Maximum Overdrive is a 1986 American comedy horror film written and directed by Stephen King. "King's a horror at directing". Screen Recorder. A disgruntled phone company employee develops a device whereby those answering a phone can be murdered, and it's up to Nat Bridger to stop the killer. The best feeling is getting a long peel, similar to your skin when you're peeling from a sunburn. Paul is later dragged into the darkness and gruesomely killed by the woman. Directed by Michael Anderson. The film has a mid-1980s hard rock soundtrack composed entirely by the group AC/DC, whose album Who Made Who was released as the Maximum Overdrive soundtrack. 3. A good story has a hero (the main character) and a sidekick. The Mule then demands, via sending morse code signals through its horn that Deke deciphers, that the humans pump the trucks' diesel for them in exchange for their lives. If you're not horrified by the end, then the story could be great and wonderful, but it's not a horror story. Come Play uses the primary setting of Larry and builds upon the storyline while switching protagonists. Horror films also have creepy children (Children of the corn), or children who are corrupted by creepy characters (Mama). except on a somewhat grander scale", and added that as a director Stephen King "proves that he hasn't got an ounce of visual style, the vaguest idea of how to direct actors or the sense that God gave a grapefruit. It is the fourth film directed by Roger Corman that is based on Poe stories, and stands among one his best. The setting is absolutely scenic. The Bells is an unsettling horror short released last year on Youtube. 7.2 BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS The Mushroom Club. Mama. Directed by Virat Pal. Unfortunately, master manipulator Stephen King, making his directorial debut from his own script, fails to create a convincing enough environment to make the kind of nonsense he's offering here believable or fun. By Fun Size Frank, Hey there, Fun Size Horror community! [7], Jon Pareles of The New York Times wrote that "by making the machines' malevolence so all-encompassing — so amoral — Mr. King loses the fillip of retribution in better horror films. In the spirit of helping writers find those seeds, here we offer 101 originally conceived and terrifying story prompts that you can use as inspiration for your next horror story. The question of a short film can be tiny and very simple. The film that was released on this day (November 9) four years ago by Large Short Films, was a winner at the Mumbai Film Festival. For a great example of a simple, universal story with a simple question, watch the Oscar nominated Two Cars, One Night (Taika Waititi). 33 pages (pdf) Discuss this script. It includes the best-selling singles "Who Made Who", "You Shook Me All Night Long", and "Hells Bells". The Purpose of a Horror Story What is a good horror story supposed to do? The Mule fires its post-mounted M60 machine gun into the building, killing several people including Hendershot and Wanda June. The film is based on an original short film, Blood Red Earth directed by Petty.[1]. The year is 1879, and beyond the fringes of civilization a handful of pioneers maintain settlements while exploring the unknown territories. Broadcast your events with reliable, high-quality live streaming. We bought an old house, my boyfriend and I. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Cookies. Now, there’s nothing scary about that movie, but if it were to happen in real life, there isn’t a person on earth who wouldn’t be afraid. The sidekick starts the story as the heroes best friend, but part way through the story they betray their best friend and oppose the hero and what they want. Bill and Curt rescue Deke, and a truck chases them back into the pipe. Part of a larger project, this film is the 8th entry in the Bloody Cuts anthology—a series of 13 short horror films that are being released over at bloodycuts.co.uk. It's supposed to terrify, or at least deeply disturb. She warns owner Paul (Billy Burke) about the apparition and leaves. The film contained black humor elements and a generally campy tone, which contrasts with King's sombre subject matter in books. The Burrowers is a 2008 Western horror film written and directed by J. T. Petty. The film stars Emilio Estevez, Pat Hingle, Laura Harrington, and Yeardley Smith. "[23] Writing in the Chicago Tribune, Rick Kogan gave the film 1 star out of 4 and called it "a mess of a movie", further stating that "King's direction is heavy handed and his dialogue hackneyed and stiff. Del Toro gives an introduction to the video, so skip to 0:50 if you just want to watch the film. Paul's stepdaughter Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) lives alone in an apartment, away from her mother, Sophie (Maria Bello), and brother, Martin (Gabriel Bateman). Live Streaming. "[21] Variety called it "the kind of film audiences want to talk back to, the kind that throws credibility out the window in favor of crass manipulation. Following a death in the family, its members start hearing a mysterious sound. [26] On Metacritic the film has a score of 24% based on reviews from 8 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Worse still, the movie never really builds up any momentum or jars us with unexpected jolts of horror. But nature's wrath and the tomahawks of hostile tribes are not the only threats that this group will be forced to confront, because as the bodies begin to multiply and the truth about the abductors gradually emerges, these rescuers will find out that there are forces in this world that cannot be described in human terms—and that seem to have motivations beyond our comprehension. More and more it seems that crafting a eye-catching horror short is the perfect way to launch your feature career. ... "This isn't exactly a horror movie per say, but the ending of this thriller threw me all the way off. I don't know about you but I kinda make a game of peelin… By “scarily accurate”, we mean that the site can easily find a film like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind with the sparse description “erasing memories”. Deke makes it to the truck stop later that evening and tries to enter via the sewers, but is obstructed by the wire mesh covering the opening. Enterprise. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 75%, based on 12 reviews, and an average rating of 6.02/10. The minute you press play and the initial images of La Noria wash over your eyeballs, one’s immediate reaction is a simple “wow”. The owner Bubba Hendershot uses M72 LAW rockets he had stored in a bunker hidden under the diner to destroy many of the trucks. Chaos sets in as machines of all kinds begin attacking humans. The film ends with the suggestion that the "Burrower" attacks will continue. When the "Burrowers" go to eat the twice drugged victim they themselves fall asleep and are vulnerable, especially to the rays of the sun, which are the only apparent thing that can kill them. The survivors are pursued to the docks by the Green Goblin truck, which manages to kill trucker Brad when he falls behind. The previous owner papered EVERY wall and CEILING! CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (. From the main room I begin to hear popping.” 4. Following a death in the family, its members start hearing a mysterious sound. While the crew is resting, Bill theorizes that the comet is actually a "broom" operated by interstellar aliens that are using our machines to destroy humanity so the aliens can repopulate the Earth. Kogan, Rick (July 29, 1986). The film is based on an original short film, Blood Red Earth directed by Petty. His son’s voice, trembling on the verge of panic. "Dad? With Richard Chamberlain, John Houseman, Sara Botsford, Robin Gammell. With that said, here’s a two-sentence horror story about mannequins from Reddit user Mikeyseventyfive: “They delivered the mannequins in bubble wrap. [2], The film was released on DVD by Lionsgate and Maple Pictures in the United States and Canada respectively on April 21, 2009. The screenplay was inspired by and loosely based on King's short story "Trucks", which was included in the author's first collection of short stories, Night Shift. Even Saw, the film that launched Wan’s career, was based on a short film. What is its function? That night, the survivors hear Loman screaming in a ditch, and Bill and Curt sneak out to help him by climbing through the sewers. A newly-wed couple, Connie and Curt, stop at a gas station, where a brown tow truck tries to kill Curt, but he and Connie escape in their car. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Owner–Operator Independent Drivers Association, National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Glossary of the American trucking industry, Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maximum_Overdrive&oldid=993561561, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 11 December 2020, at 06:47. The film was the first to be made by Embassy Pictures after it had been bought by Dino de Laurentiis. REVIEW: The Bells gives us an interesting concept reminiscent of films like Hush and Dead Silence where the films plays with the character’s (and our) hearing.. Let’s start with the good stuff. [4], Karina Longworth of IndieWire praised the cinematography, and screenplay, noting that the film "plays less like a horror film than a Terrence Malick film, with a mythological MacGuffin designed to reveal dark truths about the men forced to deal with it. Later, several big rig trucks encircle the truck stop. Gitte Witt as Leonora and Tuva Olivia Remman as Alice in 'Cadaver' Netflix. Neill Blomkamp has made a movie during the coronavirus pandemic. After producing dozens and dozens of horror shorts, we wanted to share our own 5 Tips for Making a Short Horror Film. At the Dixie Boy Truck Stop just outside Wilmington, North Carolina, employee Duncan Keller is blinded after a gas dispenser sprays diesel in his eyes. "[25], On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 15% based on reviews from 13 critics. In 1988, Maximum Overdrive was nominated for "Best Film" at the International Fantasy Film Awards. Luckily for filmmakers, … This horror classic features three shorts, each based on a different Edgar Allen Poe story. Meanwhile, Connie and Curt are pursued by a truck, but they make it crash off the side of the road as it explodes. One tribe in particular, the Ute, have experience in combating the hunter-species. 26 Horror Movie Plot Twists That'll Actually Make Your Jaw Drop. With Danny Barclay, Nell Rutledge-Leverenz, Gabriel Ayala. Meanwhile, at a Little League game, a vending machine kills the coach by firing canned soda point-blank at him, including his head. Waitress Wanda June is injured by an electric knife, and arcade machines in the back room electrocute a customer. "[24] Paul Attanasio of The Washington Post wrote that the film "is like sitting alongside a 3-year old as he skids his Tonka trucks across the living room floor and says 'Whee!' "Dad?" The loss was particularly hard on Maddy who was still recovering from a drinking problem that cost Maddy her job. In a mannequin warehouse, co-worker Esther (Lotta Losten) sees a silhouette of a woman with monstrously long fingers when she turns the lights off, but sees nothing when the lights are on. The Burrowers was first screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2008. The Bells is a horror short released in 2018 on Youtube. Maximum Overdrive is King's only directorial effort, though dozens of films have been based on his novels or short stories. They arrive at the truck stop and try to pass between the trucks, but their car is hit and overturns. Deke rides through his town as humans and even pets are brutally killed by lawnmowers, chainsaws, electric hair dryers, pocket radios, RC cars and an ice cream truck. When Death's Door Opens by Curtis Lofgren (Short, Horror) - 3:47 a.m. is the time when death's door opens just enough to allow the Creature to roam! ‘What Is My Movie’ is a scarily accurate movie finder site that can suggest the name of a movie by a scene or plot description, an incomplete title, and actors’ and directors’ names. The victim is then buried alive and eaten only after decomposition has begun. Horror movies tap into our deepest fears, doing their best to scare us silly, yet they are oddly addictive. Maddy (Ruby Barnhill) and Abi Lewis (Dafne Keene) are experiencing strains in their bondage after Maddy's third child was stillborn. In The Bells, following a death in the family its […] Watch This Scary Horror Short Movie 'The Bells' - But Don't Do It Alone Short film story structure is a difficult point in terms of education. Bill and Brett Graham, a hitchhiker, rush to help them, but the trucks attack them. 3. Sophie h… When white settlers depleted the buffalo, the species began to survive on human meat - first hunting nearby Indians and later the settlers. The film was nominated for two Golden Raspberry Awards including Worst Director for King and Worst Actor for Estevez in 1987, but both lost against Prince for Under the Cherry Moon. "[5] Adrian Halen from HorrorNews.net offered the film similar praise, while noting that the film was more focused on its characters rather than its title antagonists. We’ve come across countless helpful tips, hints, and advice that have been invaluable in our movie making pursuits. "Film: By Stephen King, 'Maximum Overdrive'". The "Burrowers" first lace their victims by cutting them and drugging them with a toxin. Jingle Bells, played the tune from somewhere, in BoneyM’s revoltingly sweet tones, Jingle bells, Jingle bells, jingle all the way. At first the kidnappers are thought to be hostile Native Americans, and a posse forms to bring the family back home safely. The survivors then sail off to safety. Venturing out into the unmapped territories is an Irish immigrant desperate to find his lost love, a naïve teen eager to prove his worth, a former slave seeking his fortune, and a hardened pair of battle-weary Indian fighters. The next morning, a Caterpillar D7G bulldozer and an M274 Mule drive to the truck stop (the former pushes Hendershot's Cadillac inside). Cook and paroled ex-convict Bill Robinson begins to suspect something is wrong. As the Earth crosses the tail of a comet, previously inanimate machines suddenly spring to life; an ATM insults a customer (King in a cameo) and a bascule bridge rises during heavy traffic, causing all vehicles upon the bridge to fall into the river or collide. During a fueling operation, Bill sneaks a grenade onto the Mule vehicle, destroying it, then leads the party out of the diner via a sewer hatch to the main road just as the trucks demolish the entire truck stop. 10 Alone Time (2014) This 2014 horror-thriller directed by Rob Blackhurst tells the story of a young woman named Ann, who is feeling a bit overwhelmed by her busy and fast paced day-to-day life in New York City. When A Chinese Ghost Story premiered in 1987, it was already part of a unique category – the fusion of horror, comedy, and Kung Fu. The 41-year-old director shot an untitled supernatural horror movie during the summer in the Canadian region of British Columbia. Deke finds Loman and believes he is dead, but he suddenly jumps up and attacks Deke. Bill destroys the truck with a direct hit from an M72 LAW rocket shot. The angered owner uses the rocket launcher to blow the bulldozer. While Maddy and Abi's son, Daryl (Norman Reedus) who was dea… By the time the film's protagonists meet up with the Ute their numbers are severely depleted, but the Ute method of drugging someone already infected with "Burrower" toxin proves effective. They may inspire screenplays, novels, short stories, or even smaller moments that you can include in what stories you are already writing or what you will create in your upcoming projects. On a one-horse open sleigh. [3], The Burrowers received mostly positive reviews upon its release, with critics praising the film's blending of horror and western genres, cinematography, and character development. 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