Maximum
Overdrive
Director:
Stephen King
Year
1986
Maximum
Overdrive is a ridiculously fun and entertaining film which blends
horror, action, comedy and science fiction, into one total package
which thrills to no end. Directed by the legendary horror novelist
and first-time filmmaker Stephen King, the movie takes an airy
approach to the material, opting to engage in a campy interpretation
of some rather extraordinary events. Basking in a tongue in cheek
attitude, yet played entirely serious, Maximum Overdrive is a curious
gem which goes against the grain and the stereotype of its famous
author and creator. In its unorthodox approach the film plunges
forward into a mad-cap world filled with interesting characters,
otherworldly situations, and absurdly dark filled humor. As Stephen
King's one and only attempt at film-making, I have to say that he
came and went with one hell of a bang.
The film
opens to a string of strange events where machines begin to rise up
and attack their human creators. Coinciding with the appearance of a
mysterious rogue comet which is passing the Earth, the planet is
suddenly and violently thrown into chaos as man and machine clash,
sending humans on a crash course to extinction. Surrounded by an army
of various vehicular monstrosities, a small group of survivors hold
up in a truck stop as they desperately try to come to terms with
these most unexpected turn of events. Armed with their wits and a few
surprises in the form of fire-power, the motley group band together
in order to survive this nightmarish reality. A reality where
creations hunt their creators.
Emilio
Estevez plays the role of Bill Robinson, a troubled youth whose
rotten job at a gas station is about to get a whole hell of a lot
worse. Estevez is exceptionally great in this role as he plays off of
the campy elements of the film with sincere affection and validity.
Bare in mind that there is nothing Oscar worthy in his performance,
but it is the sheer fact that he gives the material respect and
injects a sense of fun into the proceedings without bogging it down
with the usual camp trappings and unintentional winks to the
audience. He is immersed and engaged in this world through and
through, and it does wonders for allowing the viewer to get wrapped
up in all of the shenanigans and come along for the ride. Estevez
plays a great underdog in the flick and his enthusiasm helps to up
the fun factor tremendously, without pushing the movie and his
performance into camp territory.
Of
course this is not a one man show and the assortment of characters
that inhabit this movie are as diverse as they are amusing. Laura
Harrington plays Brett, a drifter who just so happens to be at the
truck stop the very instant the shit hits the fan. She's feisty and
highly capable, and her role in the film is quite a substantial one
as she is paired with Estevez's character as the story begins to
escalate. Another great paring of the flick is Yeardley Smith and
John Short as the newlyweds, Connie and Curtis. These two are a riot,
as they bicker and react to all that is going on, often plunging into
some rather comical and memorable moments. It was also interesting to
see Short's Curtis character grow, from a quiet and conservative guy
with a nagging wife, to a daring badass, of course also with a
nagging wife. The rest of the cast is equally impressive with Pat
Hingle playing the scumbag owner of the truck stop Bubba Hendershot,
Ellen McElduff taking on the role of the spirited waitress Wanda
June, Christopher Murney playing the sleazy salesman Camp Loman, and
Holter Graham taking on the role of the young heroic kid Deke Keller.
All in all, it's not hard to see why this movie is so damn enjoyable
and the cast nail their roles to perfection.
As for
the tone and atmosphere of the film, it is a mixture of foreboding
moments and whimsical adventure. Stephen King infused the soundtrack
of the movie with the very distinct sound of the rock band AC/DC,
giving the production a strangely catchy soundscape to display its
carnage and comically infused antics against. It is an unusual
mixture that I'm sure isn't for everyone, but for myself I found the
combination to be extremely entertaining and tons of fun. In fact the
soundtrack is so vivid against the imagery in this film that I find
myself replaying the movie in my head whenever certain AC/DC songs
come on the radio. With this whimsical approach, you lose a great
deal of horror from what is essentially a horror driven story, but in
the end the added absurdity only amplifies the charm of the movie.
The main
location of the film, centered around the truck stop, is also another
asset of the production. I've always been a fan of George Romero's
original Night of the Living Dead and the fact that an ensemble cast
of characters are trapped in a farmhouse surrounded by the walking
dead, and essentially we have that same plot playing out in Maximum
Overdrive. Instead of zombies though, we have massive trucks and
various machines attempting to overcome our main characters, and I
thoroughly enjoyed that interesting twist on the genre staple. The
combination of that and the added dark humor of the film is enough to
get my attention, and when you add that with the extremely realized
characters of the movie you've got yourself the perfect ingredients
for one hell of a good time.
Maximum
Overdrive is a demented amalgam of genre film elements that combine
to make an irresistible hybrid flick that entertains more than it
horrifies. Unique and unfaltering, this obscure gem opts to tread
lightly on the horror aspects of its story and instead focus on its
more outlandish and diverse world. With its Rock interlaced
soundtrack and adventurous nature, Maximum Overdrive comes off as a
sci-fi adventure more than anything and that's alright by me. Having
not read the short story, Trucks, that it is based on, I had no
preconceived ideas on what the movie should or shouldn't have been,
allowing for me to just sit back and enjoy the ride.
What
really makes this film work though is the inclusion of a highly
capable cast that is as colorful as the movie's premise. As the film
veers from its horror origins, it relies on its lively characters to
take the reigns and steer it to its course, and from that perspective
it succeeds tremendously. Across the board the cast carries the film,
as the story focuses on their trials and tribulations as they
struggle to survive this most unusual turn of events. It is a
peculiar choice on director Stephen King's part, seeing that he is an
almost exclusively horror-centric writer, but in my opinion the
gamble paid off for I am always and will forever be enthralled with
this camp classic. Maximum Overdrive is without a doubt.....
 |
| What are you looking at weirdo? |
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| God NO! Not her melons! Not her beautiful melons! |
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| What do you think you're doing you little shit? WE MADE YOU!!!! |
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| Now that's a crotch shot! |
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| Your hat looks stupid. Look who's talking. |
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| The crew couldn't stand how Emilio sipped his tea. |
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| And so began Emilio's life long fear of clowns. |
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| Hey! Fuck you too buddy! |
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| Say hello to Bubba's big friend! |
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| Curtis! I have to take a pee!!!!! |
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| So that's where all the powdered donuts went you little sneaks. |
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| Who knew that Wanda June was a fan of opera? Sing it girl! |
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| Yeeeehaawwww!!! |
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| Bubba sure does love him some rockets. |
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| This guy is a real prick! |
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| Damn! That goblin truck needs some Visine Drops. |
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| I would kill to see this price the next time I get gas! |
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| Well there goes the neighborhood. WE MADE YOU!!!!!! |
