Anybody read "Christine" lately?
d500neil
Posted 2014-03-14 5:39 PM (#431236)
Subject: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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"Christine", the movie, has been playing (often) on the Sundance Channel.

The movie is OK, so put the book in-line on my (re-)reading schedule.

I'm less than 50 pages into it, and am fairly disgusted with S. King's First-Person narrator's
description and opinion of the car, of his lack of knowledge about the old car hobby-interest,
(which is what drew Arnie Cunningham to the car, initially) and in his absurd descriptions
of the car, in general, and, specifically.

The story takes place in 1978, but the narrator goes to great 'lengths' in describing the 'huge'
size of the car (the "acre" of hood, its boat-like appearance..etcetcetc), and gems like this:
"...He dropped the hydramatic transmission into D again..."

The narrator, in 1978, appears to be amazed by the sight of a full-sized car (he drives a "Duster",
not a 69 Charger as in the movie; and, although the Special-Ordered red Fury rides on a short
118" wheelbase).

Before this quote, the narrator describes getting behind the wheel of the car, in LeBay's garage,
before Arnie tries to drive it to Darnell's garage...and, this happens to him:

"Even now, after much thought, I'm not sure exactly what it was. A vision, maybe--but if it was, it
sure wasn't any big deal. It was just that for a moment the torn upholstery seemed to be gone.

The seat covers were whole and smelling pleasantly of vinyl [no cloth on them?]...or maybe that smell was
real leather.

The worn places were gone from the steering wheel; the chrome winked pleasantly in the summer evening light falling through the garage door.

'Let's go for a ride, big guy', Christine seemed to whisper in the hot summer silence of LeBay's garage.

'Let's cruise' ".

[THE HORROR...]

...."Let's go for a ride, big guy...let's cruise."

..."And then I got out of that car as fast as I could. The door opened with a hellish screech, and I cracked my elbow good on one of the garage walls.

..." I decided right then that I didn't like my friend Arnie's car."

The car, seemingly to beckon him to drive it, drove HIM into a 'fury' of hate for it?

Great premise for a horror book.

Usually, I prefer to read a book, after seeing a movie, as it typically goes into a great amount of plot detail and
back-story.

I don't think that I'm going to be able to get through all 526 pages of this nonsense.

Stick with the movie.








Edited by d500neil 2014-03-14 6:00 PM
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The Chrysler Kid
Posted 2014-03-14 6:06 PM (#431238 - in reply to #431236)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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It gets better I have read multiple times. I usually imagine a fury four door like in the book as a four door hardtop. I looked it up it was supposed to be like a vision or hallucination I still don't get it because if the car was possessed how could the owner possess it before his death?

Edited by The Chrysler Kid 2014-03-14 6:09 PM
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d500neil
Posted 2014-03-14 6:12 PM (#431241 - in reply to #431238)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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Yeah, I remember the denouement about how Arnie 'restores' Christine.

I just thought that I'd enjoy 'the ride', again, in getting there.

I'll give it a few more pages, but this thing reads, today, like an insult to a car lover's intelligence.



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ttotired
Posted 2014-03-14 6:47 PM (#431247 - in reply to #431236)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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Its fiction, not a text book

I havnt read it lately, but I enjoy the book a lot (much better story than the movie version)

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DeMopar
Posted 2014-03-14 7:35 PM (#431252 - in reply to #431236)
Subject: RE: Anybody read "Christine" lately?


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I started reading Christine this past November, got about half way through and lost interest. Still attempting to get through it but it's not what I had expected. Conversely, I read 11/22/63 also by Stephen King in less than one week. It would have taken less time but I had to find time to work and sleep during that week. It was over 1100 pages but I couldn't put it down... Great book for those who haven't read it.
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d500neil
Posted 2014-03-14 8:36 PM (#431255 - in reply to #431252)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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It's not a "text book", but for people who enjoy reading; reading a novel involves mental immersion in the subject material
and in the protagonists.

Reading this book is like receiving a slap in the brain, or continuingly being awakened from a (bad) dream.

Like Brian says, a good book is a page turner; this one ain't, if you know anything about our cars or car culture.

The narrator gets offended and scared by a car that is trying to entice him to drive it.



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christine-lover
Posted 2014-03-14 9:08 PM (#431259 - in reply to #431236)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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It's a good thing this was the only thing Stephen King ever had published.
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Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2014-03-14 10:44 PM (#431279 - in reply to #431259)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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Wait till you read the book version of Debbie Does Dallas.
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JT Vincent
Posted 2014-03-15 1:48 AM (#431284 - in reply to #431236)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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Oh dear.
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d500neil
Posted 2014-03-15 2:26 AM (#431289 - in reply to #431284)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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No, no deer; ass too high; run, too fast.


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GregCon
Posted 2014-03-15 3:09 PM (#431328 - in reply to #431236)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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It's a common problem with books - they are written by authors who by nature tend to be people who have never actually done anything with their own two hands other than peck a keyboard.

If you think cars get rough treatment, try guns. I can't tell you how many times I have read about 'semi-automatic revolvers', '12 gauge rifles', and doctors digging cartridges out of people's legs.

It seems to me that any author/editor would have a few people on call who could proofread a story and correct all the mistakes - but they apparently don't.

Then again, considering some of the paid writing I see going on, authors could use a little training on words as well. Morons who 'bring' their dog to the vet, businesses that 'flounder', and the newest - using verbs as nouns such as 'fail' and 'install'.
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Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2014-03-15 3:14 PM (#431329 - in reply to #431328)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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My favorites are non-words such as "orientate", "irregardless", and the ubiquitous "like" as
a stuffer between any and all words for no apparent reason.

Not so much in print matter as spoken.
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imopar380
Posted 2014-03-15 3:25 PM (#431332 - in reply to #431236)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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I read the book over 30 years ago and remember reading about the door lock buttons automatically lowering to the locked position when Arnie got in the car, or something to that effect. It struck me for 2 reasons: the first primarily as the front doors on our cars don't have door lock buttons, (neither do the back doors in the complete sense of the word) and of course, being a Locksmith..... you get the rest. I also was one who wondered why the research wasn't done beforehand.
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Lancer Mike
Posted 2014-03-15 5:57 PM (#431347 - in reply to #431332)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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I read it years and years ago and then re-read it a couple of times since. I picked it up again, but could not finish. It is better than the movie, but it's not Shakespeare.

I thought it might be a good candidate for "fan fiction" - especially on this site. For example, perhaps we could write the story of what happens between when LeBay's daughter and wife die and when Arnie buys the car - that type of crud. I think there are a couple of glimpses in the book: the old VFW guy telling the story of how they lifted up the rear wheels on Christine as a joke on LeBay and the car still takes off.

And I think LeBay used to run cigarettes and booze for Darnell - maybe even a bit more. There is a whole other book in there somewhere, I am sure.

Edited by Lancer Mike 2014-03-15 6:06 PM
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ronbo97
Posted 2014-03-15 6:42 PM (#431353 - in reply to #431332)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?


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imopar380 - 2014-03-15 3:25 PM I read the book over 30 years ago and remember reading about the door lock buttons automatically lowering to the locked position when Arnie got in the car, or something to that effect. It struck me for 2 reasons: the first primarily as the front doors on our cars don't have door lock buttons, (neither do the back doors in the complete sense of the word) and of course, being a Locksmith..... you get the rest. I also was one who wondered why the research wasn't done beforehand.

It's possible that he threw that in for dramatic license, to show that the car had a mind of its own. But, yeah, a little research could've gone a long way in making the novel more accurate. Also, there was a photo of King in the hardcover edition posing with a 57(!) Plymouth !

Ron

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d500neil
Posted 2014-03-15 7:26 PM (#431361 - in reply to #431353)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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"He slipped into the vinyl seat, dropped the hydramatic transmission back into D again, after first making sure that all four doors'
lock buttons were properly secured, turned the ignition key and fired up the 382[look it up, on page 65!] engine, and drove off,
in his factory ordered red 1958 Plymouth Fury."






Edited by d500neil 2014-03-15 7:29 PM
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GregCon
Posted 2014-03-15 8:27 PM (#431364 - in reply to #431361)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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Maybe it is the factory 392 he meant....
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Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2014-03-16 1:14 AM (#431391 - in reply to #431364)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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I enjoyed watching Christine do four wheel drifts and mash into the side of Repperton's
Camero, but beyond that .... ? Not much to recommend either the book or the movie.
The acting was stiff, the story silly, the book just plain wrong. Never could understand
the following.
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GregCon
Posted 2014-03-16 8:23 AM (#431411 - in reply to #431236)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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It's easy for me to understand...the car embodied the dream of every male from the ages of 16-90. A cool Mopar which repairs it self and will run over your enemies after setting them on fire. What's not to like?
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d500neil
Posted 2014-03-16 7:54 PM (#431528 - in reply to #431236)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!

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Just discovered something of possible interest, to anyone familiar with the movie-car.

On page 105, from Lebay's brother's conversation with Dennis, after Roland's funeral service:

"It was red and white--Chrysler never offered the 58 Plymouth Fury in those colors; Rollie had gotten it custom-painted"[presumably NOT at the factory, from the gist of that conversation; but, based upon that stand-alone sentence, its meaning could be interpreted to imply a 'factory' custom paint-job on it].

Earlier, on page 102, the brother states:

"She was a 1958 Fury sport [small 's'] coupe."

Guess that that term includes the 4-door models, too.





Edited by d500neil 2014-03-16 8:01 PM
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bel5758
Posted 2014-03-19 12:34 PM (#431980 - in reply to #431236)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?


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My posts are usually short and sweet - so the Doc can keep up - but I am somewhat of an expert on this matter....

The book is not great and like most SK books gets kind of difficult to stick to a little past the halfway point. I know this cuz I've read ALL his books.
But, to kind of understand the allure, yes, Neil, go ahead and finish it for no other reason than you will be well versed.
The movie of course had the biggest impact on FLs. But it had a slew of errors also.
My car, Kate, a mostly 58 Belvy, was based on the car that they used in the movie.
I didn't give a darn about having a Christine and was so glad when I found out that a car like the one in the movie was actually made - unlike Car and other Hollywood cars that were pure fiction/custom.
When people see Kate and say 'Christine' I smile and wave and go on about my business.
Many writers don't do their proper research......there were a couple of things wrong in 112263 by SK but I believe he did those on purpose because he knows his Constant Readers and others go nuts over that kind of stuff.
Should he have done just a tad of research while writing Christine? Yup. But those were the last of his cocaine days, so he probably didn't care.
Does the car he wrote about exist as described? Nope.
The first edition of Christine did not have his photo of him sitting on the 57. Later editions did.
John Carpenter did a decent job with the movie. As with most book movies, the movie should be seen with an open mind.
By the same token, Stanley Kubrick did a wonderful job with the Shining movie - based on the SK book - but the movie is in major ways is a total departure from the book....that's just Hollywood appealing to a broader audience.
I'd actually recommend that people who have not read the book but seen the movie skip reading the book....not much gained.
Variants of Christine have been in other SK stories and movies - in very small parts. SK loves those connections....and so do people like me.
We all understand the allure of these cars....and I am surprised at how much I actually LOVE my car...similar to Arnie Cunningham.
So yeah, Neil, finish it if time allows but please don't judge SK solely on Christine.
And for the young boys who saw Christine, yes Greg, you are on the mark.
I leave all of you with an example of the movie's impact on a lot of us and this describes Kate and I a great deal...when buying the car Arnie said:

"How much do want for her? I mean, whatever it is, it's not enough."
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Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2014-03-19 1:33 PM (#431994 - in reply to #431980)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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When I finally found my DeSoto, I felt like I had been released from a dark cave. The search was
years long and fraught with expense, wild goose chases, aggravation and frustration. Arnie's line
about the price not being enough certainly rings a bell for me there.

My take on the Christine movie was one of a twenty-something already driving finned cars (against
the current of a mainstream that thought Chevettes were a good idea). I liked the movie in terms of
the car and the bully vs. underdog formula story. The "possessed" angle was lost on me - I find that
part just plain silly. But some people really suck that stuff up and Steven King has built an empire on
them. As a movie, I found it fun, but never got too stoked up over the movie car AS the movie car.
It showcased one of the best fin era designs ever, but the whole "gotta have one just like that" thing
never grabbed me.

I suppose it comes from already having a certain disdain for the copycat, follow the trendy kind of
crowd. I remember my mother watching Merv Griffin or Today and they would showcase the "new
spring fashions" and I'd be filled with the urge to vomit, thinking about the anti-logic of doing things
just because the TV tells you to, or "everyone else" is doing it. By the time I was in high school and
all my friends were hunting up SS Chevelles and GTO's, I wanted a 66-7 Coronet just to NOT be like
everyone else. By the time I saw Christine, it was ingrained that I'd want anything BUT one like the
movie car for just that reason. I think the reaction would have been different if I had be 12 or 14 when
I saw the movie for the first time.

I read the book after I saw the movie and found it laughable. The whole thing appeared to be the
work of a junior high school creative writing assignment in Mrs. Shield's 3rd period English class.

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d500neil
Posted 2014-03-19 3:31 PM (#432012 - in reply to #431236)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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Oh, no, Allen, I've read many/a-few of SK's books; really liked the End-of-Time one (brain-fart).

SK can't help it, but after reading a few of them, their plot narratives become very obvious and repetitive.

Like diving into cold water, once you become acclimated to the shock, you can appreciate the experience of "Christine".

I'm at page 166, after the Auto Shop fight (which reads fairly true to the movie--or, rather vice-versa).

The more I get through the book (which is poorly written as to being a late teenager's First-Person narration), the more
respect I have for the MOVIE script's adaptation, to the book!

Whoever adapted the script (I'm not going to look it up..) really did a very good job, because the movie differs from the
book in many ways/details, and the movie presents itself in a very linear straight-forward manner, without a lot of
extraneous details or back-story.




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Kenny J.
Posted 2014-03-20 9:59 AM (#432113 - in reply to #431236)
Subject: RE: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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Why was my comment deleted from this thread? I was agreeing with Neil and made a point of Stephen King not doing his research. I used the boiler described in "The Shining" to make my case.

My point was that not everybody would catch such errors as most people may not have knowledge of any given trade.

K.
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Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2014-03-20 11:14 AM (#432128 - in reply to #432113)
Subject: RE: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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Your point is spot on, Kenny. Just about any fiction writing author is going to tread in waters
unfamiliar and rely on research, or an audience who also lacks in-depth knowledge to smooth
his inaccuracies over. The railroad foamers boil over like children throwing tantrums when a
movie portraying old steam stuff is used. The recent Lone Ranger movie comes to mind. Any-
thing from incorrect couplers to train speed and the engineer's hat are howled about like a
scalded cat ! Most of the movie viewers just enjoyed the movie and never had a clue it wasn't
"exactly right".

Incidentally, the howlers are so statistically small in numbers that the movie guys don't give a
flying rip about them. It's the mass appeal that makes the money. A concept both Steven King
and John Carpenter have a firm grip on.
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mikes2nd
Posted 2014-04-24 11:54 PM (#437705 - in reply to #431236)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?


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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wIOT9xccic

easy to listen to it
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d500neil
Posted 2014-04-25 2:54 AM (#437735 - in reply to #431236)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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Well, finished the book a while ago, and altho capturing all of the subplots would be difficult to do, the book has several episodes (such
as when Lebay's ghost, and the ghosts of the other decedents, are seen to be inside, or operating, Christine)....which would be quite
scary if properly rendered in the movie.

As opposed to being something inherently diabolically-living, in the movie,.....in the book, Christine is seen to be operated and controlled by
Lebay, who also comes to control and morph into Arnie's body, and to possess him.

The movie's plot is very well constructed from the 'bones' of the book (adapted screenplay), but the book's story lines are much scarier
than some mere driver-less car's rampages.





Edited by d500neil 2014-04-25 2:56 AM
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Valiant_200
Posted 2014-04-25 5:19 AM (#437740 - in reply to #431236)
Subject: RE: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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I remember when I first heard about Christine. It was when the book came out and my reaction was, "someone wrote a book about a 58 Plymouth that kills people? I HAVE to read that!"

I noticed a lot of the inaccuracies, but it was not enough to throw me off the book altogether and I enjoyed it. I like the ending in the book better than the one in the movie.

I have seen the movie many times and know its flaws. There is a scene in the drive-in where the lock plungers of -something- I have always though a GM, are seen flying closed. I figured they had to do this for the movie, since very few people would understand the concept of pushing the door handle forward to lock it.

Then there is the matter of using a few 57's as stunt cars. I am pretty sure that happened. Check out the one that crashes through the gas station and mashes the Camaro. When it rounds the corner, were those big parking lights instead of headlights?!

There was one scene that I thought was pretty accurate, and that is the assembly line at the beginning of the film. It looks like some period pictures I have seen of the lines.

While I have seen the film many times, I have only seen the ending a couple of times. I simply cannot take the sight of what ultimately happens to that poor car, who only killed in self-defense. Which reminds me of another scene I cannot take, the punk bas***ds beating her with sledgehammers, thereby earning their gruesome deaths. It is too much for my sensitivities. I can watch people die in horror movies all day, but kill a 58 Plymouth and I have to excuse myself.

When you think about it, King missed the mark altogether. If you want a car that looks like it has murder on its mind, there are much better choices than a friendly looking Fury. My vote for mean would go to the 59 Dodge. Those things look like they are barely suppressing the urge to run you over in the parking lot. A 61 Plymouth would have been pretty scary too, with it's strange design features and scowling front clip lines.

To summarize, I enjoy both the book and the movie, but neither one is perfect.

Edited by Valiant_200 2014-04-25 5:20 AM
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FIN ME
Posted 2014-04-25 9:58 AM (#437754 - in reply to #437740)
Subject: RE: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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Valiant_200 - 2014-04-25 5:19 AM

...the 59 Dodge. Those things look like they are barely suppressing the urge to run you over in the parking lot...


Ahhh! Too funny...and very accurate, IMHO!

I agree; 1959 Dodges have a great, menacing look about them. Grrrr...love it!


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mikes2nd
Posted 2014-04-25 10:20 AM (#437765 - in reply to #431236)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?


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I think it was a good choice, you didnt want a brutally ugly car, yet you didnt want a sports car. And you couldnt use a "belvedere", and the name "fury" is what probably made the choice fit.

It was supposed to be a Belair, but that doesn't sound menacing... neither would have a "coronet" or a "crown royal"... I think it was all based on the name "fury", then you had to pick a year of fury? the 60's were very bland and generic.

They picked a good car and name.

hmm Pinto! Corvair...Elcamino...

Phoenix? Thunderbird, Tempest, Phantom are "real" possible choices... Was there a "Diablo" car

Now lets see a remake? but that would mean the end of alot more Belvederes/Savoys...
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d500neil
Posted 2014-04-25 2:32 PM (#437810 - in reply to #431236)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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What is interesting about POST-beating Christine, in the movie, is that if you look closely, there is actually very little real damage that
is seen to be done to the car----in that scene.

Christine should have been a 1960 Plymouth....that's an angry face, with its grille guard installed.



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mikes2nd
Posted 2014-04-25 3:52 PM (#437835 - in reply to #431236)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?


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Its getting bad, I was like wait those vents would have been black, they didnt paint vents...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jG5wWl--zw

Actually listening to the book and seeing some clips from youtube... I hated the "ending"... Arnie just pops out a window dead... Its like darth vader dying from maybe his battery running out on his suit.

man if arnie had only worn his seatbelt! other than that I really liked the rest of the movie.
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Valiant_200
Posted 2014-04-26 5:43 AM (#437929 - in reply to #437765)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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mikes2nd - 2014-04-25 9:20 AM

Now lets see a remake? but that would mean the end of alot more Belvederes/Savoys...


Not at all. They would never wreck a bunch of hard to find cars to make that movie today. That would be an all-CGI production.

But why a remake? I want a sequel! They set us up for a sequel in the final scene of the film, but we never got one. Boo!

I have a red 65 Valiant convertible with a white top that I have many times referred to as "Christine's daughter."
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sconut1
Posted 2014-04-26 9:07 PM (#438035 - in reply to #431236)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?


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You know, I'm going to say that I much prefer the book to the movie. If you take the movie as being a movie about a possessed '58 Plymouth, than I suppose it's ok. If the move is an adaptation of the book Christine, I think it sucked. Bad. It was merely a loose adaptation of the book, and not that accurate an adaptation either.

Stephen King's version of the book has a lot of inaccuracies as it describes Arnie's Fury. But, if you're not in our group of people, and by that I mean the regular readers of this website, you won't know these details and specifics. Further, in King's book, there's running general inaccuracy about automotive topics in general. I seem to remember a phrase in the book where the students in Arnie's auto shop were "admiring the pistons socketed in their rings". Of course, this is a meaningless sentence. But, if we assume that Stephen King knows nothing about automotive and ignore that, I thought the book was fantastic. To me it was far more frightening than the movie and certainly explained why the Plymouth moved on its own as opposed to a possessed car which, in my mind, was a little ridiculous. King's story certainly got into my head when I first read the book, and I couldn't put it down.

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GregCon
Posted 2014-04-27 10:01 AM (#438100 - in reply to #431236)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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The reason inaccuracies in movies are grating is that millions of people see movies, and the movie depiction takes on a life of it's own as 'fact' as a result. In other words, it spreads misinformation.
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calvatron
Posted 2014-04-27 10:29 AM (#438102 - in reply to #431236)
Subject: RE: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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The Book was by far more chilling than the movie was. Although the movie did a great job in showing the connection Arnie had with Christine.

And lets face it the movie Saved a lot of 57' / 58' Plymouth's.
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grunau
Posted 2014-04-27 11:33 AM (#438109 - in reply to #438102)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?


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Hi
... A buddy of mine gave me a copy of the book along with the Movie poster and the bumper sticker 'cause I own a '58... tried to read the book but never finished it... the "Hydramatic" part turned me off and I'm not a reader of Stephen King stuff anyway ....The movie is kinda neat I really like the part when the Camaro gets it....just ticks me off that they wrecked so many cars making it ...
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Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2014-04-27 12:33 PM (#438117 - in reply to #438100)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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GregCon - 2014-04-28 7:01 AM

The reason inaccuracies in movies are grating is that millions of people see movies, and the movie depiction takes on a life of it's own as 'fact' as a result. In other words, it spreads misinformation.


==========

Add to that, owners of special cars such as these tend to take them much more "personally"
than the owner of the Rendevous or Murano, so as they've had to fight the learning curve to
become more expert about their car and all it's details, along comes the misinformation spreaders ...

... so, it is even more annoying to that guy who is, or has worked hard to learn, see it all eclipsed
by some schlub who was too lazy to do the research, or bent the facts to suit an alternate need,
... the public just sucking it up, as the disinterested public tends to do.
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ChristineFury
Posted 2014-04-27 12:49 PM (#438120 - in reply to #438117)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?


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I have no problems with any inaccuracies about the car. It's about entertainment, not facts like a true story book/film and even they usually have inaccuracies in them.


For those who didn't like the inaccuracies. Was there much info on these cars back in the 70's & 80's available to most people who didn't already have 58 Plymouth's or someone who's relative had one?

I didn't know anything to do with them other than what they looked like until the 90's when I bought Jim Benjaminson Plymouth 1946-1959 book at the big chain book store. I'm not sure too many other books even talked about them. Most books I did look at since I bought his usually had 56's or one/two had a 57 and some with 59's.

Edited by ChristineFury 2014-04-27 12:50 PM
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d500neil
Posted 2014-04-27 6:14 PM (#438153 - in reply to #431236)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!

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Answer: YES.

The 'World' did not begin with the onset of the IntraWeb.




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mikes2nd
Posted 2014-04-29 1:13 PM (#438467 - in reply to #431236)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?


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Spoiler alert!?????





I will take the film over the book. Probably because I saw the movie first. The book is good but a little long winded and overly vivid it seems at times(can be good and bad I guess).

I knew Arnie had to die, just not how and that was a "letdown" like the movie. Dennis "couldn't win" at all due to the fact that the book was setup for "Christine 2" it seemed. It was like a hanging ending of a movie.... Dennis is hearing Lebays voice all the time(had to break up with Lee) and the one guy gets run over by a car in California in the prologue... The good guy lost, and the bad guy is back in action...

I really kind of get annoyed with stories where the good guy is irrelevant... Like raiders of the lost ark... simply let them open the ark... they all get wiped out... game over. Lebay simply gets his timeline set back a little

And the actual bad guy? Was it Christine or Lebay? was Christine empowering Lebay or the other way around? they were both in love with Christine or Arnie was a helpless victim the whole time to Lebay?... He needed an exorcist is all? Lebay calling guys "big guy?"... uh oh maybe Lebay was playing for the other team?

I understand King had to add the twist of the Lebay possession to not make it a short story about a killer car(how many times has that been done) but it worked for the movie.



Edited by mikes2nd 2014-04-29 1:17 PM
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Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2014-04-29 1:30 PM (#438470 - in reply to #438467)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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I did a similar review for the directions on the Quaker Instant Oatmeal label. So much
to read into the narrative and plot development.
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Lancer Mike
Posted 2018-07-15 10:30 PM (#566658 - in reply to #438470)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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The modern version of Stephen King's "It" came into the theaters a little more than a year ago, so I decided to read the book before I saw the movie.  I never saw the old movie.  I had heard that Christine made a return in the book and, sure enough, she does!  I just read the chapter tonight - it is toward the end of the book.  "It" arranges for Christine to "taxi" a bad guy from one place to another.  The scene comes complete with a rotting corpse driving (not Roland D. Lebay) the car!

 

The book captures the story of a group of kids who battle It and then have to battle It again as adults.  My understanding is that the most recent movie focuses on the kids story.  I also heard somewhere that some studio is beginning to film the grown-up story as a follow-up movie.  Could Christine make a triumphant return to the big screen in a new version of It?

 

Did Christine somehow trade the streets of Libertyville, PA for Derry, Maine?  The kid's story takes place in the summer of 1958; the grown-up story takes place in 1985.  That's plenty of time from the crushing in 1979 to rejuvinate and relocate!  For all those who wondered where Christine went - I think the answer is Derry, Maine! 

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Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2018-07-16 1:35 AM (#566667 - in reply to #566658)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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Any remake should be about all the Christine clones taking over
car shows from the Chevelles and Mustangs and billet hotrods.
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springsweptwing
Posted 2018-07-16 3:54 PM (#566688 - in reply to #566658)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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Lancer Mike - 2018-07-16 3:30 AM

The modern version of Stephen King's "It" came into the theaters a little more than a year ago, so I decided to read the book before I saw the movie.  I never saw the old movie.  I had heard that Christine made a return in the book and, sure enough, she does!  I just read the chapter tonight - it is toward the end of the book.  "It" arranges for Christine to "taxi" a bad guy from one place to another.  The scene comes complete with a rotting corpse driving (not Roland D. Lebay) the car!

 

The book captures the story of a group of kids who battle It and then have to battle It again as adults.  My understanding is that the most recent movie focuses on the kids story.  I also heard somewhere that some studio is beginning to film the grown-up story as a follow-up movie.  Could Christine make a triumphant return to the big screen in a new version of It?

 

Did Christine somehow trade the streets of Libertyville, PA for Derry, Maine?  The kid's story takes place in the summer of 1958; the grown-up story takes place in 1985.  That's plenty of time from the crushing in 1979 to rejuvinate and relocate!  For all those who wondered where Christine went - I think the answer is Derry, Maine! 



This is similar to Christine, even says in the trailer

https://youtu.be/wIKu2lqBAAE

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drosera88
Posted 2018-07-18 9:59 PM (#566832 - in reply to #431236)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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Why is everyone making a big deal about how accurately the car is described? It's a book about a possessed, sentient, car that kills people and repairs itself. I think accuracy goes out the window on that premise alone.
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Lancer Mike
Posted 2018-07-19 1:28 PM (#566854 - in reply to #566832)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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drosera88 - 2018-07-18 7:59 PM Why is everyone making a big deal about how accurately the car is described? It's a book about a possessed, sentient, car that kills people and repairs itself. I think accuracy goes out the window on that premise alone.

Haha!  Good point!  However, getting some of the little details right help draw the reader in and assist the "suspension of disbelief."

Regardless, the book is written as it is written - you can't go back and change those little details!

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58Jackie
Posted 2018-07-23 12:52 AM (#567046 - in reply to #566667)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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Doctor DeSoto - 2018-07-16 12:35 AM

Any remake should be about all the Christine clones taking over
car shows from the Chevelles and Mustangs and billet hotrods.


LOL!!! I totally agree!


One thing I wanted to add, I don't think its necessary to remake the movie. I work on my 58 in a fairly public place (rented garage) so I get people who look at my car. Anyway, there is still people out there that know about 58 Plymouths because of the movie. And mines not even red and they still recognize it!
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Lancer Mike
Posted 2018-07-23 11:06 PM (#567108 - in reply to #567046)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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on a related note:

 

IT by Stephen King, Part 5, Chapter 19, section 9:

 

"He reached the intersection of the seminary path and the sidewalk and peered at the car, trying to make sense out of the hulk behind the wheel.  But it was the car he recognized first --it was the one his father always swore he would own someday, a 1958 Plymouth Fury.  It was red and white and Henry knew (hadn't his father told him often enough?) that the engine rumbiling under the hood was a V-8 327.  Available horsepower of 255, able to hit seventy from the git-go in just about nine seconds, gobbling hi-test through its four-barrel carb.  I'm gonna get that car and then whien I die they can bury me in it, Butch [the father] had been fond of saying...except, of course, he had never gotten the car and the state had buried him after Henry had been taken away, raving and screaming of monsters, to the funny farm."

pages 911 - 912, Signet Classic, first printing (paperback) 1987.

 

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Lancer Mike
Posted 2018-09-27 11:52 PM (#570848 - in reply to #567108)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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I just watched "Ready Player One"  Christine makes an appearance during the frenetic race scene.





(Ready-player-one-christine.jpg)



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57burb
Posted 2018-09-28 1:28 PM (#570873 - in reply to #567046)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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58Jackie - 2018-07-22 11:52 PM

Anyway, there is still people out there that know about 58 Plymouths because of the movie. And mines not even red and they still recognize it!



Yes, people do recognize every '58 Plymouth (and '57 Chrysler and '55 Chevy and '60 Dodge and '64 Cadillac) as "Christine."

The movie has done wonders to inform average people what every old car with "wings on the back" is...
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GaryS
Posted 2018-09-28 3:51 PM (#570876 - in reply to #431236)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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I didn't care for the book, but I'm not a fan of King. I've read a few of his other books hoping to find one I enjoy, but haven't found it yet.

Just seeing the '58 Belvedere in the movie was enough for me to forgive the other weaknesses, but then I'm a nut when it comes to finned cars, especially the unique models like Furys, D500s, Adventurers and 300 Letter cars.

Now if I could only find a producer passionate to do a story about a '56 Plymouth Fury without having to destroy any of them!

Edited by GaryS 2018-09-28 3:52 PM
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Lancer Mike
Posted 2020-09-01 12:30 AM (#602775 - in reply to #566658)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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Lancer Mike - 2018-07-15 8:30 PM

The book captures the story of a group of kids who battle It and then have to battle It again as adults.  My understanding is that the most recent movie focuses on the kids story.  I also heard somewhere that some studio is beginning to film the grown-up story as a follow-up movie.  Could Christine make a triumphant return to the big screen in a new version of It?

 

I finally saw the movie IT part 2.  Stephen King makes a cameo appearance and has an Easter egg in the background...



Edited by Lancer Mike 2020-09-01 12:50 AM




(King.jpg)



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Lancer Mike
Posted 2020-09-01 12:31 AM (#602776 - in reply to #602775)
Subject: Re: Anybody read "Christine" lately?



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I wish he would have used the book plate!  NOBODY would have figured that out 

 



Edited by Lancer Mike 2020-09-01 12:33 AM




(Christine Book License Plate.jpg)



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