Following the massive success of HALLOWEEN in 1976, horror icon John Carpenter continued his assault on the hearts and minds of cinema lovers with a run of films including THE FOG, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, and THE THING. 1983 marked something of a return to form, as he turned his lens back towards the most terrifying thing of all – high school – with his adaptation of author Stephen King‘s novel, “Christine.”

Unpopular nerd Arnie Cunningham buys a 1958 Plymouth Fury, which he names Christine. Arnie develops an unhealthy obsession with the car, to the alarm of his jock friend, Dennis Guilder. After bully Buddy Repperton defaces Christine, the auto restores itself to perfect condition and begins killing off Buddy and his friends. Determined to stop the deaths, Dennis and Arnie’s girlfriend, Leigh Cabot, decide to destroy Christine.With Keith Gordon, Harry Dean Stanton, John Stockwell, William Ostrander, Alexandra Paul.

“‘Christine’ is a perfectly enjoyable tale of the macabre, which can be read as a satirical parable of that particularly male kind of arrested development which manifests itself in car obsession.” (Guardian)

“If the ’80s were partially defined by revenge-of-the-nerd narratives, Christine is more about the horror of the geek-id unleashed.” (The Ringer)

“This is the kind of movie where you walk out with a silly grin, get in your car, and lay rubber halfway down the Eisenhower.” (Roger Ebert)

Wednesday, March 20
Movie 9:15 pm *As this is screening as part of a double bill, the start time is subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Advance single film tickets HERE

**Keep it cranked in high gear with a double bill of Michael Mann’s FERRARI at 6:30 pm for one sweet price HERE!**

CHRISTINE (John Carpenter | 1983 | 110 min | R) Nerdy high schooler Arnie Cunningham falls for Christine, a rusty 1958 Plymouth Fury, and becomes obsessed with restoring the classic automobile to her former glory. As the car changes, so does Arnie, whose newfound confidence turns to arrogance behind the wheel of his exotic beauty. Arnie’s girlfriend Leigh and best friend Dennis reach out to him, only to be met by a Fury like no other.

*Minors OK. Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service.
*Rio Theatre Groupons and Rio Theatre passes are OK for any single film screening only. Please redeem at the box office.
*Online sales end an hour before showtime; unless otherwise noted, tickets are always available for purchase at the box office prior to showtime.  Our box office is typically open 30 minutes before showtime. All seating is General Admission; please arrive 20-30 minutes prior to showtime to ensure great seats and time for treats.
*If you are looking to redeem either a Rio Theatre gift certificate or Groupon to any regular Rio Theatre screening: You can either email us in advance <[email protected]> and give us a “heads up,” or do it at the box office prior to showtime. (We seat 400+ people and our regular screenings are very rarely at capacity – you should not have issues being admitted.)

*All Rio Theatre tickets are final sale.