Set in late 1970's, nerdy, clumsy high school senior Arnold "Arnie" Cunningham (Keith Gordon who is exceptionally good) is threatened by bullies during shop class with a switchblade on his first day of school. Arnie's best friend, Dennis, a sweet-natured jock (John Stockwell), intervenes and is always there for his buddy no matter what. While driving through a deserted road, Arnie spots a dirty, seemingly broken-down 1958 Plymouth Fury car on someone's lawn and is instantly smitten. Arnie buys the car, despite Dennis's objections, and at a garage owned by a most repugnant man, Darnell (Robert Prosky, making us smell the oil and grease just by his mere appearance), the Plymouth Fury is worked on becomes a pristine car. It is in such pristine condition that you feel just grazing the classic car or touching it might kill you (and you would be right). The car has a supernatural bent to it and it feels emotions - jealousy may cause Christine to disrupt the ignition. Drop some cigarette ash on the seat or, in the film's most grueling moment, have the car's entire body frame, hood and headlights get smashed by those bullies and Christine will find you on those lonely city streets at night. Beware.
Christine has an adverse effect on Arnie who changes his attitude, loses the glasses, wears fashionable clothes, struts like no one's business with confidence, and threatens his parents with obscene language. Arnie begins dating Leigh (Alexandra Paul), the new beguiling student at school, but their drive-in date turns into a disaster involving her getting locked in the car and almost choking to death. The romance soon turns sour and Arnie also stops seeing his best buddy, Dennis. Christine also begins her nightly rampage of chasing down those who hate her and Arnie. Comical moments develop before the violence erupts when Christine starts playing 1950's rock and roll tunes like "Pledging My Love" and "Little Bitty Pretty One."
I've seen "Christine" many times and it is always been a mesmerizing, sometimes terrifying treat of a movie. From director John Carpenter, it is extra special for not containing an abundance of gore (the kills are practically off-screen including a scary gas station explosion scene). This could have been a slasher film with a car killing someone every few minutes. "Christine" plays by different rules and has a stylish veneer to it. "Christine" is beautiful, really, now please let me start the ignition.
