How's about this for a plot... Courtesy of Rhea-M, an extraordinarily diffuse rogue comet, machinery has come to life with demonic intent, causing steamrollers to squash little leaguers and an ATM to call a cameoing King an asshole. For reasons unexplained, a bunch of 18-wheelers, whose leader has a Green Goblin face (with glowing red eyes) on its front grille, have started circling the Dixie Boy Truck Stop until theyre gassed out, after which they demand to be refuelled so they can, er, keep on truckin. Circle of life, you know. Like that years Howling II and King Kong Lives, Overdrive isnt completely humourless, but its never funnier than when it isnt supposed to be. Trucks sneak up on people unawares, victims brace themselves against being run over by holding their hands in front of their faces and sub-Bernard Herrmann strings are heard whenever someone is attacked. Then theres the dialogue. The biggest howler comes when Laura Harrington tries to dissuade Emilio Estevez from refuelling the trucks. You cant do this, she tells him. Its like Neville Chamberlain giving in to the Nazis! Needless to say, once these wheels of terror discover Charlie Sheens brother is inside they start tearing the place up, unaware Emilios escaped through the sewer with Yeardley Lisa Simpson Smith in tow. Once our heroes reach the harbour and sail away, an end title card informs us a Russian weather satellite destroyed a UFO two days later and everything was okay again. So humanity triumphs, Russia saves the day and Maximum Overdrive paves the way for the end of the Cold War. Its this kind of social conscience that earns King his $40 million-a-year salary. What do you think the most outrageous Stephen King adaptation is? Share your pick down in the comments.
Ian Watson is the author of 'Midnight Movie Madness', a 600+ page guide to "bad" movies from 'Reefer Madness' to 'Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead.'
