Christine (1983)

Directed by: John Carpenter
Starring: Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, Alexandra Paul

We all remember our firsts in life; first bike ride, first love, first child, first car, the list goes on. In retrospect, I remember my first car very much with air conditioning in the winter, a non-working stereo, half the interior gauges didn't work, four bald tires, and a bad idling issue which caused it to stall at every stop. But, the frame was solid and it was all mine for a whopping $100 (hey for a 15 year old with a paper route that was a lot of money). Needless to say, despite all it's faults, I never suspected that '89 Ford to be possessed, much like Arnie's (Keith Gordon) cherry red 1958 Plymouth Fury, in Christine (1983). Maybe that's because it never tried to actually kill me.

This classic 80s possession horror movie, based on a novel by Stephen King, is one of a kind. There has been many like it but this one will always remain a unique story about a lone teenager taking his first independent venture to buy his first automobile, which so happens to have a mind of it's own. The idea that whenever there's about to be trouble, the lights turn on and the stereo blasts rock 'n roll music is enough to send chills down your spine.

Arnie Cunningham (Keith Gordon) is a nerdy high school senior with only one friend. Arnie's life begins to change when he discovers Christine, a red 1958 Plymouth Fury in serious need of repair. As Arnie spends the time restoring Christine, his family and friend comes to realize that he's changing as well. The one thing Arnie doesn't know is the former owner of Christine spent just as much time with the car, that when his family life started to suffer, he paid the price with his life.

Well unlike that '89 Ford I had, which has likely since been crushed, this movie will always be a classic. The performances of the cast and the story line is more than enough to recommend this to anyone.

RATING: 9/10