# The 1983 movie John Carpenter refuses to accept as a cult classic: “Stop, that’s ridiculous”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-1983-movie-john-carpenter-refuses-to-accept-as-a-cult-classic-stop-thats-ridiculous/
- Published: 2026-07-23T21:30:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-28T03:02:36+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/movie-john-carpenter-refuses-accept-as-cult-classic/
- Topics: Entertainment, Film

## Key points

- Carpenter rejects *Christine* as a cult classic.
- He made it after *The Thing* damaged his career.
- Others believe the film has been reassessed positively.

## Summary

John Carpenter has rejected suggestions that his 1983 Stephen King adaptation *Christine* should be regarded as a cult classic or among his best work. The remarks matter because the film has gained a stronger reputation over time, despite Carpenter’s own unusually blunt view of a project now praised by some fans and collaborators.

Carpenter made *Christine* after *The Thing* initially flopped, saying he took the job principally for financial reasons and was not in love with the story of a murderous car. Marking the film’s 40th anniversary, he questioned the value of celebrating it, called it merely “a good movie” and said it was not one of his favourites; lead actor Keith Gordon, however, argued it had risen into the top tier of Carpenter’s films.

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