor the best King film. But it's an enjoyable enough way to pass ninesome oddodd minutes.

This is John Carpenter's film version of the Stephen King bestseller about an evil car. The film's namesake, a bright red 1958 Plymouth Fury, doesn't even make it off the assembly line before maiming and killing people. Cut to the present, and awkward, clumsy high school nerd Arnie Cunningham and his jock best friend Dennis. Arnie is a total social failure, the target of bullies and totally ignored by the girls. On the way home, he spots the decrepit wreck of the '58 Fury, and he's instantly obsessed. He buys the car, despite the protests of his friend and parents, and starts working to restore it in a large garage complex owned by the loathsome Darnell. As Arnie spends more and more time with Christine, as he's named the car, his entire persona changes from the sweet, if dorky, nerd to someone more confident and dangerous. And while he's now dating Leigh, the hottest girl in school, his heart truly lies with Christine. And Christine has a mind of her own...This is one of the better King adaptations, and Carpenter's excellent camera-work and pacing keep the film moving along even through the rough patches. His usual great synth scoring works well too, but will no doubt bother some viewers. There are lots of vintage rock hits on the soundtrack, as well. The cast is good, led by Keith Gordon as Arnie and John Stockwell as his worried best bud. Alexandra Paul is fetching, if a little wooden, as Leigh. Roberts Blossom has a great cameo as the disturbing former owner. But it's Robert Prosky, a veteran stage and screen supporting player, who steals every scene he's in as the grotesque Darnell. The great Harry Dean Stanton has a small bit as a cop, too, although his role goes nowhere. William Ostrander, a John Travolta lookalike, plays the lead high school bully, despite looking 35. Look out for Kelly Peston in an early role as another student. Incidentally, both male leads, Gordon and Stockwell, have gone on to successful directing careers in film and television.The scene of the unstoppable car, engulfed in flames as it slowly closes in on a victim on a deserted road at night, is one the better images in horror films of the time.

Introducing its sinister intentions within the opening scene, keeping its ominous vibe alive for the entirety of its runtime, and unleashing absolute terror when the occasion calls for it, Christine is a masterly directed horror from John Carpenter that makes excellent use of genre elements to build suspense, and is far more engaging & nail-biting than it looks.Based on Stephen King's novel of the same name, the story of Christine centres on a vintage 1957 Plymouth Fury with a mind of its own that's found in a used, battered & dilapidated condition by an awkward, introverted & nerdy teenager who eventually buys it. As he spends more time at the local garage, repairing his car all by himself, his whole personality begins to change.Directed by John Carpenter, the evil nature of the automobile is established in the opening scene only after which the story jumps 20 years ahead where the main plot surfaces. Despite sounding ridiculous on paper, the story manages to be surprisingly effective as Carpenter relies on mystery surrounding the vehicle as well as the overall eerie ambiance to deliver the chills, and succeeds.Every time the camera focuses on its violent vintage vehicle, a sense of apprehension builds up in that particular moment and the mayhem caused by it only amplifies the film's uncanny tone n feel. Camera-work is smooth & efficacious, the build-up isn't forced, pacing is steady, and the tension is palpable. Carpenter also contributes with a thrilling score which, along with incorporated songs, infuses flavours of its own.Coming to the performances, the cast consists of Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, Alexandra Paul, Robert Prosky & Harry Dean Stanton, and they all chip in with wonderful inputs. Gordon delivers the most interesting performance of all, and finely articulates the change his character undergoes as plot progresses. Stockwell is in as his best friend & provides good support, Prosky almost steals all his moments, while Paul ably plays her part.On an overall scale, Christine is a welcome entry in the killer car subgenre of horror, and is another impressive yet under-appreciated gem from John Carpenter that, just like most of his films, enjoys a cult classic status today. It's tense, it's thrilling, it reeks of terror, and it delivers the goods in a gripping & entertaining fashion. In short, showing zero signs of wreckage, Christine appears just as polished today as it did at its time of release. Definitely recommended.