(Novel is the property of Stephen King and the film is the property of Columbia Pictures. Both pictures taken from Google Pictures and all videos are taken from YouTube)
Introduction
Earlier this summer, I read the novel "Christine" by Stephen King because one night I was channel surfing and happened to watch a bit of the film adaption. I didn't get to finish watching the movie, but I became rather intrigued by the concept. Being a bookworm myself, I always advise to read the book first before watching the movie and that's just what I did. I checked out the book from my local library, read it in 2 weeks, returned it, and watched the full movie later that week.
In the following sections, I summarize the plot of the novel, talk about the film adaption and it's differences with the novel, and finally discuss which of the 2 I like more and why.
Novel Plot
The novel "Christine" follows Arnie Cunningham a typical down-trodden nerd and his best friend Dennis Guilder in 1978 as Arnie falls in love with Christine - a rust bucket 1958 Plymouth Fury. Dennis advises against it, but Arnie buys Christine from Roland D. LeBay, who's furious at the "shitters" for making his life terrible. Dennis doesn't trust LeBay at all. Over the course of the next few months, Dennis takes notice of Arnie's improving life as Arnie continues restoring Christine to her former glory. His acne disappears, he becomes more confident and self-assured and even begins dating the new girl Leigh Cabot. Dennis also notices that Arnie starts to act much more abrasive and paranoid, even using the word "shitter" just like LeBay did. Christine also comes to life and begins taking revenge on the "shitters" who have wronged Arnie such as Buddy Repperton who was Arnie's former bully. Thus, with the advice of George LeBay (Roland's brother) and the help of Leigh - Dennis decides to destroy Christine after learning that both the car and his best friend have been possessed by Roland LeBay.
As my first Stephen King novel, I actually quite liked "Christine" and it was a great introduction to King's writing style. I plan on reading "The Shining" and "Pet Semetary" and of course seeing their respective film adaptions.
Film Adaption and Differences with the Novel
The film adaption was directed by John Carpenter and released in 1983 (the same year as the novel was published) and stars Keith Gordon as Arnie Cunningham, John Stockwell as Dennis Guilder, and Alexandra Paula as Leigh Cabot. I actually really like the film as it sticks fairly close to the source material while doing its own thing. The acting is great, Keith Gordon sticks out as Arnie and his transformation from a nerdy weakling into automobile-obsessed psychopath was truly chilling. John Carpenter's score for the film is just as fantastic as his other film scores and the track "Christine Attacks" that plays when Christine is out for revenge is amazing.
But, here are the differences with the film has with the novel:
- Christine is shown to have always been alive since her birth on a Detroit assembly line in 1957 rather than being possessed by Roland LeBay's spirit like in the book.
- Dennis and Leigh use a bulldozer to kill Christine in the film, in the novel the use an enormous pink septic tank cleaner named "Petunia"
- Arnie buys Christine from George LeBay rather than Roland LeBay, as when the movie starts Lebay is already dead.
- The deaths of Peter "Moochie" Welch, Buddy Repperton, Rich Trelawney, Don Vandenburg, and Will Darnell are different than in the novel.
(Show Me)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oezKQEF0deY
(A Fiery Death)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNSDAaeIh7U
(Love Eats Everything)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYqSugRiG5Y&list=PLZbXA4lyCtqo4zEI8OGD0tj5M5nSaz3u7&index=8
("Christine Attacks" Original Film Version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sjVCjJFyn0
("Christine Attacks" New Version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH2f4A4SVNk
Novel or Film: Which do I like more?
Now, which do I like more the original novel by Stephen King or the film adaptation by John Carpenter? I like them both, but I'm gonna say the book is better for me personally. But the movie is still great in it's own right. Why is that? Stephen King's novels are known for their amazing blend of supernatural elements and psychological horror. In the book, after Roland LeBay dies his spirit takes possession of Arnie making Arnie act more like him and that transformation was just more terrifying in my eyes. Also, when Arnie is asleep or is out of town - LeBay's spirit takes possession of Christine and that's how the car comes to life and murders those who wronged Arnie. Arnie being possessed added a layer of tension and psychological horror that I really enjoyed.
Personally, I've always loved the concept of the unstoppable supernatural killer and that's what drew me to Christine. A haunted car that will stop at nothing to finish off those who wronged her lover. Also, the deaths are much more gruesome and visceral in the novel compared to the film which is a plus for me.
Now in the movie, Christine is shown to be alive since she came off the assembly line in 1957. But, the movie never explains how she's alive. She's not haunted by the spirit of Roland Lebay, but in my mind, Christine is still a haunted car. How? Perhaps she's possessed by Satan. I like to think the car is haunted by the spirit of a jealous and angry woman. In the film, Christine is shown to be pure evil and since this is a John Carpenter film perhaps Christine is possessed by the same evil that's taken Micheal Myers from "Halloween". Halloween came out in 1978 and Christine takes place in 1978. In fact, both films were shot in similar locations. But, this is all just speculation on my part.
Now in the movie, Christine is shown to be alive since she came off the assembly line in 1957. But, the movie never explains how she's alive. She's not haunted by the spirit of Roland Lebay, but in my mind, Christine is still a haunted car. How? Perhaps she's possessed by Satan. I like to think the car is haunted by the spirit of a jealous and angry woman. In the film, Christine is shown to be pure evil and since this is a John Carpenter film perhaps Christine is possessed by the same evil that's taken Micheal Myers from "Halloween". Halloween came out in 1978 and Christine takes place in 1978. In fact, both films were shot in similar locations. But, this is all just speculation on my part.
Spotify Playlist
As with some of my other blog posts, I created a playlist on Spotify. This particular playlist features all the music from the film adaption starting with all the 1950s songs played on Christine's radio, then going on to the more contemporary songs featured in the film, and ends off with John Carpenter's modern mix of the track "Christine Attacks". The link to the playlist is below, enjoy.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2PRMxcwNMQUIMngrRlIZum
I've also created a playlist that features all the 1950s that plays on Christine's radio in the novel. The link is below:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1KPAxc9fxXPYTOrhQHgTiH
I've also created a playlist that features all the 1950s that plays on Christine's radio in the novel. The link is below:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1KPAxc9fxXPYTOrhQHgTiH
Conclusion
Thank you for reading my blog post, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. My next blog post will be a discussion of my thoughts for a possible remake of "Christine" and a test scene I wrote.
