Trucks (film)

Last updated
Trucks
Trucks film.jpg
Genre Horror
Based on"Trucks"
by Stephen King
Written byBrian Taggert
Directed byChris Thomson
Starring
Music by Michael Richard Plowman
Country of origin
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
CinematographyRob Draper
Editor Lara Mazur
Running time95 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network USA Network
ReleaseOctober 29, 1997 (1997-10-29)

Trucks is a 1997 Canadian-American television horror film directed by Chris Thomson, which follows the story of a group of tourists and locals attacked by autonomous trucks and other inexplicable phenomena in a rural town. It is based on Stephen King's short story "Trucks", which also served as the source material for the earlier film Maximum Overdrive , the only film directed by King. Trucks aired on the USA Network on October 29, 1997.

Contents

Plot

Lunar is a small Nevada town populated mostly by rednecks and kept alive by its military base (in proximity to Area 51), and its urban folklore featuring aliens, which has provided local resident Hope with her hiking and tourism business. Ray, the local gas station owner and a former resident of Detroit, Michigan, lives with his brooding teenage son Logan, and frequents a local diner run by George, a retired Korean War veteran and police officer. One hot summer morning, Phil, an aging man who runs a local auto salvage yard, is feeding his dogs when he is killed in an apparent freak accident after a truck with no driver veers into his home, pushing him through the walls and killing him. Hope notices the truck later parked in the middle of the road on her way to the bus depot, but she thinks nothing of it. A transfer truck carrying frozen meats is casually traveling along a country road, but then the vehicle starts swerving erratically. After the driver notices the truck acting strange, the person exits the vehicle and inspects the trailer. Soon after, the truck locks the driver inside its trailer with no means of escape, starts itself up and drives off. Hope picks up a group of assorted tourists that morning: Jack (an obese, aging hippie who believes in UFOs), Thad (a former Gulf War naval officer divorced from his wife), and Abby (Thad's sullen teenage daughter, who is spending the summer with him and hoping to go to Las Vegas). Hope is forced to pull her vehicle over, carrying the tourists, when they come across Phil's truck still blocking the road. As the group exits Hope's car, the frozen meat truck nearly hits them. While Jack remarks that it looks like there's no driver at the wheel, Thad laughs this concept off as silly. A terrified Hope calls Ray on her cell phone, and Ray hurries to go find her. When he arrives, he and the other tourists find Hope cowering next to the discovery of Phil's nude corpse lying on the ground, severely lacerated; this causes Abby to scream. Ray takes the group in his own car back to Lunar. Meanwhile, tourists Brad (a used car salesman) and June (a failed, aging model who married Brad as a teenager) arrive in Lunar and enter George's diner, unaware that they were nearly hit and killed by a large unmanned truck on their way in. Ray's car is hit and nearly destroyed while being rear-ended by a yellow truck with increasing speed, but the group finally makes it to George's diner. At this point, all of the patrons at the diner are noticing bizarre phenomena: a variety of trucks with no driver are circling the lot between the diner, Hope's cabins and the gas station, weird news reports are coming in, all oddly timed between bouts of static, and the anchorwoman on the screen reveals that a large black cloud (also visible from the diner's windows) is a leak from a chemical factory accident somewhere near the military base. While Jack speculates that the trucks are being affected by energy fields caused by aliens, two rednecks in the diner argue, based on the chemical accident, that the survivors in the diner are all being involuntarily included in a government experiment.

Two HAZMAT workers are called in to investigate the black cloud, but one of the HAZMAT suits in their truck inflates with air, then animates inexplicably to pick up an ax and murder both workers, after which the truck joins the others in Lunar. A postal worker drops off some mail at a toy store when an RC Tonka dump truck drives through a window and chases after the postal worker. The toy gradually kills the person by driving aggressively into him multiple times.

George reveals that he has a firearm on the diner's premises, but he tells Hope that Ray detests guns due to a drive-by gang shooting in Detroit that killed his wife. As the group is split up between the cabins and the diner, Logan and Abby find themselves becoming friends as they are trapped with Brad and June. Brad attempts to repair a seemingly dead truck in the garage adjacent to the cabins, but the truck animates and drives forward into his stomach, crushing the man up against the door until he is killed. This causes Abby to break down sobbing, while June has a nervous breakdown and is rescued by Ray, who brings her back to the diner. Abby and Logan attempt to cross over from the cabins back to the diner, but become trapped in a drain pipe beneath the lot as a truck attempts to dump silt over them and asphyxiate the teens. As this is happening, the two rednecks beat Thad unconscious, only for one to be knocked out by Jack while the second redneck runs outside. Despite the distraction, Ray is able to get Logan and Abby safely out of the drainpipe, but he is unable to rescue the redneck, who is relentlessly chased by the trucks and is forced to flee into the nearest building, where he proceeds to get drunk on the cheap beer left in the refrigerator there. He uses the remaining beers to create a bundle of Molotov cocktails, but accidentally kills himself in the process, blowing up one of the buildings. Ray is surprised when the trucks leave him alone, and he realizes that they're sparing him for some unknown reason. This prompts him and Thad to create a plan: Thad will use a motorcycle stored in the garage to sneak up to the base and seek help, while the group will sneak out at night and venture through the forest as Ray distracts the trucks. June wanders up a hillside and his killed by a truck from behind. As night falls over Lunar, Logan rescues the motorcycle and brings it indoors just before one of the trucks destroys the garage. An outdoor payphone rings, and Abby runs outside to answer it, causing Jack to shove her aside as a truck nearly hits her, but Jack himself is crushed to death in the process, traumatizing Abby. As the trucks knock out the diner's water supply and electric generator, Ray discovers that the trucks were sparing him specifically because they believe that as the gas station owner, Ray is the only human who can refuel them. As Ray and Hope refuel the trucks, Thad and Abby sneak away on the motorcycle. Ray, Hope and Logan meet up in the forest, but George doesn't make it, as he sacrifices himself by shooting his firearm at the trucks, causing one to tip over and become stuck while the leader truck mysteriously blows smoke and unhooks from the trailer, revs up and smashes into George and gets stuck in the diner building after crashing into it. Ray uses a hunting rifle he finds in the body of one of the trucks and shoots at the truck in the diner, causing the entire structure to explode. That morning, the trio of survivors spot the burned-up but still functioning diner truck chasing them, but they climb aboard a helicopter and are saved. There they find Abby, who is shaken severely and too traumatized to speak for some reason. Believing that Thad is piloting the copter, Ray moves forward to thank him, but finds the helicopter unmanned, and worse still, tilting upwards further into the sky as the screen fades to black.

Cast

Trucks used in the film

Production

Principal photography concluded on August 22, 1997. Shooting took place in Gunton and Winnipeg, Manitoba. [2] [3]

Reception

Trucks received very little critical attention outside of independent internet blogs. TV Guide rated Trucks 2/4 stars and wrote, "The film is all premise and no plot, a problem made worse by the clumsy addition of extraneous gory sequences." [4] Rob Dean of Daily Grindhouse commended the film's various actors, but gave an unfavourable review overall, stating, "Trucks doesn’t realize that it is a movie couched in real fears but would be better explored through a lot of vehicular action and exaggerated gruesomeness and insanity. It’s far too subdued, and not nearly loony enough. The constant attempt to ground the story in a “logical” explanation - mostly delivered by a TV set that shouldn’t work but does, and only gets the exposition channel - undercuts the fact that this could just be a goofy thing with some menace that people would overanalyze on the Internet 20 years later." Dean compared the film unfavourably to the cult horror film Rubber . [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Breakdown</i> (1997 film) American thriller by Jonathan Mostow

Breakdown is a 1997 American thriller film directed and co-written by Jonathan Mostow. It stars Kurt Russell, J. T. Walsh and Kathleen Quinlan. The original music score was composed by Basil Poledouris. The film was produced by Dino De Laurentiis and Martha De Laurentiis, and released on May 2, 1997 by Paramount Pictures. It is one of the final films featuring Walsh to be released in his lifetime. The film received positive reviews and gained a strong cult following.

<i>They Drive by Night</i> 1940 film by Raoul Walsh

They Drive by Night is a 1940 American film noir directed by Raoul Walsh and starring George Raft, Ann Sheridan, Ida Lupino, and Humphrey Bogart, and featuring Gale Page, Alan Hale, Roscoe Karns, John Litel and George Tobias. The picture involves a pair of embattled truck drivers and was released in the UK under the title The Road to Frisco. The film was based on A. I. Bezzerides' 1938 novel Long Haul, which was later reprinted under the title They Drive by Night to capitalize on the success of the film.

<i>Venom</i> (2005 film) American supernatural slasher film

Venom is a 2005 American supernatural slasher film directed by Jim Gillespie, and starring Agnes Bruckner, Jonathan Jackson, Laura Ramsey, D. J. Cotrona, Rick Cramer, Meagan Good, and Method Man. The film follows a group of teens who fight to survive a man-turned-zombie after he becomes possessed by evil spirits.

<i>Reindeer Games</i> 2000 American action crime thriller film

Reindeer Games is a 2000 American action thriller film directed by John Frankenheimer in his final feature directorial outing before his 2002 death. It stars Ben Affleck, Gary Sinise, Charlize Theron, Dennis Farina, James Frain, Donal Logue, Danny Trejo, and Clarence Williams III. The film revolves around ex-convict Rudy Duncan, who is dragged into a situation against his will: he must help a group of thieves rob a casino in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, or he will be killed.

<i>The Dark Half</i> (film) 1993 American horror film by George A. Romero

The Dark Half is a 1993 American horror film adaptation of Stephen King's 1989 novel of the same name. The film was written and directed by George A. Romero and stars Timothy Hutton as Thad Beaumont and George Stark, Amy Madigan as Liz Beaumont, Michael Rooker as Sheriff Alan Pangborn, and Royal Dano in his final film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Carlton</span> Fictional character from the American CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless

Brad Carlton is a fictional character from the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless, portrayed by Don Diamont. The character became a mainstay on the series for over 20 years. He was known for his relationships with Traci Abbott, Ashley Abbott and Victoria Newman, as well as his business rivalries with Jack Abbott and Victor Newman. In 2009, the character drowned in a frozen lake.

<i>I Accuse My Parents</i> 1944 film by Sam Newfield

I Accuse My Parents is a 1944 American exploitation film dealing with juvenile delinquency. Produced by PRC, the film was used to teach morals, specifically that parents should take an interest in their children's lives, as well as the consequences of child neglect. It premiered on November 4, 1944 and was released generally on October 27, 1945.

<i>Night of the Twisters</i> (film) 1996 American television film directed by Timothy Bond

Night of the Twisters is a 1996 made-for-television disaster film that was directed by Timothy Bond. The film premiered on The Family Channel on February 11, 1996, as the cable channel's first original movie.

<i>Joshua</i> (2007 film) 2007 American film

Joshua is a 2007 American psychological thriller co-written and directed by George Ratliff. The film stars Sam Rockwell, Vera Farmiga and Jacob Kogan.

<i>Lake Placid 2</i> 2007 film by David Flores

Lake Placid 2 is a 2007 American made-for-television comedy horror film directed by David Flores. It is a sequel to Lake Placid (1999) and the second installment in the Lake Placid film series, telling the story of man-eating crocodiles who terrorize the local community. The film premiered on April 28, 2007 on the Sci-Fi Channel and was released direct to video on January 29, 2008.

<i>TransSiberian</i> (film) 2008 film

TransSiberian is a 2008 psychological thriller film directed by Brad Anderson and written by Anderson and Will Conroy. It stars Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer as an American couple whose journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway leads them to a trail of deception and murder. Kate Mara, Eduardo Noriega, Thomas Kretschmann and Ben Kingsley appear in supporting roles.

Throttle is a novella written by Joe Hill and Stephen King. It was published in February 2009 by Gauntlet Press in a limited edition anthology honoring Richard Matheson titled He Is Legend, and in a mass-market audiobook titled Road Rage, also containing Matheson's short story "Duel", which served as inspiration for Throttle. A comic book adaptation by IDW Publishing was published in the spring of 2012.

The Factory is a 2012 American crime thriller film directed by Morgan O'Neill and starring John Cusack, Mae Whitman, Dallas Roberts, Mageina Tovah, Cindy Sampson, and Jennifer Carpenter. In the film, Cusack plays a Buffalo, New York cop who has been chasing a serial kidnapper who abducts young women.

<i>Wrong Turn 3: Left for Dead</i> 2009 British-American slasher film by Declan OBrien

Wrong Turn 3: Left for Dead is a 2009 psychological slasher film directed by Declan O'Brien and starring Tom Frederic, Janet Montgomery, and Tamer Hassan. It is a sequel to Wrong Turn 2: Dead End (2007) and the third installment in the Wrong Turn film series. The film grossed $5.9 million in home sales.

<i>The Shrine</i> (film) 2010 Canadian film

The Shrine is a 2010 Canadian supernatural horror film produced by Brookstreet Pictures. The film was directed by Jon Knautz and stars Aaron Ashmore, Cindy Sampson, Meghan Heffern, and Trevor Matthews. The screenplay was written by Jon Knautz, Brendan Moore, and Trevor Matthews. Ryan Shore received a 2012 Grammy Award nomination for Best Score Soundtrack for his score.

<i>Catch .44</i> 2011 crime thriller film

Catch .44 is a 2011 American crime thriller film written and directed by Aaron Harvey and starring Forest Whitaker, Bruce Willis, Malin Åkerman, Nikki Reed, Deborah Ann Woll, and Brad Dourif.

<i>Sixpack Annie</i> 1975 film by Graydon F. David

Sixpack Annie is a 1975 American comedy film directed by Graydon F. David. The film was aimed at the drive-in theatre circuit that was advertised with tags "Lookout... She's Legal Now! She's Out to Tear the Town Apart!" and "She's got the boys glad and the sheriff mad", amongst others. Another tagline used was "She's the pop top princess with the recyclable can." It starred Lindsay Bloom in the title role of Annie Bodine and Joe Higgins as Sheriff Waters. Other actors included Larry Mahan, Ray Danton, Louisa Moritz, Bruce Boxleitner, Doodles Weaver and Stubby Kaye. Adverts depicted a pre-Daisy Duke kind of character, a buxom country gal in a tied-front top and tiny cut-off jeans opening an oversized can of beer. The picture carried an MPAA R rating due to language and one nude scene.

<i>Bunnyman</i> (film) 2011 film by Carl Lindberg

Bunnyman is a 2011 American slasher film written, directed and produced by Carl Lindbergh. The film spawned two sequels, Bunnyman 2 released in 2014, and Bunnyman Vengeance which was released on October 20, 2017 on VOD, and November 21st on Blu-ray and DVD.

<i>Reaper</i> (film) 2014 American horror crime film

Reaper is a 2014 American horror/crime film directed by Philip Shih and written by James Jurdi and Mark James. The film stars Danny Trejo, Shayla Beesley, Vinnie Jones, Jake Busey, James Jurdi, and Christopher Judge. It was released in the United States on June 9, 2015 by Entertainment One.

<i>One Crowded Night</i> 1940 American film

One Crowded Night is a 1940 drama film directed by Irving Reis.

References

  1. 1 2 "Trucks (1997)". AllMovie . Retrieved 2016-09-25.
  2. ↑ Walker, Morley (August 6, 1997). "Gunton Taking Trucks In Stride". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  3. ↑ Hindes, Andrew (1997-08-22). "Trimark ups telepic ante". Variety . Retrieved 2016-09-25.
  4. ↑ "Trucks". TV Guide . Retrieved 2016-09-25.
  5. ↑ Dean, Rob. "[KING OF ALL MEDIA] TRUCKS (1997)". dailygrindhouse.com. Daily Grindhouse. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.