Anoraks Assemble

Killdozer is a 1974 made-for-TV sci-fi / horror film, directed by Jerry London. It was adapted from Theodore Sturgeon’s 1944 novella of the same name.

A meteorite crash lands on a remote island off the coast of Africa. It contains an alien entity which takes over a large bulldozer and goes on a killing spree.

Just in case you think you may have misread that, let me reiterate. An alien entity takes over a bulldozer and goes on a killing spree.

We start off with a bunch of construction workers who discover the mysterious meteorite. One worker gets a bit too close, is badly injured, and dies soon after. (Robert Urich, who has the good sense to get himself killed off quickly).

There then follows a series of set-pieces where the pesky, possessed digger handily destroys the workers’ radio, their entire camp, and, in one unintentionally hilarious moment, it chases (I mean, lumbers) after a worker into bushland before crushing him to death.

All the while, the other men stand around looking very serious, and not one bothers asking, “What the actual **** is going on here?”

Obviously, being a made-for-TV movie, there is no blood, but, to be fair, there is absolutely no tension, humour, excitement or interesting characters. It’s just sort of, meh, dull, bland, it starts and then it finishes. I do wonder who on earth thought this was a good idea.

Acting wise, Clint Walker is fine as the square-jawed hero, although there is a bizarre moment when he stands in front of the bulldozer shouting, “Come and get me!”

I mean, we’ve all had days like that, haven’t we?