Maximum Overdrive (DVD)

Director: Stephen King Producer: Martha Schumacher Writer: Stephen King Stars: Emilio Estevez, Pat Hingle, Laura Harrington, J.C. Quinn, Christopher Murney Music performed by AC/DC Note: this is a review on the movie only, mainly because I watched this on VHS video and there are no extras on the video, although there may be some on the DVD release. Originally released in the summer of 1986 this 97 minute sci-fi action movie follows the rather strange events surrounding a roadside truck stop. I was a big fan of Stephen King's novels, enjoying some of the movie adaptations as well, although not as good as the books I ...  Read the complete review

There is undoubtably no other author quite so abused and misused by the movie industry than Stephen King. His books are regular visitors to the very highest reaches of the best-sellers lists, sell and delight millions across the globe(they bore me these days incidentally, but that's besides the point) and yet have been consistently made into really awful movies. Of course, a few stand out from the crowd as being the exceptions which prove the rule, but for the most part, and especially when you think of his short stories, Hollywood has made some real howlers out of undeniably excellent source material. Perhaps it was the recognition of this which lead Stephen King to ...  Read the complete review

With this movie, Stephen King's directorial debut, the author siad he wanted to make a trash B-movie. And boy, did he succeed! Based loosely on his short story Trucks, the has Earth passing through the tail of a comet. A side effect of this is that machines develop a mind of their own and decide to kill everyone! From a killer coke vending machine to a homicial pinball machine, they're out to get us1 The main thrust of the action takes place in a truck stop, where the occupants (including Emilio Estevez) are held hostage by their own trucks. The 'leader' of these is a sinister looking black truck with the face of the Green Goblin (Spiderman villain) ...  Read the complete review

Stephen King is a great, if not the greatest horror writer alive today, but when it comes to the film adaptations of his books, I've always felt that they've been hit or miss. Thankfully Maximum Overdrive is not as bad as some people (and critics) wanted me to believe, and despite a few failing is beyond doubt a hit. Based in North Carolina (as far as I can recall), the residents come under attack from a host of machines that have came 'alive' by the Earth passing into the path of a comet. Some people take cover in a diner / gas station but soon trucks of all nature start circling in a blood-thirsty-dance, trapping them inside. The film has plenty ...  Read the complete review