Maligned Stephen King Adaptation Now on Prime Video: “The Movie ‘Maximum Overdrive’ Should Have Been”
So you’re telling me you’re a Stephen King stan. That surely means you’ve seen The Shining, Carrie, and Pet Sematary. You’ve likely also taken in Salem’s Lot, and maybe you even have a soft spot for slightly less celebrated adaptations like Children of the Corn or Secret Window. But have you seen, or even heard of, the largely forgotten made-for-television feature Trucks? I bet you haven’t.
I can safely say that I’ve heard of the film, but I’ve never had the burning urge to actually watch it. If learning of the picture’s existence has you curious as to what you’ve been missing, you can presently find Trucks streaming on Prime Video. But should you watch it? Well, you’re undoubtedly the best judge of that.
Perhaps it would be easier to make the judgment call on whether or not the film is for you based on some additional context. Here’s the rundown: Trucks is based on the King short story of the same name. The very same short story was famously, erm, infamously adapted for the silver screen as Maximum Overdrive in 1986. King sat at the helm; the picture was not only a critical disaster but also a bona fide box office bomb. Even still, director Chris Thomson was not deterred by any of that and attempted to adapt the short for the second time.
Brian Taggert took on writing duties on the adaptation, which aims to tell the story of a small town in Nevada overrun by homicidal semi-trucks. Of those who actually checked out the film, most were quick to dismiss it as a dull adaptation that doesn’t work on any level unless viewed through a so-bad-it’s-good lens. In fact, most consider it vastly inferior to Maximum Overdrive, which is really saying something.
With that said, there are a handful of people who actually see merit in this widely maligned adaptation. Don’t believe me? I can prove it. I’ve located not one, but two X (Twitter) posts from fans who have a soft spot for the film, suggesting that even lesser King adaptations resonate for some.
Now that you’ve heard from us (and from X users), we’d love to hear what you think, dear reader. Have you seen Trucks? If not, have you heard of it? Hit us up via the comments section below and let us know what you think. There are no wrong answers.
Categorized: Streaming News
