Episode 254 - Maximum Overdrive

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And now, back to our regularly scheduled program. Salutations! Welcome to Podmortem. I'm Renee Hunter-Vosquez, joined as always by my co-host, my husband and my brother. Hi, I'm John Paul Vasquez. Hi, I'm Travis Hunter-Syappan. This week, we're recording live from the Dixie Boy truck stop discussing the 1986 sci-fi action horror film Maximum Overdrive. This film was written and directed by Stephen King.

King's first and only attempt at directing a feature film, Maximum Overdrive was the next logical step in a continued collaboration between King and Dino De Laurentiis. But the production, King's direction, and the outcome of this adaptation stray far from that logic. Still, entertainment lies in the ability to lean into this film's campiness, at times inconsistent narrative.

and over-the-top performances. Whether you think it's bad, good, or so bad it's good, it's undeniable that Maximum Overdrive is not easily forgotten. This film was requested to us by friends of the show. Bobby Holmes, Angelica Deanda, Alan Johnston, Pancake the Panda, and Carissa. We want to thank them all for their support as well as this suggestion. So what did you guys think of Maximum Overdrive the first time you saw it?

So I don't remember the first time I watched it because I was a child, like I was young, young. But I know that I watched this a few times, at least a handful of times, and I always remembered certain things from it. And then I hadn't watched it for a very long time. I've seen, you know, bits and pieces here and there, you know what I mean? Little parts, you know, on different things or whatever when people talk about it or like on the Facebook pages or whatever.

Watching this movie for the show. I was like, this is, I don't know if it was the child in me that was like, oh, this is fucking perfect. Or if it was just the silliness in me that was like, this is too fun. know the movie isn't great i can see you know i've got eyes watching it there is a lot of like what the fuck is going on here but i think it is that me experiencing this as a kid and then watching it now as an adult.

For me, I still I really enjoyed this fucking movie. I think that I'm going to give this movie a lot more love than it probably deserves. But I again, I was born in the mid 80s. You know what I mean? I watched this shit and I was like, oh, this is great. Yeah. I think that that is a very important thing that I am missing, unfortunately. Yeah. Because this film, it seems like, was built to have that nostalgic love for it. Because...

Not having it. I, and me, this is the first time I've ever seen it. Yeah. And I really only knew of it on reputation alone of everything that people have said about it over the years. The fact that it was Stephen King's only directed film and everybody made it clear that that's fine. And so the expectations were like, oh, so I will say this. I expected it to be a lot worse technically. Okay. Because of that reputation. Yeah, yeah. But it actually looks...

Fine. Yeah. If you look at the technical aspects of it, the cinematography, the production design, even some of the makeup that they do, it's not what I expected. Yeah. But everything else. It was. I will say, you know, every film's a miracle. But I just I think that it is it's one of those things that if you saw this at a certain age, this is a film that you are going to love forever. Oh, yeah. It's like we make excuses for so many of the films. For sure. That we.

can in retrospect say look i know it doesn't make any sense but i don't care i don't care you know But I will say as somebody who hasn't watched it until this week. Right. I think that the best way to enjoy it is as that quintessential turn your brain off. enjoy the ride no pun intended yeah that it's taking you on and then that's it yeah because there's not much else here really other than just big dumb fun yeah and it's not very long

No, it's not. It's not. I think one thing that I was really surprised by is the fact that Stephen King also wrote the screenplay for it. Yes. And I know that he's done that in the past for some of his other things. But for how inconsistent this film is. It is a lot. It's like it was all up to you. Yeah. Like, how do you adapt your own material? I was just so confused.

I mean, you know, I see how a lot of people get a lot of fun out of this. Unfortunately, this film is not for me. Right. But I found it abrasive, personally. But I see why a lot of people love it. yeah I also had never seen this before and I think because of my intro, I said, whether you think it's good, bad or so bad, it's good. And I feel that we each represent a facet. As for me, this is so bad. It's good. We are in, for me, that wheelhouse.

And I think that its reputation did help it for me because that's all I heard. How terrible this movie is, how Stephen King, you know, he was a pharmaceutically aided and, you know, every aspect of creating this film and what. Like I expected a fucking dumpster fire. I expected nonsense. And like you said, T, it looks fine. Like, I mean, there are.

there is ridiculousness there is inconsistencies there is tonal confusion there are dropped plot points in a very simple plotted film oh yeah yeah yeah there is This is not good on paper. This is not good. Or on film. No, but. There is, for me, enjoyment to be had. I laughed out loud.

at several moments i did too it is there is enjoyment i and that's why like and i know we're nowhere near ratings yet but it's it's films like this that are so difficult for me because i know that this is not a good movie I know logically that it is not there are so many problems with it and we will detail them along the way but I Had so much fun watching it because you either have to surrender to the fucking ridiculousness.

Or it's going to drag you kicking and screaming. And so I think that for me, it really, really was aided in the fact that I expected so much worse. The way that people talk about this movie. I thought that this was going to be just rotting my brain. And honestly.

I'm not having watched it in so long. I kind of expected that too, babe, to come back and watch it and be like, Ooh, you know what I mean? 10 year old me or eight year old me was, you know, you were tripping, but watching it, it did. Like I said, it may. Maybe it was just a spark of watching when I was younger, but even that I think it was just giving up.

this is not serious nothing about this movie is gonna like don't even the dialogue what they're saying just know their words that's it like just follow what's going on in the movie action wise like let's just do that I think that that is the barrier to enjoyment for sure I was talking to my friend and she was like I that she watched it a lot when she was a kid she didn't realize that it wasn't good and I was like dude like I've

thinner like i've been very vocal i didn't know until we started this show that people don't like the people that don't love like i do and i get it and it kind of does make me sad that i didn't watch this as a kid because i think that i would enjoy it in spite of it you know what i mean but all the same watching it for the first time in 2025 i did i was laughing out loud i deposit at some points the music

I'm glad you brought that up. I'm not the biggest fan of said band that features all the music for the film. All? All. But I'm going to be honest. There's a lot of times I'm like, oh, this fits perfect. Or this fits with what's going on. What else am I going to insert here? I never felt that.

I respect that. No, dude, how ridiculous what's going on here? Extremely. If anything else, I'm like, you can't put, what are you going to do? Fucking put some seal or something. But that's what it is, though. We were talking off mic before we started recording, and this is not really listed as horror comedy? No, everywhere we looked, it's either horror...

Sci-fi horror or action sci-fi horror? That is very interesting because to me, this is comedy horror. Yeah, no, objection. I think you need to look no further than the soundtrack and the way that these songs are placed and used. Yes. If that wasn't for comedic effect, then we're in big trouble here. I watched the whole movie wrong. The opening scene. Yes. Yeah. That's the tone of all of it. And that's the thing. That's right. You're flat out setting the tone there. Period.

So, yeah, I think all three of us beg to differ. Like, yeah, I see sci-fi. Yes, of course, I see action. This is a fucking horror comedy. Yeah. And nobody can convince us otherwise. but before we get into this i did want to talk um briefly about the production of the film okay so the short story trucks by Stephen King that this was based off of was published in a magazine Cavalier in 1973 before it was republished in Night Shift in 1978 which is where most of us myself included have read it yeah

So Dino De Laurentiis had produced adaptations for Firestarter and the anthology Cat's Eye that we did talk about. And he was ready to team up with Stephen King once again. This time, Stephen King wanted to do something from Night Shift. But if you remember, when we covered Cat's Eye, we talked about Milton Sabatsky, who had purchased the film rights to a bunch of Stephen King stories. He sold them to Dino De Laurentiis and retained a co-producer credit. Remember, we talked about it.

that yeah so the same thing happened here sabatsky had bought the rights to several stories from night shift and he had planned on making an anthology like cat's eye with the stories trucks the lawnmower man and the angler and it was going to be called machines But he was not able to secure the funding even after the script was written because apparently a script was written for it. And he was also wrapped up in a separate lawsuit. Oh. All right. Yeah. We had a lot going on.

And he sold the rights to Dino De Laurentiis once again and once again kept his co-producer credit. So De Laurentiis had Stephen King write the screenplay for Cat's Eye and he gave him the same opportunity to do it here for Maximum Overdrive. And it was while Stephen King is writing this screenplay that he has the idea that he might want to direct.

this and so Dino De Laurentiis was like hell yeah dude like he was totally on board so after shooting fire starter in North Carolina a right to work state De Laurentiis had the idea to set up shop there because it would save a lot of money to work with a non-union crew. Super gross. But if I'm going to tell it, then I got to tell it all. So he opened the De Laurentiis Entertainment Group in Wilmington, North Carolina. This is where they filmed Maximum Overdrive.

So Stephen King was an inexperienced and by some counts, enthusiastic director and by other counts, bored, disconnected and disinterested as a director. A little all over the place. Yeah. But I think the latter was. specifically when he did not get his way because it seemed and we'll talk about a couple instances of push and pull between him and Dino De Laurentiis and De Laurentiis won.

all of these back and forth yeah so this is his fault two hands on we'll talk But I did read stories about Stephen King renting out an entire theater for the cast and crew, buying everyone snacks and showing Godzilla 1954 and Night of the Living Dead and providing commentary and chatting during the film.

But on the other side of the coin, there was an accident that happened under his watch during filming that resulted in a horrific injury and a lawsuit that we will be talking about later on. But to quote King himself, quote. The problem with the film is that I was coked out of my mind all through its production and I really didn't know what I was doing. Okay. I see that being both an issue.

yes two pretty big issues yeah but i read stories from the crew saying that he'd be a few beers in when they met up at 6 a.m oh and that he had no patience to sit through the dailies, like things like that. So he would go on to call it his moron movie. That is a direct quote. Again, he said, you check your brain in, go see it. And then you pick it back up when you leave. All right. Okay. That sounds great. Let my brain hang out. Needs to get some air. Yes.

But the poor reception would only lend evidence to Stephen King's claims of this. And as much as Maximum Overdrive is panned, it is simultaneously beloved. True. Yeah. Then we're about to get into it. Now, before we unplug this film, we would like to show a warning for spoilers. Podmortem is a very in-depth podcast, and in thoroughly discussing horror films, we have no choice but to spoil a thing or two.

if you don't wish to be spoiled please go watch the film then come back and enjoy the show if you've already seen the film or don't care about spoilers then let's start our engines The film opens on the sky, bright stars freckling its darkness. We pan down to find planet Earth. Yellow text appears over it, reading. On June 19th, 1987, at 947 a.m. Eastern, the Earth passed into the extraordinarily diffused tail of Raya M, a rogue comet. And in two years and one day, something pretty fucking goes.

I knew you couldn't. Just let it go. It's too close. It is. I'll give you that. It continues. According to astronomical calculations, the planet would remain in the tail of the comet for the next eight days, five hours. 29 minutes and 23 seconds. We hear a cacophony of various sounds as a green mist encircles the earth.

I could not have been more shocked that this film begins in space. Not at all. Yeah, I remembered none of this. None of it. The only thing I knew about this movie was obviously its reputation. Right. And a... truck with Green Goblin on the front. Those were the only two things that I knew. I don't know why my brain had filled in the blanks and I thought we were...

I literally thought that the film took place in like a monster truck arena. I don't know why that's literally, I was like, why the fuck are we looking at the earth? Well, I mean, even if you think of the monster truck arena, it's because most trucks don't have. A giant green goblin face on them. It's a bit showy. It is. They don't have Willem Dafoe on it. Not typically, no. They do not. And so to see it, I thought it was all going to be earthly.

yes and so even so to hear it like a sci-fi horror film i'm like what the hell yeah like i said i was surprised i didn't remember that i i remembered the setting and like i said i watched it a handful of times so there i didn't remember every little beat but this was something complete that I didn't remember. Yeah. Is it the same in the short story? Actually, I don't think so. So that's just for this? I think so. Huh.

I could be wrong because I was doing I read the story and I was also doing a lot of reading on the movie. But and we'll talk in a minute about. how other machines are affected but in the story it is also only trucks it's only vehicles okay so and steve did both of these he did uh-huh he did But abruptly, we cut to a city skyline and text on screen informs us that we are in Wilmington, North Carolina.

We pan down to the first bank of Wilmington where the digital sign outside alerts us that it is 948 and 79 degrees. But it cycles to another message. The word fuck followed by the word. You. It repeats. Fuck you. But patrons enter and exit the bank, either oblivious or uncaring. What's the meaning of this? Just to know the purpose and what these machines are trying. This is setting up for you to understand what's fixing to happen in the movie. They're mad.

We press into the money man ATM where man at bank ATM played by Stephen King slides in his bank card with a beep. The screen alerts. You are an asshole. We're in the POV of the machine when the man peers closer. He looks over his shoulder beckoning to his wife calling her sugar buns as he tells her to come over. He looks back up flipping up the shades of his glasses as he inspects the screen.

Looking at it now, we see that it's filling with one repeated word. Asshole, asshole, asshole, asshole. The man whines that this machine just called him an asshole. When we see his face again, he is taken aback and gaping in shock. ACDC's Who Made Who begins, and we cut to the title sequence, where the title skids onto screen in bright yellow. Maximum overdrive.

There's a lot already. Again, this should tell you what kind of movie we're getting into. It's that. And the fact that it's Stephen King. I mean, really. If you were expecting, I don't know what you could be expecting after this. I think from the space to this, again, if this, there's no way you can't say this isn't comedy horror. Right. Like this is silly as fuck. The tone has been set. Yeah. So we have to talk about the involvement of one ACDC. Yes.

I read a couple of articles, one from Louder Sound and one from American Songwriter. Okay. But as it turns out, the music of ACDC was always the intention and hope of Stephen King. Huh. Even in his screenplay, he wrote cues for ACDC's music. It's bold. It's like they'll be on board. But so allegedly after the screenplay was written and everything was green lit, he tracked them down personally. And from what I read in a couple of different articles, and so I'm inclined to believe it, he.

sang the entirety of one of their songs to them. More screeched, I would imagine. I'm just imagining Stephen King's voice. Okay, he's a hell of a drug. He's got a distinct voice. Very much. And so does the guy from ACDC. But I guess that the fact that he was such a massive fan of their work honestly impressed them. And so he's trying to tell them, you know, here's my ideas. Here's what I'm thinking for this film. And they all were kind of.

Getting more and more on board the more that he talked about it. So eventually they did agree. But according to the articles I read, it was more about their kind of.

waning relevance as a band oh okay to what i understand their album sales were not doing as well as they were at the top of the decade and so they saw this film as an opportunity to get their name back out there we're scratching each other's back right essentially yeah and so and that was the other thing the one article that i had read seemed a little more like critical of acdc

Kind of about, you know, it seemed like it was written by a disillusioned fan because there was something written there about like, you know, and they had said, you know, as many years as they had gone, they kind of made it a point to never release a greatest hit.

album but this maximum overdrive soundtrack is basically just that oh my god like it was kind of like that i was like ah you sound a little bitter yeah but in all honesty it kind of was yeah because it's six previously released tracks two instruments and the theme song. And that was an album titled appropriately Who Made Who.

and it doubled as the maximum overdrive soundtrack yeah which is really funny because on the first few presses of it they did put that it was the maximum overdrive soundtrack and then on subsequent presses they took that shit off like this is just who made him But the other thing, and we'll hear it later, but they were responsible for all of these music cues of like the squeals and all that stuff where it's like more.

Like a score. Yeah. There was, I think, an uncredited composer brought in for a couple of things here and there. But basically the majority of what you hear is ACDC. Okay. That's very interesting. There are a couple moments of like kind of bluesy guitar that I did enjoy. Me too. That I liked. But there are other moments of like this really chaotic like meh meh score that I didn't like as much. And it's a lot.

They're married to it. Yeah. And though I do like the bluesy jazz music, I feel like there's sometimes like... Is this appropriate to have this right now? Usually no. Well, you can ask that all the time.

But according to what I read, I think that Who Made Who sold 5 million copies. Damn. And the song Who Made Who charted for 42 weeks. God. Damn. And it basically, this song, this movie, and this... album helped to revitalize their career okay well it worked yeah yeah something good came out of it right

But the music continues as we get shots of vehicles driving across a bascule bridge. We get shots from beneath the bridge, shots from the middle of the bridge, and shots of the vehicles as the credits appear. But we head inside the control room on the side of the bridge where the bridge master played by Ned Austin plays cards with his helper played by Richard Chapman Jr.

Well, the bridge master is playing. The helper is knuckled deep in his nostril. And when he's confused, the bridge master snaps at him, asking if he even knows how to play this game. It was gross. Very gross. But the helper insists that he does, but we rise above them to the console. The control button presses itself and the controls for the bridge's two leaves switch on on their own.

Receiving the message, the equipment begins to whir and a fan starts to spin. As the steady traffic continues on the bridge, gears begin to grind. As a car approaches a green light, the couple inside are confused. The woman, played by Marla Maples, alerts the man, played by Martin Tucker, that the bridge is going up.

he doesn't understand how this is possible when the light is green but she implores him to stop the car so he brings it to an abrupt stop and yes this is the same marla maples that would go on to marry he who shall not be named i was very surprised yeah that's kind of wild yeah but likewise a trucker behind them wonders what the fuck as he brings his vehicle to a halt as well

The gauges on the console react as the bridge indeed raises. Once the side he's on begins to tip upward, a man played by Dean Mumford falls off his motorcycle and begins to slide on the rising bridge. A car crashes into another causing the woman in the passenger seat to lurch forward crashing through the windshield. A black van with the ACDC logo on the side starts to lose its traction and slide around. as the motorcycle man continues his descent right off the edge of the bridge. I...

I don't know what they're wanting me to feel right now. Because firstly, we got to talk about the motorcycle guy. Yeah. His fucking slip and fall. Yes. Slow motion. Yes. Oh, yes. The Tarzan echoing scream. But then they're also like, sidebar, ACDC was touring North Carolina. They are here right now. And then a woman is vaulted through her windshield. Yeah. It's too much.

It's too much. There's so much going on. It's great. And no time to process. And it's not done. There's like watermelon. There's so much more. No, there's so much more. But the motorcycle man's scream is muffled by his helmet as he falls, crashing feet first into the water below. The truck driver tries to flee, but realizes that he's right on the hinge where the two leaves of the bridge come together.

He gets back in his truck and tries to floor it, but he's stuck. He slams his foot down on the accelerator, but the back wheels of the truck literally fall off and go rolling down the bridge. The two pieces finally come apart and the truck falls through the gap. Its driver's still behind the wheel when it goes plummeting into the water.

The driver of the ACDC van, played by Gene Hartline, muses that that was Far Out Man, but before his passenger, played by Gary McLarty, can comment, a red convertible comes swerving down the bridge and hits the side of the van. Vehicle's clogged. There's nowhere for an oncoming motorcycle to go but the side of the convertible, sending its driver, played by Julius LaFleur, crashing through the back window of one of the vehicles.

A gray van comes lumbering over the other cars and there's more collisions and screaming. And when a watermelon from a load in the back of one of the cars goes flying through the air, it lands on the windshield of the first couple, splaying its guts all across. The woman shrieks and reaches out for her boyfriend, but he flees out of his door, falling into a pile of the launched watermelons and trying to scramble back up to his feet.

Meanwhile, the gap in the bridge widens. The gray van flips over and the driver, played by Evan A. Lottman, pulls himself out of the window as others escape their cars and run. But the bridge master and his helper stand on the railing. outside of the control room. The bridge master promises that this is impossible. The lights green and the crossbars never went down. When his helper is like, huh?

The bridge master grabs him by the front of his shirt. He shakes him before throwing him down to the ground, yelling that he's fed up. He calls his helper a goddamn stupid asshole and asks if he really doesn't see that they've got a situation here. The truck with the load of watermelons is finally flipped over by the ascending side of the bridge and it crushes the car behind it. We get a shot of the bridge continuing to rise as ACDC begins to play again.

What a delicious way to die, dude. I could not believe that we've brought watermelons into that. Well, I mean, everybody's going to work.

this was a lot robin yeah this is a wild i know that technically the opening was stephen king being called an asshole by an atm but um that's a wild sentence but this was a lot i think that they were they did it with real vehicles and miniatures swipping swapping them out okay i saw a lot of like behind the scenes photos i think so that's really cool yeah but this was just a very There was so much going on. It does happen.

one after the other after there isn't really much time to you are just watching all this shit happen and I think again if by you've made it this far you gotta know what the rest of this movie is gonna be yeah I would say so as the driving guitar fades away we cut to a road where a truck drives toward us the front of the truck is adorned with the huge and grinning green goblin face on its front

It approaches us before turning off, displaying its logo on the side. Happy toys with a Z. Here comes another load of joy. Calm down. I will say seeing this truck, it's like, okay, this is the only thing I know from this. Yes. Yeah. And there it is. But at the Dixie Boy truck stop, sitting in their coveralls under a sign promising mechanic on duty, Duncan Keller and Joe, played by JC Quinn and Pat Miller, make small talk. Real quick.

JC Quinn looked familiar to me. And I was like, I know I've seen this man's face. And I have. He was in The Abyss from 1989. Ah, yeah. Really good movie. He was also in Barfly in 87 and The Prophecy in 95. The Prophecy. Yeah. We got to cover The Prophecy. yeah i think we've tried a couple times it's been on a couple polls i did want to talk about this dixie boy truck stop yeah okay

So the production designer on this film was a guy called Giorgio Postiglione. And he actually was the production designer for Firestarter, Cat's Eye, and Silver Bullet. Okay. All produced by Dino De Laurentiis. Yeah. In Wilmington, North Carolina. Right. So they actually built this truck stop. on a US highway just outside of Wilmington. It's not a real truck stop that's been repurposed as the Dixie Boy. They built it. Oh, wow.

And according to the Wilmington Star News, it was so convincing that real truck drivers kept trying to stop there. I bet. And they had to keep reminding them that it wasn't real. And so they put out a... I think a little small, a little small. It's a very tiny. It was very little. They didn't pay a lot. Miniscule, really. Yeah. You had to look for it. Flim Springfield.

But it was in the Wilmington Morning Star that they put an ad in the paper that was reminding the entire public, this is not a real truck stop. We're filming a movie here. Okay. But the exteriors were on that U.S. highway and the interiors were in that studio. I think it was like a 50-acre studio that De Laurentiis built. Damn, okay.

But you can really, it's kind of impressive to switch so often. It is. Because they go inside, outside, inside, outside, and they really are. That's two different locations that we're matching. Okay. I don't ever feel that. No, not at all. No. When the Green Goblin truck turns into the truck stop and heads toward the pumps, its garishness distracts both of the men. Joe muses, holy God, look at that thing. But it's Duncan that volunteers to get up and take.

care of it he flicks the cigarette away and walks over to the pumps blotting sweat off his face and the back of his neck with the towel that he tucks into his back pocket the door to the truck opens and out comes Handy played by Frankie Faison I couldn't believe it. Yeah. It's fucking Barney, man. Yeah. Very, very exciting to see him. I wish they had utilized him more. Yeah. I think that was the thing is like, cause I think he was in the wire, right?

I think so. Yeah. I remember him always doing so well with everything that he's given. Right. And so I'm expecting you have Frankie Faison. Yeah. Why is he relegated to maybe three lines in the film? It's like... And when he comes back up, you're like, oh, yeah. Yeah, because I remember seeing him in Coming to America. Right. But I also love all the Hannibal Lecter movies. Yeah. And he is the same character. Which is so fucking cool. That is really cool.

He walks over to Duncan and shakes his hand as the mechanic reacts with surprise, sharing that he thought Handy was down in Texas, but Handy counters that that was last week. Buffing the Green Goblin's nose with a towel, Handy chuckles that Duncan likes it, huh? Duncan agrees that that's some rig, and Handy tasks Duncan with giving her a big drink as he heads inside on a quest for coffee.

I understand times change and inflation and everything, but the diesel price was $1.08. I know. We see a lot of gauges on the gas, and it... did hurt. Handy pulls off his hat as he heads inside, walking straight to the counter where he's greeted warmly by the men already seated there, Max and Leo, played by Jack Cannon and John Brasington. Behind the counter, a server in a pink uniform is frustrated as she fiddles with the radio.

When asked by Handy, Wanda June, played by Ellen McElduff, explains in a Southern drawl that the radio was doing just fine and now she can't get it to work. Handy wonders if she can get him a light coffee when she's done jerking with it, and Wanda June turns to him with annoyance. In the kitchen, the cook cracks eggs.

As they sizzle on the grill, he turns and we see that this is Bill Robinson played by Emilio Estevez. I just want to say one of those yokes broke and I was like, this man's never cracked an egg in his life. it's fucking emilio the mighty duck man himself i was like very shocked because this is one year after the breakfast club yeah yeah that's crazy yeah and again

I just because I don't know if this is the last time we'll ever talk about this man. I mean, again, I know this dude. I loved him as a kid. I hope there's nothing wrong with him. Again, I remember him. I watched them. Breakfast Club, like you said, from 85. The Outsiders from 83. Young Guns from 88. He was even in Young Guns 2. He did Bobby in 06. I think he directed that and wrote that.

I mean, again, it's fucking Emilio Estevez. We're not talking about tiger blood. His brother is something else. That's different. Yeah. He brings a decent like. He brings something different to this role. Yeah. Because I feel like everyone else around him is in a different movie almost. Yeah. Sometimes, yeah. I don't want to say he has a sheen about him, but. Very good. Very good. No, but it is. Oh, yeah. I did want to talk about his casting a little bit because Stephen King was adamant.

that he wanted Bruce Springsteen to play Bill Robinson. I don't know. That's a choice. Yeah. I've never seen Bruce Springsteen act. Digging his heels in. He said, I'm the director. I want to direct Bruce Springsteen. Like, it was a thing. It was like a fight between him and Dino De Laurentiis.

apparently I was not there obviously De Laurentiis didn't even really know by all counts who Bruce Springsteen was so he wanted Emilio Estevez Emilio Estevez at the time was a get and having had worked with his dad, Martin Sheen in the dead zone. He was like, well, I have an in. You know what I mean? So he did get Emilio Estevez, obviously. And.

I did read an interview with some of the crew that worked on Maximum Overdrive and the consensus was that King became detached and... was just uninterested kind of moving forward when he did not get Bruce Springsteen. Look, I understand. Allegedly. You can't always get what you want. Yeah. But you got to roll with the punches. Right. You've got a movie to make. No shit. You're sulking in the corner. It's like you didn't even call.

Actually, we've been here for three hours. But I think Emilio Estevez does his best. You know what I mean? He does. Again, what was he given? It's that. What he has and what they told him to do or... You know, I mean, yeah. But Hendershot, played by Pat Hingle, appears in the doorway. Pat Hingle, this man. Same thing. I know this guy. You know why I know him?

Because I've seen him so many times on The Quick and the Dead from 1995. Oh. And I love that movie. He's also Commissioner Gordon in Batman in 1989. That's what it is. He's also in Talladega Nights from 2006. Get the fuck out of here. That's right. Want to hear something else? He's in the Shining miniseries from 1997. Interesting. That's right. Hmm. Yeah. Huh. I will say it's people like this dude.

this character yes that like he is giving a very cartoon performance yeah and so you have that and you're like okay so this is straight up a comedy yes but emilio is taking it dead serious he is For real. Yeah. It's a very interesting dichotomy. But Hendershot calls out to Bill to come to his office. It did make me laugh that we have another main character named Bill. I feel like he's got like a hat of names sometimes, but he's not a writer. right that's true that's true

But when Bill counters that he's got eggs on, Hendershot makes it clear that he doesn't care. He tells Wanda June to quit messing with the radio and watch the eggs and for Bill to get in his office. In a game room filled with arcade machines, video player played by Giancarlo Esposito stares around in wonder at the bright and loud machines. I gasped.

Yeah, I didn't know that this was Breaking Bad. Yeah, my jaw dropped. I did. I was like, oh, it's Gustavo. Yes. And again, you talk about... actors that's like you don't you didn't realize what you had yeah because he does like nothing but look how young he is maybe still too he was like oh shit i'll take whatever i can get true and it's a stephen king movie yeah uh-huh but yeah Yeah, I was very surprised but very excited to see him. Yeah.

A pinball machine plays itself, knocking the small metal balls around. But as they bounce, the glass of the machine completely shatters. And the gamer responds by shouting, Yo mama! Again, I don't know what you're expecting. The coffee machine behind him drops a cup, fills it, then opens its tiny door and throws it out.

It repeats this again and again, throwing coffee out into the game room. The cigarette machine lets loose an avalanche of cigarettes and coins, and the change machine responds in kind, spilling out its coins. Wisely, The gamer drops to his knees and starts to stuff the packs of cigarettes in his pants and jacket. Well, yeah, you're giving it to me. I mean, I'm like, are they, are they mad at us or not? Thank you. And a cup of coffee. Yeah.

Meanwhile, Duncan is outside filling up the happy toys truck as asked. And good Lord, what a hell of a deal. The gas flows from the pump automatically, but when it stops, Duncan is confused. He gets up from leaning against the truck and consults the pump. When it doesn't start again, he pulls the nozzle out of the truck.

He aims it toward himself looking inside to find a clog or an obstruction. He brings it close to his face again and again picking out debris from inside and raising it to his lips to blow on it. And of course, as he wanted, the gas begins to flow, launching up right into his face. This Looney Tunes ass shit. I don't know what you expected. Every time he brings it to his face, you know exactly what's going on.

gonna happen oh no you're waiting for it oh yeah and he does not take it well no oh no that would hurt so much gas in the eyes oh yeah that's why A chaotic score begins as Duncan drops the nozzle, covers his face and screams. He falls to the ground, still screaming and pressing his fingers into his closed eyes.

Later in their office, Joe wets a cloth before bringing it over to Duncan, who lies under a wall of explicit nudes taken from magazines. I was like, what the fuck? Is that in the open? Yeah. Duncan takes the washcloth and brings it to his face. Steve Gaten, played by Larry Parks, calls out to Hendershot, sharing that Duncan had an accident. When Hendershot asks what happened, Steve explains that he doesn't know how it happened.

But Duncan got diesel in his eyes. Hinder shot is like, is that all? Yeah. Just an evil prick. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We join Hendershot, still sitting across from Bill in his office. He tells Steve to flush Duncan's eyes and leave him alone because he's trying to have a conversation.

Bill looks pensive as Hendershot ends the call, but with a grin, Hendershot reasons that he's got to wipe everybody's ass around here. It's a shitty job, but somebody's got to do it. He asks Bill, ain't that right, Bubba? But Bill says no. He wants to get back to their conversation and he wants to make sure that he's got it right. Hendershot wants him to work for nine hours, but only clock in for eight of them.

Hendershot points out that now he knows Bill's been to college, but Bill refuses, promising him not this kid. But Hendershot holds up Bill's clock in card. A red sticker of a star is pressed into the corner and Hendershot. Hendershot assumes that Bill knows what that means. He's not obtuse. The star means parole. Either Bill's ass belongs to Hendershot or it belongs to the state of North Carolina.

Accepting that Hendershot has him against the ropes, Bill scoffs. He muses that Hendershot's got quite the racket going on, doesn't he? But Hendershot just hands over the time card, asking Bill to put it up on his way out. When Bill takes it hesitantly, his eyes cold and his jaw set. Hendershot thanks him, calling him Bubba again before bursting into laughter. As Hendershot cackles and puts his cigar in his mouth, Bill leaves the office.

without another word this is fucked up yeah I honestly couldn't even believe it why can't I tell my parole officer be like look dude I got a job this dude's trying to cheat me out of my paycheck what the fuck I mean, unless it's like a small town thing and everyone's in cahoots. Yeah. Then, yeah, he's kind of fucked. I guess. It's just, this made me so mad. Yeah. I think another thing that's wild is he's like, One hour is fine. Like he's such a piece of shit, but he's not getting 12.

But in the kitchen, Wanda June is making a mockery of Bill's grill. It's littered with scraps of potatoes, meat and busted eggs. When she cracks one onto the flat top now, the yolk pops. She balls the shell up and throws it to the side. before starting to scramble the egg recklessly. When a patron calls out to her, asking if he's supposed to get his coffee himself, Wanda June in turn calls out to Bill, who is sliding the time card back onto the wall.

She informs him that things are getting out of hand here, but Bill takes another look at the time cards tucked into their slots. Several of them have matching stars in the corner just like his. Jeff Moore. Gene Poole. That's funny. Stephanie Fowler. As Bill looks over these, he mutters, Jesus Christ. And one of them had two stars. I saw. He takes two hours. But I guess he's doing it to everybody. Yeah, it's fucked up.

But Wanda June is still fighting for her life in the kitchen and she doesn't even notice when an electric carving knife turns itself on and turns its hungry teeth in her direction. A customer asks if his eggs are coming Pony Express or... what and wanda june looks out into the dining area where someone is reading the newspaper with the headline comet arrives millions watch fascinated printed bold on the front page

Wanda June plasters on a sweet smile and tells the customer, just a minute, sir. But her smile drops when she focuses back on the grill. She continues to try to bring this breakfast together, but she screams when the electric knife bites down into her arm, just above the wrist. That chaotic score pulses again as blood pours from Wanda June's arm. Still screaming, she smacks the knife off the counter.

Bill comes rushing in to tend to her, and customers get up to investigate, but the knife isn't done. It rattles across the floor, setting its sights on Wanda June's feet. The knife saws through the soft canvas of her shoe, and she screams at Bill to make it stop. So we're married to this music cue?

Yeah. Yeah. Get used to it. It's too much. It is. I was honestly surprised that we're like, it's a fucking, it's an electric knife. Yes. Yeah. Again, whenever we talk about maximum overdrive, I think it's just nothing but. vehicles yeah so it's like no we are much bigger than that yeah currently yeah right now right now

When the customers enter the kitchen, the score dies away, and Wanda June screams that it was the knife. We see it knocked over on the floor, its blade resting in a pool of blood. Barry, played by Robert Gooden, stands in the dining room asking Wanda June, did that knife go rabbit on you, sweet thing? Bill wraps Wanda June's left arm and her right hand is so red that Nick Cave would have a field day when she responds that the knife turned itself on and bit her. Brad, played by Leon Rippey off.

short circuit maybe I don't know what you've dealt with electrically but that thing was on a mission oh yeah The knife suddenly comes back to life, its vibration making it clatter loudly against the floor.

Wanda June recoils in fear but Bill takes a hammer off of the shelf. He kneels down next to the knife and considers it for a moment before bringing the hammer down, shattering its casing. The motor inside continues to pulse until bill hits it again and again and it is finally silent and still i'm surprised hinder shot wasn't like it's coming out your pay boy We just didn't hear him. Yeah, he did. He wrote it down. He made note.

But in the game room, the video player's clothes bulge with everything he's stolen from the malfunctioning machines. He even has stuff sticking out from under his hat. He grins as he tucks the last cup into his shirt and pats his...

patted stomach but before he can leave his eyes catch the screen of the star castle machine it did make me laugh that he took he tucked that cup of coffee he was packed ready to go bright shapes pulse growing smaller as they disappear and another shape takes its place circles x's crosses waves stars The gamer's eyes grow wide as he steps closer, transfixed, the screen bathing him in a strange red light, technically making maximum overdrive 1986.

a giallo film hey don't taint the subgenre makes it better yeah i don't i don't know what to tell you i don't make the rules i'll add one point The gamer slowly approaches the machine, reaching out his hand with reverence. When he finally touches it, a bright electric current flows from the machine up his arm over his face. The gamer begins to thrash. violently seizing so hard that his hat flies off in the kitchen hinder shot stands with wanda june and bill and wonders bitterly now what

The gamer continues to shake, though, the currents flowing over his body before he is finally thrown back with a loud boom. I thought he'd walk out of the room fixing his tie. That would be hilarious. It was all just a callback to Maxwell. Yeah. Vince Gilligan's a big fan. Huge fan. We watch from the inside of the glass arcade room door as Bill approaches suspiciously. He pushes the door open and steps inside.

The Star Castle machine is still displaying its shapes, and the rest of the machines are going wild, beeping and playing their music, their lights flashing. The glass on one of the pinball machines explodes. Bill takes a look around and spots the gamer slumped into the corner. His body jerks one more time with the electricity, but when it goes away, he is still.

And again, I know this is very early in Giancarlo Esposito's career, but I expected him to have more. Yes. He's dead. Yeah, he's gone. He had one line. Yeah. We cut abruptly to a baseball field where kids play. After hitting the ball, Deke Keller, played by Holter Graham, runs the bases as his teammates scream and cheer for him behind the chain link.

Deke makes a dive for the last base, sliding just as the umpire played by Bill Huggins catches the ball and declares Deke safe. The rest of his team jumps up from the bench and rushes over to him, cheering and celebrating. The coach, played by Bob Gunter, stands by with crossed arms, announcing that he's buying sodas for the boys. He seemed annoyed. Yeah. I guess maybe because it's coming out of his pocket, but I was like, you won. Yeah.

Yeah, but now I got to pay for all these. I got a bad feeling about that. He goes over to the vending machine and slides his coins in. When he selects the drink and nothing comes out, the coach presses the button again, harder. He pounces fist against it and kicks at the machine as an off-screen child laments, uh-oh, no sodas.

The team stands by watching as the coach backs up from the machine. He leans down to get a better look at the slot at the bottom. But that's when the machine chooses to launch the can, throwing it forward and hitting the coach right. in the balls. My groin. The boys laugh as the can clatters to the ground. The coach's knees buckle and the machine adds insult to injury by launching another can. It hits home again and the coach falls to his knees. When the machine throws it.

Another one, it hits the coach right in the eye. As his head rocks back, one of the kids goes, what the hell? Well, it was funny when he got hit in the balls, but now it's okay. It's killing him now. This is too much for a child, guys. It's past funny. Yeah. Holy shit. The team walks over and with the boys in the vending machine sight, it lets loose a barrage of cans, firing them in all directions toward the kids. The boys sprint away. Many of them knocked down as the cans make contact.

and they don't get back no dude this is a wild scene yes oh yeah it's a lot But I think, too, once we seen, we knew the two seconds that the soda didn't come out, this thing was going to attack. It's basically the same thing that just happened with the gas pump. Honestly. He's like, let me do it. Maybe if my balls were closer. That would get it out. That usually does.

The machine seizes its onslaught and Deke walks over trepidatiously. He looks down at his coach lying on the concrete. The can that was thrown at his head has left a bloody impression. A circle has been punched. into the coach's head, the skin gone and exposing the red gore beneath. Blood runs down his face and the coach stares up at Deke helplessly as he twitches. I was like, God. I know.

The machine decides that it's not done and begins to fire sodas again. But Deke thinks fast, muttering, oh shit, as he brings the umpire's mask over his face. The cans bounce off the protective mask, but the machine continues to launch them as Deke drops to the grass. Keeping the mask in place, he drags himself over to the coach to check on him. He shakes the coach's shoulder, but the man is unresponsive. The machine launches its cans directly at Deke, and he decides that it's time to go.

He jumps up and sprints away past his fallen teammates who lie sprawled and possibly dead. Another kid Bobby played by Phil Adams tries to escape on his bike but it flips over and he goes flying to the ground. I have a question about this. When this happened, I was like, fuck, it's the bikes too. Yeah. I thought it launched him off. It sure looked that way. It does look that way. But then we get later.

Deke has a bike that seems to love him. There's not any kind of... It likes him. Do we have good bicycles? He always treated it right. You never toss me on your friend's lawn or whatever. I don't know. You took care of me. I took care of you. The tires aired up. Yeah. They don't forget. But a steamroller comes crashing through the scoreboard and heads right for Bobby. I'm sorry.

Deke screams for his friend, but Bobby remains on the ground helpless as the steamroller rolls right over him, crushing him. It fucking pulverizes this kid. Yeah. I couldn't believe it. This is terrible. Of course it is. I laughed a lot. I was very surprised. You can't help but laugh out loud. Yeah. No, you can't. We're like, right, guys? Not just us, right?

Deke makes a run for his own bike as the steamroller goes rogue crashing into fences and rolling them flat but Deke is able to mount his bike and speed away. But on the street, a lone car drives down the road. Camp Lohman, played by Christopher Murney, is behind the wheel, softly singing, one step at a time, sweet Jesus. That's all I ask. Repetitively. Next to him sits Brett, played by Laura Harrington, who fiddles with the radio. Laura Harrington. I know her from The Devil's Advocate in 97.

Oh, she was also in what's eating Gilbert grape in 93. Oh, she had talked in that interview that I read about. what a different experience this was because she was an actress in New York and she said that Emilio Estevez had come from Hollywood and that their experiences were just very different. She said that she and Emilio Estevez were put up.

in condos next to each other on the beach and he was flying out his friends like Tom Cruise and he was dating Demi Moore so he was flying her out every single weekend and she was just blown away. It was very interesting to learn, too. I learned from her through that interview that they were also filming Blue Velvet. At the studio at the same time. Yeah. Oh. And so she said that on breaks and lunches, she was seeing people like David Lynch and Isabella Rossellini and that it was.

incredible and just an amazing experience i bet she's like man it's a shame that we're doing this over here and they're doing that what's going on on this side to go we're making the same kind of no no i guess we're not Room for one more, David? I did read a story that you mentioned, David Lynch and Blue Velvet, but Stephen King told a story recently. I read an article that I guess... Whenever they were filming Maximum Overdrive, he wasn't getting into it with one of the camera operators.

But he was trying to get the camera operator to do a certain thing that breaks one of the rules of cinematography. And so the cameraman was like, you're breaking the 180 degree rule. And Stephen King's like, I don't know what that is. Of course.

And so he talked to David Lynch about it because they met at a cafe while they're both filming their films. Yeah. And David Lynch explains, it's like, well, you know, it's like this imaginary line that's drawn and basically the movement of the camera matters because it messes with the audience's perception, blah, blah, blah. explains everything. And Stephen King is like still asking all these questions. And David Lynch is like, look, you know, just do what makes sense to you.

And the funny thing is that the last quote, Stephen King goes, yeah, because you didn't really get it either. He just explained it to you. That was the first part of your story, Steve. He's like, yeah, we were both pretty clueless. He's like, no, you just hide. I love that. But back in the car with Camp and Brett. Camp suggests that she give up with the radio as he hasn't been able to get anything on it for the past half hour. Chomping on...

Hopefully gum, but it could have been chewed tobacco. I don't know. He guesses that he must have a broken antenna. After a beat, he slides his hand up Brett's denim-clad leg, wondering how far up the road she's going, sugar pie. Brett grabs his hand, pulls it off of her leg, and deposits it into his own lap. She guesses that that'll depend on how long Camp can keep his hands to himself.

He's already proven that he can't. Yeah. Pull over here. Yeah. I'll just let me off at the side of the room. When he asks her to repeat herself because he didn't quite catch what she said, Brett tells him flatly that she said that she doesn't really know. Camp guesses that Brett is just drifting and he chuckles at that. He knows what that's like. He's been drifting himself for about 10 years now.

He starts to tell the story about when he started his business, but Brett shushes him. She finally gets something on the radio. The anchorman's voice provided by Hal Fishman informs that strange occurrences are being reported, but they'll have further bulletins as they come in. In the meantime, he's going to repeat an important message. were on or near a major highway, get away at once.

Camp continues to sing lowly to himself as he takes a sip from his flask, completely ignoring this report. Get out of this car. But when the radio cuts out, Brett is furious. She kicks out at the dash and Camp rubs her leg again, calling her sweet thing and asking unconcerned, what's wrong with her? He has nothing to say about her kicking his ass.

Brett tells him to pull in somewhere before turning to him and adding coldly that he's going to be wiping his ass with the hook the next time he takes a dump if he doesn't get his hand off her leg. Camp promptly returns his hand to the wheel. He chuckles, asserting that he never heard no talk like that when he was a boy. What the fuck are you talking about? You don't have any manners either, dude. None.

Fed up, Brett takes matters and the wheel into her own hands. She swerves the car to camp's panic, sending up dust from the road as she Tokyo drifts them into the rest stop. Once they skid to a stop, Camp asks her if she's gone crazy or something. But Brett asks if he really didn't hear what the man on the radio said. Camp eyes her suspiciously before proposing. Are you on something?

Brett gets out of the car. Good. Yeah. Camp yells at her to wait a minute, demanding that she not run away from him like that. But Brett only responds by slamming her door. She hurries toward the diner, but Camp gets out and scampers behind, clutching a suitcase in his hand. When he reaches Brett, she tells him pointedly to eat her shorts, but Camp wonders if this whole world has forgotten what good man... is that line is really funny considering somebody that we meet later but

Steve stands by chuckling and Joe blows a bubble as they watch Camp's tantrum. He reminds Brett that he gave her a ride in his brand new car and look at this garbage coming out of her mouth. He continues his tirade as the engine of the Green Goblin truck starts to purr. Camp rants about the dangers of sex, rock and roll and drugs rotting your immortal soul. But smoke has begun to stream from the truck.

It shifts into gear by itself and it finally catches Brett's attention. She looks past camp and toward the green goblins yawning grin. Joe screams up at the truck that it's not full yet, but it lurches.

forward anyway pulling the nozzle still stuck inside until it snaps out of it camp is still utterly oblivious and brett has to yank him out of the way by his tie before the incoming truck plows into him The honking truck goes past the people outside and it hisses to a stop on the side of the building.

Standing on the porch with Brett, Brad, Barry and Rolf, played by our picket bug, camp begins to pray. And I just want to add very quickly, I was not pleased with the choice of names in this film because Bill, Brett, Brad. berry but it's it's too fucking much yeah that's unnecessary on my best day i struggle this is too much

But the diner's patrons head back inside and Brett takes a few steps forward, eyeing the truck in the distance. The back of it depicts a brightly colored clown smiling maniacally against its black background. Joe picks up. broken nozzle which still spills dark diesel. He looks out at the truck quizzically as he blows another bubble.

even the truck didn't like him the truck was like oh no you suck yeah and he does yeah oh yeah see are we sure they're not on our side yeah that one might be yeah Everyone gathers in the diner with Bill standing in front, looking out the window where the green goblin truck is still parked, the clown on its caboose staring back at them mockingly.

Wanda June sets down drinks in front of camp and he snatches up a beer and begins to gulp it down. The cigar between his lips. Hendershot wonders what in the Dickens is going on around here. And Bill agrees that that's a damn good. question. When asked if that was his rig, Handy admits that it is and that he doesn't know who's driving it, but he must have been a hot wire champion. He holds up his keys as proof. The gathered group looks at this with.

unease before turning their attention back to the window why is it like i'm not even mad i'm impressed somebody stole or tried to steal he's like damn dude that's hard well they really they just moved it true why'd you do that it didn't even leave Back on the road, another car drives by with the accompaniment of guitar. Streamers whip in the wind as the car passes, its back window proclaiming, just married.

Kurt, played by John Short, sits behind the wheel and his new bride, Connie, played by Yardley Smith, rests her head on his shoulder contentedly. Yardley Smith. Lisa Simpson. Yes! I mean, we all, we love her. And you can hear it. Oh, yeah. So many times you're like, oh, she hasn't changed her voice at all. No! In John Short, it looks like he was in Christmas with the Cranks in 04 and Ransom in 96. Huh. Yeah.

Eyeing the gauge, Kurt realizes that they need to stop for gas. This is good news for Connie, who needs to use the ladies room. When Kurt asks if he can watch, she smacks him playfully and tells him that he cannot. I was like, Kurt. Come on. It's like we're married now. That's part of it. They continue down the road, passing a line of abandoned and rusted out cars, their hoods raised and some of their tires detached. Still, the headlights blink inexplicably.

Kurt brings the car to a stop after they go over railroad tracks and he starts to ask Connie if she saw that. When she asks what he's talking about, he shakes his head and dismisses it with the never mind. Instead of exploring it further, Kurt turns into a parking lot and pulls up to gas pumps. When he brings the car to a stop, they peer around the corner of a short strip of bricks where a bloody hand is in full view.

Kurt is appalled by this and Connie covers her face as she lets loose a blood curdling scream. Kirk gets out to investigate. He races over to find a dead gas station attendant played by Bernie Pack. Connie gets out of the car and asks her husband fearfully if the man is dead. But Kurt is walking dazedly past the body, following a blotchy trail of blood on the concrete that leads to a bright smearing on the wall of a storm. more.

Cupping his hands around his face, Kurt peers inside but seems to find nothing. He looks over at a nearby junk heap crowned with run-down cars and vans before peering up at the clock high above the door. hands spin freely and its face is splattered with blood staring at this Kurt breathes great god

Connie still stands by the car, but she turns fretfully when she hears a stubborn engine struggling to start. It finally roars and a tow truck comes into view from behind the mound of junked vehicles. It pulls out into the... road kurt spots it and runs into view jumping up and down and waving his arms to get the driver's attention but we can clearly see that there is no driver isn't that maynard from disney's car Not Disney's Cars.

Connie watches all of this and she whines to her husband that she doesn't like this as the shift inside of the truck moves on its own. The accelerator depresses and the truck comes right for Kurt. He launches himself out of the way just in time as the truck barrels its way onto the store's porch. Tears streaming down her face. Connie screeches her husband's name. Smoke pours from the wrecked truck and we pan over it to find Kurt underneath a fallen support beam.

Connie begs to know if he's dead, but Kurt pushes the beam off and coughs as he raises himself to his feet. He looks over at the truck to find its driver's seat to be completely vacant. Smiling goofily, he's... stumbles over to his bride and wraps his arms around her in a tight embrace. The two share a passionate kiss, but when they hear the sound of an engine struggling to start, Connie screeches and runs for the driver's side door.

They were hugging like the movie was over. Yeah. No shit. Let's go home or whatever. It's like, dude. No. That's a truck and you just saw there's nobody in it. Yeah. Kurt stares dumbly at the wrecked truck as it shakes, but when Connie screams at him to come on, his stupor is broken and he jumps in the car.

Connie screams as she speeds them away but when she heads toward the railroad tracks the bell starts to ding and the arms begin to come down. Kurt yells that she's going the wrong way and Connie Tokyo drifts in the other direction. imploring her husband to stop shouting at her because she can't drive when he does that. The engine continues to roar as Connie drives them out of view.

Meanwhile, a red trash removal truck filled to the brim pulls into the Dixie boy. But inside, Hendershot is lamenting the condition of his game room, calling the situation dog shit. Joe stands next to him, dutifully lighting his cigar. Hendershot asks if Joe did what he told him to do with the body, and Joe assures his boss that he got him downstairs. He comments that the gamer was pretty crispy, and he asks what happened. happened hinder shot mutters fuck defy no bubba fuck defy no

Bill is outside looking up at the demented clown painted on the back of the green goblin truck. He raises himself up to looking through the open driver's side window, but the red interior of the cab is empty. Bill lets him. He arms himself in, his eyes wide and ready as he eyes the red curtain pulled closed between the cab and the back. He arms himself with the car key poking between the knuckles and his fist.

Bill steadies himself before ripping the curtain open. But the only thing that greets him is a green goblin Jack in the box, which pops up with a wicked grin. Dude's a big fan. Yeah. His search unfruitful. Bill hops back out of the truck. He walks its length inspecting it before kneeling down in front of the back license plate. Somehow inside the cab, the ignition turns without a key inside.

Air whooshes as lights on the dash begin to glow, but Bill gets the shit scared out of him when someone grabs his shoulder. He cries out as he turns, but it's only Brett who jokes with the playful vroom vroom. He stands up next to her and the driver's side mirror turns on its own, granting us the view of Bill and Brett walking back toward the diner. Brett wonders if there was anyone in the truck and Bill reports, not now.

Brett stands close to Bill and leans into him when she admits that he's cute. Bill giggles and asks, am I? But Brett brings him back down to earth by clarifying, not that cute. I don't know what's happening. And the way they were talking, I thought they might have known each other before. Yeah, not at all. It did seem very familiar. Yeah. And then when the truck moved its mirror, I was like, oh, he's like, oh, I'm going to kill them. They have no idea.

But Bill offers that maybe he'll grow on her. We pan over to the truck stop's parking lot and the road running parallel to it. Brett muses that there's nothing. She wonders, have you ever seen that much nothing? 10 15 in the morning hero as we pan down from the bed to the front of the red trash removal truck we hear bill tell brett that his name is bill

Brett responds in kind, offering her name in return. A guitar whines as the truck's lights cut on. Deke is still on a street somewhere, riding his bike away from the chaos on the baseball field. Guitar pulses and as Deke passes sprinklers, they spring to life, framing him on either side with their streams. But when he turns back to look at them, they shut off. We see through a chain link fence a man played by Denver Mattson lying dead. The blade of a red chainsaw embedded in his neck.

An unoccupied hammock swings as the anchorman reports from a radio that the mechanical revolt that started this morning appears to be occurring everywhere. New York, London, New Delhi, Moscow, Peking. All the reports are the same. Machines are operating by themselves or under the direction of an unknown agency and going on a homicidal rampage. As he talks, we drop down from the hammock.

and glide across the grass past dropped beer bottles an overturned cooler in the twisted cords of headphones still attached to a bloody walkman Deke continues riding by his head on a swivel. He catches sight of a white Volkswagen bug, a red sign proclaiming pizza delivery jutting up from its roof. It is crashed into a tree and the pizza guy played by. Kent Hayes is bloody and lifeless as he dangles out of the window.

Has the delivery been made yet? I'm hungry. That bag keeps it warm. He's going to need strength. He's got a lot of biking in front of him. Deke spots a woman, played by Elizabeth Malfax, shrouded in the hedges, only her feet and legs jutting out from the greenery. Her stockings are stained red with blood, and one of her white shoes has fallen off. reverts his eyes and looks down at his bike, but he looks back up when a tinny siren begins to whine.

A dog lies on the side of the road, its eyes half-lidded and its muzzle bloody. A tiny police car toy whines its siren as it juts out of the dog's mouth. I felt like Sideshow Bob. Oh, really? Now that's too much. Yes. Now you're doing too much. I just don't understand. I know it's funny. It is funny. Come on. We're all laughing. It's fine. How the fuck does that happen? I don't know the logistics of this dog eating that car. Right, right. I don't get it.

A man played by Bruce Moriarty sits on his porch swing, still gripping one of the chains, suspending it. But his head is lulled back and he's dead. Blood pouring from his ears. The culprit, the Walkman still. clipped to his hip. Deke looks away, closing his eyes tight as the anchorman continues that some machines are waking up more slowly than others. But there is only one thing that is completely certain. No machine is to be trusted. dead.

He implores the listeners to unplug all electrical devices, but his voice fades away when he starts to warn about trucks and cars. Instead, the music intensifies as Deke zeroes in on a blunt. woman hanging out of an upstairs window, the cord from her hair dryer wrapped tightly around her neck. I just want to say, firstly, of course, this has been a very grisly ride through this neighborhood. Yes. Corpses lining either side. Yes. In houses, front lawns, cars.

animals. Yeah. And yet the most upbeat ACDC is playing the entire time. When we were talking about sometimes it doesn't quite fit. Yeah. I was like, what even is this? It's very funny. And again, when you have what he's saying on the radio, all electrical appliances. Yeah. I feel like this is kind of a ripe.

concept for some really interesting social commentary. For sure. But we're not going to do that here. That's not what this is. We're not doing that. We're doing maximum overdrive today. Sorry about that. Deke closes his eyes and turns away like you hate to see it. He's taking it very well. He is. He really is. But we watch from the window behind the dead woman as he bikes out of sight. He turns down another road and stands at the intersection of Kenwood and Shirley.

He turns when he catches sight of an ice cream truck coming down Kenwood. As it gets closer, the cheery music matches the volume of its rumbling engine. But when it turns and drives past us, the inside of the car is complete. empty it goes along and Deke is no longer standing at the intersection

We watch from behind a bloody lawnmower as Deke comes out of his hiding place, abandoning his bike as he sprints away. But the ice cream truck continues its journey, blood splattered against the white of its hood. Deke watches fearfully from the hedges of a nearby house, and when the truck turns away, he jogs back to his bike.

But this is when he notices the bloody lawnmower, when the engine burps to life and it goes speeding after him. Deke jumps back on his bike and hurries away, thankfully faster than the malicious mower. I know this is a little side from our...

has to do with the movie, but it made me think. Watching this whole little thing of him going through there and the things we've been seeing, I was like, is that Bagul's lawnmower? I was like, is that Sweet Tooth? You know what I mean? And then the chainsaw.

evil dead then the hedges the girl hiding you know dead behind us is that halloween it just made me think of other stuff that we've covered and i was like man is this is just a fun time you know yeah of course it is gruesome what's happening or whatever but it's like the music in the back like you're saying it's like this is silly as fuck the music does take you out of it a little bit but i will say i think that if you're telling the story of all these machines

you know, kind of running amok. This is a really cool way to show. You don't think. of a hair dryer you don't think of a walkman you know what i mean like this was a cool illustration uh or a toy car yeah like this was a pretty cool way to be like no everything is dangerous It's just not really a theme that we stick with going forward. Even some of the cars are not bad people. Yeah. But the time, unfortunately, has come for us to talk about this injury in this lawsuit.

So the cinematographer for this film was Armando Nanuzzi. And because Stephen King was an inexperienced director, Dino De Laurentiis wanted an experienced DP. And Nunutzi had been doing it since the 50s. He had even shot Silver Bullet the year prior. So he did not speak English and Stephen King did not speak Italian. So there was a language barrier despite having a translator on set. So for this scene, when the lawnmower takes.

off by itself the lawnmower was controlled by a remote king was advised allegedly to remove the blades from the lawnmower And he allegedly insisted that it was scarier with the blades in. And this allegedly led to a sequence of events that. we're about to get into now that was according to the crew interviewed for an article for slash film okay they angled the camera on the ground

with a wooden wedge behind it to be able to look up at the lawnmower like we see in the film in this kind of menacing shot because, you know, it's scary. The machines are scary. So... They hit the remote for the lawnmower to take off and nothing happened. So the crew is told to just turn up the speed. They keep doing this because the lawnmower is not budging. It's not reacting and doing what it's supposed to do.

But finally it does. And the lawnmower shoots off faster than anyone expected it to. And the blades that weren't removed hit that wooden wedge that is propping up the camera to get this angle. So the wedge breaks and splinters shoot off right into Armando Nanuzzi's eye. Jesus fucking Christ. He is flight lifted out. and production is paused, Nanuzzi would return with an eye patch, and they said he was in really high spirits, but at the time, they did not know the extent of the damage to his eye.

Coincidentally, Nanuzzi and Stephen King shared a birthday. Really? Yeah. So when he came back, the cast and crew had a party for them. And I've seen photos of Nanuzzi with his eye patch on. hugging Laura Harrington at this party. So ultimately he's finally given the news that because of the way the splinter entered his eye, it could not. be repaired and i read through several sources that he ended up losing his eye

So Armando Nanuzzi sued Stephen King, Dino De Laurentiis, and 16 other people for $18 million for the injury he sustained and the effect it would have on his work going forward. Well, yeah. Absolutely. his depth perception he lost at least vision in his eye if not his eye completely but they ended up settling out of court for $975,000 Oh, he deserved more than that. Yeah. And it was just, I mean, seemingly this really senseless and completely avoidable.

tragedy it sounded like a freak accident the way that because they had said that if you look at the eye as a clock if it's injured from like 12 to 4 they could have fixed it but it was injured from like 12 to 6 or 8 and there was just they couldn't yeah and so I mean it just a fucking nightmare And I mean, I honestly, in all fairness, for the shot that's in the film, why couldn't we have taken the blades out? I know you don't even see them. It's that.

We see it from the top. We don't need to see it underneath. I get that it might look menacing or cool, but we don't need that shot. It just seems like... I mean, just a dumb fucking mistake that had such a huge, you know what I mean? Impact. Like it's, you got to be careful. Yeah, I swear I would never think about anything else if I had a hand in any of that. No, my God. Yeah.

But I mean, like we go, we, I had to tell the story. You know what I mean? It's just Jesus Christ, you know? But back to the film. Back at the diner. Camp is ranting to Wanda June and Rolf. His mouth is full of food and he flops around a Bible boasting about its assets that they can get for just $9.95.

Wanda June and Rolf look back at him with quiet disgust as he lets them in on the information that this Bible has everything in it from the creation of this beautiful world of ours to the fall of mankind. And he was making me fucking sick. It's pretty tough. Pretty tough. Disgusting. Meanwhile, Duncan stumbles out into the sunshine, his face red and his eyes still squinted and bloodshot. Joe follows, imploring him to hang out longer while Duncan insists that he's got to find his boy.

grabs him by the shoulders to stop him. He reminds Duncan that he can't even see. Duncan stares down lens with his injured eyes, twisting streams of blood dried on his face like tears, asserting that he can see just fine. He wrenches himself free from his friend, warning that he doesn't want to pop Joe one, but if he keeps yapping at him, he's gonna. Duncan continues forward. Bill, Brett, and Steve rush over, and Bill catches up with Duncan, asking if he's really going after Deke.

Duncan says that he is, but he stops when Bill holds up four fingers in front of his face. He asks Duncan how many fingers he's holding up. Eight? Twelve? Duncan admits that all right he's got a little double vision but it's clearing up he has to find his boy he repeats that he's gotta because anything could be going on out there

Hinder shot saunters over, warning that if Duncan leaves without punching out, he's never going to have to punch out again, Bubba. But Duncan reasons that that's good. He counters, leave me alone, you fat fuck. Hendershot reaches out and grabs Duncan by the shirt, but Bill prizes hand away, cautioning him to leave Duncan alone. Duncan walks away, but Hendershot has turned his attention to Bill. He asks, or what?

and bill tells him or i'll knock your teeth in bubba the audience is like i've never used like a system like this but can't you punch in and punch out for somebody else yeah just go clock them out yeah but it's just like that's what you're worried about right now i think the fact that that the

uh gamer guy died in there and they just like got rid of his body and hinder shot's like oh you're not fucking stealing hours from me like that it's uh he's like i steal hours from you yeah works one way bubba But everyone reacts to this with reverence. Steve even stifling a small smile. But they all turn toward the parking lot when the trash truck's engine begins to rumble. The truck drives itself across the parking lot.

toward a partially blind Duncan who is fumbling with his keys as he makes his way to his car. I was a little surprised that nobody volunteered to go with him. Yeah. Or drive or anything like he cannot see. No. You remember Melissa McBride in The Mist where she's like, isn't anyone kind of show a lady? That's him. Like he needs help him. Yeah. And he has a noble cause. Yeah. It's not like he's like, I got a lot of booze.

his child is out there yeah duncan drops his keys and bends down to pick them up and it's when he's feeling across the ground for them that bill screams for duncan to look out Duncan looks up and despite his impaired vision, the truck barreling down on him is clear. He shields his face and screams. Then you can just drop fucking dead. No, Duncan is struck by the trash truck.

When it drives past undeterred, Duncan's battered and bloody body continues to roll. Everyone rushes inside and the trash truck continues on, its front grill painted freshly red with Duncan's blood. Hey, he got fucked. Yeah, he did. He had more blood than I think. Was he carrying a bucket of blood as well? That was wild. It was a lot.

In the diner, Camp is still pitching his Bible to Wanda June and Rolf. He promises that it will give them protection in times of danger and clutching onto Wanda June's hand, health in time of sickness. But his boasting is muffled by the roaring engine as the trash truck speeds past the window. It drives right to Camp's car and bashes into it. And Camp, man of God that he is, yells out, cocksucker, as he watches this happen. The trash truck's side collapses, spilling garbage all over Camp's car.

He lets the expletives fly as he jumps up and rushes to the door. And when Wanda June rises to her feet as well, he gives her a small shove and mutters, Out of my way, bitch. That's crazy. I can't stop laughing. I can't believe it. he sucks but that was really funny and she wasn't even in his way no but he snatches up his suitcase on his way out of the door

He runs out into the parking lot, threatening the non-existent driver of the trash truck that he's going to rip him off. The truck pulls away from camp's crushed car, leaving it buried under a mountain of trash. When it speeds away and starts to turn back, Camp wonders where the hell the driver is going and accuses him of being drunk.

That's when Bill comes out, wide-eyed and concerned. He yells at camp to get back inside, you idiot. But camp has a score to settle. He continues to scream at the trash truck. And when Bill tries to pull him back toward the dining room, Camp pushes him away. The Green Goblin's eyes glow on the happy toys truck as its engine roars to life, but the trash truck is still circling the gas pumps.

Camp follows it as it goes, letting loose his insults and thrusting up his middle finger, but he suddenly stops. Bill sees that the happy toys truck has joined in the fun, and he runs again for Camp, grabbing the man and trying to save him. him but camp's eyes grow wide when he sees the green goblin truck backing up toward them the clowns smile unnerving and hungry he pulls away from bill and sprints across the parking lot as the chaotic score starts

But he doesn't get very far. The truck slams into him, launching him over the railing and into a wet ditch. Camp rolls through the water, his clothes stained with mud, and we see that he's left his shoes behind from the impact, and the clown now has Camp's blood leaking from its yawning maw. Keeping an eye always on the truck, Bill runs back to the building.

The Happy Toys truck rolls over Camp's suitcase, smashing it and its Holy Bible branding on the side as it goes. As if nothing happened, it goes back to the side of the garage where it stopped before and it parks. The trash truck follows suit, backing up neatly into the space next to a larger truck. Its brakes hiss and its headlights go out.

And the trucks hate Jesus. It was like a little insult injury in there, right? It felt purposeful, for sure. See, they're cool. Just don't be like that, dude. Yes. Honestly. See, that's the thing. They're only, well, aside from Duncan. The child. Yeah. And they're rolling over the child, yes. I feel like, you know, that coach could have been an asshole. I don't know. Yeah, we don't know. He didn't seem to want to buy sodas for this.

Back inside, Joe stands by while Hendershot tries to make contact with someone named Rusty on the radio. Bill leads the rest of the crew back in, muttering that there was no one in the cab of the truck at all. Hendershot dismisses this as horse pucky, but Brett just wonders calmly what they're going to do now. Bill admits honestly that he doesn't know. Hendershot continues to radio into Rusty, growing more and more agitated. And we learn that his name is Bubba, which is interesting. Yeah.

Is he just egotistical? Everyone's Bubba! Outside, Handy and Steve drape blankets over Duncan's remains. Steve implores them to hurry before moaning that Duncan is starting to draw flies. Meanwhile, Bill stands guard in the bathroom while Brett is inside. He asks what she's doing in there and we watch her feet as she pulls off her jeans. Her voice wavering with emotion. She tells him that she's changing.

Camp had his hands all over her and now he's dead and she doesn't want his smell on her. She doesn't like it. Her bare ass feet on a truck stop bathroom floor. It's risky. It'll never be clean again. Yeah, I would advise against it. But Bill scoffs at this. Yeah. What is that? He's like, well, I don't get that. I did read in that interview with the crew that Dino De Laurentiis had came on set and he was not happy to see that Brett was wearing jeans. Okay. He wanted to see her in a skirt.

He said Stephen King had tried to put his foot down and tell him no. He wanted Brett to have kind of a tougher look, maybe a little bit more androgynous. But. Dino De Laurentiis demanded that a scene be added where Brett changes from her jeans into a shorter skirt. Maybe that's why, maybe it was Emilio scoffing. Maybe it was. Yeah. But they kind of said that it felt like it was a.

let's show who the real boss is here moment. Well, you already, I'm already not working with Bruce Springsteen. That was a pretty big blow. God damn. What a stupid thing. Very stupid. But yeah, for the rest. of the film she is in a pink top and a skirt and that's what he wanted handy and steve bring duncan's body back inside but they stop when they run into hinder shot

He chastises them, pointing out that Duncan is dripping all over the floor. So don't just stand there. He's like, and clock him out. Yeah. I'm surprised he didn't do that when they were like, he's got diesel in his house. Yeah, he is here. That would have been so funny. He's that cartoonish. Yes, he is. The men continue carrying the body through a door marked keep out. Wanda June sits nearby gazing at a framed photo, but Barry and Brad stand around nervously.

They look down at the ground, seemingly at what Duncan left behind. And when Hendershot asks what the hell they're looking at, they both assure him that they were looking at nothing. Hendershot invites them to go look at the nothing somewhere else.

In her new outfit, Brett walks out of the bathroom and greets Bill with a grin. But in the parking lot, the Green Goblin truck starts its engine and the eyes glow red. It drones distortedly, and I guess this... truck is their leader because the rest of the trucks in the parking lot follow suit, starting up their engines and streaming out smoke.

So if you're handy, are you proud that your truck is the one calling the show? Well, yeah. That's pretty cool. They got to work in Conway or whatever. Ain't she a beautiful son? Wanda June and Hendershot stare out of the window and we pan over the fronts of the engines. The group watches as the trucks honk their horns discordantly. They all pull from their parking spots and join each other in a creepy convoy.

The clumsy trash truck knocking out a phone booth on its way in line. The truck circled the Dixie Boy truck stop. standing in the window hinder shot balls that those goddamn things have no right to be running but running they are in an endless circle around the dixie boy camp's abandoned shoe is squished flat as they go

I just want to point out there is a moment and it's a matter of just like strange editing and strange like everything. Because when Brett does leave the bathroom, she returns to Bill and she goes, OK.

yeah yeah like okay what okay your outfits changed okay you're agreeing to something that we don't know what you've talked about earlier yeah because it was cut no yeah there's a couple moments like that where it's like what are what like i feel like i missed a conversation i missed something but it's just like okay get back to the green goblin yeah you see its eyes are glowing dude

But Kurt and Connie are back on the road, traveling alone down one side of the highway. On the other side, however, is a horde of semi trucks going in the opposite direction. Connie wonders where they're going and Kurt admits that he doesn't. know. Maybe Greensboro or Charlotte.

Connie asks why, and Kurt answers again that he doesn't know. He tells her to try the radio again, and her face still twisted in confusion, she does, only gaining static for her troubles. But she suddenly stares through the... windshield and screams at Kurt to look out. A flatbed truck lurches out of nowhere and Kurt has to severely swerve the car to avoid running right into it. Hunched over the wheel, he admits, I think I just loaded my pants.

Guitar begins to wail as the truck sets its sights on them. It races down the road, shifting gears on its own, and Connie takes a moment to buckle her seatbelt. As this chase begins, I couldn't help but think of their cards like, I'll get you out of here, guys. Why is it good? I think that there's one line when Deke is going through the...

fucking fucked up neighborhood. And it's like some machines are slower to wake than others. And some to stay asleep. That's our get out of jail free card for like some shit. It's still working fine. That's why I feel like. I feel like the short story really, I mean, it was called Trucks. It was about the trucks. Like, I like a lot of the shit that they did with the electronics, like kind of going haywire and stuff, but it is abandoned.

very quickly yeah yeah and even now with the trucks and the cars it's not Everything. Maybe it would be better because, I mean, like they're trying to make it bigger. You got the dude's Beetle Volkswagen. Yeah. Like all cars, but not all cars, but all appliances, but not all appliances. So I don't know.

it just does not it's kind of ridiculous i mean they do play with it in a sense later but it isn't like what we saw through the neighborhood yeah at all yeah that was everything yeah like nobody was alive in the neighborhood The flatbed pulls into the next lane and Connie screeches a warning that it's going to hit them. And it does, swerving to knock into their car before straightening itself again. They're knocked onto the grassy shoulder, but Kurt gets them back on the road quick.

pushing their car to over 90 miles per hour. Connie begs to know why this is happening, but there is no answer, only the chase. Kurt swerves from one lane to the other, trying to keep the flatbed from pulling up next to them again, but the truck just follows suit. They race down the road, and the only thing louder than the angry engine is Connie's screaming.

Kurt warns her to hold on and he swerves onto an exit at the very last second. But the truck is undeterred, taking the sharp turn with him and knocking into the back bumper for good measure. I don't know if Kurt's like, well, he can't cross the white line. Oh my God. He's like, they've got to obey the law. Surely. Otherwise, what are we doing here? It's really not fair. Connie whines that she knew she never should have let Kurt drive again.

The truck slams into them, smashing further an already crumpled trunk and sending glass flying. Connie begs Kurt to make it stop hitting them. Like, Connie, I'm sure he would. I know. I'm sure he would. I gotta be honest. are getting abrasive. This is the abrasiveness that I... One of the many examples of... It's scary, man. It's afraid.

Kurt swerves through a grassy median onto another road before quickly going back again. And the truck follows, but this is too much. It loses control and drives right off a hill, bursting into flames. And yes, it was already on fire. The truck already had problems. That's when it left the road. It knew. It was like, I can't keep doing this. but this is too I think where the question did come into my mind was what you were saying

Their car is carrying them. They're battling this truck. They're able to get away. The other guys are watching a fucking parade at the truck stop. Some cars are assholes. Some are not. Hey. Kurt finally comes to a stop next to a sign for the Dixie Boy truck stop. Video games, shower facilities, two miles. He and Connie watch as the flatbed truck bursts into flames. Connie screams.

asking her husband what's going on. Kurt bellows that he doesn't know. He composes himself and proposes that they call the police from the truck stop. Connie cries and Kurt kisses her sweetly before driving away. But at the Dixie Boy parking lot, the trucks are continuing their endless loop. Kurt and Connie watch this from the road, and Connie laughs mockingly that, oh yeah, as soon as they get to that truck stop, they'll be all right.

But when Kurt shifts the car into gear, her smile disappears and she demands to know what he's doing. Kurt points out a gap in the circling trucks. Once those trucks come back around, he's seizing the gap. Connie screams her protests. If they do that, the trucks will gang up and squash them. But Kurt assures her that he can do it. Connie is skeptical of his plan of being inside the parking lot where they are.

But Kurt wonders just what she thinks is going to happen if they stay out here. Connie lowers her voice and admits quietly that she's scared. And Kurt agrees that he is too. In the diner, Wanda June interrupts what I guess is dinner time to call Bill over to the window, inviting him to come and look at these fools. Bill comes over, handing his plate over to Brett.

Joe laments that they're dead, but Bill thinks maybe they aren't. He starts to head outside, and when Joe tries to stop him, Bill pulls himself free. Brett follows after Bill, handing his plate over to Joe with an offer to eat this. Joe really hasn't done anything to do. But outside, Kurt tells his wife to hold on.

He races across the street intent on seizing the gap, but one of the trucks come right for him, clipping and flipping their car. It lands on its hood, but Kurt is able to scramble out of his window. Connie balls from inside the car, whining that she's all scratched up. She begs her husband to help her out because she's caught in the goddamn seatbelt. Calm down, Lisa. I will say there is a novelty to hearing Lisa Simpson cursing up a storm. Because it's just her. Absolutely. It is.

Kurt stumbles to her side of the car as Brett and Bill rush over. Kurt pulls the door open, but Brett yanks him back. She reaches into her boot, pulls out a straight razor and hands it over to Bill. As Bill saws through the seatbelt, Connie continues complaining, warning him to be careful with that thing because it looks sharp. And he's not her Curtis. Where is her Curtis?

As Brett and Bill pull Connie out of the car, she whines that she's sick of this shit, muttering that they're goddamn assholes and calling out to her husband again for help. She screams as Bill helps her and Brett helps Kurt across the park. But the red trash truck catches sight of them as they sprint towards the diner. But never fear. Hendershot stands on the porch armed with the bazooka. Now.

The crabs have machine guns. This is when I'm like, okay, we're already at a certain level. We're ratcheting it up. Oh, yeah. We're taking this up several notches. I think this is where I'm gone.

I am lost and I am not found. It was really funny because I had been working on this script and I told John Paul I was like this is nowhere near the level of ridiculousness that I. was expecting whatsoever and then i got to this point and i was like okay i'm starting to there it is i'm starting to comprehend i think The cigar hanging from his lips, Hendershot croaks out a warning before firing. Kurt, Brett,

Bill and Connie hit the dirt as the missile soars over them and the trash truck immediately bursts into flames as it explodes. Hendershot brags that the fucking truck was supposed to be depot and that was depot du jour. All right. He's having a blast. Literally, right? Yeah. Joe stands with him and the two chuckle, but when the trucks turn toward them on their loop, Hendershot tasks Joe with reloading him.

Joe does, and Hendershot fires on the next truck. As it explodes, he shouts and celebrates in his gruff voice. Brett, Bill, Kurt, and Connie finally run up onto the porch. Bill can't help but ask where they got the bazooka. And Joe starts to explain that they've got a whole bunch of stuff. But Hendershot tells him firmly to shut up. Instead, he chuckles. Found it in my Christmas stocking, Bubba. As the engines roar, I just saw T deflate out of the corner of my head.

Was this part of the short story? Absolutely not. No. Are you sure there isn't like a military armory underneath the fucking? There's not. No. All right. As the engines roar, Hendershot stops laughing and tells everyone to get inside. After taking a lingering look at the flaming wreckage in the murderous trucks, everyone does. But they watch from the window as a Miller beer truck. slams into Kurt and Connie's car one more time for good measure.

Kurt gapes at this, blood dripping down his face, and Connie buries her head in her husband's neck and sobs. Black smoke billows from the destroyed trash truck in the parking lot, but the rest of the vehicles continue their circling. Inside, Brett is looking at a framed black and white photo of Deke smiling brightly from behind the glass. We watch from the window as Bill goes over to her. When Brett asks how the lovebirds are doing, he supposes that they're...

heart rates are slowing down a little. Brett guesses that that's good, but Bill holds up her blade that he used to cut Connie out of the car. He looks down at it and then up at her with a smirk, quipping, mother's helper. Brett takes the blade from him, closes it and slides it back into her boot. She explains that a girl hitching down to Florida needs some protection.

Bill asks if that's what she's doing. And Brett says she was before every machine in the world went into maximum overdrive. Roll credits. She leans out the window ponderingly before lowering her head and starting to cry. I have to say that is one of the better choices they've made regarding this film. If this film was just fucking called Trucks. really ridiculous i know it's hard to fit the maximum overdrive into that but just fitting the truck yeah would be even more that's hilarious

Her tough exterior crumbling, Brett admits to Bill that she's scared. A lone guitar cries out as Bill makes his way over to her. He asks her if he were to put his arm around her, would she stick him with that? thing brett chuckles that you don't stick someone with a straight razor she pantomimes slicing him instead before clarifying that she wouldn't do that either well good yeah thank you

Bill reaches out dramatically and pulls Brett into a hug. She closes her eyes as they embrace and Bill assures her that it's okay. Outside, though, Deke has reached the wreckage of the flatbed that terrorized Kurt and Connie. Staring at the smoldering wreckage, he mutters, holy crow. But we are abruptly in a cockpit where Ride of the Valkyries blasts. The aircraft is, of course, driving itself. At this point.

We're fucked fucked. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Like, that's it. There's no way. We're done. There's no way. One thing that's really funny about Flight of the Valkyries playing is that whenever we go back to Deke, it does get quieter. So it's literally playing. That wasn't the soundtrack. They're getting into the mood.

deke looks up at the sky with horror jumps on his bike and rides away just as the plane comes in low over the field it seems to make an abrupt u-turn instead of going after deke and when we see him again he's climbing out of a hiding spot in the tall grass he pulls his bike onto the road and takes off he's the fucking hero that dude's out here on his own for real trying to get to his dad's work and making it yeah

Back at the Dixie Boy, Bill takes his place in front of a urinal. He calls out to Joe, who sits on the toilet in the only stall, reading a magazine while he does his business. He asks Joe if Hendershot really has a lot of firepower. Howard down in the cellar Joe looks up nervously his initial response a fart before he reminds Bill that he heard Hendershot tell him to shut up

But Bill counters that this is serious. And Joe finally admits that he's got a lot. I'm like, why do we have this conversation? Why is this the way we're doing it? I don't know what Stephen King is thinking. It's like, you know what? This conversation just farts and shits. That's what this conversation needs. It's crazy. Because he is shitting. Yes, he is. It's unbelievable. It's like, oh, look, I know time is of the essence. I can wait. I'll go grab a coffee until you're done.

Moving from the urinal over to the sink, Bill wonders if Hendershot has grenades. And when Joe is coy, Bill wants to know exactly what they have. Flamethrowers, rifles, what? In the stall, Joe closes his eyes tight, defeated, and he farts again. He points out that Bill is going to get them in a lot of trouble, but smoothing his hair back and blotting his damp face with a towel, Bill tells him that he needs to realize they're already in trouble.

He goes over to the stall, lifts himself up and peers over the barrier between them. Why? I don't know. I'll tell you. Get down. Yes. Honestly. Maybe he was farting to get him to go away. It's a defense mechanism. So maybe I won't have to tell him. He implores Joe to talk to him and Joe spills his guts. Everything. Hendershot's got everything. He swats at Bill with the magazine and tells him to leave him alone.

Bill turns the light on in the cellar, illuminating the hidden spoils for himself and Brett. They're amazed, and when Brett wonders if Hendershot stole all this stuff, Bill disagrees. He thinks Hendershot bought it. That's what a guy like him does. Brett agrees. Buy things. Bill quips, buy cheap and sell dear. It's the American way.

But Brett abruptly screams when her foot hits something. Bill hurries to the ground to tuck Duncan's arm back under his blanket. Hendershot's voice floats down to them, muttering, Jesus Christ Palomino. He muses coldly that this is cute, isn't it? And he wonders if Bill found any money on Duncan. It's like, that's not what he was doing. He wasn't looting it. No.

Hendershot makes his way down into the cellar and admits to Bill that he doesn't know what to make of him. He knows he's bright, but he keeps on being obtuse. Brett interrupts, assuring Hendershot that they don't want to steal anything. They just want to make it out of here alive. But Hendershot's focus is still on Bill, and he warns him that he's messing around where he hadn't ought to be messing.

his voice low and menacing. He adds that sometimes even college boys don't learn their lesson till they've had their chops busted a few times. Bill tries to remind Hendershot of what's happening outside, asking if he's blind. But Hendershot, referring to Brett as Bill's road twitch, asks if he's told her about his illustrious career.

His eyes still set on an uncomfortably shifting bill. Hendershot informs Brett that bill is a bloodthirsty criminal right up there with John Dillinger. He goes into detail. Cops and Charlotte catching bill at a. small grocery store with the sack of money in his hand, a thumb up his ass and a big grin on his face. It's an odd picture to paint. And that's exactly what John Dillinger did. So it's a fair comparison.

He offers that if Bill really wants to get out of here, he can make that happen with one phone call. Bill snaps at him, asking who he's going to call, the North Carolina State Police. He maintains that he doesn't want to play games with Hendershot. He just wants to get out of here. Hendershot says, I'm warning you, boy. But Bill reaches onto the shelf behind him and Brett and snatches up an assault rifle. He holds up the weapon as he levels his own warning at Hendershot.

Rattled for the first time, Hendershot counters calmly that when this is all over Bill's ass is grass. Bill stares back at him unfazed and Hendershot turns to leave. As he makes his way back up the stairs, he calls out to Joe, cursing him for not keeping an eye on the keys like he told him to. This might be unpopular. Or maybe very popular. Couldn't we just kill Hendershot down here and say a toaster did it or something?

Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah. There's too much going on. For sure. Yeah, there's so much going on. Yeah. Leave a waffle iron next time. Yeah. Say it strangled him to death or something. I don't know. Like, I don't understand why they're just like, ah, Hendershot. Our continued adversary. We got to deal with him this whole time? No, you don't. You really don't.

With Hendershot gone, Bill explains himself to Brett. He owed a guy some money. He was about 20 years old and not very bright about most things. Brett reaches out trying to assure Bill that it's all right, but he dismisses. this and steps away from her he says that it's not all right and what really gets to him is the stupidity he shares that the cops put their spotlight on him and he just froze like a rabbit

Brett closes the gap between them. She grabs his arm and tells him again that it's all right. Bill is standoffish at first but finally turns in her direction. We all make mistakes, Emilio. That's all right. We do. But I'm like, what was the mistake there? Because he didn't seem upset about what he did. He just seemed upset that he froze with the cops. Yeah. It's like I should have returned it to him. What are we lamenting here? Bill, wow.

But we abruptly cut to Deke riding his bike through a field. When he hears the roar of engines, he looks across the street to the Dixie Boy, where the trucks are still going in their slow circle. Guitar plays as Deke hurries to a sewage pipe. He tries to take the grate off of it, but when he can't get it to budge, he sinks down into the grass and rests his head in his hands. We watch as the sun goes down casting a sickly orange glow across the sky.

In a bedroom, two sets of feet playfully caress each other in bed. And when we see the couple's faces, it's revealed that the owners of the feet are Brett and Bill. They cuddle up to each other and Brett shares with a giggle that he sure makes love like a hero. So we're not going to have characters, are we? That's just not... We're not doing that here. No. Sorry, guys.

Bill can't help but grin and a bluesy guitar plays as they kiss. Bill holds her tight before staring off into the distance. He tells her to look at that light and we see that outside as the trucks continue to circle, there's a need. neon green smoke floating over the parking lot. Brett realizes that she thinks it's the comet doing this. I couldn't believe it. I forgot. She's like, didn't you see the text crawl at the beginning? You don't remember? The first thing that we saw today.

She points out that they've been in its tail for almost 12 hours. If that's what's making everything go crazy, they just have to stay alive for the next seven days. That's wild. Yeah. You know all of that? It's just pillow talk. Bill chuckles that that's no problem before the two share another kiss. Bill kisses her face even wiping the sweat off her head and licking it off his fingers and Brett laughs breathily at this.

Bill says that he's got an idea, though. Outside, a truck marked with the bold word Thurston rides by. But in their room, Bill and Brett share a snack. They're very comfortable. People are banging on the door. Son of a bitch! Want to sleep! Bill asks if Brett can sail. And when she says that she can a little, he's pleased with the response.

He says that he used to crew big sailboats, no motors. At the mention of no motors, Brett understands. She asks Bill where they would go, and he answers that he's been thinking about this island called Haven. It's about six miles off the coast and there's no motor vehicles allowed there. None whatsoever. Everybody knows that about this island. It's not a contrived convenience at all. at all that made me laugh and it's called haven yeah they knew what they were doing

Brett asserts that not only is Bill a hero, he's a genius. She holds him tight and they kiss as the trucks continue their laps around the Dixie boy. But in the diner, we pan down from a depiction of The Last Supper on the jukebox. Joe is making a selection as music already plays, but as soon as he turns around, the music distorts and sparks shoot from the machine. Again, are we sure that these machines aren't on our side? They stopped the 40th ACDC.

from playing well they knew we needed a break it's a personal favorite Rolf sits nearby at one of the tables by the window, unfazed by this latest mechanical mutiny. He mutters that the whole goddamn world is going tits up. But at another table, sitting across from Handy and Steve, Wanda June bangs her beer bottle on the table with every word, hard enough to make the glass shatter. But they can't. We made them. Steve sets his own bottle down and points out gently that Wanda June hurt herself.

He starts to call her sweet thing, but Wanda June jumps to her feet, still gripping her broken bottle. She demands that he not sweet thing her. And when Steve stands up, she pushes him back down into his seat. She repeats. We made them. Without warning, she rushes out of the diner and stands in the parking lot, screaming out into the night and toward the revolving trucks. You can't. We made you.

Inside, Kurt jumps up from the table where he sits with his wife, but Connie pulls him back into his seat. Wanda June continues to screech outside, and Bill and Brett come out from the back, donned in their old clothes again. What was the direction there? I don't know. From Stephen King. I was like, God damn. This is not working. It was...

It was funny to me that I thought everybody had gone to bed and that's why Bill and Brett are off doing whatever they do. They just come out. Everybody's just there. Dude, it's 7.30 p.m. It's just really funny to me. Everybody's just up in the booth. It's like, oh. They're like, Jesus Christ. It's a lock of shame.

Wanda June screams at the trucks, asking where their loyalty is. And one of them breaks off from the pack and moves steadily in her direction. She jumps up and down with each word. We made you. And she doesn't budge as the truck gets closer and closer. But luckily, Bill swoops in and scoops her up, both of them illuminated by the incoming headlights as Bill carries her back into the store.

Once he sets her down, Wanda June starts to smack him and Brett pulls her away. But the trucks outside begin to haunt cacophonously together. All of the lights in the diner shut off, bathing them in darkness only to turn back on. then off, then on, then back off. Wanda June cries and whimpers, begging God not to leave them in the dark. And Brett tries to console her, but it's no use. Were they laughing at them?

What the fuck? Probably they were. I'm like, what was that? What was the direction? What was Stephen King thinking? later everyone sits around the diner drinking someone is reprimanded for tapping spoons but they protest that it's safer than the jukebox We glide across the dining area, past Max and Leo, who sit at the counter like they were when we met them, now lamenting that the trucks are never going to let them out of here.

But behind them, Kurt and Connie cuddle up in the booth. Connie giggles loudly as Kurt kisses her neck and he slides his hands under the coat draped over her. But when he bangs the table, he grimaces and Connie only laughs harder. We have a room for that. Can't you go to the bank room like we did? Right, we're done. It's common courtesy.

In another booth, Brett sets up a card game for her and Bill and when he protests that he doesn't usually... play for peanuts Brett insists they start to play but with the glance out the window Brett comments that there's a lot less trucks now Bill realizes that that's true. They're probably running out of gas. He guesses that the trucks are pushing their empty brethren into the back. Brett proposes that maybe tomorrow it'll be our world again. But Bill questions.

Was it ever? Oh, deep. What? So deep. Like, whatever, dude. He's like, not for this, Amelia, not for this. Yeah, come on. You're doing too much. He's trying his best. He's like, is that okay, Steven? Can I leave it? He's like, what happened? I wasn't paying attention. At his table, Barry cries out that he hates those fucking trucks. Very bold. He never did like trucks anyway.

Brave of him to say it. Yeah. Someone starts to screech outside begging for help and everyone's attention is drawn to the windows. Recognizing his voice. Brett realizes that it's camp. He's still alive? I don't know. I don't know how. He got launched. Yeah. Dude, I have a- Out of his shoes. Yeah. I swear I paid attention to this movie, but I had a theory of something cool that could be. Uh-huh. Okay. But I don't think that they do it, which is really odd.

okay okay because it seemed like they were leading towards it and there's like never mind what is it we'll talk okay camp screams for help just beyond the short fence marked by the sign danger soft shoulder Hendershot comes out from the back sleepily and smacks a hand on Joe's belly, waking him from his state sprawled and asleep on the counter. Kurt volunteers to go help camp, but Connie puts the kibosh on that, demanding that he get one of the big strongmen to do it instead. I feel like, ouch.

But Brad draws that he didn't sign on here to be no hero. So Kurt walks away from Connie. But before he can get to the door, Bill stops him. He reasons that it's like that old joke. They can't get to there from here. I'm unaware of this joke. I don't know. I was waiting. I thought he was going to follow. And I was like, is it the chicken crossing the road? That's what I thought. He's like, everyone knows the joke. I don't need to elaborate. No, we don't have time.

Kurt asks if Bill would really rather stand here and listen to camp scream like that. But Bill thinks there might be another way to get to him. So in the story, there's only like five people in the truck stop. And one of them does get hit and start screaming out in the middle of the night. But everybody is asleep except for the main character. And there's like a teen couple. So I'm guessing it would be like Connie's character. Okay. And so.

He's listening to the guy screaming outside and not doing anything. And the girl is like, you're really going to act like you don't hear him? Like, we need to go help him. And he's like, I don't hear anything. And she's like.

like what is wrong with you and he goes okay why don't we wake up your boyfriend because i bet he might hear it and when he hears it he's probably gonna want to go outside and help so do you hear anything and she's like no and she lays back down it's like a like sad yeah but here yeah she's like no one of those you know what i mean it's a funnier here if that's your purpose yeah

The green lights are still suspended overhead in the sky, but across the street, Deke is making his way through the field. A massive line of trucks are making their way down the street, silent except for the thrumming of their engines. deke pulls at the grate over the pipe okay i thought he pulled it off i thought so and climbed in but later they're like he couldn't pull it off so

I don't know what happened here, but let's say he crawls inside. Okay. Making his way through the water that ripples with the vibration of the trucks. But back inside of the Dixie Boy, the group gathers and Bill points out the building that houses the showers to Kurt. He explains that the shower drains go into the ditch. Kurt asks, will we fit? And Bill hoists a bundle of rope onto his shoulder and he holds tight onto the assault rifle.

He chuckles that they'll find out. Hendershot mutters that they're crazy, but no one pays any mind to this. Connie pushes her way to the front of the group, calling after her husband. She levels her gaze at them and puts her foot down. You ain't going. Kurt tries to reason with her. There's a man lying hurt out there. But Connie counters that there's going to be a man lying hurt in here if he doesn't quit it with his foolishness. Very good.

Brett offers that if it were Kurt lying out there, Connie would want someone to go after him. But Connie just spits back out that it ain't Kurt and Kurt's not going. But Kurt tells her with the quiet certainty that he is. Connie warns him, don't make me a widow on my wedding day, Curtis. He agrees to these terms and the two share a kiss.

Bill's focus is on the road where the Green Goblin truck rolls by. He doesn't think that there's any reason they can't just scoop past them if they hurry. Kurt says that he can handle that, but Hendershot cries out that they're as crazy as a couple of rats and... a plugged up shit house. Bill informs Hendershot in turn that he is without a doubt one of the biggest fuckheads he's ever met in his life. I don't feel like that was an even trade. But go off.

And you're a fucking piece of shit. I've been waiting to say this my whole life. They're heroes now. Fuck you. Say whatever we want. He turns to Brett and asks her to wish him luck, and she does with a kiss. And with that, Bill and Curtis move out. They rush to a car for cover and hide until the trucks go by. And when the gap comes, they seize it. Sprinting across the street to the shower house with literally no problems.

what he said if they hurry yeah that made me laugh out loud because it's like we just got to get to the next one yeah Inside, they catch their breath against the stall on the end marked Bubba's private shower. Kurt pants that it was a good thing that that one was out of gas, but Bill questions, what makes you so sure it was? I'm like, Bill. Come on, man. Just the existentialism. I get it, but we just don't have time right now. He's like, we're out of gas. What does that mean? I don't know, dude.

i'm scared to death but before kurt can explore this bill decides that they don't need to worry about that right now guitar and drums mark a steady beat as the men get to work Bill ties the rope to a pipe over the drain. We look up at them as they remove the cover to the pipe and ACDC greets them with, for those about to rock, we salute you. That's right. It's not right and it's not okay. No, it is. I suppose Bill and Curtis are about to rock. I guess. And that's the message we're sending here.

Kurt tosses what I thought was a rolled up sleeping bag down where it splashes in the water below. Gripping onto his flashlight, Bill tests the rope with his weight. But when Kurt asks if he thinks it'll hold them, he answers, fuck if I know. But all the same, he climbs down and lands in the dark standing water below. The music stops. The space below is so narrow that Bill and Kurt have to crawl through the water as Kurt pulls the bag along with them.

I can't be the only one that was thinking that a little boy was going to come crawling at them like a xenomorph, right? From the other side. right that's what we were like yeah okay yes because the way that it starts i thought the exact same thing Kurt sarcastically points out the smell and wonder how many people peed in here. Bill's arm slips as he crawls along and he splashes the water on his clothes and face. Kurt can't help but laugh as he asks if Bill is okay. Then he adds, how's it taste?

Bill blinks the water out of his eyes, but when he points out an approaching mouse, Kurt freaks out. Still, the two press on. on their own and it was like you guys get through the tunnel yeah say what you want go how many people you think pissed out yeah yeah that's the best yeah that's not even Curtis really no that's what it's like are y'all playing down here are these outtakes you're using what is this no that is so true that's so accurate

but meanwhile deke is crawling through the ditch where camp fell over the railing as a bass guitar strums along so again i the last time we saw deke he was i thought going in the pipe yeah yeah so that's why i'm just confused yeah Keeping low as the headlights sweep over him, Deke finds Camp lying on his back, completely encrusted in mud and staring forward catatonically. I guess he went through the pipe across the street?

How many pipes on the other side of the highway? And now there's another pipe that leads to the ditch to the shower. There's a lot of pipes. I think I'm getting confused by. maybe it's poorly written maybe that's what's going on no it's the pipes that are on Deke slowly lowers his head to Camp's chest and listens intently for a moment before starting to crawl back the way he came. But that's when Camp lurches up with a scream. He grabs onto Deke's ankle and begs that he help.

deke to his credit is like how camp implores deke to pull him but deke can't he tells camp that he's just too heavy Camp croaks for Deke to get him out of this ditch or by Jesus, I'll kill you. Deke tries his best to crawl away. That's when Bill and Kurt crawl out of the pipe, splashing in the water. deke spots bill immediately and cries out for his help but bill is like he goes oh shit that's deke for a moment before finally

One of the trucks breaks loose from the convoy as they try to help Deke. Deke begs Bill to pull him, but Kurt reports that camp is dead. So what the hell just happened? Yeah. This is where I had thought that there would be something cool that they could have done. If we had it whenever Camp and Brett were in the car together, have a throwaway line or something that leads to Camp.

telling her that he has a pacemaker. Oh. And then maybe that's what's going on. And we can also make it to where the machines are using his corpse as a decoy. Right, right. And that's why he's calling out to them and getting them out there. But it's all a ruse. That's great. There's no way he survived. No. And I think that's what was so odd is that he was clearly dead whenever Deke rocked up over there.

Yes. And then he just lurches up like a zombie. Yeah. So we're like, what the fuck is going on? And then they're like, oh shit, that dude's dead. Yeah. He was just... croaking and grabbing at that kid like well Deke hasn't eaten since baseball he's hallucinating clearly Like, I don't get it. Yeah. I mean, even that was his last dying breath. It is very like, come on, dude. I know he was yelling earlier, but.

Even that on the cool. So we left him out there that long. This fool dies. Yeah. Yeah. That says more about us. Kurt is able to get Deke back into the pipe as the truck comes crashing through the short fence. When it gets stuck in the ditch, Kurt yells out for Bill, asking if he's okay. But Bill is fine. He implores them to move their ass.

Deke helps Kurt pull Bill up into the shower house from the pipe. Deke calls out for Bill and Bill tries to ignore him, but he finally turns and locks eyes with Deke. Deke asks him point blank. Is my dad okay? Bill can't muster up a response. He only tells the boy to come on. Deke stands in his devastation but when Kurt repeats gently for him to come on, Deke does. Outside, Connie whines that she thinks the truck got them. She thinks they're dead. Unbothered, Brett just knows that they're okay.

Connie screams at her, asking, then where are they? But that's when they come out of the shower house. As they run back to the Dixie Boy parking lot, Hendershot points out, that ain't no salesman, that's Duncan's kid. Was he disappointed? Like, what the hell? That's not who you said you would get. Like, what do you care?

And I'd much rather save this boy than that dude. Do you think that this would have been a better reveal if Duncan didn't let on that Deke was his son? And that we learn now whenever Deke gets to the... Oh, okay. Because it kind of like ties together these two stories that we've been following. Yeah.

Bill, Kurt and Duncan sprint for the door as a truck catches sight of them and revs its engine dashing in their direction. But Bill stops, aims the rocket launcher and fires. His shot is true and the truck explodes in a fiery. blaze they hurry inside where kurt and connie celebrate with an embrace but bathed in a red light of course because we've already established that this is a giallo film keep going

Hendershot accuses Bill with some disgust. You ain't going to be satisfied until you get them right in here with us, are you, Bubba? He holds out his hand and prompts Joe to give him a cigar and Joe delivers. First of all, Hendershot, for some reason, they are very content just being outside. So it's fine. Yeah. Bill doesn't dignify this with a response. He heads into the dining area instead and is greeted by Brett, who asks if he's okay and wonders how he found the kid.

Deke is still shocked and staring, and he asks Bill again, where's my dad? Bill again chooses not to respond, but leaning his cigar forward into Joe's flaming lighter, Hendershot reports with no sympathy that Dunn got scrubbed by one of those big boys out there. He adds, Tough break, kid. Holy shit. Yeah. Unbelievable. Yeah.

Brett simply can't believe this. She calls Hendershot a shithead. Deke looks around at everyone's faces as the truth sinks in. He turns to Bill, begging to know if this is true. Finally Bill quietly tells him that it is. Deke shakes his head denying this. He crumbles to the floor but Bill catches him and pulls him back to his feet.

Meanwhile, Brett calls out to Mr. Hendershot. She steps up to him and slaps him across the face. Just a little lesson in manners from the road twitch. She strides away and Hendershot just watches her go. Deke clings to Bill's waist and Bill tells him gently that he can hold on. Outside, the flaming glow dairy truck leaks a waterfall of liquid. The next morning, sun glints off the truck stop sign. Everyone still snoozes around the diner, but Deke is awake at one of the tables blowing bubbles.

An army vehicle drives itself down the road and a bulldozer follows behind in the grass. The remaining trucks still circle the Dixie boy, but their brakes hiss as they one by one come to a stop. Deke notices this and looks fearfully out the window. He runs into the back room to wake up Bill, who sleeps in a cot next to Brett beneath the porn wall. I was like, get this kid out of here. Odd fucking choice. Yeah.

He tells Bill to come on because there's something he has to see. Bill and Brett sit up sleepily, presumably naked beneath the blanket. Y'all are out of fucking control. It's been one night. You just broke the news to this child that his dad's dead. Well, let's go do it. Let's comfort each other. Go back to the bang room. I see the bang room's free. Nobody's in there. And there's only one other couple. It'll be fun.

The bulldozer crosses the street and drives into the parking lot, followed closely by the military vehicle with its mounted gun. As Deke leads Bill and Brett into the diner, the bulldozer comes into contact with one of the wrecked trucks. screeching together as it hauls it away. This wakes Connie and Kurt with a start. Rolf wakes too, peeling the half-eaten sandwich off of his stomach and dropping it disgustedly onto the table in front of him.

Barry walks in, throwing the double doors open so hard that the small windows on them shatter. His hair is wild and he wears a new neon green shirt as he questions what the fuck is going on. More of the same, dude. Much worse happened yesterday.

But the grinding of the bulldozer pulls their focus to the windows. Even Hendershot comes out, buckling his belt as Wanda June trails behind him. Are we supposed to... I don't know. And it was not elaborated on, but it looked... odd we have a room for that you weren't yeah that was being occupied nope yeah you broke the law bang it outside the bang room we established this last night Not pubbing.

The bulldozer stands by as the military vehicle comes even closer, passing the gas pumps, its rifle rattling. But the bulldozer sets its sights on a vehicle parked in front of one of the diner windows. Hendershot watches. squinting beneath his bushy eyebrows as the bulldozer pushes his car forward until it crashes through the diner's wall.

Everyone screams and moves away from the windows. Brett cradles Deke from their spot on the ground, but this is the line for Hinder's shot. He declares that that's it before rushing out of sight. The bulldozer shifts itself, reversing back from the crumbled wall. Hendershot returns with the rocket launcher tucked under his arm, and with a grin, he warns the bulldozer that if it once wore, it's got one.

Bill tries to stop Hendershot, saying that he wouldn't do that. But Hendershot just mutters, shut up, Bubba, as he steps closer to the wall.

Bill knows there's no point in fighting and he screams at everyone to get down, rushing toward Brett and Deke and forcing them low onto the ground. And so Hendershot fires, nailing the bulldozer with the missile. He cheers, calling it a... chicken shit but the military vehicle doesn't take too kindly to this its gun spins and hinder shots direction and opens fire

Behind the counter, Wanda June jumps and screams at the sudden retaliation before ducking back behind the bar. But when we see Hinder shot, his shirt is bloody from the bullets. He stares down at himself in shock before his shaking. legs give way and he falls to the floor. But the gun isn't done. It continues its slaughter and Leo's body seizes as he's riddled with bullets. Its aim sweeps across the counter, blowing holes and sending glass flying before it settles on Barry.

That brand new neon shirt is dyed crimson as Barry is shot again and again. He slumps back into a chair, dead. The gun does another sweep across the counter in the opposite direction, shooting a container of orange juice and causing it to rain down on Joe, crouched beneath.

max lies flat on the floor out of the line of fire and kurt protects connie in a booth as a cloud of smoke blankets them but the gun continues blowing out the windows marring the ice machine obliterating a miller life sign and in the midst of it all rolf is shot bullet holes dot his chest and forehead as he falls onto the floor his face and a pained grimace

A lot of product placement for Miller going on. A lot. But I really do, and I think we might have talked about this off mic, but the amount of characters in this truck stop. This is the point of that? Yeah, it is. Just so we can have a few more bodies to add to the toll? Yeah, that's why he had that different... neon shirt on. And it's good that Hendershot is dead. He's not screwing people out of one hour anymore.

But just as abruptly as they started, the gunshots stop and everyone decides that it's safe to slowly start standing up. I probably stayed down a little bit longer. We sweep across the smoky and dusty diner as everyone rises to their feet. Wanda June still stands behind the counter, commenting sourly, you sons of bitches.

All eyes are on her as she steps out from behind the counter slowly, almost dazedly, and lowers herself to pick up Hendershot's dropped rocket launcher. She starts toward the doors, screaming, you sons of... Bitches. Steve comes running from the back of the diner, calling out to stop Wanda June. But Bill jumps up from his spot with Brett and Deke to stop Steve. He grabs him, holding him back from going outside, ignoring Steve's struggles and pleas.

to let him go but Wanda June is back at it again as she steps out into the parking lot through the destroyed wall she screams reminding them we made you don't you understand If they didn't get it last night, I don't think it's going to work. Yeah, no. Wanda June. What's daytime? Maybe they couldn't see me. In light of day. She tells them that they can't do this.

But the military vehicle disagrees. It opens fire on Wanda June, its bullets piercing through the front of her pink uniform and killing her. But as she goes, she lets loose a missile from the rocket launcher and it lands in yet another. Another Miller beer. The resulting explosion climbs high into the air. This is the last thing Wanda June sees as she loses her balance. And we see that Hendershot's.

Car, the license plate is Bubba. Bill sees it fit to finally let Steve go and he rushes to the door. Deke stands watching and Bill warns him away. But Deke counters that it's right there. If it wants to waste them, it will. The vehicle's horn bounces as it lets out a seemingly coded message. Everyone gathers at the windows like that's not the most dangerous place to be. And they watch.

When Brett asks what it's doing now, Deke tells them that it's Morse. This is met with skepticism by Max, but Deke insists that it is, and he should know. He got his merit badge in Morse code this spring. When asked what it's saying, Deke steps forward. And I do want to share that this is also in the story. Really? Yes. Okay. Before we learn what it is.

I was taking my notes for this section and I wrote down what I thought it was as a joke. And that's what it was. I fucking laughed so hard at what. this message is? Yeah. The audacity. After what you just did. It fucking killed me. Deke sits at a booth in front of a piece of paper and tells someone to bring him a pen because he can't keep up with it. Bill hands him a pen and Deke immediately gets to work transcribing.

Brett kneels down on the table to watch him work. When she sees the message that Deke has written out, she marvels that it's incredible. The message? Someone must pump fuel. She reports to the group that the machines want them to feed them. Max chuckles bitterly and asserts that they just let them starve. Half of them are already out of gas, so it won't be long now. But Deke is still writing. Someone will not be harmed.

This will be done now. Or you will all die. Oh, great. I'm sorry. You got to be fucking joking me, dude. Who? Yeah, I'm the one that told you to fucking waste your gas all night driving in a circle. For what purpose? We weren't going out there. And we ran right past you. We didn't even do anything. Hey.

Joe points out that they couldn't even fill them if they wanted to. They don't have any power. And the machine said, let there be light. The power suddenly turns back on and someone goes, oh, shit. bill looks up at this with a big smile he's like i'll be damned he says he's gonna go turn on the pumps and cackles that he hopes none of them left home without their american express cards Wanda June is dead.

Great, great time for jokes, Bill. Ender shot's dead in the middle of the floor. Yeah. So is Rolf. So is Leo. And again, talking about character, he's been deathly serious this entire film. And then suddenly he's like, oh, they have credit cards or whatever. Enough people have left. He can calm down. I can't be myself.

He hurries down the hall past the kitchen, but Brett races after him. She warns him not to do this. It's not a good idea. She likens it to Neville Chamberlain giving into the Nazis. I was like, God damn. But Bill is already flipping switches. He leads Brett over to the window and asks to show her something. He points to the small military vehicle waiting patiently and the giant Bic semi truck looming behind it.

By his thinking, the big vehicles are too heavy. If they crash in here, they're going to go through the floor and just end up in the cellar. But there's no reason why the small one can't call in a truck full of napalm and hose this place down. Brett immediately understands and gut on her because I'm not sure that I do. He's like, no, that vehicle's got connections. I was like, dude, what the fuck are we doing? Which, if we have one of those, why didn't that come with you? Yeah.

Really? You know what I mean? Make the threat more real. Yeah. I just don't understand. It's like, no, I'm sure that vehicle knows. Right. If golf cart alpha doesn't come back. Yeah. 0.7 hours or whatever. We're going to. Yeah. the fuck this is all you said we're going down to the dixie yeah because we know where he went he told us

She reaches out and grasps Bill's shoulder, imploring him to take care of himself. But Bill isn't worried. Those vehicles running him down would be like a junkie running down their connection. They kiss and Bill's off. Brett stays watching out the window as Deke joins her. But outside, Bill covers Wanda June's lifeless body with a checkered blanket.

Guitar starts up as Bill walks toward the military vehicle. When it sets its sights on him, Bill holds his hands up, but the gun stays swiveling toward him until he's passed. Bill saunters up to the happy toys truck and leans right into the green goblin on the front. He's like, all right, you bastard. He tells it to tell all its friends that the main line is open. He's got the best shit on the East Coast, practically uncut. He asks the truck, you got that fuck face?

He starts to walk away, but the truck suddenly revs its engine in response, the green goblin's eyes glowing red. I wonder if that's what Steve's dealer told him when he was buying for this movie. Oh my god! So I just put it in the script? He's like, oh, that's good. You mind if I use that? He's like, it worked on me. Why is Bill saying this? Yeah! it's gas dude yeah calm down i don't know but when watching emilio estevez walk over to this truck lean into this giant green goblin head and be like

All right, you bastard. And the Green Goblin's just grinning ear to ear. I was like, what is my life at this moment? Brett is somehow standing at the gas pumps now when Bill goes over there. They both turn their heads to watch as the other trucks start their engines and ACDC's Hell's Bells begins. After a lingering luck, Bill admits that this may very well be a long day. Somehow the word is out and trucks flock to the Dixie boy to get their cut. We get a montage for the entirety of the house.

As Bill and Brett pump gas into the trucks, Deke takes a turn, flipping off the truck that he fills up. Kurt fills up too, wearing a tank top now in the 100 degree heat. And when Steve takes a turn and the truck honks at him, he screams angrily for the truck to come and fill it faster itself.

Brett leans against the truck she's filling, exhausted as the sun beats down on her. Max comes over to relieve her and take a turn himself, and she grasps onto his shoulders, thanking him wearily before adding, I hope they choke on it. She leans onto a flatbed and past her, an endless line of trucks wait, stretching into the horizon. Kurt continues to pump gas, the sun glinting off his shiny new wedding ring. But...

All good things, well, all things must come to an end. And the bell tolls for hell's bells as the pumps run dry. Bill pulls the nozzle out of the truck he's filling and tells it with some sympathy that it was a good time while it lasted, but they're all out. He steps away from the truck and Deke, Steve, Max and Kurt watches the endless line of trucks all. start honking. They're like, hey, we didn't get any.

What's funny is that I had the quest. I was sitting here watching this montage or whatever. Yeah. And I was like, so what's going to happen when we fucking run out of gas? Yeah. And then it happened. He's like, sorry, guys. We are tapped out. And apparently we're the last gas station. on earth so we're just gonna go yeah this is where the story ends basically is they the they do the morse code and they're like look fill us up whatever and they're like trying to vote on whether they do it or not

You know, because why are we helping them? And then somebody's like, there's a fucking bulldozer out there. Like it will just plow the building down. So they're taking turns pumping gas into all these trucks and they're exhausted. They're having to sleep in shifts and they're taking turns endlessly filling them up and thinking about how many other gas stations that this is happening right now where people are stuck filling up these trucks forever and realizing that we thought.

They worked for us, but we're their slaves now. We work for them. Yeah. And it is, you know, kind of an interesting commentary to kind of ruminate on in this like hyperbolic way. But that is not where this ends. No, we keep we keep going. A red Mack truck pulls up to Bill, but Bill stands his ground. When the truck pushes right up against him, Bill booms at it, demanding to know what it wants. But the truck lurches forward. Guess. Yeah.

What do you think? Something from that porno wall. No, dude. A cherry pie from behind the counter. No. Gasoline. We gave you a whole message. Hey! But the truck lurches forward, giving him a threatening shove before honking its horn. It continues to pull forward. And when Bill finally steps to the side, the truck leads him where it wants to go, dragging the downed phone booth with it. It comes.

to a stop by the diesel hatches in the ground a hose is visible in the back and bill understands what he's being tasked with He pulls out the hose and opens the hatch before plunging the hose inside. He is unsteady and out of it, and Handy makes his way over. He wraps the comforting arm around Bill and adjusts his chin so that he's looking at him.

tells Bill that he'll take it over from here. As the hose sucks up the diesel, Handy pulls a weary Bill to his feet. Weekend, Bill mutters that they don't understand. Handy asks what he means and Bill explains how it is to get tired, how a man gets tired. Handy retorts, why should they? As he leads Bill away Bill tells him to call if he needs any help. Handy says that he will but as they move further away he shares that they've been putting stuff in the cellar.

Deke told him that there was a sewage pipe out there that he couldn't get in because of the wire, but they'll be able to cut it. He's like, I'm also in the wire later. Yeah. Just a side note.

My question for this right here, we were talking inside of the truck stop, and we were saying that we couldn't pump the gas because all the electricity's out, and then boom, the electricity's on. Yeah. So why the hell are we describing our plan within- earshot of these machines we're still outside they're like they're honking they're pissed off they're not listening they're hungry yeah but them saying that they can get out through this gate that

deke couldn't get in i thought that we saw him get in it yeah yeah i thought he climbed under it and went in there i mean i don't know But Handy looks up as the military vehicle begins to roll across the parking lot and he guesses that that means the coffee break is over. Bill murmurs weakly his master's voice. I understand. There's supposed to be some depth to this.

But it is so fucking out of place. Like the film that we've had for him to be like, like a man gets tired. This is not that film. Again, though, it's him, you know, ad-libbing and then him being like. All right. Looking around. Steve's like, I don't give a shit. Yeah. Just keep going. Whatever. Who are you? Yeah. Where's Bruce Springsteen? Yeah. Handy doesn't take his eyes off the vehicle when he tells Bill to head inside and lay down.

Bill walks slowly toward the office and Brett hurries out to help him the rest of the way. His voice low and husky, Bill tells her that it is the comet. It's like a broom. Brett doesn't understand and Bill repeats. Broom. In the office, as Brett blots his sun reddened face with a bright red towel, Bill explains. He tells her to imagine she's a race of aliens looking for somewhere new to live. Unveiling his blistered hands, he tells her to think about.

it like they were looking for a house or a new place to live so here's earth like a big old house it's kind of polluted dirty and smoky grease on the walls soot in the chimney so they send in their interstellar house cleaners they send in their broom to sweep us all up Brett holds him close and Bill closes his eyes, but he's not done. That's what they're doing. They've sent in their broom, using our own machines to sweep us right up.

i i'm not mad at this i think that it is a kind of chilling thought but i also feel like it does not fit in this movie at all it's that it's good though that's the thing yeah

It is. But it is like all three of us have been saying and kind of laughing and joking about. It's when they choose to... make all the appliances evil or everything mechanical evil yeah and then when they choose not to like you just said t we're saying our whole plan out in the open to you in the store yeah you you hear us you heard us about the light But now it's like, now we're asleep. We're not going to listen to what you say. We're hungry. Yeah.

But later, as Max fills up one of the trucks, Bill crosses the parking lot trepidatiously, the military gun swinging toward him and following his every step. Bill finds... a man i i don't know who the hell this guy is i thought that he was a newcomer but i guess he's been here i don't know who this is

Sorry to this man. Sorry to this man. But he finds him sitting on the bulldozer as he fills it up with gas. When Bill calls him over, the man steps down and walks with him. Bill asks how he's doing, and Andy, played by J. Don. Ferguson admits that he's tired and he's scared. Bill assures him that he's got a plan.

Meanwhile, using wire cutters, Steve is able to remove the grate covering the hole to the pipe leading away from the Dixie boy. But in the parking lot, Andy wonders if they're ever really going to make it out of here. When the gun snaps in their direction, Bill tells the vehicle to calm down. They've just got a little people business to take care of. Something you wouldn't understand. The gun's like, yes, sir. Because nothing. He just lets it slide. Fair enough. He's right. I don't understand.

He holds Andy's arm as they walk slowly past, telling Andy that when he says to run, just run. Andy asks what he's going to do, but Bill repeats for him to just run. Andy insists on knowing what Bill is going to do. But Bill slightly pulls a grenade from his back. pocket and sets it on the military vehicle he pushes the gun causing it to spin wildly and he screams for andy to run they take off and the gun starts to fire but the entire vehicle prompts

explodes. I feel like spinning the gun was maybe not the best idea. It's going very fast and you have to run in at least one of these directions. Inside the Dixie Boy, our view is of Bill and Andy's asses as they crouch on the ground. As they crouch on the ground with their hands over their heads. Brett laughs, quipping that she's never seen a hero with his ass in the air like that. And Bill looks up with the sheepish grin. What are we doing? Not right now.

too many tones like i have whiplash andy gets up and bill and brett share a hug the gun outside continues to go off in the flames until it's finally silent That night, the refueled vehicles start their circle around the Dixie Boy again. But inside, Max lowers Connie into the pipe in the cellar.

I got to be honest. I thought that the whole point of helping you with the fuel was that you weren't going to kill us. That was the deal. Yeah. And yet you're still circling our establishment. They are, but also like, why did we trust them? That's true. Well, they asked. Very politely. Yeah, and they didn't hurt us. No. At first. Yeah, yeah. Connie whines, asking him to be careful because she's delicate. And when she's out of sight, her droning voice echoes up to him. Max climbs in himself.

Connie's droning is incessant, even when she climbs out of the pipe and into the field across from the Dixie Boy with the rest of the group.

But one of the trucks has had enough and it breaks away from the convoy, crashing into the arcade. The group reacts in shock, trying to stay low and quiet as a liquid oxygen truck drives through the kitchen. The bulldozer crashes its way into... the diner it backs up and takes out one of the dixie boy signs before rolling over connie and kurt's car repeatedly lying in the ditch bill remarks oh jesus he's coming and he is Pissed.

I don't I will say what a weird situation to be in we're watching these cars destroy just where we were at and thinking like you said why did we trust them they were gonna kill us yeah it's that because they think they're still in there. Yeah. Yeah. As the trucks take out the awnings over the gas pumps, Deke asks if they can get out of here. Brett agrees with Deke and as ACDC screeches, Bill orders, let's go gang.

The liquid oxygen truck hisses its contents in the kitchen as the rest of the crew decides that their time at the Dixie Boy truck stop has come to an end. As the trucks pull onto the road with the strange green lights above them once again the liquid oxygen truck explodes leaving the Dixie boy nothing but a flaming memory. The group scampers away as smoke billows into the sky.

They hurry away into the trees, but the happy toys truck zooms past a sign reading Carolina Inlet Marina one mile. So they knew what the plan was. They heard. Now free from their confines in the Dixie Boy Diner, the group runs and hides along the fence of... Another diner. Deke asks Bill how far the marina is, and Bill guesses it's about half a mile away. But a drive-through screen brightens as it comes to life.

In a voice provided by Chris Britton, it drones. Humans here. Humans here. Humans here. This is ridiculous. And no, I don't know how it knows. It's not. It's a machine. It's alerting the other ones. It's a goddamn voice box. But here we are. Deke steps forward, loading his gun. He tells the machine, this is for my dad, you loudmouthed son of a bitch. And he fires. The machine's like, I didn't kill your dad. Who are you? They don't know this group. No.

The machine sparks as Deke shoots it and it finally goes dark. Brett rushes over to check on him, but he just pulls the strap of the gun off of his shoulder and hands it over to her, declaring that he doesn't want this anymore. An ice cream truck comes zooming down the road. It's music echoing into the night. I'm like, did this follow Deke all the way out here? Kurt volunteers to take care of this one and Brett follows.

Kurt shoots her an uncertain look before firing at the ice cream truck. Brett joins them in the two shoot, causing the truck to flip on its roof and fall silent. They smile brightly before the group pushes forward toward the marina. The Green Goblin grins its evil grin as it races down the road, but the group has already made it to the marina. I feel like we're really rushing. I was like, okay.

Bill points to the boat that he was thinking about taking and everyone races toward it, all except for Brad, who breaks from the pack. He notices a dead woman in her car, played by Connie Smith. She dangles from the window, staring lifelessly, but it's her hand and the giant glittering ring on her finger that's caught Brad's attention. He shamelessly starts to pull it off.

But the rest of the group has made it to the boat. Brett asks Bill where Brad is, but we see Brad, enamored with the ring he's just stolen. He stares at it longingly, completely oblivious to the happy toys truck. With its big ass green goblin staring at him from the front. It's pulled up right in front of him. Yeah. He was grave robbing.

Brad kisses the ring and starts toward the boats, but that chaotic screeching score begins and the truck makes itself known. Brad turns to tell it that it can just drop fucking dead. No, but he only has time to scream. Before he is promptly run over. The group fires at the truck as it speeds toward them. Regarding Brad is nothing more than a speed bump. But Bill races in front of everyone with the rocket launcher and proclaims.

adios motherfucker as he fires the truck is hit and comes to a stop everyone in the boat cheers and hugs each other but if you thought that that was the only fight the happy toys truck had in it You're right. It explodes, bursting into flames and leaving nothing but its frame behind. What? That was really easy. What did I say too easy? Yeah, was very surprised. I was too. That's so funny. Like that's hilarious. Yeah. This is a cool enough line to let him have this.

The ecstatic group gets to work and Bill calls out to Brett for her mother's helper. She presents him with the razor and he busies himself with cutting them loose from the dock. As they pull away, ACDC ponders. Who made who? Who made you? If you made them and they made you, who picked up the bill and who made who? Hmm.

That doesn't make any sense. I'm sorry. It does to him. It does. And I'm glad that he's got a lot to think about. I don't know where the bill comes in to this. Yeah. What the hell? I don't know. They're singing about something else. Has nothing to do with this truck film. As the sun begins to rise over the water and they leave the ruined truck behind, billowing its black smoke into the sky. Deke asks if everything will be all right. Bill assures him, Deke.

I know everything's going to be all right. His father is dead. Just freezing past. Well, he's his father. Tragedy, yeah, I guess. I guess so. Yellow text appears on screen two days after a large UFO was destroyed in space by a Russian weather satellite. which happened to be equipped with a laser cannon and class four nuclear missiles. Approximately six days later, the earth passes beyond the tail of the Raya M exactly as predicted.

weird ass dig at the russians yeah i just the audacity of burying this in some text at the end yeah of a strange dig a fucking i don't this was we're not hilarious we're not animating any of this no no no they're like you fucking fill in the blank in your own fucking head sidebar a comet we never saw no we didn't need to we were at the tell-in yeah i guess we saw like the Aurora Borealis we read the beginning and we read the end this was just the biggest balls it's almost like a fuck you

It's truly hilarious to me, like genuinely so funny to have the balls to do this and show none of it. And then again, I'm like, oh yeah, it was a comet thing. Yeah, the whole time. ACDC continues its questioning as Brett and Bill hold each other tight and the group looks reflectively out onto the water. The boat pulls away and we watch it go as Connie whines, asking her husband when they can get off this boat because she gets seasick, lamenting that she's going to woof her cookies.

Text is added to the closing statement. The survivors of the Dixie Boy are still survivors. As Connie gags, we rise up to the dawn of a new day that slowly turns from blue to that worrying green. A live version of ACDC's Shook Me All Night Long for some reason begins to play and the yellow credits roll. Everything is a choice. All of it.

I thought honestly that we were going to have like almost like a Dawn of the Dead 04 situation where they get to the island and then they just hear engines revving and shit. trucks come out from behind the trees but the rules were no but so what did you guys think Of maximum overdrive. I'll be honest. I know we said a lot about the movie. The only thing I don't like is the live version at the end.

You could have got rid of that. That was wild to do. I don't know. Steve, what the fuck? That's the only thing. Yeah, that's it. I know the movie is... is uh it's got a lot of problems it's got a lot of plot holes it's got a lot of just we don't really know our characters too much other than the little shit that they tell us and we're supposed to like i guess make our own character from what they tell us And I know there's a lot of what the fuck. You know what I mean?

I do really, really like this movie. And I do think that watching it when I was younger does have a large hand to play in it. But I, again, I'm a silly bitch and I love it. And I think for me...

And I know this is going to sound funny. There's a lot of really good movies and people put... a lot into them and it's like oh this movie's a masterpiece whatever then there's a lot of movies that are just like oh wow that was you know okay you know that was a choice you said but i feel like this movie is one of those it's like dude

If you changed anything, this movie wouldn't have been as good as it is or so bad it's good as it is. Or people would have just been like, oh, this is just terrible, period. I really, and I get it. I know to some people, this movie's not great, but I really, I really feel like for me, it's in that realm of You made something you could never recreate again. Oh, no. You can never do this with the mistakes you made, with the whatever ad-lib lines or whatever was going on here.

I know that there was a lot of bad stuff and Steve, you know, not, but for me, like I said, the movie itself falls into that place where I'm like, this is magic. This is magic in a bottle. It's a bad magic, but it is. It's almost one of those movies like you can't do this again. The silly shit you guys said, the stuff that you are doing, the whatever, it's like, you're not making this again. I did see a couple articles that I think in 2020, Joe Hill was joking about remaking it.

I'd love to see it. I don't think that it would be with this. It's not going to be. No. Like, no, you nailed it. This can never happen again. This was a one-time thing. And it shouldn't. No. I absolutely understand the fun that there is to be had in this film. Right. And I also understand the power of nostalgia and how it really does lift it up even more. Yeah. That's why I'm a little like pissed off that.

I am in my 30s and it's the first time I'm seeing it. Me too. Because I can't even imagine what my reaction would be if this is like, oh, I've had this since I was like six. Yeah. or in you know what i mean oh yeah yeah so i don't know i just this this film is just a wild wild thing that happened somehow yeah and it's just like it it is it is like lightning in a bottle And the bottle shattered. Yeah. And I'm just...

I'm just so, I think I am confounded by it because there are so many like inconsistencies within itself. You've adapted your own story and yet you've like, I'm so confused. It's puzzling. And I, you know, I understand this was the only film that Stephen King ever directed. I get it. And especially, you know, not to make light of all the things we heard, but if you're going to direct a film.

You really need to be on the ball. Yeah. Not the eight ball. I guess. I may have been setting up that. It's fine. That's very, very good. We have twin brains sometimes. We're a comedy duo, I guess. For one joke and then we're moving on. No, but I think that he it's wild how much once you said that he checked out, I can tell. Oh, yeah. And whenever the third act of the film.

this film is longer than it needs to be number one. Yeah. But then the ending of the film is so fucking quick. Yes. It's very, and then not even showing us the ending of the film, just being like, here's a text crawl. you know it's just like what even is this i can't get over that no and the wild thing as well is you saying that the story doesn't even have a common situation no and it like i said it ends with the refueling thing yeah

Like there is no, we're going to go to an island where electronics aren't allowed. Yeah. They check them at the door. It's like, what? I just, I don't, I don't know. But I can see, of course, how there is so much fun to be had with a film like this. Yeah. With this film. But for me, it's just not for me.

and i get it dude like i like i said i watching it too again after all these years i was like that's and then and i say this in the nicest way because i like this movie right that was fucking dumb But it is funny and it does fit with the ridiculousness and the silly shit that's going on. And it really is the take your brain out, sit it in a little cubby, go watch it, come back, pick it up.

put it back in and go about your business. Yeah. I, I just, um, first of all, I want to say that I had a fucking blast with the two of you talking. Oh yeah. Yes. We laughed so much. You're not even going to hear all the times that we laughed. Like, This was a lot of fun. This movie has brought us together in a way that is so chaotic that I feel like the vibe has not been like this in a while.

No, I just I don't even know where to begin, because like I said at the top, this falls into a so bad, it's good.

category for me but the core of that is that it is bad like this is not a good movie it is very confusing like you were saying t breaking its own narrative at times yeah um dropping oh now it's all technology no it's really just the trucks now no it's the cars and the trucks no really it's just the trucks because we can get away in the car but no at the end it's the drive-thru machine so it's all machines again like it's it is

Wild. The boy being run over by the steamroller. Oh my God. The man being murdered by the vending machine. This. Green Goblin truck being our big bad only to be blown up. It's like it would almost be genius. And it's like. because it's almost a fuck you in some areas but it's like i know that you weren't trying to be innovative i know that you this was pure chaos you know what i mean like i i i truly

Like I said, I don't even know where to begin digesting this. Hiding this extraterrestrial ending in text over... lisa simpson gagging on a boat what the fuck what did i just say what is this what is this movie it's maximum overtime I just I it is it's confounding. I don't know how I'm going to rate this. I don't even in the funny part is I would totally watch this again. I watched it again this morning. I like I really only needed to watch it the once I watched it again because I'm like.

surely i watched some of it wrong yeah i did it this is just a a wild wild movie that like you were saying john paul this will never happen again I feel like like we are saying up top the way that this has always been described to me as just the worst fucking movie. It's terrible. It's cocaine Steve. It's nonsensical. It's blah, blah, blah. I was expecting.

worse in terms of what this film looked like in terms of i'm i'm thinking like the room acting you know like i'm thinking this is awful because that's all i've heard and it's funny because when we announced it to patreon because we have a lot of shit coming up this month yeah everybody was like everybody's like i love that so i'm like i don't even know like what to expect and you there there is no expectation to set going and you just have to go in with an open mind and I think it is

Like I was saying in my intro, it is what you make of it. If you go in saying, ooh, Stephen King, like technology turning against us, you're going to be super fucking disappointed. You're going to be mad because that ending is going to feel like a fuck you because it kind of is. But if you go into this saying this is going to be a fucking wild ride, it's not going to make sense. It's not. I don't know if it's trying to make sense. It is absurdity. It's ridiculousness.

you're gonna have a good time and i did have a good time but this movie's bad i don't want to move into ratings but it's just that time so i have to um I don't know how to honor how I feel about this in a score. I really don't. This is, I think, the hardest one in a very long time. I want to be clear. That I did find enjoyment in this film. I would and will watch this again. It is a clusterfuck. It is insane. It is.

pure fucking just maximum overdrive that being said narratively deeply flawed we don't really get to know anyone um and I mean, there's just a lot that just flat out doesn't make sense. And I really, I can't express how funny it is to me that we are robbed of a true ending of this and they just slapped it in some text and said, Shook me all night long. Yeah, well, that was an ending. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. That's hilarious to me. Again, I...

Would recommend that people watch this because it is an experience. And I think that we will take away something a little different. That being said, like I said, it is so bad that it's good, but at its core, it is. bad um so i can't i i gotta be realistic in the rating here although i know i'm gonna regret it as soon as it comes out of my mouth so on a scale from one to ten malevolent and mutinous machines With all the love for this fucking bananas ass movie, I am giving Maximum Overdrive.

Listen, I'm, I'm waffling too much. And I think that that's going to be the deciding factor here. Again, I'm not going to repeat myself. I'm just going to rip the bandaid off on a scale from one to 10. Again. So I am going to repeat myself. For reals this time. Malevolent and mutinous machines because I did have a lot of enjoyment, but Jesus Christ, what a mess. I am going to go right down the middle with the score. Okay. Because there is both.

There's so much fun to be had, but my God, I'm giving maximum overdrive five out of 10 malevolent and mutinous machines with peace and love. Okay. And I will now open up the floor to you. I just want to start off by saying I'm going to go ahead and even it out for you. I will be the first also to admit, I know the movie's not great. I know that there's a lot of problems with it. I know it doesn't follow whatever story it has. Emilio's very serious at the beginning and then...

throws in jokes here and there. Where is that? Yeah. There is a lot bad with it. And yeah, I do think that watching it as a kid, you know, did help a little bit with me enjoying it more. But I do still feel very strongly that this is one of those movies that it's like it's good by accident. It's so bad that it is good. But there are so many movies like that that are bad that people say.

that and then when we do watch them or we're recommended or even on our own when we find stuff and we hear things and it's just like oh no that was just bad This, to me, like I said, falls in one of those categories of this will never happen again. This is never going to be recreated again. And I had so much fun talking about this with you two. I'm going to be honest and I know it's going to bump my...

my score very high, but I'm going to add an extra point for us having so much fun. Cause I, I, I know when we asked and we were making the schedule and I said maximum overdrive and you said, sure. Yeah, no, yeah, I'm very sure. That's, you know, throw it on there. And I told you, too, I said, even if it's not as good as I remember, I know we're going to tear it apart. And that, you know what I mean? There's the fun in that.

No, it was fine. But talking about it and watching it and all that, and I was like, oh no, I would definitely watch this movie again. Just for sport. Just to watch it. You know what I mean? It's like, oh, no. Oh, right there. They fucked up there again. But it's funny. You know what I mean? So for me, on a scale, from one to ten, and mind you, I'm adding that extra point. On a scale from 1 to 10, malevolent and mutinous machines, I'm going to give maximum overdrive.

A nine out of 10. This is overdrive for me. Right. It's too much. But we had so much fun. I love that. And I like these silly ass movies. And I don't care who says this is comedy horror. It's straight comedy horror. A thousand percent. Absolutely. I'm sorry, Google. I'm sorry, Wikipedia. I'm sorry, MDB and whoever else, our websites or whatever. This is comedy horror. That's just what it is. There is no other label for it. No.

I am very happy for you. Thank you. I'm very glad. I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. Yeah. I feel like, again, if I had grown up with it, it would be a completely different story. I think that watching it for the first time at my big fucking age. I'm just like, God damn. No, there's a lot wrong here. It is. And it's so like, I don't know. This like Nan said at the top, she's like of a very simple story. It really is. I don't know what you're doing with it. I'm so confused. It is.

But no, I mean, I don't know. I think that one thing that I often say is if it's a film that I don't really like, I try to lean on the things that I did like about it. Yeah, yeah. And more often than not, that will usually be like, hey, you know, the production design was really good. And I think they did a pretty good job building that fucking truck stop. Yeah. I think that a lot of the things that they did with the makeup were pretty decent.

one thing that i often lean on that i fucking can't is the music yeah i know it's your favorite band of all time name god i'm sorry but it's like i There is no reason to have this much ACDC. No, not at all. Even on an ACDC album. Agreed. And I will say there is some ACDC I like. Yeah. But I feel like there's a tolerable level that is okay for my brain. And this didn't do it. This far exceeded. Yes.

But, I mean, I don't know. I just can't. The movie is wild. It is. And it really is tonally just all over the place. When he's cracking jokes about American Express over the corpses of his colleagues, I was like, that's not even you. Yeah. And you worked here like you're not new. Nope. You clocked in with these people. Got your hours shaved with them and everything. You're all in the same boat. Yeah. And literally you end in the same boat. And then we get a text crawl.

I just like I to say more would be to say too much. I think I think that I really appreciate how passionate people are about this film because they're and that's one thing that we say all the time is that. We cover every film as if it is somebody's favorite film. Yeah. And we know that it is. Yeah. And so, you know, I hope that everyone enjoyed.

us talking about it I hope so I had a lot of fun I probably won't watch this movie again but I might listen to our episode there you go hey that's a step yeah But for me, out of 10 malevolent and mutinous machines, I am going to give Maximum Overdrive 3.5. malicious excuse me malevolent and malicious machines i think a machine took over me it was mutinous machines yeah it made me fuck up

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