Christine Blu-ray Review

Sony's 1080p Blu-ray release of "Christine" impressively carries the movie’s spirit through high-quality video presentation. Set in a 2.40:1 aspect ratio, the image is both vibrant and polished, with fine detail and texture present throughout. Colors are particularly striking; Christine’s iconic red paint gleams brilliantly, especially in well-lit scenes, while the overall color palette—ranging from letterman jacket reds to the greens and blues of the environments—injects life into this classic horror film. The grain structure remains light but critical, preserving the filmic quality and adding texture without becoming distracting. Foreground details are sharp, with excellent clarity in both close-up and mid-level shots, although some wide-angle pans appear slightly softer.

The contrasts and black levels in this presentation are notably praiseworthy. Black levels are deep and generally accurate, ensuring robust shadow detailing and depth during nighttime sequences. However, some shadows do obscure finer details, but this is minor compared to the overall impressive depth and accuracy of blacks. The film's occasional mild softness around the edges is counterbalanced by enhanced sharpness in most other segments. Possibly due to noise reduction, occasional waxiness in facial textures is observed but does not detract significantly from the viewing experience. Importantly, no digital tampering such as banding or macroblocking is detected, contributing to a smooth and clean visual experience.

Overall, "Christine" exudes a gratifyingly high level of visual detail, capturing the essence of the story while delivering the best picture quality the film has had to date. The Blu-ray’s video presentation wonderfully supports both the horror and nostalgia elements intrinsic to this 30-plus-year-old masterpiece. Remarkably preserved and presented by Sony, this release ensures "Christine" looks as menacing and captivating as ever.

The Blu-ray audio presentation of "Christine" is accomplished through a robust DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack, which masterfully retains the integrity and detailed nuances of the original recording. The lossless DTS-HD tracks handle dialogue with precision, ensuring clear reproduction that extends well into the room with noticeable front channel separation and excellent clarity. The front soundstage is impressively wide, allowing cars to sweep across the screen with smooth transitions, creating an authentic sense of spatial movement. The rear channels contribute to ambient extension, delivering subtle background details like footfalls, chirping birds, and rustling leaves, enhancing the overall envelopment.

Heavier effects such as collisions and explosions are integrated seamlessly, exhibiting remarkable weight and power that adds to the immersive experience. Notably impressive are the crunching metal sounds and throaty engine revs, which provide a palpable sense of impact without any distortion. The soundtrack's dynamic range is significant given the recording's age, offering sharp detailing and separation in higher frequencies while maintaining notable clarity during loud segments. John Carpenter’s synth score and classic rock tunes translate beautifully into high-definition audio, benefiting from this improved fidelity.

Additionally, the release includes multiple language and subtitle options to cater to a broad audience. The English 5.1 DTS-HD track is complemented by Dolby Digital tracks in French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Latin American), and Portuguese. This comprehensive audio selection opens up the original soundtrack for added ambient moments and LFE integration. Subtitles include English SDH, Chinese (Traditional), Japanese, Korean, Spanish, and Thai, ensuring accessibility for a diverse viewer base. The lossless mix not only provides an immersive experience but also preserves the film’s original elements with meticulous attention to detail, making it a standout presentation for fans of this cult horror classic.

The extras on the Blu-ray release of "Christine" offer an extensive delve into the making of the film, featuring content previously available on the Twilight Time disc, with minor runtime variations. The audio commentary by director John Carpenter and actor Keith Gordon is engaging and rich with insightful anecdotes about the film's production. The set of twenty deleted scenes provides additional context and depth to the narrative, though presented in standard definition. Featurettes like "Ignition," "Fast and Furious," and "Finish Line" include interviews with cast and crew, discussing everything from the adaptation process to the film's musical score. Additionally, the Digital HD copy ensures you can enjoy "Christine" on various platforms.

Extras included in this disc:

• Audio Commentary: Director John Carpenter and Keith Gordon discuss the film.
• Deleted Scenes: A collection of twenty excised scenes.
• Christine: Ignition: Adapting the book to film.
• Christine: Fast and Furious: Cast and crew interviews.
• Christine: Finish Line: Focus interviews on the musical score.
• Digital HD Copy

John Carpenter’s adaptation of Stephen King’s "Christine" stands as a compelling intersection of supernatural horror and psychological thriller. The story revolves around a love affair, not between people, but between a nerdy high school student, Arnie Cunningham (played with exceptional range by Keith Gordon), and a malevolent 1958 Plymouth Fury. Carpenter deviates from King’s backstory by leaving the car’s malevolent origin unexplained, adding an air of mystery and menace. This methodological choice enhances the film's atmosphere, setting up Christine as an evil force intrinsic to her creation. Carpenter skillfully blends thrilling suspense with dark, but occasionally amusing moments, establishing the car as a character with a life of its own.

Sony’s Blu-ray release provides an impressive technical presentation that does the film justice. Though notably absent is the isolated score featured in Twilight Time's previously sold-out limited edition, the transfer quality remains identical for both versions. The Blu-ray features various supplemental content including several featurettes and a commentary by John Carpenter and Keith Gordon, although some variations in runtime for deleted scenes are noticeable. The Region Free BD50 disc comes packaged with an UltraViolet Digital Copy, ensuring broad accessibility for contemporary viewers.

Arnie’s transformation, paralleled by Christine’s resurrection, is captured in a way that retains intense viewer interest. As Arnie restores Christine, his personality morphs from a timid nerd to a confident yet darker figure, eliciting concern from friends and family. Concurrently, Christine becomes increasingly possessive and vengeful, targeting those who threaten her bond with Arnie. Carpenter’s direction ensures that these shifts are synchronized seamlessly with the film’s pacing. The clever use of rock music as Christine’s ‘voice’ complements the throaty roar of her engine, further infusing the narrative with a malevolent personality. Despite occasional episodic editing, "Christine" remains both entertaining and engaging, a testament to Carpenter’s acumen in crafting multifaceted horror.

Sony's Blu-ray release of "Christine," directed by the iconic John Carpenter and based on Stephen King's novel, is a stellar offering that will delight horror aficionados. This edition boasts exceptional video and audio quality, which markedly enhances the viewing experience. Though it lacks a key supplement present in the Twilight Time release, the value and accessibility of this version make it a highly attractive purchase. The remaining supplements are both engaging and insightful, providing fans with ample background and additional content that enriches their appreciation of the film.

"Christine" stands out as a macabre narrative featuring strong performances and a compelling storyline, deviating from Carpenter's more traditional blood-and-guts horror. The Blu-ray's refined presentation complements the film's dark themes and striking visual style. Despite any episodic narrative feel, Carpenter skillfully maneuvers Arnie's descent into darkness and Christine's malevolent rage, creating a tension-filled, devilishly entertaining ride. The inclusion of supplements from the 2004 DVD adds to the package's appeal, offering a well-rounded collection that caters to both new viewers and long-time fans.

In conclusion, Sony's "Christine" Blu-ray is an outstanding package for anyone who values robust video and audio presentation coupled with thoughtful supplementary content. Despite minor drawbacks like the omitted supplement from the Twilight Time edition, this release stands as a highly recommended acquisition. It's a must-buy for those who missed prior editions and a worthy addition for enthusiasts looking to revisit this cult horror favorite in its best possible form.