Customer Reviews
John Carpenters first dud... 
2008-05-16
The reason I love John Carpenter is his movies are entertaining. They may be scary, creepy, atmospheric, funny, whatever but generally entertaining.
Today I just finished watching Christine for the second time and for the first time in many many years. Boring. Not scary, not creepy, not atmospheric, not funny. Not anything but boring. Boring.
I suppose if I believed in supernatural cars this might do something for me. But I don't and it doesn't. In my opinion if one goes through the Carpenter canon in chronological order this would be his first dud. Even the usual great Carpenter music that accompanied so many of his movies back then is missing. He relies on commercial hits of the past.
A dud. Did I mention the acting is horrid? The acting is horrid. Unless you are a completist or it does not take much to entertain you, I would say avoid this dud. Disappointing to say the least.
Nothing New 
2008-04-26
Usually when there is a special edition they add the parts that were edited.I saw nothing new in this version even on dvd.That doesn't take away the fact that's it is one of the best movies he did.
Christine 
2008-04-07
great SK flick; stayed with his theme of the book all the way through. Let alone, Carpenter's songs & timing were perfect. Acting was ok; some characters were better than others in other words.
Carpenter and King, perfect together 2008-02-13
This is not a silly movie about a car that comes to life like many reviews would have you believe. It is so much more than that. Carpenter is able to create such a haunting mood throughout the film through use of the 50s-style rock and Arnie's changing personality. Normally it's so difficult for a director to grasp King's books and effectively put them on screen, but this one seems to nail it perfectly. I get chills every time I watch it and it still holds up beautifully after 25 years!!
One of John Carpenter's finest films 2007-12-18
Christine is directed by John Carpenter. The film stars Keith Gordon and co-stars John Stockwell, Alexandra Paul, Robert Prosky, Harry Dean Stanton, Robert Darnell, Christine Belford, Roberts Blossom, Kelly Preston, William Ostrander, Malcolm Danare, Steven Tash, Stuart Charno, and David Spielberg. The movie is based on a Stephen King novel, and John Carpenter and Alan Howarth contribute the musical score.
Arnie Cunningham is a high school senior, but he's a total dork and doesn't fit in. His home life is miserable, and he more-or-less has to conform to his parent's wishes. Even his best friend is a far cry above him. On the first day of school, Arnie is tormented by a group of students in his shop class, who insult and beat him up. But on the way home from school, he finds something he can't live without - a beat-up classic car he hopes to restore. But the car is evil, and turns him into the antithesis of everything he once was - worrying family and friends. With the demonic auto on his side, he aims to hunt down and kill everyone that ever crossed him.
This is one of my personal favorite horror films. Horror stories of tormented people lashing out at the world that has shunned them are nothing new, but Christine puts a fresh twist on this age-old idea. Honestly, the basic story here isn't all that different from Carrie, another Stephen King adaptation. And yet it still feels fresh. The main character is interesting, and undergoes an incredible transformation. Both the star and supporting cast are excellent in their respective roles. The scenes in the movie are all instant classics. The bizarre music mix only adds to the atmosphere of the film. Every element comes together nicely here. The end result is a great horror story.
Keith Gordon stars as Arnie Cunningham. It's hard to bill him as a protagonist or antagonist, he fits both fields in this role - excellently, might I add. He beautifully chronicles the transformation from a total dork with glasses and all, to being the cold-blooded killer with the car of death on his side. Definitely one of the most interesting horror movie characters I've ever seen.
The supporting cast is well-chosen for the film, and everyone fits perfectly into their role. Amongst its ranks are John Stockwell as Arnie's jock buddy, Alexandra Paul as Arnie's love interest who fears for him when Christine begins controlling his life, Robert Darnell and Christine Belford as his parents, Robert Prosky as the loudmouthed, rude garage owner where he ends up working part time, and Harry Dean Stanton is a suspicious investigator who questions Arnie when his enemies end up dead. Everyone here is great, perfectly selected for their part in the movie.
Director John Carpenter is no stranger to this genre of film, and Christine stands as one of his finest hours. In this film, his directional style makes sure that your eyes never leave the screen. There's always something to keep you interested, be it Arnie's transformation into darkness, or Christine finding a way to murder his enemies. Despite running close to two hours, the film never feels like the pace is dragging.
The music for Christine is a strange mix. The demonic car's stereo comes to life during frequent attempts to kill Arnie's enemies, always blaring a golden oldie during the choice moments. Director John Carpenter collaborated with Alan Howarth for the score, and it's a bizarre score, unlike anything else. Eerie synthesizers set the scene for the car's night attacks against its victims. The weird mix of oldies and the synth score works. Hopefully someday, a combination soundtrack/score CD will be released. I assure you I'll be first in line to pick it up if and when it is released.
If you're going to buy this film on DVD, make sure to get the more recently-released special edition. This version puts the old pressing to shame. Amongst the extras are new featurettes, a new commentary track, and TWENTY deleted/alternate scenes! This version of the movie is the obvious choice.
Christine is a killer film. Great cast and characters, great music, and it never drags or gets boring. This is a great twist on the whole revenge-seeker horror thing, and definitely stands as one of the best movies to John Carpenter's name. Well worth checking out.
Thumbs up
excellent transaction 2008-07-12
very happy with this movie. I saw it when it came out and now our Son loves it too. I wanted to get a better copy then the old VHS so that why i purchased a DVD versio. It is excellent..
the return of Christine 2008-07-04
I was re-reading the paperback, (with its excessive use of scotch tape) and decided to come and seek out the movie. The book was of course, phenomenal, and what made me laugh was the part where Darnell asks, "Where the hell do you buy HALF a grill?" because when they mentioned it, I wondered the same thing.
I kinda missed that in the movie. i would have loved to feel the anxiety of the car nuts KNOWING you can't buy half a grill.
I liked Darnell's and LeBay's characters in the movie, but in the book, they mentioned repeatedly that Darnell was smart enough to have been "in business" for a long time...so why would he go sit in the car after watching it pull into stall 20 driverless? Smart guys tend to operate on feel and instinct, not logic.
Also, most brilliant use of George Thorogood's "Bad to the Bone," possible. I vote it best title song since either "Casino," "Psycho," or (my personal favorite) "Cheech and Chong's Up In Smoke;" using War's "Low Rider."
If you like "flubs" in props, note Janet Lee's eye twiching twice at the shower scene conclusion, and in Up in Smoke, note the Ludwig Vistalite drums (ie, John Bonham, Karen Carpenter (blue set, no bottom heads on the doc "Remembering the Carpenters"--amazing jazz player!!!), and Keith Moon (clear set, no bottom heads in Carmine Appice's "Classic rock Drum Solos"--GREAT video--the BEST!) in the back seat with the drumhead on and off several times in the same shot.
For some reason, note the band arguing onstage in the latter, also.
In "the Blues Brothers," I noted the other night that Dan Ackroyd is singing on the track, but NOT at the show. Not to mention the drums on the track in several spots don't match the movie drummer.
The mall they drove through was the Dixie Square in Harvey Il, was closed two-three years before the movie, and is online was it is now at [...] which is a great well-documented site.
There's a worse case of drums not matching audio in the movie, "Auto Focus." Really, the worst case of mismatched audio music/drum to track drums/music I've ever seen...Also features a gorgeous maroonie-red '74 Lambo Espada. Which'd be worth watching the whole film for even if you hated it. But, no, it's still a good movie, and fun, like "Christine."
There's a bit of this phenom in "The Gene Krupa Story," which is THE movie to buy if you ever loved a drum part. It's forgivable, as Sal Mineo ("Rebel Without a Cause") was very good (as he'd have to be to fake Krupa), but the audio's Gene Krupa himself!!
"Okay...show me." 2008-06-25
Keith Gordon gives a truly creepy performance as Arnie Cunningham, a geeky, intelligent, 17-yr-old outcast who is bullied constantly, seems to have no luck whatsoever with the ladies, or with anything else, really. He has only one friend in the world, Dennis Gilder, a popular, good-looking football player, played far less convincingly by John Stockwell.
Arnie falls in love with an incredibly dilapidated '58 Plymouth Fury. His feelings for the car are beyond those of which he has ever felt for any human being...and the intense feelings are mutual. The love turns into an obsession and doom for anyone who tries to interfere.
While Christine is one of my favorite horror movies it falls just shy of being truly horrific and scary, like most John Carpenter films, in my opinion. But thanks to Keith Gordon it most definitely leaves you with a very uneasy feeling and it manages to get under your skin a bit. Usually Gordon's self-pitying vibe and his dark demeanor which are somehow present in nearly everything he does turns me off, however, if in his acting career a part was made for him then this was most certainly it. If the look in his eyes during certain scenes in Christine does not give you the heebie jeebies then maybe you're not quite human.
A high point in the film is character development as far as the two leads go: Arnie and Christine. The movie certainly succeeds at making you feel for Christine to an extent. One scene in which the bully Buddy Reperton exacts revenge on Arnie by taking his wrath out on Christine is truly cringe-worthy partially because it's gut-wrenching (for some) to see a beautiful car trashed for no reason other than pure hatred, but primarily because by that point you feel that she is more than just some car.
We see Arnie evolve first from the dorky high school kid who gets pushed around into a man who seems to have confidence and charisma then into a downright scary, unpredictable, angry borderline lunatic. Gordon clearly portrays Arnie during each phase rather than falling from just one extreme to the other.
Another nice element in Christine is suspense. There are not any truly slow parts and there is a nice ambiguity as far as whether Christine is running around by herself taking care of business, or regulating as it were, or whether Arnie is actually with her during certain shenanigans. Once again, Gordon's performance is what sells it.
On to the less-than-good. The main thing about this movie that leaves me cold is the ending. It's a little silly, although no sillier than the entire premise itself, I suppose. I cannot even really say what I felt would have been better, if anything. It may simply be that the end of the film is carried on the virtually non-existent shoulders of the two worst actors in the film, Stockwell and the always-terrible Alexandra Paul who, as always, leaves me feeling befuddled as far as how she ever broke into the biz. At any rate it is possible that the ending is actually okay but the acting chops are not there to back it up.
Christine is not going to be everyone's cup of tea but if one can stomach some of the weak supporting cast and a lackluster ending it is certainly worthwhile.
Classic 2008-05-30
This movie is a classic! A hit at the theaters and a classic today!
Its not your mothers car... 2008-05-28
Great movie (get the DVD), VHS is dead...
Christine is in a class all by herself, jealous of anyone who gets too threatening or "close" to her new found owner Arnie. She will go to
any extend to get rid of them.
This strays pretty far from the novel (as all King to Movies do), but
still an interesting movie, and a must for all who are into the "Possessed Car" movies (maximum overdrive, Herbie the love bug, The Car, etc).
