12. Christine (1983)
Arnie Cunningham is a dyed in the wool nerd. He has one friend - the high school jock Dennis Guilder. Arnie discovers a swanky old red car that needs a lot of repairs. The car is called Christine and Arnie spends considerable time doing her up. Dennis notices that Arnie's personality begins to change - he becomes cocky and confident. Dennis and Leigh - Arnie's love interest discover that the car has a wicked past - it killed its previous owner. Leigh and Dennis decide they must save Arnie from a similar tragic fate, but will Christine relinquish her beloved owner without a fight? Not one of King's most highly regarded books, the film adaptation of Christine is pleasingly amusing (it is directed by John Carpenter) and works as a picture about teenagers and their lives. The idea of a killer car is quite silly but nevertheless the film manages this concept fairly well and does incur a few frights along the way. It is gratifying to watch Arnie's personality change during the film - going from über nerd to cocky little prick as he works on Christine. The performances in the film are quite impressive. The film is eminently watchable but it does reek of 1980s cheesiness. That could be a good thing or a bad thing - depending on your individual tastes.