Yes, you saw the rating, and I stand by it. No, I wasn't trippin nuts or seriously stoned when I watched this flick, so there were no outside enhancers goin' on while I was reviewing it. Also, no, I didn't just get laid, so it's not courtesy of me being in a particularly good mood either! Why do I state this disclaimer you ask? For those of you not "in the know" (or, "i.t.k." for those of us who ARE i.t.k.), MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE is on every critic's "Worst Fucking Waste of Celluloid of All Time" shit list. Well, except mine that is. Oh, and no, Stephen King (the writer, director, and guy whose bank machine calls him an asshole in the beginning) isn't paying me a large some of money to write good things about his movie either. It all begins in the dog days of 1987. During the interlude between FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VI: JASON LIVES and FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII - THE NEW BLOOD, the people of Earth sat in boredom and anticipation, awaiting Jason's next exploit. But, what to do while they waited? Well, lucky for them, their boredom soon ceased, when the rouge comet called "Rhea-M" passed by Earth, bathing it in it's cosmic radiations. The radiation brings life to everything mechanical, causing havoc as draw bridges (nephew of Beau Bridges) open themselves in the middle of rush hour, vending machines hurl their wares with deadly force, electric knives carve their owners, and gas pumps blind their pumpers with unforgiving petrol! It also brings sentience to automobiles, including a gang of big mother tractor-trailers that decide to hold Emilio Estevez and his friends hostage at a truck stop! Serves em right though, since all the employees of the truck stop are hardened criminals on parole anyway! Well, they're not the only victims, as a hitchhiker (Emilio's love interest and my lust interest), a bible salesman, some truckers, a little league player, and a newlywed couple all manage to make their own way into the little truck trap. Now, they have to band together to survive against these evil rugs... oops, typo, I meant "rigs". Lucky for out heroes though, the truck stop's owner, "Bubba", has quite the impressive stockpile of military hardware in the basement. Never know when Albania might try to take over the world... Well, as the heat swells, the tensions rise, and Emilio gets a slice of puntang pie with a side of cream, the trucks finally make some noise. They call in a buddy of theirs, who's basically an army golf cart with a big machine gun on it. The big boys want fuel, and they want it now, or people are gonna be breathing out of their stomachs soon! After the dramatic "refueling" scene (yes, even I admit this was pretty much a time filler), Emilio decides it's time to lead his people to the holy land! Err, I mean, to the nearest harbor. So, they grenade the gun cart, then make their way through the sewers to safety. But, before they can hop a boat and make their way to an Amish island where technology is illegal, Emilio must bazooka the shit out of the lead truck: a big black toy store truck with a giant Green Goblin head on it! Well, as I said, he blows it up, the cast hops the nearest sailboat, and it's off to Amish island to wait out the comet's effects. I don't see why people hate this movie. I mean, sure, it was basically just an exercise in violence and probably a may for Stephen King to just get out some pent up male aggression, but it was fun! Besides, with a soundtrack that's pretty much a "Best of AC/DC", how can you lovers of violence and destruction go wrong?! Damn it, the world's gone too fem. Everyone expects everything to have meaning or something. Well, here's something for you to do: watch the scene in which the Green Goblin truck runs over a suitcase full of bibles. Then, write a 12 page essay on it's meaning. The winter's coming and I need starter paper...

Sequels: None

If You Liked This Flick, Check Out: TRUCKS or CHRISTINE