Christine (1983)
Arnie Cunningham's (Keith Gordon, Dressed to Kill) life is forever changed when he finds a rusty 1958 Plymouth Fury and becomes obsessed with restoring the classic automobile. As the vehicle improves, so does Arnie, finding a newfound confidence. However his obsession soon turns fatal as Christine seems to have a mind of her own.
I remember seeing this not long after it first came out, and despite my love for Stephen King, at the time I was not impressed. A few decades later, with a little more movie watching experience, I have realized that compared to many other horror movies of the decade, this one actually stands the test of time. Full of familiar faces and excellent performances, it's also morbidly nostalgic in its own way.
The story, a nerdy, misfit teen both intentionally and unintentionally getting revenge on his tormentors, is classic King material... a machine that gains malevolent life from spilled blood. Though the movie does depart from some of the book's details, the basic bones are there, revealing a sentient (and possibly lovestruck) car to be a terrifying thing to have. What would Christine be like as a modern self-driving car? With modern sat-nav and digital GPS tracking? I shudder to think.
Definitely a good crafting movie... it's slow-paced, yet interesting. Some of the parent/teen conflicts feel a little over the top, but maybe that's because my parent was never quite so dramatic as Arnie's. My attention did droop near the end... the final junkyard scene felt stretched out, but the payoff was good, as was the fake-out at the end.
Worth watching again if you're a fan of King, or just 80s horror in general. Four nostalgic stars out of five.
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