A skimpy plot: a comet passes the earth and makes electrical appliances come to life. Lawnmowers go crazy as do electric knives. The bulk of the film is set in a roadside diner where our hero chef, played by Emilio Estevez, tries his best to keep everything and everyone under control in this crazy new world in which even the most innocuous gadget gets murderous. Directed by Stephen King and based on one of his stories, whenever the critics got their hands on Maximum Overdrive, they heaped so much scorn onto it, you would have thought that King has poisoned their dogs and molested their wives. King is apparently very embarrassed about the film, but I see no reason why he should be. Of course, it is a ludicrous story, but it is also hilarious and engaging. Anyone watching the movie is hardly going to be expecting Fassbinder or Tarkovsky, they know that they are in for a cheesy rollercoaster. Emilio Estevez is very well cast in the film as a man trying to impose order on the rabble. There are lots of exciting moments in the movie and it is extremely entertaining watching all the electrical appliances go bonkers. It also features a kick ass soundtrack from AC/DC which is worth the price of admission alone. The film has entire vortexes of plot holes and it is very juvenile but it is also amusing and a great guilty pleasure.
My first film watched was Carrie aged 2 on my dad's knee. Educated at The University of St Andrews and Trinity College Dublin. Fan of Arthouse, Exploitation, Horror, Euro Trash, Giallo, New French Extremism. Weaned at the bosom of a Russ Meyer starlet. The bleaker, artier or sleazier the better!
