What is Nit-picking? pulling at the dangling plot-threads, poking our fingers in the plot holes, and generally pulling the movie to shreds. This post was inspired by the fact that the P.I.T.s and I each noticed two gaping plot holes in Maximum Overdrive. We watched the movie again, not for entertainment but to pull this movie apart.
Gaping Plot Hole #1 – Not all the machines come to life. For example the newlyweds are able to drive all the way to the Dixie Boy without their car coming to life.
Gaping Plot Hole #2 – What kind of gas mileage do these intelligent trucks get? They circle the truck stop for the better part of two days before they need gas? Wow when I drove truck I never got that kind of mileage.
Gaping Plot Hole #3 – There’s an armory below the truck stop? Why not blow the trucks up immediately?
These are in no logical order just as we’ve happened to catch them….
Small Annoying mistake #1 – When Curtis shoots the ice cream truck, the driver can be seen.
Small Annoying mistake #2 – When Duncan is run over by the Truck there is only a small amount of blood splashed on the front of the truck. Seconds later you see the Truck and there is a whole lot of blood. Later on there is no blood on the Truck. Did it take time out for a bath?
Small Annoying mistake #3 – When the steamroller bursts onto the field at the baseball game steering wheel falls off. Later, as the machine is running over one of the players, the steering wheel is back on.
Small Annoying mistake #4 – When the coach starts to fall over from the groin shot, a third soda can hits him in the face but there’s no wound or blood. When Deke crawls over to him, we see a perfect hole and blood everywhere.
Small Annoying mistake #5 – The bulldozer at the Dixie Boy is taken out with explosives. At the end of the movie, it’s back up and running, destroying everything gleefully.
Small Annoying mistake #6 – When the Truck backs up and knocks the Bible Salesman into a ditch there is no blood on the trailer. However when the Truck is pulling away suddenly there is blood all over the back of the trailer.
Small Annoying mistake #7 – When the killer pop machine starts attacking the kids and they start running away, a can hits #7 (right side of the screen). He has a delayed reaction before he grabs his head and dies. Not to mention but throughout the scene, if you look closely you can see the tube in the pop machine used to fire the cans.
Small Annoying mistake #8 – After the electric knife attacks Wanda, she leans her elbow on the grill that Bill has been cooking on, but yet miraculously, she doesn’t burn herself.
Small Annoying mistake #9 – The amount of blood all over Duncan’s face changes from the long shots to the close-ups.
Small Annoying mistake #10 – When the steamroller is running over the boy at the baseball diamond he covers his face before it runs over him, however as it’s running over him his arms are suddenly by his side.
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