Maximum Overdrive (1986)

A group of people try to survive when machines start to come alive and become homicidal.

Director:

Stephen King

Writers:

Stephen King (film by), Stephen King (written for the screen by)

Stars:

Emilio Estevez, Pat Hingle, Laura Harrington

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Emilio Estevez	...	Bill Robinson
Pat Hingle	...	Hendershot
Laura Harrington	...	Brett
Yeardley Smith	...	Connie
John Short	...	Curt
Ellen McElduff	...	Wanda June
J.C. Quinn	...	Duncan
Christopher Murney	...	Camp Loman
Holter Graham	...	Deke
Frankie Faison	...	Handy
Pat Miller	...	Joe
Jack Canon	...	Max
Larry Parks	...	Steve (as Barry Bell)
John Brasington	...	Frank
J. Don Ferguson	...	Andy

Storyline

When Earth passes through the tail of Rea-M rogue comet, the machines come to life and start to kill mankind. A group of survivors is under siege from fierce trucks at the Dixie Boy truck stop gas station and they have to fight to survive.

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Plot Keywords:

driverless truck | semi truck driving itself | carsploitation | vending machine | atm machine | 

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Taglines:

Evil's wheels.

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 July 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Overdrive

Filming Locations:

Supply, North Carolina, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,205,644, 27 July 1986

Gross USA:

$7,433,663

Company Credits

Production Co:

De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The logo on the side of the Green Goblin truck reads "Here Comes Another Load Of Joy"

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Goofs

When the cans of pop started hitting the kids and they start running away, a can hits #7 (right side of the screen) and it takes him some time before he grabs his head and falls dead.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Man At Cashpoint: Honey, come on over here, sugarbuns. This machine just called me an asshole.

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Alternate Versions

King's thoughts and further info on these cuts can be read in the book "The Lost Work of Stephen King" by Stephen J. Spignesi.

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Connections

References The Breakfast Club (1985)

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Soundtracks

You Shook Me All Night Long
Written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Brian Johnson
Produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange

User Reviews

Just the soundtrack makes it worth watching !

I really cannot understand why this movie has such a bad overall rating. According to me a movie doesn't have to have a great plot or so to be appealing. First of all I like the movie for the soundtrack by AC/DC. Actually, I learned to know the music of them by watching this movie. The 'Who made Who' theme song conducts the beginning of the movie excellent when a traffic bridge is starting to open beyond human control. The same goes for the other songs in the movie - they really add. Secondly I like the movie for the humor in it. It's not a comedy but some scenes made me laugh - like the bible sales man who gets mad when his car is hit by a truck and he runs outside the roadhouse - cursing like hell; the truck hits him into a sewer and his shoes stay behind. Or the beginning of the movie in which you see a guy withdrawing money from an ATM and on the screen the message appears 'you're an *sshole'. 'Sugar buns, this thing is calling me an *sshole !' If you watch closely you might also notice just before this scene a digital clock on the building on which the time changes into F*CK YOU. Maybe I'm just simple but I like the movie. Better than some not understandable romantic drama if you'd ask me.