“Christine” Puts A Spell On You!
It’s Halloween season, and that means a chance to read some great horror novels – as my “Wednesday Bookmobile” heads to Maine to celebrate the visionary Author Stephen King!
“Christine” is the great thriller about a killer car – and as with most of King’s best work, it became a great 80’s film, thanks to the great Horror Director John Carpenter!
From “Halloween” to “The Thing” and “Escape From New York”, Director John Carpenter has made iconic films that are as exciting today as when they were originally released.
In 1983, Carpenter took Stephen King’s then-new horror novel “Christine” and turned it into one of his most enduring films.
The Director has admitted that after the failure of his 1982 classic “The Thing”, he needed to take a project that could reestablish him…so why not take a brand new Stephen King novel and create a world of a “killer car?”
Keith Gordon stars as a nerd who is being bullied at school…but when he buys a car that has an evil personality, he comes under its spell and vengeance begins.
Check out the trailer:
The film has a “Stand By Me” feel to it: King also wrote that novel, which Director Rob Reiner made into a classic “coming of age” film…which is what “Christine” is as well – with a horror element that takes it to the next level!
Keith Gordon stars as a nerdy who is bullied at school, with only one good friend, who is with him with he see a battered and beat up “Christine” and buys it! But, he soon begins to change as “Christine” takes over…
Two soundtracks were released for the film, one showcasing the music written and composed by John Carpenter and Alan Howarth, the other a collection of great songs from that era.
When we open the film in the car assembly line, what song is playing as “Christine” is revealed? “Bad To The Bone.”
Later in the film, as Gordon’s girlfriend – played by Alexandra Paul – is trapped in the car choking, the radio plays “We Belong Together”.
The second soundtrack is Carpenter and Howarth’s original score, with synthesizers, electronics and moog organ heard throughout. It’s subtle and atmospheric, setting a tone of dread…an echo of Carpenter’s iconic “Halloween” score is there as well.
Scenes like Christine’s fiery attack on Gordon’s bullies is worth the price of a rental alone!
“Christine” is a great “coming of age” horror film, and Carpenter infuses it with just the right amount of horror and thrills…
This Carpenter film is worth being analyzed – as all of his films do, because he is such an inventive Director…and a fellow film fanatic shared this reunion pic of the cast and Director from a few years back:
Even though Carpenter took the job for the money, he made it a timeless Stephen King adaptation…and speaking of those, her is another Stephen King adaptation…some say the best horror film of all time:
Director Stanley Kubrick may have changed some things in “The Shining” that Stephen King didn’t like, but what a film!
Here is a look at the movie, with the trailer and tons of great trivia about it as well – just click on my story here:
King wrote a sequel years later, and the film version was released last fall.
I really enjoyed the Director’s Cut of “Doctor Sleep” that is currently on HBO right now as well:
I saw the theatrical cut as well, and the extra half hour added gives the film much more depth or character…it’s a beautiful film worth watching in the longer, three hour version…
Of course, “IT Chapter 2” was a recent Stephen King adaptation – not as good as “IT” before it, but fun nonetheless – and it reminded me that I also took at look at seven of the greatest films that came from Stephen King books…
You can click here to see my entire list, including “Carrie”, “Misery” and “The Shawshank Redemption” – and leave a comment and let me know what I missed!
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Let me know what you think of “Christine” – leave a comment!
Categories: Action Films, Art, Books / Media, Cult Movies, Exploitation films, Great Films, Grindhouse, Halloween, Hollywood, Horror films, Movies, Pop Culture, Revenge Movies, Talent/Celebrities
johnrieber 
What a classic, and what an awesome shiny car that was, too!
On a side note, I’ve not seen Doctor Sleep yet but I’ve been looking forward to it so thanks for the reminder. I definitely need to find some time to settle down to a film asap otherwise my to-watch list will be insurmountable. xx
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Make sure to watch the Directors Cut of Doctor Sleep…while a half hour longer, it adds more texture and character development which really makes the finale play better – let me know!
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Thanks for the tip, John! Will do 😄
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Bad to the bone, set the ambience to Christine. Even today if I hear it, it whips me back amongst the chrome trim. But The shining was the truest skin crawling film from my youth. But you never can beat, those innocent experiences, the immutible firsts. It number one so much more terrifying than 2, because of the history, when I first read the book.
Great post and mad how it opened my memory box.
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So true n nothing beats the first time seeing these…thanks for commenting, always love hearing from you!
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As I love visiting.x
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I enjoyed Christine both as a book and a film..my favourite The Shining although Carrie and the Exorcist were good I do just prefer The Shining…
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I have not seen this movie, John. Great review. Thank you!
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It’s a good 80’s pulpy horror film!
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1983 was a great year for King movies: I love Cujo, Christine, and my favorite, The Dead Zone! Didn’t read any of the books, so I can only talk about the movies — I enjoyed all three films. As for adaptations of King books I’ve read, I think Dolores Claiborne and The Green Mile are the most faithful adaptations… Apt Pupil was close to the book too, except they changed the ending. The Shining and Carrie are great movies, but poor adaptations.
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Great insight. My only issue, as I think “Carrie” is perhaps the greatest horror film ever along with “Th eExorcist” and “The Shining”, is that eh book’s format wouldn’t have worked as a film, so the adaptation was done to make it cinematic. Kubrick, however, was just Kubrick!
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Agreed. I’m sort of tired of seeing King badmouth Kubrick’s Shining. It’s a masterpiece! Have you seen the TV version written by King himself? Faithful but Awful! It demonstrated that Kubrick was right! 😉
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I love “The Shining” and it’s really interesting how much has been written and debated about it…just watched the Director’s Cut of “Doctor Sleep” and really enjoyed it – as for “The Shining”, a movie trailer with nothing more than an elevator door opening and a wall of blood rushing out? Classic!
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I enjoyed the book and the movie, John. I remember thinking that Keith Gordon was well cast. My favourite King films are Carrie and The Shining. Stand by me wasn’t a movie or a book that I loved, it was okay for me. My husband love is. My favourite story in Different Seasons was The Breathing Method and my least favourite was Apt Pupil. King’s stories about the concentration camp were so awful I couldn’t finish that story. Just to real.
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“Apt Pupil” seems cursed…the filmmaker was allegedly abusive in many different ways to the boys in the film…that said, “Carrie” ties with “The Exorcist” as my favorite horror films with “The Shining” very close behind!
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I didn’t know that about Apt Pupil. The thought of that story makes me shudder. I can’t stand abuse of people or animals.
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Lots of controversy about what happened on the set of that film.
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I loved Christine as a book, and I thought that the film adaptation was spot on.
Best wishes, Pete.
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It’s has a “pure 80’s” look, in a good way! Thanks for commenting!
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