Christine

"Either you're dumber than you look, or you don't know your friend very well. He had the same look in his eye that my brother always had. Probably the only thing my brother ever loved in his whole rotten life was that car. No shitter ever came between him and Christine, if they did... watch out!" - George LeBay

release year: 1983
genre: horror/drama
viewing setting: home Bluray 1/19/23
synopsis: Nerdy teen Arnie's life changes when he finds and restores an old car that has a mind (and temper) of its own.

impressions: This was low-key horror...in fact, aside from a few early hints, nothing really sinister happens until just after the 1:00 mark, which is when it becomes clear that this is much more than an old car. The high school setting brings back memories, of a time before cell phones and internet, when there were clear social strata and those who didn't fit had to do their own thing. The last one-third of the film mostly features the car driving around killing people and then regenerating any damage done in the process. Good stuff.

acting: Keith Gordon is the bullied kid who comes out of his shell in a big way, even as he becomes irrational. John Stockwell is his athletic best friend, and Alexandra Paul is his love interest. Robert Prosky is the crotchety old owner of the garage where Arnie stores and works on his new car. Harry Dean Stanton has a minor role as a detective. William Ostrander is a tough bully. Kelly Preston has an early and very brief role as another student at the school.

final word: Pretty good adaptation of an older Stephen King novel.

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