Maximum Overdrive (the bad movie from '86) and a few thoughts on Guns

I’m gonna use this really bad movie to make a political point. If you have seen the movie, you probably remember the cheese that was the motion picture offering of Stephen King’s directorial debut. 

Did you see it? It was a long time ago… I remember watching it over at a friend’s house years ago… I was  a kid. His name was Jim Bob. Nobody names their kids that nowadays… I only mention it to prove it was a long time ago. For those of you that like numbers, it was 1986. So there. 

For those of you who never saw it—don’t. I’ll spare you the trouble with my concise plot explanation(and even this may hurt). In the near future, earth would pass into the tail of a comet, and then all machines start turning on the lifeforms present… Trucks kill people. Toy trucks kill dogs. Soda machines fire can drinks at the crotches of ball coaches… you get the idea. Even a small military cart with a mounted machine gun gets into the fantastic fun. Check out the video.


WARNING: This video contains graphic use of FAKE BLOOD and REALLY BAD portrayals of PEOPLE BEING SHOT because they were still standing up after 100+ rounds have already been fired. So if you don't like fake blood-filled sacks being busted to look like someone has just been shot, please don't watch the video. END OF WARNING...

1986. When the idea of lifeless objects suddenly coming to life and killing people---was a fantasy.

Fast forward (for those of you who remember VCRs and Cassette tapes) to today.

2013. When the idea of lifeless objects suddenly coming to life and killing people---is reality.

You see—there is a distinct difference in people. Some see guns as evil (maximum overdrive). 

Now I know that no one thinks that guns are just going to jump off the counters or out of their holsters and start killing people all by themselves. I believe that. The problem is: they don’t act like they know it. Want me to prove it? I’d be happy to. You hear politicians talk about Gun control but you never hear them talk about crime control, anymore. Everything gets blamed on the gun. If we didn’t have guns, the world would be at peace. Even some senators say that if guns weren’t sold in stores—no one could buy them. 

If you don’t see the absurdity of that statement, I’ll point it out. If the what the senator said is true, how do you explain how people are able to buy crystal meth? Marijuana? I used to sell arrowheads I found  by the creek to kids at school when I was younger. If there is a market for a product, there will be a supply of it.  

Some see people as evil (Norman Bates). Norman didn’t need a gun to be deadly, and I don’t need an “assault rifle” to be deadly. 

But here we are. Pretending like their bright ideas will help solve the problem, even in light of good historical data saying it won’t.

Now let us look at the machine as man. Just to give it a full discourse. 

The Terminator. Deadly T-100

Terminator 2. Protecting T-100

What is the difference? Its intended use. Its implementation. The person controlling it.

If Iran was the only country that had Nuclear capabilities, what would the world be like?

What if the U.S. was the only country? What would the world be like then?

One scenario would be very bad… the other would be very peaceful. 

Maximum Overdrive. Bad movie. I guess it was cool to an 10 year-old. But that was a long time ago. I have a firm grasp of reality. I can see that movie for what it was. It was an attempt to make people suspend their disbelief that machines weren’t inherently evil. 

Guns do bad things in the hands of evil people.

But they can do good things in the hands of moral, decent people.