Featured Image Credit: 20th Century Studios
Topics: Stephen King, Streaming, Film and TV, US News
Ellie Kemp
Topics: Stephen King, Streaming, Film and TV, US News
Stephen King claims one of his own creations is his favorite disaster movie - and die-hard fans agree, hailing it 'flawed but fun.'
The acclaimed author is behind some of the most influential horror stories of all time, from It to Carrie and The Shining to Pet Sematary.
Dozens of his original books have been adapted into movies and TV series, with the latest, The Institute, dropping weekly on MGM+.
Advert
There are plenty more on the way, too, with an It: Welcome to Derry TV series and movies The Long Walk and The Running Man all due to release this year.
Of course, King is known to share his recommendations online and took to social media on Wednesday (July 30) to reveal one of his favorites.
The 1986 movie in question the marks the first (and last) time King has ever called the shots behind the camera. And better yet, it's free to stream on now on Plex.
Advert
The story unfolds as a strange cosmic event causes all machines to come to life and turn violently against humans.
Imagine everything from trucks to vending machines, lawnmowers and even electric knives. Scary, right?
The story centers on a group of survivors trapped at the Dixie Boy Truck Stop in North Carolina.
They’re set upon by a convoy of sentient, murderous 18-wheelers - most famously led by a menacing truck with a Green Goblin face on its front grill.
Advert
The survivors - who include The Breakfast Club's Emilio Estevez, The Simpsons' Yeardley Smith and Batman's Pat Hingle - must work together to outwit the machines and escape.
The movie in question is called Maximum Overdrive, based on King's 1973 short story 'Trucks'.
Responding to a Threads post asking: "What's your favorite disaster movie?" King simply responded: "MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE."
Advert
There was plenty of love in the comments, as one person commented: "I will forever love Maximum Overdrive. It made me terrified of everyday objects like pop machines and my dad's push mower for years as a kid, lmao."
A second agreed: "It’s the best worst-slash-best again 80’s movie, Mr. King and I thank you very much for that. (and what’s the chance we’ll ever see the full unrated version?)."
Maximum Overdrive may have only racked up a 14 percent score from Rotten Tomatoes critics, but fans - who rated it 50 percent - reckon it's 'hugely underrated.'
Dozens rated it five stars, as one said: "A one of a kind with an awesome soundtrack by AC/DC... Old school classic, and has Lisa Simpson."
Advert
"It's great in a really stupid kind of way," a second decided, as a third wrote: "Flawed but fun. Stephen King is my favorite writer and AC/DC is my favorite band."
"Maximum Overdrive is a quintessential 80s movie that's hugely underrated," another said. "Does any of it make sense? Nope! That's why it's a quintessential 80s or even 90s movie that's very entertaining."
King told Tony Magistrale, author of 2003's Hollywood's Stephen King, that Maximum Overdrive was 'a moron movie,' adding: "I was coked out of my mind all through its production, and I really didn’t know what I was doing."
Advert
And if you're now in the mood to watch - or rewatch - Maximum Overdrive, it's currently streaming for free on the US entertainment platform Plex.