Why Stephen King failed to make a great Stephen King movie

Maximum Overdrive is really bad. But it's 100 percent Stephen King's movie.

Stephen King's movies do much better when directed by others.
(Image credit: United Archives GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo)

Hollywood has made more than 50 movies and TV shows based on Stephen King's books and stories. The first — Brian De Palma's voluptuous Carrie — turns 40 this year, while the newest, Cell, made 10 years after the novel came out, is available for you to ignore on On Demand. But of all these movies based on King's work, King has only ever directed one film himself, Maximum Overdrive (1986), which he adapted from his story "Trucks."

"Trucks" is not one of King's career highlights, and his decision to use it for his directorial debut befuddles and beguiles. It's like he chose the worst story that would be hardest to film just for the challenge.

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Greg Cwik

Greg Cwik is a writer and editor. His work appears at Vulture, Playboy, Entertainment Weekly, The Believer, The AV Club, and other good places.