I first watched 'Maximum Overdrive' in the late eighties and I thought it was great. Then again, I wasn't even a teenager, so I'd hardly call myself a 'connoisseur' of good film-making. Normally, when a Stephen King book gets adapted for the big screen, someone else writes/directs it. However, here the man himself did it all, i.e. wrote the screenplay as well as directs it. And, I think it's fair to say that he should probably stick to his day job. Although, to be fair, I'm not sure whether he was trying to be scary or funny.
We're told at the beginning of the movie that a comet is passing by the Earth. The next thing we know every electronic machine has come to life and is attacking us poor old humans. And I do mean every machine has it in for us. If you've never been intimidated by a scary garden sprinkler system then you just haven't lived. Yes, even vending machines have it in for us. So, if you're smirking at that - kind of ridiculous - prospect, then you're probably not alone.
That's kind of what I mean when I said I didn't know whether King was going for scares or laughs. When a typical garden lawnmower 'chases' down a boy on a bicycle, we're treated to those sinister sound effects (you know the ones I mean - those 'dink-dink-deeking' sounds as used in the 'shower scene' in 'Psycho'). Now, 'Psycho' was definitely supposed to be scary and so those sorts of film tricks worked. Here, you just can't help but laugh when the 'baddies' of a film are things like electric knives and bridges.
The main plot centres around a band of survivors (led by Emilio Estevez) who hold up in a gas station while a gang of evil, self-driving lorries circle the building, trying to run them down). It's effectively a 'siege movie' only nowhere near as tense or believable as other similar films of the genre, such as 'Assault on Precinct 13.' Not only does poor old Emilio have to deal with a bunch of trucks led by one with the 'Green Goblin' on the front (obviously back in 1986 Marvel weren't too fussed about other films using their property!), but also his boss (Pat Hingle), who has absolutely no redeeming features and wants him to basically work for free and isn't concerned whether he lives or dies.
Yet, however daft the premise (and execution!) is, I couldn't find it in myself to hate it. Yes, I can see how bad it is now, but I think that's part of its appeal. I guess you could refer to it as one of those 'so bad they're good' kind of films. Also, from what I've seen on the internet (and a mention on the animated show 'Archer!') I do believe that it has found at least a little fame as a 'cult hit.' If you're expecting something horrific, look elsewhere. If you're looking for something believable, again - look elsewhere. However, if you set your mind low enough and what to see something totally unbelievable that makes no sense whatsoever - here it is.
Plus you get to see a cash machine call the man himself, Stephen King, an 'a$$hole' to his face in the opening scene. What more could you want?
7/10 if I woke up on Groundhog Day and had to watch this again, I could live with that
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