For me director John Carpenter has been one of the greatest genre film makers probably since Roger Corman, and through the late seventies to late eighties had a streak of classic movie after classic movie.  Who can argue with his pedigree when he’s made such entries as Halloween, The Thing and Big Trouble In Little China?  The fact he also composes all the music for his movies as well just shows a dedication to his craft.

This 1983 effort may not get the same kind of love as the aforementioned titles but still has a status as once again another decent, if rather low-rent adaptation of a Stephen King novel.  The quirky tale of a high school nerd, Arnie (Keith Gordon) who stumbles upon a 1957 Plymouth Fury in an old man’s back yard and decides to buy it and restore it to it’s former glory.  Said shiny red car named Christine, of course soon changes Arnie’s persona from the nerdy victim to a somewhat cooler kid about town, attracting not only the hot girl in school but also the attention of a group of bullies.  The only thing is, Christine has a bit of a mind of her own and quickly get’s protective of Arnie and jealous of anyone who tries to take him away.

Of course it’s a bit dated and the acting is passable at best, and well, everyone (especially the bullies) looks way too old to be in high school.  That being said as a master of the genre, Carpenter still fills the movie with assured direction, solid atmosphere and some effective moments (the attack on the gas station, the final showdown). The mixture of Carpenter’s own synth soundtrack and 50’s rock ‘n’ roll songs also works a treat.  I’d have liked it to have got a bit more violent as the kills are tame as hell … even for the time this was made.  The plot also jumps from one thing to another with this viewer not really getting that invested in Arnie’s descent into madness, and well Harry Dean Stanton’s detective just seems to wonder into the movie like he’s walked onto the wrong set.  But for an old-school horror, this was fun, inoffensive stuff and I’m glad I’ve finally seen it.

The Blu-ray from Indicator comes with a detailed booklet that covers not only the movie but also the director’s influences throughout his career.  What looks to be a new documentary is also on the disk, split over several parts with interviews with John Carpenter as well as several cast members, as is an audio commentary from Carpenter and lead actor Keith Gordon.  Add to this a handful of deleted scenes, a photo gallery and an isolated score.  The image quality whilst not amazing pops with Christine’s bright red paint work and overall is very pleasing.  We also get the soundtrack in a choice of the original 2.0 or a more than welcome 5.1 even if surrounds aren’t really used.  Top notch treatment then for a worthwhile, but not exactly essential entry in both Stephen King movie adaptations and Carpenter’s filmography.

Verdict:

(the movie)  3 /5

(the Blu-ray)  4 /5