A group of people try to survive when machines start to come alive and become homicidal.A group of people try to survive when machines start to come alive and become homicidal.A group of people try to survive when machines start to come alive and become homicidal.
- Awards
- 4 nominations
Robert Gooden
- Barry
- (as Bob Gooden)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWhen asked why he hasn't directed a movie since this one, Stephen King responded, "Just watch Maximum Overdrive."
- GoofsThe image of the Earth shown at the beginning of the movie is reversed.
- Quotes
[first lines]
Man At Cashpoint: Honey, come on over here, sugarbuns. This machine just called me an asshole.
- Alternate versionsThere are many deleted scenes from the film that are mentioned throughout literature and seen in photo stills from the film. Stephen King has mentioned on several occasions that the film was heavily cut to avoid an X rating from the MPAA. King has also spoken of showing the uncut version to fellow horror director George Romero and was quoted as saying that it made Mr. Romero sick. The removed shots were:
- Three Seconds of Bubba Hendershot getting shot up by the military vehicle in the Dixie-Boy Truck Stop shoot out scene.
- Three seconds of the steam roller running over Bobby.
- Three seconds of the bible salesman's face falling into his lap.
- Few Seconds of the motorcyclist throwing his arms over his face, exactly shown in the film-trailer, just before plunging into the water.
- Additional seconds of Steve Gayton at Duncan's aid after getting sprayed by diesel-fuel in the eyes.
- Six seconds of the electrical cutting knife slicing off Frank's right index finger.
- Three seconds of the ill-fated video-player saying "Wooow!" just before getting zapped, as shown in the theatrical-trailer.
- Few seconds of the pop can leaving an imprint on the Coach's forehead that expands into a huge bladder on his forehead and spraying blood.
- Few seconds of the Coach's forehead-bladder popping.
- Additional seconds of the Coach warning Deke to get away just before he dies.
- Additional seconds of the steamroller riding through a nearby parking lot and Bobby's father getting squashed by it.
- A shot of a half of a chewed up body by the lawnmower in a backyard.
- An additional shot of the dead gas station attendant at the gas station.
- As Deke comes riding along on his bike, he comes to a stop. We can see a full back view of a car off in the distance on the right side of the road. As the Ice Cream Truck comes, we can still see it.
- We see a dead ice cream man in the ice cream truck.
- The Videoplayer escapes the Dixie-Boy unseen and hides in the drainage ditch
- Another guy hides in the drainage ditch.
- Additional seconds of the bible salesman getting attacked by the Videoplayer and his buddy who attempts to cut off his face with a straight razor. But the two run unseen off with his knife because the bible salesman screamed.
- A few seconds of the bible salesman's noggin pealing down revealing his blooded skull as he rises up in the drainage ditch.
- As Brad runs to a nearby car with the dead woman, we can see a full back view of a school bus on the left side of the dirt road. And when Brad screams as he is about to die from the HappyToyz truck, we can still see the bus.
- The last close-up of the Happy-Toyz truck's GreenGoblin face is re-flipped, exactly shown in the theatrical trailer, instead of the "backwords-flipped" view. There are reports of a mat-painting of a infamous American city destroyed by the machines. There are reports that in a international version, Hendershot, and truckers Harry and Frank are among the survivors; leaving only trucker Rolf and waitress Wanda June as the casualties of the sentient gun-jeep. Reports also indicate that Duncan Keller is a survivor as well. There was a rumour about a supposed uncut VHS tape having been released by Lorimar in the early '90s but this is false. The uncut version has never been released on any format, in any country. This was a false rumor started on the Internet. Only Stephen King holds the original print of the uncut version and as of 2013, has not released it in any format.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Cinemania: Stephen King: O vasilias tou tromou (2009)
- SoundtracksWho Made Who
Written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Brian Johnson
Produced by Harry Vanda, George Young
Featured review
Stephen King wrote and directed this much-maligned film adaptation of his short story "Trucks." The plot has Earth passing through the tail of a comet, which somehow causes all the machines on Earth to come to life with murderous intentions. A group of people find themselves trapped in a truck stop surrounded by semi-trucks and other vehicles. The trucks, led by one with a huge Green Goblin face on the front, wait for the humans to leave the truck stop so they can kill them one by one.
This is one of my favorite guilty pleasures from the '80s. It's a ludicrous popcorn movie with an awesome soundtrack by AC/DC and a cast that includes Emilio Estevez, Pat Hingle, Frankie Faison, Laura Harrington, and Yeardley Smith. Stephen King appears in a funny cameo at the beginning. This movie was HATED at the time and remains hated today, at least by stuffy film snob types. It's a fun movie! Not everything has to be high art. For people who are fans of silly and cheesy movies, this is right up your alley. Auto nuts might also like it for all the different old vehicles on display. Ignore the critics and give it a shot.
This is one of my favorite guilty pleasures from the '80s. It's a ludicrous popcorn movie with an awesome soundtrack by AC/DC and a cast that includes Emilio Estevez, Pat Hingle, Frankie Faison, Laura Harrington, and Yeardley Smith. Stephen King appears in a funny cameo at the beginning. This movie was HATED at the time and remains hated today, at least by stuffy film snob types. It's a fun movie! Not everything has to be high art. For people who are fans of silly and cheesy movies, this is right up your alley. Auto nuts might also like it for all the different old vehicles on display. Ignore the critics and give it a shot.
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- 8 días de terror
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $10,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $7,433,663
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $3,205,644
- Jul 27, 1986
- Gross worldwide
- $7,433,663
- Runtime1 hour 38 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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