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Maximum Overdrive [VHS] [1986]
 
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Maximum Overdrive [VHS] [1986]

VHS ~ Emilio Estevez
4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Actors: Emilio Estevez, Pat Hingle, Laura Harrington, Yeardley Smith, John Short
  • Directors: Stephen King
  • Writers: Stephen King
  • Producers: Dino De Laurentiis, Don Levin, Martha De Laurentiis, Mel Pearl, Milton Subotsky
  • Format: Dolby, PAL, Surround Sound
  • Language English
  • Classification: 18
  • Studio: 4 Front Video
  • VHS Release Date: 11 Sep 2000
  • Run Time: 94 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00004CJJ4
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 5,349 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
"I'm gonna scare the hell out of you" intones Stephen King in the trailer for his sole directorial effort, the much-maligned Maximum Overdrive. While the end result doesn't live up to that boast, this SF/horror tale isn't as awful as it's been described. King's script (based on his short story "Trucks") focuses on the patrons of a North Carolina truck stop, which comes under attack by a convoy of trucks and other machines animated by Earth's passage through the tail of a "rogue comet".

King's fans, tired of half-baked screen adaptations such as Cujo and Children of the Corn, expected a horror home run from Maximum Overdrive and instead got an old-fashioned drive-in movie filled with car crashes, cheapjack gore and fart jokes. Needless to say, they stayed away in droves; the film's failure helped ruin producer Dino De Laurentiis's DEG Films and forced King sheepishly to claim that he had created a modern-day Plan Nine from Outer Space. While the film is torpidly paced and often amateurishly acted, it's no worse than any direct-to-video thriller, and King's ear for dialogue occasionally shines through the gloom. Emilio Estevez and Pat Hingle register as a heroic cook and his black-hearted boss, respectively; the cast includes Yeardley Smith (Lisa Simpson's voice), Giancarlo Esposito and Marla Maples as a victim. --Paul Gaita, Amazon.com

Synopsis
Stephen King directs, for the first time, this story of a crazy night-mare world which is slowly being overpowered by domestic machines, lawn mowers, soda dispensers etc. Soon the attacks become serious, building to a last-ditch stand against a horde of massive trucks. Soundtrack features AC/DC.

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Customer Reviews

9 Reviews
5 star:
 (4)
4 star:
 (4)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Maximum Entertainment!!, 28 Jul 2003
This review is from: Maximum Overdrive [DVD] [1986] (DVD)
A fantastic movie with what seems to be a very small cast, then introducing Emilio Estevez, and a very young "Lisa Simpson" - Cuurrrtis, is he Daaayyyyd!! This is Stephen King not realising he's at his best! The exclusively AC/DC soundtrack ('Who Made Who' album!) is just perfect for the movie, every emotion & action felt through Angus Young & the lads amazing riffs, beats & bass lines! Who knew the ice-cream man would be so scary!! Now every time I hear it outside, I lock the door & cut the power! In all, For Those About to Be Shocked with this classic little-known movie, We Salute You!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars ONE OF THE BETTER KING ADAPTIONS, 4 Nov 2007
By stuart "s.vernon" (MIDDLESBROUGH, ENGLAND) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: Maximum Overdrive [DVD] (DVD)
All over the world, machines aren't running the way they are supposed to. One truck stop in Connecticut experiences them first-hand, and manages to get them settled in and protected. Bill, (Emilio Estevez) the cook, starts to suspect that maybe the appliances are controlling themselves, which his boss (Pat Hingle) doesn't appreciate. Picking up hitchhiker Brett (Laura Harrington) and newlyweds Connie (Yeardly Smith) and Curtis (John Short), everyone gathers inside. Laura proposes that a comet passing by Earth's rotation is the culprit, and suggests that they weight it out for the duration. Hendershot isn't content to wait it out, and threatens Bill. Now trapped inside the diner, the machines eliminate them one at a time until they finally decide to fight back.

The Good News: People like to rag on this movie for some reason, and I don't know why, as this is a pretty fun movie. It has more action than what is usual in this kind of movie. There are tons of big action set pieces around such a small locale. There were even some big explosions, which don't include the exploding trucks. An entire gas service station goes up in flames as well as an entire dock. With shoot-outs, chases, and building demolitions included in the action, it really builds up to a wall to wall action movie. The trucks even kill people in great ways, running them over in a giant wave of bloodstained carnage. All of the other killings, which aren't as bloody, are just good. The film even has a few good chases thrown in good measure, which is really exhilarating to see a driver-less big rig trying to mow down a pursuing car. It brings back a lot of "Duel" memories watching the chases in here, because of the same scenario: driver-less cars and trucks chasing after hysterical people. With all the great stunts, though, in the movie, the best one is the opening of the movie. It is a great stunt, to see cars fall off of a drawbridge into the icy depths below and for no apparent reason at the time. For some reason, the film simply seems like one big B movie. It's campy, it's bad, and it knows it, but the set-ups provided within are just for the bad movie lovers at heart. It has that certain feel that movies of this particular genre have, where you can tell that it was made pretty cheap, but yet it still comes across as enjoyable.

The Bad News: The cheesiness of the movie may hinder some from really checking it out. Because it has so many head-scratching lines delivered by a mostly misplaced cast, this is a prime target for those who like to think that movies need to be highly cultured types to be respectable. Major plot-holes notwithstanding, many of you will be able to poke so many holes into it that it may provide you with more opportunities to laugh at than the rest of the movie.

The Final Verdict: Yes, it is a cheap, low budget movie with really no rewarding value to society. That, however, is the film's strength, as it mostly serves as a guilty pleasure. As it stands, unfortunately, the AC/DC soundtrack is more known and critically accepted than the movie, so be at your own risk when attempting to watch it.
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5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Cult great, 5 Feb 2005
This review is from: Maximum Overdrive [DVD] [1986] (DVD)
Probably the best opening line in any movie, in history ... ever:

"Honey? Honeybun? ... This machine just called me an asshole!"

AC/DC songs. Stephen King delivering the above line. Emilio Estevez before he resorted to kid's films. Great film.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A Hit
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... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Andrew Kerr

4.0 out of 5 stars disposable truck based horror from Steven King
disposable truck based horror from Steven King with an AC/DC soundtrack. Whats not to like? With Emilio Estevez
Published 17 months ago by Alister King

5.0 out of 5 stars ABSOLUTE GENIUS
I wouldn't normally suggest somebody waste their time with a film 'so bad it's good', but this has to be the exception. Read more
Published on 27 Aug 2002 by Bert Twankner

5.0 out of 5 stars Maximum overdrive
Oh my god what a good film. Great soundtrack just adds to it. I haven't stopped laughing since i saw it the other week. Read more
Published on 22 Jul 2002 by blockers90

4.0 out of 5 stars A film that has to be seen to be believed!!
This film is excellent. It's not meant to be a serious movie. I saw a T.V. programme about Stephen King's work, and he himself described it as 'An Idiot Movie'. Read more
Published on 16 Sep 2001

4.0 out of 5 stars Machines attempt to remove their inventors from the planet
Good soundtrack, cheesey lines and an appearance by Stephen King make this a must see movie. From the start of this film you know you will enjoy this movie. Read more
Published on 30 Nov 2000

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