Christine

Christine (1983)

Timing: 1:50 (110 min)

6.875/10
2208

7.161/10
30450

6.8/10
102000

All about film

Video 1

Photo 98

Actors and characters

Release date

1983-12-09

Country

United States

Production

Columbia Pictures, Polar Film

Genre

Horror

Budget

$9 700 000

Revenue

$21 200 000

Website

http://www.theofficialjohncarpenter.com/christine/

Director

John Carpenter

Actors

Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, Alexandra Paul, Robert Prosky, Harry Dean Stanton, Christine Belford, Roberts Blossom, William Ostrander, David Spielberg, Malcolm Danare
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

Richard Kobritz, Mark Tarlov, Kirby McCauley

Operator

Donald M. Morgan

Composer

John Carpenter

Artist

Audition

Karen Rea

Editing

Marion Rothman
All team (55)

• The book Dennis pulls from the shelf in the library before inviting Lei is "Christine" by Stephen King.
• Stephen King's popularity was such that the film was released before his book was published.
• The movie being shown at the drive-in theater is "Thank God It's Friday" (1978).
• Kevin Bacon was offered the lead role in the film, but he turned it down in favor of "Footloose" (1984).
• Detective Jenkins drives a Plymouth Fury (the same make as Christine), but a 1977 model.
• The film is based on the novel of the same name by American writer Stephen King.
• The role of Christine was played by both a 'Plymouth Fury' and a 'Plymouth Belvedere' from 1958, which were externally almost indistinguishable from each other and were purchased in large quantities for filming.
• On one of the filming days, Alexandra Paul brought her twin sister Caroline to the set, who secretly, as a joke, replaced Alexandra in the scene with the bulldozer.
• To create the effect of the car self-repairing, hydraulic pumps were installed inside certain areas of the Plymouth Fury stunt double. These pumps were attached to the car's body and, when compressed, sucked parts of the body inward. The inward movement of the car was filmed and then played in reverse in the film, creating the impression that the car was spontaneously restoring its shape.
• One of the Plymouth stunt doubles used in the film—the one that kills Murch—had a non-original front end. The car was assembled from parts from similar cars found in a junkyard. The vehicle is now privately owned.
• According to the book, Arnie receives Christine from Roland D. LeBay, who dies two weeks later. In the film, Arnie receives it from his brother – George LeBay.
• In the book, Roland LeBay’s corpse appears before Arnie several times, and LeBay’s spirit possesses Arnie, changing his personality. This is later shown when LeBay’s spirit takes control of the car to take revenge on ruthless tormentors. In the film, however, they abandon the spirit of LeBay and show that the car itself is evil. John Carpenter notes that this simplifies the plot and that the appearance of the corpse somehow resembles scenes from the film “An American Werewolf in London,” which was released shortly before “Christine.”
• In the book, Roland LeBay's corpse appears before Arnie several times, and LeBay's spirit possesses Arnie, altering his personality. This is later shown when LeBay's spirit takes control of the car to avenge his cruel tormentors. The film, however, abandons the spirit of LeBay and depicts the car itself as evil. John Carpenter notes that this simplifies the plot and that the appearance of the corpse somehow resembles scenes from "An American Werewolf in London," which was released shortly before "Christine."