How many horror movies have used iconic cars that became legendary? If you think about it, there are several. Cujo had the 1978 Ford Pinto, Jeepers Creepers had the 1941 Chevrolet cab, The Evil Dead movies had a 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre had a 1972 Ford Club Wagon. But there is a car that stands above the rest....a red car named Christine.
Christine was a 1958 Plymouth Fury that possesses its owner and causes a whole lot of trouble. Brought to the big screen by director John Carpenter in December of 1983, from a book written by Stephen King in April of that same year, Christine follows the journey of a young “dorky” man named Arnie. He’s bullied. He’s picked on. He has one friend, and his parents control every single aspect of his life.
He wants a project car so buys a dusty and rusty 1958 Plymouth Fury from a creepy old man, despite his one true friend Dennis trying to talk him out of it. But Christine has a history that Arnie doesn’t know about...a history of killing anyone and anything that it thinks is a threat. Its previous owner was obsessed with Christine, much like Arnie, and people who got in the way were taken care of.
Arnie starts dating a new girl named Leigh who almost chokes to death in his car at the drive-in movie; the music goes on, the lights go up, and the doors are locked. But Arnie still refuses to get rid of his precious car.
Arnie’s bullies decide to break into the garage where he stores Christine and destroy it, despite being fully restored. When he finds this out, he is heartbroken. But...right in front of his eyes, Christine begins to repair herself and the relationship between Arnie and Christine takes on a whole new level of evil and possession. Arnie’s bullies then all end up dead...Christine takes it upon herself to hunt them down one by one.
As the movie continues, Leigh and Dennis become increasingly concerned with Arnie’s behavior. They decide they need to destroy the car and try to do so with a bulldozer- until Christine surprises them. They notice that Arnie is driving the car, laughing hysterically, trying to kill his friends for attempting to destroy his car. While trying to hit Dennis, Arnie crashes into the side of a building and goes through the windshield. The eerie music of the 1950’s starts to play a sad song, as it does throughout the film. The only radio stations Christine can seem to signal are oldies stations from the 1950’s. Arnie is gone.
Christine eventually succumbs to the bulldozer and is taken to a junk yard in a cube on the pavement as Leigh and Dennis overlook and talk about the events that led up to where they ended up. Until...they see the cube trying to move.
After the movie was released, the Plymouth Fury became a car that people no longer overlooked; especially in the color red. Stephen King said he picked the Plymouth Fury as the car in his book and the film adaptation because “it was a car that was generally overlooked, despite it looking like a classic.” Because of this, the Plymouth Fury is now highly sought after and a collectible among many in the car industry.
The Plymouth Fury first came out in 1955 and was sold until 1989, under many different trim models and body styles. Christine herself was a 1958 Plymouth Fury hardtop 4 door with an automatic transmission, 350 V8, and silver trim.
The Plymouth Fury is an iconic car that is easily recognizable, even today!
What is your favorite horror movie car?