[Inspector Abberline]

Maximum Overdrive (1986)

While not being the horror classic everybody expected from Steve King's directorial debut,and seemingly flopped on its release,Maximum Overdrive has probably aged damn sight better than a lot of 80's movies. In fact with its AC/DC soundtrack its shelve life has probably lasted longer with the help of the ageing rockers seemingly never going away.King freely admitted its a dumb ass science fiction film about machines coming to life because of a comet passing by the earth's atmosphere.Its basically Night of the Living Dead with trucks,and the Truck-stop diner substituting as the farmhouse. It could also be noted that the Dawn of the Dead remake also steals Maximum Overdrive's ending when the last of the survivors head for a sail boat and try to find an island with no machines/zombies on it. The characters are all pretty much the usual list stereotypes,hero,feisty female,coward,corrupt boss ,comedy relief couple and numerous customers who get offed as the film progresses along. There was a level of criticism aimed at Kings directorial effort,but that doesn't mean it is a total loss,the film juggernaut's along at a fare old pace,never letting the action or dialogue bog it self down to much,and there is a few nice little set pieces along the way as well.The baseball coach getting a beating from a can drink dispenser,one in the nuts and another in the nut.Giancarlo Esposito getting electrocuted by the video arcade machines and Pat Hingle blowing up a trailer full of toilet rolls with a rocket launcher. King may of realised he may of been in for some criticism ,so he got in first by having the cash machine call him an ass hole before everybody else did. Its fun and dumb