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MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE

That is a direct quote from my Uncle Merle, and at the time I didn't pay his opinion much attention; too preoccupied was I by the pain from the black eye I got for getting a warm beer out of the closet instead of a cold one out of the fridge "A king don't drink his beer nutt'n but cold, now kiss the floor!" to dwell on his wisdom. And wisdom it was; much like God's wisdom to fell Merle via a lawnmower accident - "What's you do'n turn'n that off?! A MAN just reaches between the blades and pulls out the thingy doing the block'n! Sit back girly boy and watch a man!"

MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE is a good motion picture. A homage to the sci-fi/fantasy flicks of the '50s and '60s, the film respects its source and doesn't try to be something it isn't. The action is well spread out, the characters are endurable, the good and the bad are punished, there's lots of carnage, little leaguers are killed by soda cans and steamrollers, the movie moves at a brisk pace... What more could you ask for? This ain't Shakespeare, this is Roger Corman meets Irwin Allen with a touch of Romero thrown in the mix! This is a motion picture for us popcorn scarfers out there who don't want hidden meaning, meandering social commentary, and essays on the human condition! We want films that have people gettin' dead, explosions, and big things smashing into little things! MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE is our THE SEVENTH SEAL and LA STRADA rolled into one big greasy hamburger package! Viva King!

Things start small a man using an ATM machine is called an asshole by that very machine and then get bigger. A drawbridge opens on its own, killing and maiming many. The carnage escalates and then levels off. After the film spends the first few moments examining the disaster on a broad level, it narrows its focus to the unfortunate souls trapped at the Dixie Boy Truck Stop. Here we meet the parolee with the heart of gold (Emilio Estevez), the proprietor with the heart of coal (Pat Hingle), the sexy girl from out of town (Laura Harrington), and a bunch of additional characters, many just itching to be put in a body bag.

Eventually the attack, which initially came from all mechanical items, seemingly narrows itself down to just motor vehicles. Two character subplots - one concerning the experiences of a Dixie Boy employee's son, the other the experiences of a newlywed couple - join together with the main story line when all three individuals wind up at the truck stop. Once all are gathered together the vehicles start making demands; they want the captives to fill them up with diesel! The million-dollar question is will the captives do it?

Now nobody's gonna give Stephen King any Oscars for directing, but at the same time there is nothing in this film that warranted the collective critical kick in the nuts he received when the film was released. While King is no visual stylist, he does manage to keep things moving and as a successful writer he throws in a lot of neat ideas; the killer ice cream truck playing "King of the Road" is a hoot, amongst many other clever moments. This is a classic example of a film being what it is for what it is it makes no pretense of being anything other then a fun horror/thriller/sci-fi/fantasy film. Unfortunately, unless the name Spielberg and ten tons of saccharine sentimentality are also part of the package, this is the type of movie that reviewers thumb their noses at.

MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE does have its faults for example, the final third drags a bit - but there is still so much fun to be had, and King really seems to enjoy himself. The picture is definitely worth at least one look, and possibly after that, purchasing.

Anchor Bay continues its string of success with this release. I have never seen MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE look so good; this is a first class print and a first class transfer. The film, as is becoming standard with Anchor Bay, is widescreen anamorphic. The sound is great, giving the viewer the choice between Dolby Digital Surround 5.1 - which really kicks out the AC/DC songs and the explosions or Dolby 2.0, which is still good if a little less dynamic.

The extras are a bit scant; there is a theatrical trailer, a Stephen King bio, and liner notes. The trailer is interesting in that it features Stephen King telling the audience about how he's gonna scare the bejezzus out of us, in between clips from the film. The condition of the trailer is fair.

While the lack of a director's commentary is a downer, the biggest disappointment is that after years of hearing about Stephen King's original cut, which received an X rating, Anchor Bay has stuck with the R version; not that a few less seconds of red Karo Syrup is something to be too disappointed about. It would have still been nice to see what all the fuss was about. To be fair, I believe Anchor Bay was unable to get the uncut version.

With MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE Anchor Bay continues to lives up to its current reputation as a classy outfit the equivalent of a Criterion Collection for B-movie enthusiasts. Seekers of high art may not find MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE to be the MASCULINE-FEMININE of the 80s. Still, I wish to say to the others, the fellow fans of good, cheesy fun, "Come on in boys, the water's fine."