EPISODE 119 - Maximum Overdrive: LIVE!

[taylor anne photo 11311]

Stefon King is oddly apt. Stefon's clubs are nightmarish.

New York's hottest new club is TRUCKS! There is a giant green goblin mask, people licking other people's foreheads, and living knives (that's where a little person goes around and karate chops bread at each table).

 

I suspect many critics of SFCs have Whedon in mind.

I almost didn't want to bring it back to him but we all know he is one of the worst culprits of this as of recently lol.

 

I bet the washing machine drives people to suicides by eating up quarters, bleaching their clothes and not completing the spin cycle. *shudders*

 

The Mangler is in the same short story collection that has Trucks--Night Shift. Oh, and it also has Children of the Corn and The Man Who Loved Flowers. I guess I'm not done with the book yet. My library has 4 copies of Night Shift in its catalogue. 3 are lost and one is library use only. I had to buy mine.

Man I am ashamed of myself for never realizing Children of the Corn was his as well.

[Auden 1809]

New York's hottest new club is TRUCKS! There is a giant green goblin mask, people licking other people's foreheads, and living knives (that's where a little person goes around and karate chops bread at each table).

Ahahaha!

[the baa detective 64]

While I was watching this movie, I felt the movie has some sort message, but I was not quite sure what the message was.

Then I started to notice the movie seemed to use religious symbolism in a few instances.

 

Like the hitchhiker girl doing a crucifixion pose

 

 

And the part with Emilio Estevez telling her they could escape using a boat to an island called "Heaven/ Haven" on which has no motor vehicle. A man and a woman on an island called "Heaven/ Haven" with most likely few or traces of human civilization. Mmm...

 

Then there was the trucks' honking, which reminded me of the sound of trumpet in the Book of Revelation. I mean, given the situation, and then the was the bible salesman (who was kind of a False Prophet) talking about "fall of mankind," it's kind of hard not.

 

There were also a lot of black trucks, red trucks, and white trucks....

 

Then there was this:

 

 

Who the hell would put de Vinci's Last Supper on a jukebox?!

[EllenM 943]

How do you post gifs in the forums? I have a couple for the next few jackasses that pull the "Don't know if this has been said yet but..."

[Cameron H. 23786]

Anyway, Cameron I appreciate you super hard.

 

No joke, thank you! That just made my day!

 

You're the best!

 

New York's hottest new club is TRUCKS! There is a giant green goblin mask, people licking other people's foreheads, and living knives (that's where a little person goes around and karate chops bread at each table).

 

 

[Cameron H. 23786]

How do you post gifs in the forums? I have a couple for the next few jackasses that pull the "Don't know if this has been said yet but..."

 

Copy the image's URL and paste it in your post in this format: [IMG] the url [/IMG]. When you paste it, take the "s" out of "https."

 

You're doing the Lord's work!

[Cameron H. 23786]

While I was watching this movie, I felt the movie has some sort message, but I was not quite sure what the message was.

Then I started to notice the movie seemed to use religious symbolism in a few instances.

 

And the part with Emilio Estevez telling her they could escape using a boat to an island called "Heaven/ Haven" on which has no motor vehicle. A man and a woman on an island called "Heaven/ Haven" with most likely few or traces of human civilization. Mmm...

 

Then there was the trucks' honking, which reminded me of the sound of trumpet in the Book of Revelation. I mean, given the situation, and then the was the bible salesman (who was kind of a False Prophet) talking about "fall of mankind," it's kind of hard not.

 

 

I'm listening...

 

 

Also, since you brought up the island of Haven (which I could not find a record of actually existing, but I have heard of places like it), Billy tells Brett that ."..there aren't any motor vehicles allowed on the place. None whatsoever." The way he describes it though, it doesn't sound like the island is uninhabited. It just sounds like one of those small, isolated island communities where you ferry in from the coast. So my question is, "Yes, there might not be any motor vehicles on the island, but what about walkmen and turkey carvers?" There is still a whole world of mechanical objects out to kill them after all...

[Cameron H. 23786]

The Mangler is in the same short story collection that has Trucks--Night Shift. Oh, and it also has Children of the Corn and The Man Who Loved Flowers. I guess I'm not done with the book yet. My library has 4 copies of Night Shift in its catalogue. 3 are lost and one is library use only. I had to buy mine.

 

That is insane that they are both in the same collection! Man, he must have been going through a period of real techno-phobia...

[Auden 1809]

That is insane that they are both in the same collection! Man, he must have been going through a period of real techno-phobia...

Right? I can't think of any non-King horror stories where sentient objects kill people.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

No joke, thank you! That just made my day!

 

You're the best!

 

 

I'm going to imagine that you're really PFT in disguise because it is my dream to get this response out of him.

[Auden 1809]

Is it stupid in a HDTGM way? Basically will I be entertained by the awfulness of it if I decide to give it a read?

Just finished the story. It's silly, in a boring way. And not remotely scary. Hard to imagine why Tobe Hooper would want to write the screenplay and direct the movie.

[FisterRoboto 7499]

Just finished the story. It's silly, in a boring way. And not remotely scary. Hard to imagine why Tobe Hooper would want to write the screenplay and direct the movie.

I haven't read it since I was probably 10 or 11. I couldn't remember if it was good bad or awful bad.

 

 

Copy the image's URL and paste it in your post in this format: [IMG] the url [/IMG]. When you paste it, take the "s" out of "https."

 

You're doing the Lord's work!

Alternately, you can click the Image button on the WSYWIG editor you type your response in (although I'm pretty sure it doesn't work if you're using a mobile device).

[Cockney Mackem 514]

While I was watching this movie, I felt the movie has some sort message, but I was not quite sure what the message was.

Then I started to notice the movie seemed to use religious symbolism in a few instances.

 

Like the hitchhiker girl doing a crucifixion pose

 

 

And the part with Emilio Estevez telling her they could escape using a boat to an island called "Heaven/ Haven" on which has no motor vehicle. A man and a woman on an island called "Heaven/ Haven" with most likely few or traces of human civilization. Mmm...

 

Then there was the trucks' honking, which reminded me of the sound of trumpet in the Book of Revelation. I mean, given the situation, and then the was the bible salesman (who was kind of a False Prophet) talking about "fall of mankind," it's kind of hard not.

 

There were also a lot of black trucks, red trucks, and white trucks....

 

Then there was this:

 

 

Who the hell would put de Vinci's Last Supper on a jukebox?!

 

And one of the trucks drives over the salesman's suitcase full of Bibles.

[Cameron H. 23786]

And one of the trucks drives over the salesman's suitcase full of Bibles.

 

Yes, but don't be mistook. In this instance, the Bible Salesman, as a corrupter of God's Word, is clearly an analog for Lucifer. He even shares Satan's penchant for ridiculous facial hair.

 

 

 

Look guys, I'm not going to just let go of the fact that this movie is basically a very deep religious allegory.

[Joven 373]

Truck Jesus got parted out for your sins.

 

You couldn't see it, but that tanker truck that allowed them to continue filling those hungry trucks only had 1 gallon left, but Truck Jesus produced enough fuel out of nothing in order to feed them all.

 

Speaking of:

[Cockney Mackem 514]

 

Yes, but don't be mistook. In this instance, the Bible Salesman, as a corrupter of God's Word, is clearly an analog for Lucifer. He even shares Satan's penchant for ridiculous facial hair.

 

 

 

Look guys, I'm not going to just let go of the fact that this movie is basically a very deep religious allegory.

 

Well, since you mention it, one could interpret the whole thing as a punishment from God for our consumerist greed and loss of values, and when the waitress is screaming "We made YOU!" she's just arguing the Nietschean viewpoint that if God did not exist it would have been necessary to invent him...

[the baa detective 64]

And let's not forget: God = UFO, UFO = God.

I mean, just read "Chariots Of The Gods." The evidences are all in there.

[the baa detective 64]

I wonder what would have happen if Stephen cast Charlie Sheen instead of Emilio Estevez...

 

The director disappeared for a week then came back.

Then the leading man disappeared for a week then came back.

Then both the director and the leading man disappeared for a week then came back.

Then Stephen King would start to say something along the line of "Listen, me and my buddy Charlie here got just like tons of new ideas...okay, we will have the kid or the girl or the bible guy or whatever just about to be hit by the trucks, then suddenly whoosh! Air Force One comes crashing down and save the day...because you see, the machines want to kill the president of the United States...then a man crawled out of the wreckage and everyone will be super surprised like:'Wow! Mr. President?!" and I or Charlie or Bill or Peter or whatever will say: 'Dad?!' and everyone will be like: 'What?!' because the president is his dad and his dad will play the president and I mean his real dad Martin Sheen Apocalypse Now not my dad because my dad wasn't in Apocalypse Now and everything will be super cool and meta and everything and you know my books are always super meta and everything and we saw Martin just now and he's like super psych and like: 'Yeah okay alright sure! I will be in your movie!' Serious! He's in my trailer right now!"

[StickLegsMcOhio 1]

Someone mentioned that in the short story, only automobiles come to life - just to clarify, in the short story, ONLY trucks come to life (at first). This is why the story is called "Trucks". In fact, the trucks actually destroy a bunch of cars (including the narrator's) to keep the humans from escaping.

 

Eventually a few pick-up trucks join their larger brethren and a character in the story has heard a bus got "possessed", but the only other machine that comes to life is a bulldozer - which razes the diner in a successful bid to impel the stubborn humans to pump some gas. This is how the short story ends; the survivors taking turns pumping gas for an endless line of trucks. And although King manages to infuse some apocalyptic dread into a line of trucks waiting for gas, it's still very anti-climatic.

 

It's almost as if in the middle of writing the story, King suddenly realized he would have to address the fact that trucks run out of gas and that the trucks would somehow have to convince humans to help them get more gas so they could continue killing more humans. I have no doubt King was thrilled to have painted himself into this corner and he jumps down the rabbit hole headfirst. Thus, we have contrivances like trucks that know morse code (and luckily, humans that know morse code), trucks that are so agile and cat-like they can chase down and corral humans and humans that are so limited in imagination and running ability that they have no choice but to pump gas until their hands bleed and they pass out.

 

In the end, knowing the details of the short story just made me more sad. King adapted and directed his own work and it came out an eye-rolling, plot hole ridden, brow-furrowing piece of camp - yet he still, to this day, can rant for an hour about how Kubrick "ruined" his bloated haunted hotel story. Hopefully he never fulfills his promise to try directing again - because I have no doubt it would prove that cocaine actually had little to do with how Maximum Overdrive turned out.

[FisterRoboto 7499]

In the end, knowing the details of the short story just made me more sad. King adapted and directed his own work and it came out an eye-rolling, plot hole ridden, brow-furrowing piece of camp - yet he still, to this day, can rant for an hour about how Kubrick "ruined" his bloated haunted hotel story. Hopefully he never fulfills his promise to try directing again - because I have no doubt it would prove that cocaine actually had little to do with how Maximum Overdrive turned out.

This has always driven me crazy, and I know we've talked about The Shining a lot in this thread. But I know that the movie diverged greatly from the book and that the TV miniseries was a lot closer (I actually enjoy both). But, come on, you can be like, "They took it in a different direction than what I had anticipated, but it's still clearly a great film that is considered a modern horror classic by most critics," especially when your only effort at making a movie was pure garbage. I generally feel that people who dislike the film are the "BUT IN THE BOOK...!" people who can't stand anything being changed rather than trying to enjoy a film as its own piece of art.

[Lando 2019]

That is fairly common for book adaptations in general. It can be hard to get around something on screen not matching up to what you picture in your head.

 

I will say, I have hated Bram Stoker's Dracula for a long time just because it does not match up to the book, but I admit I have not seen it in a long time and would be willing to revisit it. However, it might still be hard for me to accept Theodore Logan Esquire as Jonathan Harker and Lydia Deetz as Mina.

[FisterRoboto 7499]

That is fairly common for book adaptations in general. It can be hard to get around something on screen not matching up to what you picture in your head.

 

I will say, I have hated Bram Stoker's Dracula for a long time just because it does not match up to the book, but I admit I have not seen it in a long time and would be willing to revisit it. However, it might still be hard for me to accept Theodore Logan Esquire as Jonathan Harker and Lydia Deetz as Mina.

It is a common reaction, and as a fan of both the books and show Game of Thrones, I hear the complaining every week. And there are times I'm guilty of it, but it's usually when something that was really interesting in the book gets watered down and turned into something super boring (like the Sand Snakes from last season, to keep with the GoT example).

 

But there are also plenty of great film adaptations that veer from the books considerably. The Harry Potter movies are usually my go-to example for this (not counting Goblet of Fire where they added in shit like a random, pointless dance lesson scene for no apparent reason). The Swedish version of Let the Right One In made some pretty interesting changes to the story, and it's one of my favorite vampire movies. There are several others, but my brain is fried at the moment, and I have to get back to work (and I hope y'all get the idea anyway).

 

For the record, I can't stand that Dracula. Nosferatu (which was a completely unauthorized movie) is still probably the best Dracula film. Gary Oldman is probably the only redeeming factor of that adaptation. i don't even care for Hopkins in it. I also kind of feel like it was only as critically well-received as it was because it was Coppola.

 

Oh, also, it's Ted "Theodore" Logan. Bill S Preston was the "Esquire."

[Cockney Mackem 514]

That is fairly common for book adaptations in general. It can be hard to get around something on screen not matching up to what you picture in your head.

 

I will say, I have hated Bram Stoker's Dracula for a long time just because it does not match up to the book, but I admit I have not seen it in a long time and would be willing to revisit it. However, it might still be hard for me to accept Theodore Logan Esquire as Jonathan Harker and Lydia Deetz as Mina.

 

I don't mind when films deviate from the source material to make a film, if the result is good (and if the book is a cherished favourite, if it stays true to the spirit of the original).

 

The things that piss me off about Bram Stoker's Dracula are, in no order:

 

- claiming to be a really close faithful adaptation of the book (why do that, if it isn't?)

- claiming it's the only faithful adaptation of the book (hey Francis, Christopher Lee says go fuck yourself)

- Keanu Reeves making Dick Van Dyke's attempt at an English accent seem like Meryl Streep's Iron Lady by comparison

- Sadie Frost (ooh look a werewolf! I must IMMEDIATELY let him smash my back doors in)

- Mina Harker (don't go yet Mr Dracula, I haven't given you a blowjob yet)

- Van Helsing's accent (if Keanu can't be bothered vy should I, ja?)

- Van Helsing deciding that just as the final battle kicks in is the perfect time to decide to shag Mina Harker. Oh, but she's seducing him with her vampiry ways and he's only the most experienced vampire hunter in the world, he won't know what's hit him

- Shooting the whole thing like a Meat Loaf video (only shorter)

- The whole dead wife motivation for Dracula - sorry, is this Mel Gibson's Dracula?

- Dracula's wife hears a rumour he's dead and immediately chucks herself off the side of a castle without checking whether it's true or not. Dracula's wife is a fucking idiot.

- Jonathan Harker: well my wife to be totally fell in love with this dude and fucked his brains out, but I have no qualms whatsoever about our future together

 

 

Although in fairness the first forty minutes in Transylvania are pretty good, and Tom Waits is tremendous.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

But there are also plenty of great film adaptations that veer from the books considerably. The Harry Potter movies are usually my go-to example for this (not counting Goblet of Fire where they added in shit like a random, pointless dance lesson scene for no apparent reason).

Woah there are we gonna have to battle it out over Goblet of Fire now? I thought that was actually way better towards to the book over Order of the Phoenix. They cut out things that literally tied into the last book and were super important plot points! Not to mention that the flow of that movie was just not great.

 

Harry Potter is an excellent example of the movies and books being separate and still amazing entities but even they are not without their adaptation bull shit. I just wish they had stuck to the way Ginny was in the books because she was amazing and powerful and what was shown on screen was boring. Also the fact that they made child!Lily's eyes brown in the very last movie still irks me to this day.

 

But if I'm being 100% honest I would watch a 14 hour HP movie if that meant they could fit every single thing from the books.

[Cockney Mackem 514]

OK so the 1958 Dracula changes a lot of plot but is very close to the intent of the book, so ner.