Writer: Stephen King (Screenplay)
Starring: Emilio Estevez, Pat Hingle, Laura Harrington, Yeardley Smith, John Short, Ellen McElduff, J.C. Quinn, Christopher Murney, Holter Graham, Frankie Faison
Plot: A group of people try to survive when machines start to come alive and become homicidal.
There may be spoilers the rest of the review
Verdict: This is Why he Writes
Story: Maximum Overdrive starts with some science explaining ow Earth will be inside radiation from a passing comet for eight days. We follow as a small town starts to get over run by the machines and Bill Robinson (Estevez) an employee at a small diner has to lead the survivors in their quest to survive as the machines try to find the most graphic ways to kill people. Diner manager Bubba (Hingle) brings the weapons and newly-weds Connie (Smith) and Curtis (Short) end up trapped in the diner on the way to their honeymoon.
Maximum Overdrive is one of those invasion like ideas that tries to do something original, but this ends up being something I don’t want to see again. It really gets a lot stuck in the middle of the ideas and never decides if it wants to be a comedy or something serious. The characters get zero development and as for the science angle that just ends up feeling out of place. This is easily one of those films that will get put in the bracket of that bad you have to see though. (3/10)
Actor Review
Emilio Estevez: Bill Robinson is the diner employee who has to step up to protect his friends and customers when they become trapped inside the diner surrounded by trucks with minds of their own. Emilio doesn’t get the most time to show his talents in this role. (4/10)
Support Cast: Maximum Overdrive has a group of survivors who all have different traits which can either help or hinder their chance of making it.
Director Review: Stephen King – Stephen has admitted this was a bad film and he knows what he is talking about. (3/10)
Action: Maximum Overdrive has action packed kills but doesn’t really make the most of the chances it has. (5/10)
Comedy: Maximum Overdrive has a few funny moments but never reaches full levels it could. (4/10)
Horror: Maximum Overdrive doesn’t reach any of the horror level required for this style of film. (3/10)
Sci-Fi: Maximum Overdrive tries to add a sci-fi angle but never looks into the idea enough. (4/10)
Settings: Maximum Overdrive put of group trapped works for the film and could be the only highlight out there. (7/10)
Suggestion: Maximum Overdrive is a be drunk to enjoy film. (Watch Drunk)
Best Part: Can machine.
Worst Part: Most of it.
Believability: No (0/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Box Office: $7.5 Million
Budget: $10 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 37 Minutes
Tagline: Imagine your worst nightmare: machines take over the world!
Trivia: Stephen King, being a former cocaine addict, later admitted that he was “coked out of my mind” the entire time he was making this picture and often didn’t know what he was doing. He remarked that he’d like to try directing again someday, this time sober.
Overall: This was so bad I might give away my DVD of it.
Rating