Christine (1983) User Reviews (353)

Keith Gordan and John Stockwell shine in this classic horror movie

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 8/10 · 14 November 2003]

Ah, do I remember the day that I saw Christine, which is disturbing since I was only 6 years old, but my sister said "Do you wanna watch Christine?" and I was confused, my name is Kristine, but she told me about this little horror movie and thanks to her I couldn't go near our family car for a few months. This is a movie that has always stayed with me and still scares the heck out of me when I watch it in the dark. Who knew that even before taking a driver's ed class that cars could scare me? But this isn't just any ordinary car, this is a killer car! This is a car with ghosts in it and you wouldn't like them if you make them angry or try to take their owner away. Christine is the car that you definitely don't wanna mess with, otherwise you may have to face those bright lights and loud rock and roll music, what happens next, you may not wanna know.

Arnie Cunningham, a typical high school nerd with only one friend, a childhood companion named Dennis Guilder, a popular jock. Arnie's life begins to change when he discovers Christine, a red 1958 Plymouth Fury in serious need of repair. Arnie begins to restore Christine to her original beauty, but as he spends more and more of his time repairing her, those in his life notice that he is changing as well. Formerly shy, Arnie develops a cocky arrogance. Dennis, as well as Arnie's new girlfriend Leigh, discover that the car has a deadly past. The previous owner, Roland LeBay, became consumed with Christine and he paid for it with his life. Leigh and Dennis try to save Arnie from a similar fate. They realize that the only way to save Arnie is by destroying Christine. Christine, however, isn't ready to give up Arnie without a fight.

Christine is a classic horror movie that for me will always deliver on the good scares. I still have a hard time watching it. I think the scariest scene for me will always be the last scene where Leigh and Dennis face off with Christine and you see that Arnie just completely gone. I'm honestly shocked that Keith Gordon didn't continue on with his acting career, he just blew me away as Arnie, reading the book I couldn't picture anybody else. He's absolutely incredible. John Stockwell also pulls in a good solid performance as well. This is one of the rare horror movies that is over all very enjoyable and if it doesn't scare you, I still think you will like it, it has a great story and a very good cast and crew. I highly recommend that you see this movie if you get the chance, it's a classic.

8/10

One slick killing machine.

[michaelRokeefe · 7/10 · 16 May 2000]

John Carpenter adapts Stephen King's novel with skillful precision. A high school kid becomes obsessive in his feelings for a very strange car he has bought. The car is given the name Christine and repays her owner's adoration by "taking care of" his enemies.

It is fun watching Keith Gordon, owner of Christine, go from wimp to self proclaimed stud. Also in the cast are: John Stockwell, Alexandra Paul, Harry Dean Stanton and David Spielberg.

It is super cool watching Christine repair her damaged parts. This is an underrated movie that deserves a repeat viewing.

Don't Mess With Christine!

[ccthemovieman-1 · 7/10 · 20 December 2005]

I'm not particularly a fan of horror movies and I couldn't fix an ailing automobile if my life depended on it so the workings of cars don't fascinate me.....but this movie fascinated me. The '58 Plymouth Fury, alias "Christine," is absolutely gorgeous. What a piece of machinery!

This is a horror story but there are no ghosts or monsters nor is there any gore. A car is the star of the film, a very jealous and vengeful one at that. Man, that sounds silly but, if you're reading this you have probably watched the movie so no sense going into details. It's hard to describe the story in a paragraph without it sounding stupid....but it's not. Maybe the quickest way to explain it is that it is about a car that is alive, like a human, and you mess with it, you pay!

It is definitely one creepy, well-made, unique and always-entertaining film.

The car is a lot better than any of the people, sad to say. No, I didn't like any of the kids in this film (high schoolers who all look 30 years old!) and the language is a little too rough in spots, but that can be filtered out.

The car, the '50s music, the unique story, the satisfying revenge angle all make this very watchable.

music

[sttrhm · 29 July 2008]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this before, but the 50s music was interesting in that most of it came from artists who suffered untimely, tragic deaths....Buddy Holly and Richie Valens of course were killed in a plane crash at the height of their careers...Johnny Ace ("Pledging My Love") died playing Russian Roulette with a pistol....Larry Williams ("Bony Maronie") was killed in 1980 by a gunshot wound to the head; he had been involved with drug dealing for years and it was thought to be a gang execution....I think Dion was still alive at the time this movie was made("I Wonder Why"); I'm not sure about the rest of the Belmonts....

Hell hath no fury like a Fury scorned...

[Jonny_Numb · 7/10 · 14 April 2006]

For my Smart Money, "Christine" is one of John Carpenter's most underrated efforts (up there with "Assault on Precinct 13"), and also one of his most effective. Even though its modest look and relative restraint in gore came as a result of "The Thing"'s box-office failure the previous year, and Carpenter has all but admitted his heart wasn't in the project, it ultimately turned out VERY well (if this is an effort from a sleepwalking Carpenter, he's better than most directors when they're awake). As someone who was knocked out by Rob Bottin's intricately gruesome FX work in "The Thing," but left cold by the shallow characters, "Christine" fills in the gaps of suspense and human story with ease. In retrospect, some of the absurd plot elements ("a haunted car," as Carpenter constantly reiterates) lends the film an odd humor that doesn't detract from things (and indeed, it was Stephen King's own infatuation with cars and rock music that inspired this story of obsession). Scenes are composed with great skill by Carpenter (making wonderful use of the widescreen image), and there are many striking images sprinkled throughout (the most incredible being the flaming Christine speeding after a villain). The excellent cast gives their all in making a potential B-movie premise glow with A-list polish: Keith Gordon's Arnie (the painfully square high-school senior who buys the titular vehicle), John Stockwell's Dennis (the resourceful jock and best friend), Alexandra Paul's Leigh (the earthy girlfriend who sparks Christine's jealousy), and Harry Dean Stanton's Junkins (the snooping P.I.) provide this tale with a lot of propulsive force. In a sense, "Christine" is a nice even ground between the zaniness of "Escape from New York" and the FX extremes of "The Thing," and exemplifies Carpenter's range as a director. A very underrated effort that is very much worth your time.

You keep a knocking but you can't come in.

[leavymusic-2 · 7/10 · 4 January 2020]

This is a well made horror/Fantasy picture, John Carpenter directs and puts his talent even into the music score, which is classic Carpenter old school synth based vibe, among also the presence of many 1950's rock n roll classic tracks, to give you a vibe of the car 'Christine' Period of manufacture during the 1950's. Of course there are a few flaws here and there, but it's a addictive watch, with many modern horrors churned out in recent years which go straight to Netflix streaming service, this 1980's film has a high a look of high production value, especially when comparing it to so many modern digital movies from 2000 onwards. , I love the grain in the film and the non CGI, it has great special effects never the less. I think it stands up as one of Carpenters better features along with The Thing and Assault on Precinct 13. It's perhaps not quite as good, but still it seems to have aged well. Good fun, if you like a car based film with mind of its own.

Gotta love it

[Roboby · 10/10 · 2 August 2003]

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I had read the book and loved it, so therefor I was reluctant to see the movie. I didn't want to see the big screen dishonor the book in any way. But, as it happens, I loved it! A lot of people would say "This is a horror, it's supposed to be scary!!" And a lot of people are right in this regard, it wasn't very scary at all. At least to me. But...the way Arnie turns from such a geek to a cool, tough, bad-ass was pretty awesome. Also I liked the depth of all the characers relationships with one another. It definately stirred some serious emotions when Buddy and his goons tore up Christine. Most of all though, I think the car herself was what made the movie as good as it is. Just the style and freshness of the '58 Plymouth Fury kicked ass. If you're reading reviews (like this one) trying to decide if you even want to see it, I say go for it. What have you got to lose, after all? The hour and a half you would be spending trying to find a review for a movie you decide to see, you could have already watched Christine. That's my advice.

Treat Your Cars Right!

[MichaelMRamey · 7/10 · 4 October 2018]

I'm surprised I like this and the reason it took me so long to watch was because of the outlandish concept. Christine was surprisingly good, with a good cast and likeable characters. I was worried about the killer car storyline, but it does become more about the people involved than anything, especially the change of Arnie from need to a James Deen-esq psychopath. That is a character arc you don't often see in films. A Stephen King classic!

Horror done right

[mbhgkmsgg · 9/10 · 26 October 2020]

WOW! I'm extremely surprised by how much I liked this film. I have never been a fan of the horror genre and I have avoided watching horror for the most part. However, recently I have started to open up to the idea of getting more into horror films and I have been fascinated by John Carpenter as a director ever since I saw Big Trouble In Little China. Since it's Spooktober, and Netflix happened to have Christine in its catalog, I thought to myself, what better time to start getting into horror films.

I'm glad I did. Christine surprised me in a big way. I ended up liking a proper horror film much more than I thought I ever would. The tension was perfectly crafted and the tone and the mood of the film was fantastic. At first, I thought that the second act was quite slow. However, once the movie finished, I realized how important the developments of that second act were. I also thought the way Christine (the car) was handled, was brilliant. I was never 100% sure as to what exactly it could do. From the very get-go, the movie gives little hints and ideas of what is to come and keeps you on the edge.

As mentioned, I'm very glad I expanded my movie radar towards horror. I'm very eager to seek more horror of this era and I'm even more eager to see more of John Carpenter. Christine is a fantastic film that does horror exactly how I think that it should be done. Although there is a lot in the horror genre that doesn't interest me in the slightest, thanks to Christine, I won't be avoiding the genre any longer.

"Watch what you call my car. She's real sensitive."

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 2 December 2015]

Put upon high school student Arnie Cunningham (Keith Gordon, in his first feature film lead role) is dominated by his parents, and has basically one friend in the world, level headed jock Dennis Guilder (John Stockwell). Then one day he spies an incredible wreck of a car, a 1958 Plymouth Fury that was named Christine by her foul tempered former owner. Believing he can restore her to prime condition, he now has something to live for. But soon his feelings towards the automobile turn to outright obsession, and he changes for the worse. Meanwhile, the car goes out systematically eliminating anybody who's rubbed Arnie the wrong way.

Horror master John Carpenter was, at the time, still smarting from the lack of commercial and critical success suffered by "The Thing", which this viewer believes to be his true masterpiece. He agreed to take the helm of this Stephen King adaptation. King, at the time, was such a phenomenon as an author that this story got optioned as a feature before it was even published. King had been impressed enough with producer Richard Kobritzs' TV miniseries of his novel "Salems' Lot" to give the man his choice of adaptations, and Kobritz chose this one over "Cujo".

"Christine" is very well made, and lots of fun. Carpenter and screenwriter Bill Phillips understand completely the love lavished by many on their rolling iron, so this is a pretty decent look at a boy and the car he loves. Carpenter & Phillips drop the more outré elements of the novel, almost completely getting rid of the character of the malevolent spirit Roland D. LeBay, and focusing on the car herself. In this movie version, Christine is born so evil that she's maimed one man and killed another before she's even off the assembly line!

Carpenters' moody score is one of his absolute best, and he also gets great use out of "Harlem Nocturne" by The Viscounts. The dialogue is often quite profane, but quotable as well. The special effects by Roy Arbogast are most impressive. The scenes of the ruined Christine repairing herself are the definite highlights of the movie.

The roles are impeccably cast. Gordon is entertaining to watch as he makes the transition from pathetic dweeb to swaggering '50s style punk. Stockwell and the lovely Alexandra Paul are good as their characters react to the changes in their friend. Robert Prosky, as miserly garage owner Will Darnell, Harry Dean Stanton, as persistent State Police detective Junkins, and Roberts Blossom, as LeBays' crotchety brother George, are all excellent. William Ostrander is spot on as the Travolta-esque creep Buddy Repperton. Stu Charno ("Friday the 13th Part II"), Steven Tash ("Ghost Busters"), and Malcolm Danare ("The Curse") are a hilariously unlikely bunch of bullies. It's also worth noting that Arnies' unlikable parents are played by CHRISTINE Belford and Robert DARNELL. Just a coincidence? Maybe, maybe not. Most importantly, the car herself really does become a character with a real presence.

Building to an exciting finale where Christine meets her match inside Darnells' garage, this is guaranteed to put a smile on some faces.

This was the very first feature to use the George Thorogood classic "Bad to the Bone" to denote a character that is, well, bad to the bone.

Seven out of 10.

Not all Novels Make Good Movies

[iamolc-1 · 2/10 · 13 May 2008]

These comments refer to the 2003 20th Anniversary DVD release.

In a way, Stephen King and John Carpenter deserve each other. Each has produced an uneven body of work. Halloween, for instance, despite its forced sequels, was a truly heart-pounding thriller. The Thing was a gross-out bomb. Christine stands, in my opinion, as King's most enduring work. By contrast, Pet Semetary was also a gross-out bomb. John Carpenter's movie version of Christine is somewhere in the middle between success and failure. It is successful because, even if one hasn't read the book, a viewer will stick with it simply to find out how everything turns out. It is a failure because it tries to use shorthand to fill in for the material that made King's novel worthwhile. In interviews with this DVD both Carpenter and writer Bill Phillips proclaim that they decided to eliminate the Roland D. LeBay back story in favor of making the car the centerpiece. They try to fill in by introducing LeBay's brother, George, as a sort of surrogate, right down to Roland's filthy back brace. Readers will connect the brace with the Roland character in the novel, but in the film it merely distracts from the rest of the scene. They also try to fill in by crafting a completely original opening assembly line sequence that supposedly introduces the evil that is present in the car that would one day be called Christine. This one decision loses the impact of the novel, whose point is that the evil which possessed the car came from Roland LeBay's own poisoned soul--and that evil persisted after his death. By placing the evil in an inanimate object (and then attempting to persuade us that car is somehow alive) Carpenter and Phillips cause us to cease to care. Each of us has dealt with inanimate objects which appear to have a will of their own, but Christine is stretches us beyond the limit. The deleted scenes included with the 2003 release show evidence that, in limited ways, Carpenter and Phillips understood this. For instance, in one hospital scene, Dennis has Arnie sign his cast. In a deleted scene, occurring a bit later, Dennis asks for another signature. The point, of course, is that the two are completely different. Arnie is possessed by the evil soul of Roland LeBay. The minutes devoted to the opening sequence should have been used to flesh out this back story.

Readers of the novel know that King set the story in a working-class suburb of Pittsburgh. The complexity of that setting is itself a kind of character. Within minutes, we discover that the movie is set in California, a part of America that most Pittsburghers would perceive as particularly shallow. Carpenter undoubtedly did this to avoid extensive winter sequences, including one particularly brutal blizzard. It's but another short cut that trivializes the story.

King's novel is a highly effective meditation on the persistence of evil. The movie inspires no terror and no dread. It isn't even particularly humorous. Instead, we stay with it just to see how it comes out. The great strength of King's novel is that it was about people and only marginally about the car. In casting unknowns, and then buying 24 1958 Plymouths, Carpenter asked us to focus on the car. It doesn't work. Here is my proposal: Let's ask Frank Darabont to take a run at a remake. He did a wonderful job with the King novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption (shortened to The Shawshank Redemption for the film) and the serial novel The Green Mile. Those films work because Darabont took King's work seriously in terms of time and place, and because he took the time to develop the characters. A remake of Christine at Darabont's hands, at about the same length as Shawshank or Green Mile, would be worth seeing.

A Movie Any True Car Lover Can Appreciate

[VALGAL69au · 10/10 · 1 February 2005]

There are no words that can truly describe the power and passion of Christine.

Anyone who owns an older car will be able to associate with the obsession that takes over nerdish Arnie's life when he restores Christine, the beautiful Plymouth Fury.

John Carpenter's excellent directing brings the car to life to such a point where as you're watching, you become so entranced that you forget she isn't alive.

The actors are well chosen for the roles they play, and give excellent performances. This, accompanied by excellent photography, special effects, timing and musical score make Christine a definite must-see movie.

Please Note: The Australian TV edit cuts out some of the best scenes, so this movie is best seen on DVD or video.

I liked it better than I thought I would

[p-jonsson · 6/10 · 17 November 2014]

I was not sure whether this movie was my type of movie or not. I have not read the book and, even though it is considered one of the classic horror movies, I have kind of put off watching it expecting not to like it. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised.

As I wrote I have not read the book and thus I do not know how well the movie interprets the book. In my experience it is usually best, when it comes to movies based on books, not to have read the book though.

The story is probably well known by most fans of the genre. To me it was well implemented. Fairly predictable but still enjoyable to watch. Keith Gordon characterized Arnie Cunningham very well as far as I am concerned. His journey from quiet nerd to insane madman was quite well done and at the end he flipped between looking almost normal to madly possessed with an ease that was almost scary.

I did like the car as well. As a person that have always liked American cars I have to say that it is a beautiful car if nothing else. Also I actually found myself sympathizing with the car for a good chunk of the movie. Those assholes that terrorized Arnie truly deserved what they got. Then of course it got out of hand when the cars influence on Arnie took on more sinister proportions.

The ending was a bit disappointing though. It felt rushed and unintelligent. Up until then both Arnie and the car had shown evidence of some intelligence. That went out of the picture in the last couple of scenes with the car first behaving like a bull with its balls in a tight squeeze and then like it was drugged allowing a slow moving Caterpillar to just move up behind it and start to trash it. That was rather disappointing and it is a star less for that alone.

Otherwise I am not unhappy that I spent two hours of my life on this movie.

Underwhelming misfire

[kira02bit · 4/10 · 21 May 2016]

Back in the mid-80s, novelist Stephen King was prolific and it seemed that barely a few months went by that a new film adaptation was not making its way to the screen, often with varying degrees of success. Christine was one of his more popular books of the time taking that old nutshell of the possessed car and making seem a whole lot more plausible and less silly than it should be. Hopes were raised when it was announced that horror director John Carpenter was helming the film. Carpenter was in a downswing and desperately needed a hit. After making the classic Halloween, Carpenter had a more modest success with the underrated The Fog. Unfortunately, his badly thought out Escape from NY tanked and his disastrous remake of The Thing (which now has an indefensible cult following) had been eviscerated by critics and imploded at the box office, so he was in need of a hit and King's novel offered fertile ground.

Alas, it was not to be. King's story, told through the eyes of sensitive jock Dennis, recalling past tragic events involving his nerdy high school best friend Arnie and the dilapidated 1958 Plymouth Fury that Arnie falls in love with, buys and starts to restore with sinister impact, had a lot going for it. The story of a killer car is foolish, but King takes everything very seriously and populates his tale with sympathetic characters, has a good ear for how high schoolers talk, and has a strong number of requisite set pieces that stay in the memory long after one puts down the book. By contrast, Carpenter's film feels rushed, shallow and forgettable.

Carpenter makes major changes in the plot and characters, ostensibly for budget purposes, and literally all of them function as detractions. Barring a couple of amazing shots of Christine's regenerative powers, the film looks cheap. Given how much Carpenter has excised, his film still has stretches of boredom. He seems incapable of garnering sympathy for his characters and even the villains come across as half-hearted cardboard nothings.

His cast is not the best either. Veterans like Harry Dean Stanton, Robert Prosky and Christine Belford are completely wasted. The gaggle of actors playing the bullying tormentors of Arnie seem entirely too old to be in high school. In the lead, Keith Gordon, who has been much better elsewhere, makes the leap from nerdy doormat to arrogant, self-confident and ultimately psychotic with such speed that the audience never has a any rooting interest in his plight. Truthfully, this could more be the fault of the rush in the screenplay than the actor. As our protagonist, Dennis, John Stockwell is goofy, awkward and off-putting. Alexandra Paul is cast as "the prettiest girl in school", which is debatable here, and she as well has been better elsewhere. There is not much time placed in developing her relationship with Arnie so that anyone buys how badly his transition has impacted her or the lengths that she is willing to go in the film's latter portion.

Carpenter's changes in story often make no sense. Truthfully, in King's novel, Christine was fairly neutral. It was the rancid soul of her detestable former owner that possessed her and galvanized the action and change in Arnie. By omitting that character from the film and oddly mixing the characteristics with a still living character, Carpenter makes nonsense stew. Carpenter also omits the clever touch of how the souls of Christine's victims become trapped in the car and end up making diabolical passengers during attack scenes.

Worst of all, King's novel features some stunning attack sequences set in a wintry Pennsylvania, including the snow drift attack on Arnie's chief tormentor and a terrific sequence where another character is attacked in their isolated home during the height of a blizzard, but Carpenter axes all such sequences for incredibly cheap affairs. The latter character dies in the film when he inexplicably decides to hop into the driver seat of the still-smoldering car that he just witnessed driving itself into a garage and the car seat pushes itself forward so far that it crushes him. An incredibly memorable sequence has been swapped out for an unintentional embarrassment.

This all combines to make Christine a misfire. The studio obviously was not willing to cough up the budget necessary for a good film, the cast fails to inhabit their characters, and Carpenter was not inspired enough to do much with what he had, so the end result is an exceedingly mediocre testament of what might have been had anyone cared.

Underrated On So Many Levels

[Michael_Elliott · 15 October 2012]

Christine (1983)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

John Carpenter's adaptation of the Stephen King best seller about high school loser Arnie Cunningham (Keith Gordon) who buys a 1957 Plymouth and soon his obsession leads to the car's possession of him. I love hearing Carpenter talk about his movies but for the life of me I've never understood why he's so down on this one here. Yes, the film's not really "scary" but at the same time I think it's one of the better possession movies out there and I think the film does a terrific job not only in the horror elements but it also works as a coming of age story because I'm sure most people can connect with either Arnie or those around him who see their friend falling apart due to an obsession. Carpenter really does a good job at building up the main characters here and I think this really helps the story once the possession does start. A lot of credit also has to go to the performances and especially that of Gordon who is really believable not only as the dork but also through the various stages that the character goes through. I thought it was very impressive that he could be so believable as this small loser but towards the end you could also fear the guy. John Stockwell adds great support as the friend and Alexandra Paul is also good as the girlfriend. We also get some wonderful character actors in small roles including Robert Prosky, Roberts Blossom and Harry Dean Stanton. Another major plus working for the film is the terrific soundtrack full of wonderful rock and roll oldies. The special effects are another winner as is the always reliable cinematography where Carpenter uses that 2.35:1 aspect ratio like no one else. CHRISTINE remains an underrated gem but it seems more and more people are coming to appreciate it for what it is. The film is so strong on so many levels that you can overlook the few flaws and still enjoy it.

Honk if you like this girl Christine

[Coventry · 6/10 · 17 August 2004]

I re-watched John Carpenter's adaptation of Stephen King's novel again for the first time in over ten years and it's just as I remember it to be. Not much of a compelling horror film but merely a black comedy and a homage to the typical 50's teenage lifestyle. Carpenter and King seem to share a common interest for the dazzling 50's atmosphere and this perfectly translates itself in `Christine'. First and foremost, there's the beauty of the 1958 Plymouth Fury, a car that almost represents this decade entirely by itself. But also the music, hairstyles and dress codes make you feel like you've landed in the fifties, even though the movie is entirely set and timed in the early 80's. The nerdish teenager Arnie Cunningham falls head over heels in love with the wreck of a gorgeous car and decides to restore it. Pretty soon, Christine's influence (Christine is the name of the car) makes Arnie go through a complete metamorphosis. Positively, at first, as Arnie impresses girls and turns into an attractive rebel. But it doesn't take that long before he becomes totally obsessive over Christine and starts acting like a psychopath.

If you're not expecting an eerie and tense chiller from the creator of `Halloween' and `The Fog', you won't be disappointed. Christine is a totally different kind of horror and not nearly as intense as Carpenter's previous work. I mean, how scary is it to see a wrecked car rebuild itself?? The few exiting scenes featuring in this film are when Christine independently stalks some John Travolta look-alikes who trashed and violated her earlier in the film. Christine should be considered as a fun and well-made satire, with a brilliant golden-oldies soundtrack (watching this film feels like listening to a juke-box) and decent acting performances. Keith Gordon does well as Arnie and Alexandra Paul looks gorgeous as the high-school hottie. Veteran actor Harry Dean Stanton (Alien, The Green Mile) has a tiny role as a police detective. And finally, cinema buffs might recognize Kelly Preston in her meaningless role of cheerleader bimbo.

The Killer Car...

[Xstal · 6/10 · 3 March 2023]

A Plymouth Fury that's possessed and full of rage, turns the clock back looks as if she hasn't aged, likes to play the radio, the songs she picks will let you know, if she's just about to start her next rampage. Arnie forms a bond with old Christine, the connection cleans her up makes her pristine, but it makes him cold uncaring, though increasingly he's daring, locking horns, goes toe to toe, with other teens.

It's not the worst possessed car film you're likely to encounter, as Arnie goes from oppressed and bullied to king of the castle with a bit of help from a car that has a mind of its own and the ability to reincarnate at will.

When Complusion Leads To Obsession

[jamesbourke59 · 10/10 · 7 April 2005]

Remember when you were young and movies where your only friend? Well such is a case in point when it comes to John Carpenter's "Christine" Now as a rule, and a longstanding one at that, I could never read a Stephen King novel but i could always find time to watch an adaptation of the same, if and when it either came to video as was the thing before the wonders of DVD or if it arrived at the local cinema.

My personal highlights from the Stephen King Oeuvre are "Silver Bullet" if only to see the likes of Gary Busey and Everitt McGill ham it up beyond the call of duty. Stanley Kubrick's version of "The Shining" complete with a knockout performance from the maestro of barnstorming himself Mr Jack Nicholson, as we already know there have been so many translations from page to screen of everything and anything the king of horror writing has penned some good, some not so good.

However, when it comes to "Christine" it was pitch perfect in every way, shape and form. Directed by John Carpenter, who has been hit and miss down through the years. A wonderful array of golden oldie classics playing throughout the movie itself, a truly wonderful script written by Bill Phillips, containing many a gem which still lingers in the mind even to this day.

Which leads me finally to the actors, casting down to a tee, and as i said ably assisted by a good script, well drawn characters, of course from the mind of Stephen King, but brought to vivid life by the likes of Robert Prosky who appears as the junkyard owner Will Darnell, a true standout in the whole movie. Why even Roberts Blossom, think all the way back to Bob Clarks's take on Ed Gein "Deranged" the man still lends a sense of deadly menace to his character, even though his role is primarily a cameo role but in fairness quite pivotal in terms of progressing the story.

However, those two being character parts, we need to see the story unfolds. We begin in prologue fashion, as we see upon fade in, superimposed, the year is 1957, We see a car assembly line, all the new cars are being overseen and given the once over by the foreman, from a distance we get our first glance of how beautiful and intoxicating "Christine" the car is to look at.

Of course that illusion is soon shattered when firstly a foreman shatters his hand, then one of the workers decides to take a little rest and relaxation in the front seat, all the while smoking his cigar, when ash from the cigar drops onto the plastic covering, so it begins, and the true nature of "Christine is revealed.

Flash forward to present day and we see Arnie Cunningham the nerdish lead character played with aplomb by Keith Gordon, who would later go on to direct the really excellent "The Chocolate War" as well as many more. However when it comes to acting, Keith Gordon would never better what he had done prior to this or even after.

We have all at one point, either been or have known someone like Arnie Cunningham, perennial book worm, not exactly a ladies man, but when he catches first glimpse of the wreck that will forever alter his very being, It is at that point we see that compulsion leads to obsession when Arnie falls under the spell of that 1958 Plymouth Fury.

Watch as Arnie emerges from his shell, argues with his parents, something that he would never have done or even finds his first and last girlfriend. All this achieved upon the influence and presence of what would appear to be a car, but for teenager Arnie, it represents his first steps towards independence, but underneath the surface of it all we already know the motive and inevitable end.

With wonderful turns by William Ostrader as chief bully Buddy Reperton and Malcolm Danare as Moochie, along with John Stockwell as Arnie's only friend Dennis and Alexandra Paul long before she donned the lifeguard bikini for Baywatch as Arnie's suffering girlfriend Lee.

Watch and be amazed, time has not taken it's toll on John Carpenter's finest hour.

Not Carpenter's best, but pretty good

[TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews · 7/10 · 28 June 2004]

Let me make this clear right away: I haven't read the book, nor do I intend to. You won't find any comparisons between the book and the film in this review. This film combines two of the biggest names in horror from two different medias; Stephen King is pretty much legendary for his written horror work. John Carpenter is also a pretty well-known name, but as a horror director rather than writer. Having not read the book, I have no idea how true Carpenter stayed to the source material, but I can understand from various sources that he changed a lot, and the changes were very big, so fans of the book might not like the movie. Whenever I hear about a film being made that is based on a King novel my response is usually that of someone who lacks any interest in it whatsoever. When I hear that it's directed by John Carpenter, one of my favorite directors, particularly within the horror genre, I develop an interest. Carpenter does a great job of turning something as potentially lame and goofy as a possessed car into something that you really fear. I was at the edge of my seat for a lot of the scenes, and I jumped at several shocking moments. The story revolves around a nerd buying a car, and the car significantly changing his personality. He changes enormously throughout the film, and I must say, the actor does a great job of capturing the emotion of the character. The plot is great, it doesn't move along very fast, but rather deliberately slow, building up atmosphere, building to a climax that is every bit as exciting as the build-up promises. The acting is great, especially by Keith Gordon, who portrays the nerd-like Arnie, who buys the demonic car. The film has pretty much the same sense of humor that Carpenter's films usually have, albeit slightly less of it is present than in several of his others, less serious films. The special effects are very good, they are almost impossible to tell. Had I not known better, I could have sworn that they were real. They probably could be more well-made had they been done today, but I still think it's amazing how real they look. They don't look the least bit dated. All in all, a good Carpenter film that probably won't be to everyones liking. I recommend it to fans of Carpenter, and fans of atmospheric horror films in general. 7/10

Christine, The Car-Killer

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 4 December 2014]

In 1957, in Detroit, a red Plymouth Fury is build and causes two accidents, one of them fatal, still in the assembly line. Twenty-one years later, the outcast and bullied nerd Arnold "Arnie" Cunningham (Keith Gordon) is getting a ride with his best and only friend Dennis Guilder (John Stockwell) and he sees the wrecked car in a junkyard. Arnie immediately falls in love with the car and calls it Christine. He buys the car and brings it to the repair shop of the despicable Will Darnell (Robert Prosky) and works hard to restore the classic car. While he works in the restoration, he changes his personality to a cocky teenager and he dates the most beautiful girl in the high-school, Leigh Cabot (Alexandra Paul). Soon Arnie becomes selfish and jealous of the supernatural Christine that kills everyone that is a threat to them.

"Christine" is remarkable and unforgettable feature from John Carpenter and it is difficult to find out who that has not seen this movie at least once. The classic story of a supernatural car that fall in love with its owner is not dated and has outstanding special effects for a 1983 movie. This is practically the first successful feature of the gorgeous Alexandra Paul and Keith Gordon and John Stockwell have great performances. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Christine, O Carro Assassino" ("Christine, The Car Killer")

Note: On 16 Sep 2020, I saw this film again.

Well made cult horror film.

[paulclaassen · 6/10 · 13 July 2020]

Nerd. Tick. Bullies. Tick. Hunk. Tick. Sexy girl. Tick. Hey, all the typical horror characters are here!

And no, Christine is not the sexy girl. Christine literally is the car from hell. Yup, 'Christine' is about a demonic car. What next? When it comes to Stephen King, anything is possible (Oh, don't forget about killer trucks in 1986's 'Maximum Overdrive'...)

Keith Gordon is excellent as the nerdish boy, Arnie, who buys a scrap car in an attempt to boost his image, and self esteem. However, being a car from hell, it seems to posses the driver. Arnie's character development is very well done. In a way I actually rooted for Arnie, even when things started going very wrong, and every time a bully got what he deserved, I actually went "Yeah!!!".

I enjoyed the hunk and nerd being best friends, and the wonderful chemistry between them. It felt genuine, enhancing the feeling of rejection when the nerd undergoes a transformation. I felt the film disguised a number of underlying themes as a car killer movie. Okay, so one could essentially analyze this much deeper, but lets stick to the theme at hand.

There's just something about the sight of a burning car in pursuit that's really awesome. The action scenes were good, the car transformation scenes awesome, the acting really good, and characters I cared about. 'Christine' might not go down as an 80's horror favorite (for me), but it certainly won't be forgotten. No wonder this became a cult classic.

Definitely original

[dockendorf1 · 5/10 · 9 January 2013]

From the Director that brought you "Halloween" and "The Thing," comes another horror movie that has some legit scares. "Christine" is about a bullied boy who falls in love with a possessed and extremely jealous car. The guy who buys "Christine," was always picked on, until he found one thing that was "uglier" than he was. He fixes up the car, and it gets him lots of friends and girls, but he neglects his parents, schoolwork, and eventually his best friend, because he finally learns what it's like to be popular. With a couple thrilling scenes, it doesn't live up to John Carpenter's two fore-mentioned films, but is still interesting to watch. It's definitely original.

One of the Best Teen Angst Love Stories of the 80s.

[ChrisSimpson · 10/10 · 16 November 2004]

*Possible Spoilers*

I hope John Carpenter appreciates what he did with this film. I saw the film before I read the book, and I must say I liked the film better. Stephen Kings books usually have the same "why" behind the "what", and Christine was no different. However, John Carpenter took all of the "why" element found in the book out and made it a love story between a nerdy teen Arnie Cunningham(Keith Gordon) and a run down car named Christine, which I believe added some substance and improved the story in ways King never imagined.

Watching Arnie's transition from nerd to almost greaser is a tense and creepy process, with a huge nod going to Gordon. Carpenter makes the atmosphere with his directing, and the mood is always somber with one of my Favorite Carpenter Scores. While movies like The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles were showing one side of the coin, Christine showed the other. What most look at as a "killer car" movie is really much deeper and in my opinion the subtext shows a side of the teen years that most would be more likely to remember. This is a under-rated movie that shows more about isolation and life in high school than anything that happened in Shermer, Illinois.

Check it out!

Never read the book, but watching this movie is making me want to read it...

[justin-fencsak · 7/10 · 1 November 2018]

I never read most of stephen king's horror novels except the one about the Boston Red Sox and their broken curse called Unfaithful which i found at a dollar store, and it was a great book. Most of his horror stories have been turned into classic movies, both good and bad. One of them is Christine, filmed after the book came out in 1983 and released during the Christmas holiday season only to be a cult classic when it was released on home video. This movie is pure car-nage, as Christine is a 1958 plymouth fury that is possessed by the devil. This movie is not for kids as it is a typical Carpenter movie with sex, gore, and car violence not to mention bad language. Oh, and the soundtrack is great!!! Worth buying if you're a fan of John Carpenter and Stephen King. This was the first movie to use Bad to the Bone for its soundtrack, and the bluray is amazing!!! 35 years later, Christine still shines.

"If you want to fart you go out in the junk yard." Very silly Stephen King adaptation.

[poolandrews · 5/10 · 5 September 2005]

Christine starts in 'Detroit, 1957' where a brand new red Plymouth Fury rolls off the production line, as a mechanic works on it his fingers become trapped as the bonnet shuts on them & in another incident later on that day a man is found dead in the front... The film informs us that it's 'Rockbridge, California September 12 1978' & Arnie Cunningham (Keith Gordon) is your average typical school nerd complete with dorky spectacles & who gets picked on by Buddy Repperton (William Ostrander) & his gang of mates. While driving home from school one day with his best friend Dennis (John Stockwell) he notices a beat up car for sale, a red Plymouth Fury. After talking with the cars owner George LeBay (Roberts Blossom) Arnie decide to buy it & fix it up himself at a do-it-yourself garage run by the overweight foul-mouthed Will Darnell (Robert Prosky). Within a few weeks the car which is now known as Christine is as good as new & Arnie has undergone a transformation, he is now confident, doesn't wear geeky glasses anymore & is dating Leigh Cabot (Alexandra Paul), one of the prettiest girls in school. Then Arnie changes even more, he becomes selfish, forgets about his old friends, he becomes aggressive & uncaring as Christine takes over his life. When Buddy & his gang smash Christine up Arnie & Christine set out for revenge...

Directed by John Carpenter I really didn't think too much of Christine as a whole, although certain aspects show the idea had promise & potential. Christine was in fact based on a novel by Stephen King & was one of three King adaptations in '83, the other's were David Cronenberg's thriller The Dead Zone (1983) & Lewis Teague's rabid dog horror Cujo (1983), King was so popular at this point that the film Christine apparently went into production before the book Christine was published. The script was written by Bill Phillips & I have to admit right now that I have not read King's book that Christine is based upon, it's only been a few hours since I finished watching it & all I can think about is how silly a premise it is. I mean a possessed car that can rebuild itself? Quite why Christine is possessed & by whom or what I don't know as the film never explains this which is odd considering that in my opinion it's a pretty important aspect to the plot. Christine is a little on the slow side too with not much happening during the first half of the film while Buddy & his gang sometimes feel at odds with the rest of the film & only ever appear to either be antagonists or to be killed off as they otherwise get no screen time. Apart from Buddy & co. the character's in Christine are actually very well developed & surprisingly I found myself liking & caring for them from the beat upon nerd Arnie & the cool cop Rudolph Junkins (Harry Dean Stanton) to the funny foul-mouthed Darnell, some really good acting also helps. I was also pleasantly surprised to find an original film for a change & something just a bit different, I don't think I've seen another film quite like it anyway. Technically Christine is polished, with a supposed budget of about $9,700,000 it's certainly well made with some great special effects when Christine rebuilds herself & a cool ending scene with Christine against a Bulldozer. The cinematography is fine, the synthesiser type music reminds heavily of Halloween (1978) & the production design is nice enough. Director Carpenter creates some good sequences especially as a flame covered Christine hunts Buddy down chasing him & eventually running him over. There is no gore or violence really, a burning body & a broken slither of glass in someone's stomach, that's it. The acting is strong throughout which helps bring the character's to life. While Christine isn't exactly a brilliant film, it's slow & very silly, it entertained to an extent & at least it tries to be different & have strong character's. Hard to recommend but I think Christine has some merits that unfortunately are lost within & outweighed by it's negative aspects, worth a watch for King & horror fans alike but everyone else should probably give it a miss I'm afraid.