Carpenter's adaptaion of of of Stephen King's most beloved books out-'teened' most other studies of youth before their time. There's a menacing, slightly dour mood setting the angst of dorky teenage life in middle America for the early part of the film, then suddenly, in true King style, it's about a haunted car.

Christine, a 1958 Plymouth, comes into the possession of loser Arnie (Gordon) rather than the other way around. Arnie falls in love with Christine, and - through its demonic powers of self-regeneration and taste for blood - the car turns his life around, even getting him the pretty new girl (Paul). As always, plenty of deeper nuances from the book are lost, but the films stands on its own two feet really well. there are some great performances and moments that are both funny and genuinely nail-biting by Gordon, Stockwell and the guy who plas bully Buddy Repperton.