SYNOPSIS | REVIEW | PRODUCTION NOTES | TRIVIA | PRESS | QUOTES | KIM NEWMAN ARCHIVE | MEDIA

Christine (1983)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1983
Running Times: 110 mins
Format: Metrocolor     35mm     Panavision (anamorphic)
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: Dolby

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Columbia Pictures Corporation/Delphi Premier Productions/Polar Film
Executive Producers: Kirby McCauley, Mark Tarlov
Producer: Richard Kobritz
Co-Producer: Larry Franco
Associate Producer: Barry Bernardi
Production Manager: Robert Doudell
Production Coordinator: Bridget Murphy

SCRIPT
Script: Bill Phillips
Novel: Stephen King

DIRECTION
Director: John Carpenter
1st Assistant Director: Larry Franco
2nd Assistant Director: Jack Philbrick
DGA Trainee: Connie Garcia-Singer

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Donald M. Morgan
Camera Operator: Chris Schwiebert
Panaglide Operator: Joseph Valentine
1st Assistant Camera: Anthony J. Rivetti
2nd Assistant Camera: Marc Margulies
Gaffers: Gary H. Holt, Lou Tobin
Set Electricians: James Crawford, Michael Amorelli, Richard Hartley Jr, Robert Krattiger, Ed Tobin, Michael Laws, Ralph Barone, Steve Wolfe
Electrical Best Boys: Thomas R. Barone, Alex Skvorzov
Key Grip: Cal Sterry
Grips: David Canestro, Richard Dow
2nd Grip: Clay Wilson
Dolly Grip: Gary Parker
Stills: Kim Gottlieb-Walker

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Marion Rothman
Assistant Film Editor: Virginia Katz

MUSIC
Music: John Carpenter, Alan Howarth
Songs Performed By: George Thorogood and The Destroyers (Bad To The Bone); The Rolling Stones (Beast of Burden); Larry Williams (Bony Moronie); Richie Valens (Come On, Let's Go); The Viscounts (Harlem Nocturne); Dion and The Belmonts (I Wonder Why); Little Richard (Keep A-Knockin'); Thurston Harris (Little Bitty Pretty One); Buddy Holly (Not Fade Away); Johnny Ace (Pledging My Love); Tanya Tucker (Not Fade Away); Danny and The Juniors (Rock And Roll Is Here To Stay); Bonnie Raitt (Runaway); Abba (The Name of the Game); Robert and Johnny (We Belong Together)
Music Editor: William Carruth
Music Coordinator: Michael Ochs
Music Clearance: David Marsh

SOUND
Sound Mixer: Thomas Causey
Boom Operators: Joseph Brennan, Hank Garfield
Sound Re-Recording Mixers: Elliot Tyson, Robert J. Litt, Steve Maslow
Supervising Sound Editor: David Yewdall
Sound Editors: David Stone, Duane Hartzell, John Post
Dialogue Editors: Ken Sweet, Michael Gutierrez
ADR Supervisor: Devon Heffley
Foley Artists: John Adams, Steve Rice

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Make Up Supervisor: Bob Dawn
Hair: Frankie Bergman
Costume Designer: Darryl Levine
Costume Supervisor: Darryl Levine
Women's Costumer: Dawn Jackson

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Supervisor: Roy Arbogast
Special Effects Foreman: Bill Lee
Special Effects: Ted Allen, E. Hui, Kevin Quibell, Michael Reedy, David L. Simmons, Richard Wood
Moldmakers: Jeff House, Richard Ruiz

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Daniel Lomino
Set Designer: William Joseph Durrell Jr
Set Decorator: Cloudia
Set Dressers: J.D. Smith, Richard Chirco
Property Master: Kent H. Johnson
Assistant Property Master: Louis S. Fleming
Construction Coordinator: Walt Hadfield
Paint Foreman: John Tyrrell
Painter: Anthony J. Leonardi Jr
Production Illustrator: George Jenson
Leadman: Daril Alder

OTHER CREW
Script Supervisor: Kisuna Jacobsen
Production Accountant: Larry Hand
Assistant Production Accountant: Bethany Brown
Production Secretary: Carol Rosenthal
Office Assistant: Mary McKernan
Assistant to Richard Kobritz: Shirley Bonner
Assistant to John Carpenter: Ellen Benjamin
Christine Coordinator: Eddie Lee Voelker
Custom Body Works: Rubin Saens
Mechanic: Gary Burch
Transportation Coordinator: Eddie Lee Voelker
Transportation Captain: Ed Arter
Transportation Co-Captain: E.O. Braden
Drivers: Gordon W. Wiles, Gary Burch, George Alden
Publicity Coordinator: Peter J. Silbermann
Craft Service: Midge Ogle
First Aid: Maurice Costello

LOCATIONS
Locations: Oak Park High School, Oak Park, California, USA; Santa Clarita, California, USA
Location Manager: Karlene Gallegly

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
In Memory Of: Bob Dawn

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: Terry Leonard
Stunts: Buff Brady, David D. Darling, Ted Duncan, Tom Elliott, Donna Evans, Clifford Happy, Robert Lee Harris, Norman Howell, Mike H. McGaughy, John Meier, Conrad E. Palmisano, Kerry Rossall, Ben R. Scott, John-Clay Scott, Dean Smith, Dick Warlock, Jim Wilkey, Walter Wyatt

CASTING
Casting: Karen Rea
Extras Casting: Janice Spitzer, Peter Spitzer
Casting Assistant: Annette Benson

CAST
Keith Gordon (Arnie Cunningham)
John Stockwell (Dennis Guilder)
Alexandra Paul (Leigh Cabot)
Robert Prosky (Will Darnell)
Harry Dean Stanton (Rudolph Junkins)
Christine Belford (Regina Cunningham)
Roberts Blossom (George LeBay)
William Ostrander (Buddy Repperton)
David Spielberg (Mr Casey)
Malcolm Danare (Moochie Welch)
Steven Tash (Richard Trelawney)
Stuart Charno (Don Vandenberg)
Kelly Preston (Roseanne)
Marc Poppel (Chuck)
Robert Darnell (Michael Cunningham)
Richard Collier (Pepper Boyd)
Bruce French (Mr Smith)
Douglas Warhit (Bemis)
Keri Montgomery (Ellie Guilder)
Jan Burrell (librarian)
Charles Steak (shoppie)

PLOT SUMMARY

High school nerd Arnie Cunningham buys a battered 1958 Plymouth Fury and names her Christine. He lovingly restores her top pristine condition only to find that the car has a life of its own and it's starting to have an affect on the newly confident Arnie. His friends decide that the only way to save him is to destroy Christinen – but she's ready and waiting for them...

AVAILABILITY

France
Theatrical Distributors: Warner-Columbia Film

Germany
Laserdisc Distributors: RCA/Columbia (081 542-1)
DVD Distributors: Columbia/Tristar (10292)

Spain
Video Distributors: RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video
DVD Distributors: Columbia TriStar Home Video

UK
DVD Distributors: Columbia/Tristar (CDR 90292)

USA
Theatrical Distributors: Columbia Pictures
Video Distributors: RCA Columbia Home Video
Laserdisc Distributors: RCA Columbia Home Video (VLD 3065); Columbia Tristar Home Video (76926)
DVD Distributors: Columbia/Tristar (03160 - Special Edition)

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Argentina
Rating: 16

Australia
Rating: M

Chile
Rating: 18

Finland
Rating: K-16

France
Rating: unrated

Germany
Rating: 16

Iceland
Rating: 16

Netherlands
Rating: 12

Norway
Rating: 16; 15 (re-rating)

Singapore
Rating: NC-16

Spain
Rating: 13

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: 18

USA
Rating: R

West Germany
Rating: 18

AWARDS

1984
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, USA (Saturn Awards)
Saturn Award: Best Horror Film - nominated

Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival, Spain
Grand Prize (John Carpenter) - nominated

TIMELINE

1983
December

9: USA – theatrical release

1984
January

25: France – theatrical release

March
2: UK – theatrical release
16: West Germany – theatrical release
30: Finland – theatrical release

April
13: Norway – theatrical release
19: Hong Kong – theatrical release

May
3: Australia – theatrical release

July
20: Sweden – theatrical release

1990
May

Day Unknown: Germany - laserdisc release (RCA/Columbia (081 542-1))

1994
November

Day Unknown: USA - laserdisc release (Columbia/Tristar (76926))

1999
October
1: Germany - DVD release (Columbia/Tristar (10292))
25: UK - DVD release (Columbia/Tristar (CDR 90292))

November
Day Unknown: Italy – shown at the Turin Film Festival

2004
September

28: USA - DVD release (Columbia/Tristar (03160 - Special Edition))

POSTER TAGS

Hell hath no Fury...like Christine.

How do you kill something that can't possibly be alive?

She was born bad. Plain and simple. Somewhere deep on a darkened assembly line. Christine. A '58 Plymouth Fury possessed by Hell. She's taken control of her teenage owner, Arnie. Her previous owner is not alive to warn him. And now she's steering straight for the one person in her way. Arnie's girlfriend, Leigh. The other woman.

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

O Carro Assassino - Portuguese title
Christine - tappaja-auto - Finnish video title
Christine, de John Carpenter - Spanish title
Christine, la macchina infernale - Italian title

LINKS

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
Christine: Fast and Furious (2004)
Christine: Finish Line (2004)
Christine: Ignition (2004)

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES

Première January 1984 p.7 (France)
review (by Dominique Maillet)

KEYWORDS

book into film, cars, the supernatural, teenagers

 


Last Updated: 1 January, 2009

 


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