1986 - MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE , a film for teenage boys with too much Testosterone

When Maximum Overdrive was released it was to put it kindly not a hit, audiences stayed away.  Critics crucified it and the director, novelist Stephen King really put it down.  King was apparently drunk and high on cocaine throughout the making of the movie so that might account for it's somewhat amateur film making although I kind of doubt it.

The plot has machines, cars, trucks, ATM's, video games you name it gaining intelligence apparently after a comet flies by the earth.  The machines proceed with killing off any human beings that get in their way.  The film focuses on a group of people trapped in a truck stop surrounded by menacing semi trucks who circle the truck stop like one of those old westerns where the circle of wagon trains are attacked by a group of menacing Native Americans.

 

Stephen King's intention was probably to make a B movie with lots of action, i.e. things blowing up.  At least I believe it was. The film isn't really as bad as the critics say it is, it's just dumb fun.  From the  AC/DC soundtrack to the stash of anti tank weapons the owner of the truck stop has in his basement.  Just in case he needs to blow up possessed semi trucks, well you get the picture.  Mix this with a lot of silly black humor and it's safe to say this film was clearly not to be taken even remotely seriously.

 

The film ends with a title card indicating that a UFO has been controlling all this machine mischief on earth and was finally shot down by a Russian nuclear bomb.  Probably as good an explanation as you are going to get for this movie.  

Written by Stephen King, the running time is 98 minutes.