Maximum Overdrive - Coach should've kept his eye on the can
About this episode
The episode discusses the tonal shifts and absurdity of the film Maximum Overdrive.
So does the Little League team fire back up next year or are they suited up for the game this weekend? Maximum Overdrive is one of those movies that feels like two completely different films stitched together. Half the time it's practically a comedy, gleefully embracing the absurdity of its premise as every machine on Earth suddenly decides humans have to go. An angry arcade cabinet zapping Giancarlo Esposito, a Little League kid getting flattened by a steamroller, and the gloriously smug Green Goblin-faced truck all suggest everyone involved knows how ridiculous this is and is having a blast. Then the movie abruptly shifts gears and tries to become a slow-burn, Romero-esque siege horror. The survivors barricade themselves inside a truck stop while the machines patiently surround them, waiting for starvation to do the work. It's a respectable idea on paper, but the film never earns the tension because the premise is simply too goofy to sustain that level of seriousness. Every attempt at suspense is undercut by the fact that the villains are semi-trucks and lawnmowers. That tonal tug-of-war is what ultimately holds Maximum Overdrive back. When it's leaning into its B-movie…
People in this episode
Host: Stinker Madness
Topics covered
- horror
- comedy
- B-movie
- film analysis
- suspense
- absurdity
Keywords
- Maximum Overdrive
- Emilio Estevez
- Giancarlo Esposito
- B-movie
- horror
- comedy
- suspense
- AC/DC
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: AC/DC
Books & works: Maximum Overdrive
More episodes of Stinker Madness - The Bad Movie Podcast
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Stinker Madness - The Bad Movie Podcast podcast page.