Stephen King has written hundreds of short stories and more than sixty novels, but he has only directed one movie: the goofball 1986 film Maximum Overdrive (watch it HERE). King has avoided directing ever since and star Emilio Estevez has said that not only does he regret working on the movie, but that King has even begged Estevez to forgive him for getting him into that mess. But one cast member who doesn’t share the negative opinion King and Estevez have on Maximum Overdrive is Giancarlo Esposito, who appears in the film as a character called “Videoplayer.”
Esposito, best known these days for his role on Breaking Bad, told Cinema Blend that he thought King did a brilliant job on the film. Esposito said, “I thought Stephen was brilliant in directing that film and thought he would have a long career as a director. He’s prolific as a writer of course, and [I] love what he writes. But that film had… he was really good with the team of artisans who were making it. You know, art department, transpo in that movie was very, very important. Moving parts of lawnmowers and trucks. And, you know, ‘Milli Estevez of course, in that movie as well. And me at that pinball machine, ‘Your Mama!’ [Laugh] And that pinball machine is not acting right. It was a great honor to be there and work with him. And I’m a huge Stephen King fan.“
Based on King’s short story Trucks, Maximum Overdrive has the following synopsis: After a comet causes a radiation storm on Earth, machines come to life and turn against their makers. Holed up in a North Carolina truck stop, a group of survivors must fend for themselves against a mass of homicidal trucks. A diner cook, Bill Robinson, emerges as the unlikely leader of the pack, attempting to find an escape plan for himself and the survivors, who include his boss, Bubba Hendershot, and a newlywed couple.
Estevez and Esposito were joined in the cast by Pat Hingle, Laura Harrington, Yeardley Smith, John Short, Ellen McElduff, J.C. Quinn, Christopher Murney, Holter Graham, Frankie Faison, Pat Miller, and Leon Rippy.
You can watch Esposito’s Maximum Overdrive appearance at THIS LINK – and to hear about the making of the film, check out THIS VIDEO. The movie fell short of its $9 million budget at the box office, but has gathered a cult following over the years.
Do you agree with Giancarlo Esposito that Stephen King should have continued directing films after Maximum Overdrive? Let us know by leaving a comment below.