Stephen King has only directed one movie and it’s not his proudest achievement, but there’s one thing about it that has aged quite well. Stephen King has terrorized generations of readers with his novels and short stories, of which many have been adapted to other media, sometimes more than once. King is often involved in some capacity in the adaptations of his works, but he has only directed one movie – and it’s most likely to be his only filmmaker credit in his entire career.

In 1986, Stephen King wrote and directed the horror movie Maximum Overdrive, loosely based on his short story “Trucks”, included in the collection Night Shift. When Earth crosses the tail of a rogue comet, it brings inanimate machines to life, unleashing horror and chaos all over the world as the machines rebel against humans and begin to kill them. Maximum Overdrive was a critical and commercial failure, to the point where King has disowned it, and while it does have many flaws, one thing about it continues to be perfect.

Stephen King Disowned The Movie, But Maximum Overdrive’s AC/DC Soundtrack Is Still Amazing

Maximum Overdrive’s Saving Grave Is Its Soundtrack

While lawnmowers, ATMs, ice-cream trucks, pocket radios, and every other existing machine, regardless of size and purpose, attack humans of all ages around the world, the chaos of Maximum Overdrive is accompanied by AC/DC’s music. The Australian rock and heavy metal band AC/DC was formed in 1973, and though it has gone through some changes in its lineup over the years, at the time of writing it’s formed by lead guitarist Angus Young, vocalist Brian Johnson, drummer Phil Rudd, bᴀssist Cliff Williams, and guitarist Stevie Young.

AC/DC went through a rebirth in the 1980s, during which they released the album Back in Black, with singles like “You Shook Me All Night Long”, “Back in Black”, and “Hells Bells.” In 1986, AC/DC released the album Who Made Who, which served as the soundtrack to Maximum Overdrive. Only three songs on the album were written and recorded for it, with the rest being tracks previously released by the band. The song “Who Made Who” was written for Maximum Overdrive, and it explores the idea of humans becoming the machine’s servants, just like in the movie.

Although the riffs of AC/DC don’t quite match the campy tone of Maximum Overdrive, that doesn’t mean that the soundtrack can’t be appreciated for what it is. Opposite to the reception that Maximum Overdrive received, its soundtrack was a huge success and is one of the most praised albums in AC/DC’s history, which also gives it a better and longer-lasting legacy than the movies.

What Went Wrong With Stephen King’s Maximum Overdrive

Maximum Overdrive Had Potential But Never Seized It

Maximum Overdrive was plagued with problems from the beginning. At the time of filming for Maximum Overdrive, King was struggling with substance-use disorder, even sharing in a 2002 interview that he was “coked out” of his mind and didn’t know what he was doing (via Hollywood’s Stephen King). Other sources recalled King drinking during the filming of Maximum Overdrive, which ultimately also impacted the movie, along with his lack of experience as a director.

Maximum Overdrive also had an inconsistent tone, with its black humor and campy tone not allowing the horror elements to properly develop. The performances of the cast didn’t help Maximum Overdrive, either, nor did the laughable dialog, which was heavily criticized too. Maximum Overdrive has a place in Stephen King’s history as a failure, but at least it left an ageless soundtrack that greatly succeeded.

Source: Hollywood’s Stephen King.