So we’ve been exploring old movies via several streaming services over the weekend.
Surprisingly, there are plenty of films that mom hasn’t seen and more than that for me – especially if it was released in the late 1980s or early 1990s.
It’s rare to find something that I’ve seen that mom doesn’t remember and even more of a miracle if it’s a movie Mike hasn’t seen.
We also re-visit anything we haven’t seen collectively in at least a decade.
That’s how we landed on John Carpenter’s 1983 interpretation of Stephen King’s “Christine” late Saturday afternoon.
I vaguely remembered the book and recalled the movie even less.
I mean, a possessed car that kills people is just the broad strokes of the film and I spent some time on Google looking up more facts on the movie when I came across notes that Blumhouse Productions has ordered a remake.
Now, I’m not averse to remakes of old films as long as they stay fairly close to the source material.
That being said, I’m wondering if they’re going to stick with the iconic 1958 Plymouth Fury as the evil car of choice or deviate for something newer.
If the latter, then what sort of car could you see taking up the “Christine” mantel and still being effectively terrifying?
It’s especially hard to visualize because of how recent cars are designed to be aerodynamic with smoother lines instead of “making a statement” right off the factory line.
And don’t let me get started on how almost everything is made with plastic instead of metal.
Will they choose a street racer sort of car and turn “Christine” into an off-shoot of the “Fast and Furious” franchise?
Moreover, if the remake features modern high school students, I honestly don’t see them choosing a vintage or antique gas-guzzling machine and opting for something more economical.
Wait, maybe they’re going to factor the possession of the car into one of those auto-driving electrical vehicles!
There’s nothing more terrifying than having a “smart” car that you can’t control or having a manual override option.
I mean, I’ve got a Ford Focus and that’s a fairly efficient sedan sort of car.
But, it’s also about 20 years old and most teenagers would rather be dead than be seen in a hand-me-down sort of situation.
Honestly, could you see a Focus rampaging on the road and running down people left and right?
It’s fuel-efficient and rather low to the ground but doesn’t accelerate amazingly or strike fear in the hearts of bullies.
I just don’t have much faith in the upcoming remake, but, I’ll make sure to review it for you all when it comes out.
However, given the track record of Stephen King remake films, I’m still an avid fan of the 2017 version of “It.”
I mean, there’s not much you can mess up in regards to a creepy extraterrestrial entity that appears mostly as a clown that kidnaps children and drags them into his burrow in the sewer.
Plus, I’ve always been pretty creeped out and unsettled by clowns – even if I know who is under all that paint.
I guess you could chalk that up to Jack Nicholson’s iteration of the “Joker” in 1989.
But, still, special effects have come a long way since the original “It” debuted as a two-part miniseries in 1990.
I suppose that overall my underlying hope for more Stephen King film remakes is that they update it accordingly while staying true to the source material and you can bet that I’ll make sure to give them all a test run for you!
