The Pumpkin King: MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE (1986)

For Those About To Drive, We Salute You

If I'm selling you a horror movie recommendation, and I say, “It's adapted from Stephen King, stars the most likable Estevez, Commissioner Gordon (the great Pat Hingle), has monster trucks, lots of carnage, and the soundtrack is by one of the best rock bands in history.” Then if you have any sense, you're going to want to watch that movie. And lucky you, you probably already have because it's MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE (1986) written and directed by Stephen King.

Now I know what you're going to say: “But Kiley, it's bad.”

I'm all too aware there isn't enough love shown to this movie in the world. While Disney's CARS is out here making race car beds with Lightning McQueen, I can't even get Happy Toyz Green Goblin bed sheets so that I can finally have my dream of laying down for sleep, turning to that grinning green face, and yelling with all my spite, “The world's gone tits up!” It's a shame horror fans often place this lower down the list in their Stephen King film and TV rankings. (THE LANGOLIERS is right there!) While I would've liked to have seen what someone like John Carpenter could've done with it, especially after seeing CHRISTINE (1983), Stephen King's handling of MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE is far better than what I or most people could've done as a first-time director. During the first three quarters of the movie, I was even getting George A. Romero's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968) vibes. The machines were zombies, and it was fucking beautiful.

Say what you have to say, but this movie has a solid engine, a lot of muscle, and at worst just needs a little work on the brakes. I mean this with all my heart. MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE is the nightmare version of Disney's CARS and that is pretty damn cool. Bertha the tow truck is literally Mater gone mad.

The scene when Deke has just escaped the horrific trauma of seeing his coach and friends get murdered by machines, only to ride down his neighborhood street with sprinklers going off like he's a King of Death as AC/DC's “DT” plays is iconic. Once again, it is reminiscent of someone waking up after the zombie apocalypse has broken out. Imagine being a kid and riding on your bike seeing everyone you grew up with has died very violent deaths. It must be pure shock that is holding that kid together in that moment. This movie kills a lot of kids up front. Stephen King was right away letting you know that no one is safe, and I deeply appreciate that kind of chutzpah. The aftermath of carnage in this movie is super fun. Even that opening scene on the bridge is a chaotic carnival of what the fucks. Tell me without lying that you didn't want to see death by melon. You can't. You wanted that as bad as I did.

On a more serious note, I want to address the complaint that the movie slows down when the survivors are stuck fueling gas for the trucks under armed guard. It is integral to the movie.

Repeatedly, Wanda the waitress played by Ellen McElduff, screamed, “We made you. You owe us.” But...do they really? The role reversal here to be at the mercy of others in power while feeling helpless is what this movie is all about. This was the point at which I paused the movie, and I bowed before all my appliances and told them how much I appreciate their sacrifice. I also apologized extra to the refrigerator for all the times I left a vegetable in there too long. I wouldn't want to hold on to someone's slimy carrot either, but it does, every time. If they had made this movie 100 some years ago, it'd be horses by the way. Monster horses. Just saying, get you that prequel money, son. I could also imagine a The Walking Dead-esque series where people must evade all technology.

Wouldn't it be great to see Amish people coming in like superheroes? Stephen King gave himself so much room to grow with this concept!

I love creepy murdering ice cream trucks. I love the tease of death by melon. I love machines that are monsters. I love a good survival story. I love AC/DC. I love that the trucks have their own version of the murderous “ki ki ki ma ma ma.” I love horror movies that honor other horror movies. I love that the song “Who Made Who” begins to play when they defeat the Green Goblin. And, in the end, I guess I really do love MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE.

If you're one of the haters, it's my sincerest hope that you give it another chance this Halloween season. In a world that's gone tit's up, you might as well enjoy the fun stuff, and what's more fun than AC/DC, monster trucks, and near death by melon!