Haunt-tober 2024 is here and it’s time to dive into the macabre, the strange and the frightful during this beloved time! Join me as I spend the month discussing new and classic films.
Out of context: a car goes on a killer rampage, sounds ridiculous. In execution, well, it’s still silly, but damn is it a blast.
Combining my two favorite heroes of horror John Carpenter and Stephen King, a fantastic novel is brought to campy demented delight.
Arnie Cunningham (Keith Gordon), a high school senior, discovers a 1958 Plymouth Fury in a junkyard named Christine and restores it. A bond is immediately formed and he buys her from LeBay (Roberts Blossom). Unbeknownst to him, there’s something sinister at its core and the car soon turns to murderous intent.
Arnie is by no means popular, often overlooked by his overbearing mother Regina (Christine Belford), and bullied by his classmates. His one friend, Dennis (John Stockwell), a popular football player is his real support system.
As he spends more time with the car, he begins to change, becoming cruel with traits of toxic masculinity. He starts dating Leigh (Alexandra Paul) and both her and Dennis see the transformation, heading warning as Arnie slips from their control. Christine, unlike anything else he has experienced, can restore herself, making her – in some ways – the perfect companion: Resilient and steadfast in her loyalty.
There’s a vibrancy to Christine and a narrative that combines obsession and the need to be seen with the power that comes with achieving it. It’s also a film about high school life and the difficulties that come with growing up.
In the novel, there is more of a possession that takes place. The film takes a slightly different approach though Christine is no less cautionary as a warning for the power hungry.
The film isn’t by any means Carpenter’s best, but it colors this classic novel with gleeful skill. The cinematography and editing is fantastic, along with a great soundtrack.
Christine is an effective horror that’s tense and entertaining, making it another successful vehicle for the talent involved.
Stay tuned for more Haunt-Tober fun!
What do you think? Let me know!
Wonderfully Weird & Horrifying 