Maximum Overdrive is perfectly mediocre but with enough interesting parts to make it worthwhile. The movie is produced by questionably renowned producer Dino De Laurentiis (King Kong ‘76, Orca, Piranha II: The Spawning); it is also written and directed by Stephen King, based on an early short story of his called “Trucks”.
Director: Stephen King
Producer: Dino De Laurentiis, Martha De Laurentiis, Milton Subotsky
Writers: Stephen King, based on “Trucks” by Stephen King
Cinematographer: Armando Nannuzzi
Editor: Evan A. Lottman
Music: AC/DC (Angus Young, Malcom Young)
Select Cast: Emilio Estevez, Pat Hingle, Laura Harrington, Yeardley Smith, John Short
Runtime: 97 minutes
Country of Origin: USA
US Release: July 25, 1986; De Laurentiis Entertainment Group
Maximum Overdrive is about the machines of the world growing murderously sentient after the earth falls into the tail of an ominous comet. Vending machines, lawn mowers, kitchen appliances are all out for blood, but it’s the trucks you got to watch out for. Despite the global crisis, the story wisely focuses on one group of misfit people who must band together inside their truck stop convenience store; outside, the semi-trucks circle like sharks and run down those who venture out.
As an ensemble cast, the actors and script do a satisfactory job. Conflicts are established, love interests explored, and archetypes develop; Emilio Estevez as Bill is affectionately dubbed “Hero” by lover Brett (Laura Harrington) and he rises to the occasion thanks to the screen presence of Estevez. The dialogue, however, is nothing special and the characters are ultimately not nuanced enough to escape the movie’s broad spectacle.
Indeed, if any component of the film rises above merely the satisfactory, it is the set-pieces of King’s direction. With a sense of gleeful abandon, King aptly mixes horror with action. This praise stands in contrast to the woeful reputation of Stephen King as the director; yes, the man was infamously “coked out of his mind” and continuously drinking on set, but the movie isn’t objectively sloppy. There are flashes of know-how, such as the lift-bridge sequence or the young little leaguer biking through a prototypical American neighborhood now tainted by the dead – victims of their very own machines. Nevertheless, Maximum Overdrive proved to be King’s first and last directorial effort.
But it would not be the last of this tale of killer big rigs. The USA Network aired a feature adaptation of the short story called Trucks in 1997; it is worth checking out as a closer telling of the source material. Additionally, the soundtrack to Maximum Overdrive endures in its own right as the successful AC/DC album Who Made Who. Fans of the rock band will have one more reason to enjoy the flick.
In the end, the behind-the-scenes notoriety of Maximum Overdrive overshadow the movie itself, fairly or not. The actual picture is a decent watch for those interested in a lean and mean ‘80s movie about semis that come to life and murder people. It’s not unlike an AC/DC song: thundering bass, beating rhythm, screaming guitar, and the dumbest lyrics put to music.
by Vincent S. Hannam
Don’t miss the next review! Enter your email here & follow CAMP KAIJU wherever you podcast!
Camp Kaiju 