John Carpenter thinks reappraisals of his horror movie Christine have gone too far. Released in 1983, Carpenter’s Stephen King adaptation brought to life the author’s tale of a haunted 1958 Plymouth Fury, resulting in a modest box office hit ($21 million grossed against a budget of $10 million). Now forty years after the film’s release, this minor hit is widely considered a classic of the horror genre, and is routinely ranked among Carpenter’s own best works. A Christine reboot is even in the offing, with Hannibal creator Bryan Fuller behind the wheel.
Horror fans of today may be more in love with Christine than ever before, but Carpenter for his part does not believe the hype, dismissing talk of the film’s classic status. In an interview with Total Film (via GamesRadar), Carpenter shot down the notion that his King adaptation deserves such upward reappraisal, saying “Oh come on, stop, that’s ridiculous.” He added, “I know there’s some rumblings about its anniversary. My question is, ‘Why?’” When further informed of the film’s place in the horror pantheon, Carpenter pleaded ignorance, then conceded that he does have fond memories of making the movie. Check out his remarks below:
I’m not aware of any of that. You gotta realize one thing about me – no one ever tells me anything. But I’m glad. I like it. I like it a lot. For reasons like the cast. I really dig them. And the car. It was fun. It’s not one of my favorites of mine, but that’s OK. It’s a good movie.
Carpenter Thinks Fuller’s Christine Reboot Will Top His Version
Given Carpenter’s habitual bluntness, it’s no surprise that the director would dismiss talk of Christine as a horror classic. The filmmaker indeed recently addressed news of Fuller’s upcoming reboot, telling Total Film (via GamesRadar) that he expects the new version to surpass his own, saying “Oh boy. Well, good luck to him. It will probably be better.”
It may seem that Carpenter is being a bit harsh in his opinion of his own Christine movie, but then again, the project was not a very personal one for the filmmaker. Coming on the heels of The Thing, a film Carpenter truly believed in (it flopped at the box office, much to his chagrin), the King adaptation was little more than a job of work for the director, and he put in a workmanlike effort. Because Carpenter is such a master of the horror genre, even when he’s simply punching the clock on a movie, he’s still capable of creating something of lasting value. Carpenter may think Christine doesn’t deserve to be considered a classic, but he will get plenty of argument on that point.
