The Wizard – Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers

Christine, 1983

Welcome to another exciting, brand-new edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! Even with October officially behind us, the boys still had the urge to cover one last horror to close out the season. And this go around J. Blake and Dion Baia are covering a director they love, dubbed by fans as “The Master of Horror.” This then begs the question: What do you get when you take a humble Detroit-born Plymouth ‘Mopar‘, add the legendary horror novelist Stephen King and then throw said “Master of Horror“ into the mix? Well you get the John Carpenter classic, Christine, from 1983.

Christine, 1983

The fellas discuss their HUGE affinity and nostalgia for this film, reminiscing about specific childhood memories concerning Christine. They examine where director John Carpenter was at this point in his career, coming off the commercial failure of his 1982 film The Thing and his decision to take on this project, while only viewing it at the time as “a job.” True to form, Dion and Blake compare the book to the film, and analyze which version best presents (in their opinion) the most entertaining story. They also track the sub-subgenre of the “haunted” or “possessed” vehicle, as well as get into the history of the real star of this movie, the 1958 Plymouth Fury– and their extraneous but personal connection to the car in question. So, though this is considered Carpenter‘s least favorite project, could it be argued that it might possibly be the auteur’s best directed film? How do the popular songs used in the film help convey the mood- specifically “Pledging my Love“, and the haunting true-story behind that classic Johnny Ace track? And how essential is the entire cast of Christine (including the supporting players) succeeding in carrying a story that otherwise might be completely unbelievable? Well, you better check your oil and tires, make sure your fingers are ready to shift with the push-button Torqueflite transmission on your Plymouth, and whatever you do, be sure your 1958 two-door sedan doesn’t feel spurned, because the boys are speeding into another thrilling and informative episode of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!

Extras!

Check out the original teaser trailer for Christine!

Take a look at the deleted and extended scenes from Christine!

A must watch, check out this 2017 full panel discussion at the Stephen King Film Series at Egyptian Theatre in the summer of 2017 on the 1983 film Christine, with some of the cast and crew!

Here’s the brand new, 2017 music video for Christine, starring and directed by the great John Carpenter!

Have a look at this 2017 Volo Auto Museum Series short on one of the original Plymouth Fury‘s used in the film, and the owner’s scary experience once acquiring the car!

A true flashback to the past, check out the short-lived 1986 TV series called The Wizard, and the 3rd episode called Haunted Memories that Dion brought up, that has a similar plot to this week’s film.

And lastly, also brought up in the cast, check out this 2009 Consumer Reports Crash Test, pitting a 2009 Chevy Malibu vs a 1959 Chevy Bel Air.

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Category: Classic, Horror | 2 Comments

September 11

The Last Starfighter, 1984

To close out the long and hot summer, J. Blake and Dion Baia have embarked on a journey that will take them out of the trailer park canyons of California and up into the galaxy to help defend the cosmos against horrifying alien evildoers who are hell-bent on, well… doing whatever they plan to do- and the key to this adventure is provided to us by one cleverly disguised, humble arcade game console. Yes, we are talking about the highly-underated 1984 film The Last Starfighter, directed by Nick Castle.

Yes Joystick Jockeys, this cult classic is hailed as the first film to showcase CGI Imagery to replace the tradition Stop-Motion and Practically Special Effects, and is sometimes forgotten for that milestone. But how does a space film in a post-Star Wars world stand out without ultimately being compared to the property that set the bar? The boys reminisce about the era of the late 1970’s and 80’s when one actually had to go out of their house and travel to a local arcade or restaurant if they wanted to socialize while gaming, and/or see the latest and greatest in video game technology vis-à-vis the big console units. Has time and the public been fair to this ground-breaking film? Can this movie actually be considered as influential as Star Wars in certain circles? And what’s this film’s 3-way connection to John Carpenter? And does Blake‘s Lance Guest story really involve a late-night encounter in the adult section of a 24-hour New York City store? Well we’re not pulling any punches on this all new edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! Inter-stellar!!

(Check out the site for the Kenner Star Wars toys documentary discussed in this podcast entitled, Plastic Galaxy: The Story of Star Wars Toys.)

(Here’s the link to Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America, the great book that discusses the history of game consoles; the success of Mario starting from the failed arcade console Radar Scope which was then converted into the legendary Donkey Kong, leading to the rise of Nintendo and the legacy we are all familiar with today.)

(Have a look at composer Craig Safan conduct a performance of The Last Starfighter Suite, live!)

(The name of the Cleveland Restaurant that had VHS tapes to watch behind the bar was The Greenhouse Tavern)

(And on a COMPLETELY unrelated note, here is Dion meeting to man, the myth, the legend- Mr. Ron Jeremy)