Killdozer (1974 TV Movie) User Reviews

32 people voted this a 1?

[robeykr · 6/10 · 24 November 2003]

When I saw the vote record for this title on this site, I was dumbfounded. 32 (the largest number) out of 198 people gave it only a 1!

I remember this film from when it first aired. It was one of the ABC MOVIE OF THE WEEK projects. These were short (2 hours with commercials) films produced with TV series level budgets. This film was based on Theodore Sturgeon's short story about a machine that becomes "possessed" by an electromagnetic alien life-form and turns on its operators.

Because of the budget restraints, these films had to rely more on story than showmanship.

Young Orson Wells would have been right at home working on a project like this. Filmed entirely on location. This film was a thriller where an ordinary object we can take for granted becomes an object of fear – a twist Edgar Allen Poe often used in his works. The film is heavily altered from TS's original because of the low budget. The background story of his version of the fall of Atlantis was unnecessary to the plot, so a different and simpler opening sequence was filmed: a meteor crashing into the Earth 100,000 years ago. John Carpenter would use a similar conceptual opening again years later in his remake of THE THING. This film is a story – not a masterpiece – just a story. And I felt it was a good one.

For that matter, so did most of my friends at the time felt the same way -- it was a popular movie.

How I wish wish wish this was released on DVD!

Those old TV-movies on that old TV when I was a kid! :)

[gilligan1965 · 6/10 · 28 August 2015]

I saw this movie as an "ABC Movie Of The Week" back in the 1970s when I was a child...and, I loved it!

Does anyone remember those days before cable and satellite TV; and, VCRs and DVDs? When most of us were lucky if we had five channels (I believe I had seven, and, some were fuzzy at times). When viewers weren't spoiled with the luxury of choosing from a variety of 500 channels to watch movies on...and, childhood obesity (obesity in general) wasn't an issue (you actually had to 'get-up' to change the channel!).

In those days, many movies were made by ABC, CBS, and, NBC, and, had a low budget; but, for us kids, these movies were great!

In the 1970s, it was actually a 'big event' if the movie that night (the 'ONE' movie, usually) was on a clear night and the reception from the 'rabbit-ears,' or, the roof antenna, wasn't effected by rain, snow, and/or wind.

Movies like "Killdozer" were a real treat for us kids as we took nothing for granted; and, most of us kids believed in magic which made these movies even better. We loved to sit in front of the TV with homemade popcorn and a soda and watch 'whatever' scary movie was coming on in hopes of getting a fright.

I remember going to sleep after watching a movie about 'Bigfoot' one Friday night during a sleep-over; and, the next morning my parents told me that my two friends had to be brought home because they were having nightmares. I loved my childhood, and, I loved those old made-for-television horror movies - "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark;" "Salem's Lot;" "Trilogy of Terror;" "Let's Scare Jessica To Death;" "Dracula" (with Jack Palance); and, many others.

As a child of the 1970s, the only thing better than made-for-television movies was THE DRIVE-IN movies! That was AWESOME!

Today, kids are TOO SPOILED with television-variety, so, they don't appreciate, and, miss out on, many great movies with great stories because they're too wound-up on newer movies with CGI-special-effects and nudity...of which, old movies didn't have. They'd rather see innocent teens murdered by a psychotic-freak than see a classic horror flick like H.G. Wells' "Food of the Gods!?!?" When I was a little kid, that movie gave me nightmares of rat-scratching and foot-tapping for a week! That's all I could hear when I climbed into my bed and it was pitch-dark!

"Killdozer" was similar for me. After seeing this movie, I wouldn't go too-close-to any kind of heavy machinery equipment like tractors; dump trucks; back- and front-end loaders; etc...and, of course, bulldozers...for a week. And...this was a problem for a seven-year-old who took many part-time jobs on farms in my town; and, after seeing what happened when the older kid next-door ran over a bullfrog with his dad's lawnmower...the same thing "Killdozer" was doing to people!

Nowadays, these old TV movies are forgotten by most who saw them as children; and, completely unknown to most children who just might like them as we did. However, I believe that the youth of today would consider them weak and passé...and, that's their right; but, someone like me who had limited access to movies, as we all did way-back-when, loves, remembers, and, cherishes, not only these movies, but, the memories that they instilled - such as my friends watching them with me; my Dad telling me to adjust the 'rabbit-ears,' and, when reception was good, him jokingly saying "O.K., stay right there and keep it steady like that!"...and, that old "AMERICAN" B&W television that didn't have a remote and needed to be manually operated by numbered dials. Remember hearing parents tell little kids "Put the VHF dial on 'U' or the UHF dial won't work!" Today, that nice-old-classic television, that I must have seen a million movies and TV shows on, probably wouldn't even be useful as a doorstop or as ballast on a boat!?!?

I give this movie SIX STARS as compared to the horror movies I've seen then and since.

Well- it's better than the comic.

[StudentDriver · 4/10 · 25 July 1999]

I bought the comic book adaptation of this (some Marvel adaptation) for 10 cents years ago... after seeing the film, I'd say that that was worth a whole 25 cents.

I actually enjoyed the movie; it's another in the long line of preposterous "horror" flicks from the 70's wherein something that will NEVER be terrifying attempts to terrify people... and people actually get scared! I imagine movie execs ran out of disaster flick ideas, ran out of horror ideas, so decided to combine the two... lest they have to pay decent sums to script writers for better plots.

Combine with Atomic Train for a great double-bill about scary transportation devices that spans the decades...

Entertaining Mid-1970s TV Movie

[mrb1980 · 21 July 2005]

"Killdozer" is a very entertaining TV movie from 1974, telling the story of a construction crew on a remote island (that looks a lot like southern California). The men must fight for their lives against a huge bulldozer controlled by a murderous alien force. The silly premise is made watchable by a good cast, lots and lots of action, an intelligent screenplay, and fine (if TV-style) direction.

A D9 bulldozer strikes a strange-looking rock, whereupon a mysterious alien force (shown as a blue light) is transferred to the 'dozer. The big machine soon has a mind of its own, destroying the construction workers' camp and proceeding on an orgy of killing and destruction. Good acting work by Clint Walker, Carl Betz, and Neville Brand help uplift the proceedings. Watch for a very young (and skinny) Robert Urich, who only survives the first few minutes of the movie before being scorched by alien radiation. The other workers are methodically wiped out until only two are left.

The Killdozer does its homicidal work with much enthusiasm, revving its engine, emitting black diesel fumes, waving its huge blade, frantically moving its control levers, and flashing its lights. The climactic "Killdozer death scene" is pretty good, as Walker lures the violent 'dozer to its death—or at least the death of the alien force.

In summary, I think this film is very good but I have a few other items to discuss. I saw this movie 31 years ago, and I'm still wondering how a 50-ton machine with a roaring diesel engine which belches huge clouds of black smoke could possibly sneak up on and surprise anyone. But the Killdozer manages to do just that, much to the detriment of the workers. Another issue is the one lesson I learned from this movie: If a maniacal bulldozer controlled by an alien force is lurking about—don't get drunk.

"THE CAR" in work shoes

[artzau · 5/10 · 31 January 2001]

OK. This is a fun film. Caterpillar D9 gets possessed, starts killing workers. But, what the hey, wasn't it great to see Clint Walker, Carl Betz and Neville Brand again? Eerie? Yeah, kinda. Spooky? Not unless you bought into it a lot more than I did. Liked the scene where Betz holds the D niner (glad to hear some construction worker ex-militaris speak here) at bay with a steam(?) shovel. Scary? Not really. But, fun...and it was great to see Carl, Clint and Neville again. BTW, this non-videoed TVdrama became a kind of campus cult classic for a while. Check it out.

Thrilling and mysterious TV movie about a large bulldozer causing destruction and murders

[ma-cortes · 5/10 · 12 March 2022]

A small construction crew on a small Pacific Island results to be horrorized when a spirit-like being takes over a big bulldozer going bersek , and continuing a murderous rampage , causing wreak havoc. Six construction workers are building an airstrip when find a strange non-material lifeform which has lived in the ruins of an ancient temple for millenia . The entity is of course ominous and commandeers the earthmoving equipment to the general detriment of all concerned. And it's up to worker Clint Walker to to stop the demonic , driveless bulldozer. Everyone knows a Machine Cannot Kill. Except the Machine. Six men ... playing a deadly game of cat and mouse ... With a machine that wants to kill them.

A pretty solid , intriguing and suspenseful 70's vehicular horror film based on the novella by Theodore Sturgeon. Passable thriller originally made for TV with plenty of thrills, chills, breathtaking attacks, suspense, and anything else. There are not motivations, no explanations, except perhaps for a hint of allegory in the screenline and a tense visual suggestion about the ancient fight between the vulnerable, prancing knight and the lumbering , nasty dragon. The cult "Killdozer" is a supernatural tale of a creepy , malevolant bulldozer that apparently might be driven by the devil himself , adding the nice choreography of the weird machine while attacking the unfortunate workers . The entertaining story is visibly inspired in "Duel (1971) " and is inconclusive, and the spectator never knows for sure whether the bulldozer is driven by a demoniac being or a space force from a meteorite. The admittedly ridiculous fantastic premise stretches credibility to a near breaking point, but thankfully the script's patent absurdness is successfully surmounted by Jerry London's direction professional . The wreak havoc caused by the bulldozer is never graphic and that is a good point since the plot is supported by the nice acting from Clint Walker , Neville Brand , James Wainwright , Carl Betz and brief appearance of a newcomer Robert Urich to be continued by a notorious television career despite his early death .

The picture belongs to subgenre about mysterious automobiles with own life whose main representation turns out to be ¨Duel¨(1971) , following ¨Killdozer¨(1974) , ¨The Car¨ (1977) by Elliott Silverstein , ¨Christine¨ (1983) by John Carpenter and ¨Maximum overdrive¨ (1966) by Stephen King . In spite of receiving largely negative reviews from both critics and audience members , these movies have acquired a cult following over the years and nowadays considered to be cult classics.

The motion picture was professsionally directed by Jerry London giving a smooth, plain, unfussy filmmaking, furthermore, thirty and some years later this movie has not aged. London is a director and producer, known for directing some prestigious miniseries , such as : Chiefs (1983), Shogun (1980) , The Scarlet and the Black (1983) and Ellis Island(1984) .And making a lot of episodes of popular series , such as : The Guardian , The Rockford Files , City of Angels, Hawai 5-0 , Hotel , The Six Million Dollar Man, Kojak , Switch , Forrester , Baretta , Marcus Welby , Lucas tanner , The Partridge Family , The Show of Doris Day, Hogan's heroes, among others . And this Killdozer (1974) rating 5.5/10 . Acceptable and passable.

Possessed bulldozer goes on killing rampage

[wbswetnam · 5/10 · 28 February 2012]

I remember seeing this as a kid nearly 40 years ago. Other boys and I were captivated by it, we discussed it at school for a week! Recently I saw it on YouTube and I felt compelled to comment. The story centers around six construction workers on some digging project on "an island 200 miles off the coast of Africa". They hit a strange meteorite which is possessed by an electromagnetic alien lifeform (?) which transfers its energy lifeforce to the D9 bulldozer which struck it. Now possessed, the D9 emits a faint hum as it storms around the island killing off the men one by one.

The story is a decent one for the sci-fi/horror genre. There are a few silly moments, like when one man sits stoically in the jeep as the D9 trundles toward him to flatten him. Why not jump out and run away? Sure he was drunk but even inebriated I think he could have outrun a bulldozer whose top speed is 4 miles an hour.

The special effects are minimal so instead the movie focuses on its story, something which I wish more movies did so these days, rather than relaying on special effects exclusively. it's worth watching if you stumble across it.

The Bar's Closed!

[HORROR_FAN_1 · 7/10 · 25 April 2002]

I remember watching this flick when I was around the age of 12 and I thought it was wicked. Then to my surprise it was on again only recently and I still think it's a good film. Clint Walker is cool in this and I also thought he was good in the original 'Dirty Dozen'. In fact, they are all quite well known actors who star in this movie about a bulldozer that gets infected with hostile alien life and goes on a murderous rampage.

It's a watchable film, but also understandable that some people just won't like it. Like my sister for example, who watched it and then a few days later commented to one of her friends that she had watched this terrible film called 'Tractor Killer'. Rather amusing.

Rating 7/10.

S10 Review's Killdozer (1974)

[suspiria10 · 5/10 · 8 September 2007]

Killdozer (1974) 2 of 5 Dir: Jerry London Stars: Clint Walker, Carl Betz, Neville Brand

A group of construction workers are building an airstrip on a remote island. While clearing earth they discover a meteor that when disturbed omits a bright blue light and then possesses the massive bulldozer they use into 'Killdozer'. No where to run or hide the workers get picked off one by one until they formulate their final stand.

'Killdozer' is an entertaining made-for-TV movie. Not too well done and a bit simple but once you get over its age you'll find yourself having a decent time.

"Duel" with a hard hat on

[rob-236 · 7/10 · 24 April 2002]

My favourite film by a mile as a small child. I remember watching this with my sister when I was about 6 and she was 2 and it scared the pants off us!!.

Its a great tale of a group of construction workers on a remote island who accidentally drive a bulldozer into a very strange rock - having very strange effects, giving the bulldozer a killer streak!! - Sound naff?, well maybe - enjoyable and still a little scary? - you bet!! I haven't seen the film for about 10 years and I don't think its on video but I recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone who likes such better known films as "Duel" and "The Car"

Oddball entry in the killer-vehicle sub-genre - not exactly a forgotten gem, but good, clean fun in its own little way.

[barnabyrudge · 5/10 · 19 May 2013]

The craze for possessed-vehicles-on-the-rampage films encompasses all sorts of weird and wonderful mechanical machinery going berserk. Lorries, ships and cars in particular… but in this TV movie from 1974, the concept is rather intriguingly shifted onto a bulldozer. It sounds like a pretty terrible idea – in all honesty, there's no serious way of claiming that Killdozer is, in any way, shape or form, a great movie – but somehow the film generates a degree of entertainment value in spite of its silliness. There's something refreshing, admirable almost, about the way the whole thing is handled completely straight-and-serious by a cast and crew who seem to genuinely believe in what they're doing.

A meteorite crashes onto an uninhabited island off the coast of West Africa. Many years later, a team of six American engineers find themselves on the same island, preparing the landscape for construction of an airstrip. When they use one of their bulldozers to clear some rocks out of the way, the vehicle – a Caterpillar D9 - comes into contact with the meteorite… and a strange blue lifeforce transmit from the rock into the bulldozer. Before they know it, the six workers find that the bulldozers has taken on a malevolent life of its own – able to move and steer itself at will and, more disturbingly, to attack and kill. The foreman Kelly (Clint Walker), an ex-alcoholic trying to use this job to patch up his battered reputation, finds himself trying to keep the group together while figuring out a way to escape from the titular killdozer.

Killdozer is based on a novella by prolific sci-fi writer Theodore Sturgeon. It is a mercifully short film. These ideas always work best when the location is fairly isolated and the characters are narrowed down to a small group battling for survival. This is why The Thing From Another World (and its later remakes, both known as The Thing) work as well as they do, and within the killer-vehicle sub-genre it's also the approach adopted by the best of the bunch, Steven Spielberg's Duel. Killdozer pretty much sticks to conventions, but overall it works quite nicely. The performances are hardly the stuff of Oscar or Emmy nominations, but decent character actors like Clint Walker, Robert Urich and Neville Brand do their thing with typically rugged professionalism. It's not an especially scary film – it's very hard to make a hunk of moving metal truly frightening – but it's quite imaginative and succeeds in creating a little suspense in patches. The death sequences are generally quite disappointing – they lack the necessary build-up, that slow cranking up towards a cathartic moment – but in other aspects the film is rather good fun.

Very Early ABC 'Movie of The Week' Title

[riverheadestelle · 8/10 · 20 September 2005]

Here's another title that's on the MIA list. "Killdozer" is an interesting little tale based a short story of late sci-fi writer Theodore Sturgeon. Very unusual that the setting of the story where this bulldozer runs amok is an island somewhere in South Africa. Too bad the movie doesn't go into detail about the strange force that possesses the machine and starts it on a murderous rampage. But watch for a very young Robert Urich - way before his stint on 'S.W.A.T.', 'Vegas' and 'Spenser; for Hire'. My mother and I enjoyed this movie along with others such as 'Duel'. There's a sub-plot to Clint Walker's character: trying to overcome his battle with the bottle which led to a certain fall from grace in the company he works for. One gets the impression that he was sent on this construction job as a sort of punishment. Much as I'd like to think all the vintage ABC programming is seared into my memory, it has been so long since I've seen this movie, I could be mistaken about one or two points.

Additional note: Clint Walker fans should also see another ABC movie title the actor did called 'Scream of The Wolf'.

Danger, Heavy Plant.

[screenman · 7/10 · 30 July 2008]

A seldom-seen, made-for-television-movie that belies its modest budget and limited circulation.

Here's that familiar old plot; a group of people go somewhere isolated and find something unpleasant that they don't know how to deal with. It's served up terror and suspense from 'The Thing' to 'The Blair Witch Project'.

In this case, a group of blue-collar types seconded to a desert island, ram a strange boulder with their excavator. Some entity in the rock relocates to the machine and - presumably now regarding humans as a threat - decides to sort 'em out.

It's a very Stephen King premise. Machines assuming a malevolent will are just his ticket. Think of 'Christine', or 'Trucks' - the latter released as a mediocre effort called 'Maximum Overdrive'.

The rest of the movie is dedicated to a battle of wits between the excavator trying to kill them off, and the mens' attempts to stay alive long enough to outfox it somehow.

There are some sly little moments of tension. The nocturnal confrontations are particularly hairy as the machine has its headlights on, giving it the appearance of two great big eyes. Of course, the problem of being pursued by a bulldozer is similar to that of being pursued by Daleks. In the latter case, before they discovered levitation, you simply bade them goodnight and went upstairs. With the 'dozer, you just needed to keep well ahead of it, because it could barely manage walking-speed on the soft sand. Alternatively; one could just walk down to the water's edge. It would very quickly sink-in. And in any case; its diesel must run out. A big piece of plant would have enormous fuel-consumption.

These little quibbles aside, it ain't half bad for what it is. Short and simple, no frills, mid-1970's TV movie. Not remarkable, but certainly not bad.

The cast are largely C-list, headed by Clint Walker. He pulls off a surprisingly good turn in most of the movies that have featured him. He's a very big bloke in the natural way, rather than the muscle-bound sculpturesque excess of Schwartzenegger. He's also a much more expressive actor, too. Directing, lighting, editing are all up to the job and workman-like. Sound effects are simple but interesting.

As a comparison; I recently watched the modern teen-flick 'Cabin Fever'. Same premise again; people go somewhere isolated etc, etc. Well, despite its greater age, smaller budget and simplicity; 'Killdozer' could shovel earth all over it.

Give it a whizz, if you get the chance. It ain't a classic, but at the right price it shouldn't disappoint.

I loved it when I was 10

[pmtelefon · 3/10 · 9 May 2018]

But now it's not so hot. Like a lot of bad movies, "Killdozer" starts kind of fun. But pretty soon it drifts off into kind of dumb. It does have a solid cast. Across the board they were all solid. It's been 44 years I saw it last. The movie must have changed.

low budget classic that gets no respect, just stolen from

[Judexdot1 · 19 April 2004]

I hunted this one for years, based on memories of terror in childhood. To finally see it again, for the first time since original airing, it was a treat. Hadn't realized how much the more recent "Virus" was borrowing from this. Clint Walker, still about 7 axe-handles wide, does his damnedest to complete an important job. It's no "Duel", but I'd take this over "The Car" (hate that crap, can't understand all the affection), "Virus" (like this, but with various "Hardware" steals), "Race With The Devil", and especially "Maximum Overdrive" (notice that they haven't let King direct again). It's simple, somewhat ludicrous, but quite effective little thriller. It's true that the story is immensely simplified from the original, but Theodore Sturgeon did the rewrite himself. Lovely parade of classic character actors, just adds to the fun. Proud to have it in my collection at last.

A Bulldozer with a Mean Attitude

[Uriah43 · 4/10 · 24 March 2019]

This film essentially begins with a meteorite drifting through space until it crashes on a deserted island off the coast of Africa. Not too long afterward a small team of construction engineers are sent to this island to clear space for an airstrip and set up a camp for a drilling company due to arrive several weeks later. As it so happens, while working to clear away debrie they come across a strange metallic rock which is unlike anything they have ever seen before. But when they attempt to remove it the meteorite emits a strange kind of radiation into the bulldozer which not only takes possession over it but soon begins to seek out and kill all of those on the island. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that I didn't expect much from this film prior to viewing it and as a result I wasn't too disappointed as it lacked the necessary suspense or horror which would have greatly enhanced it. Of course, being a made-for-television movie might have had some bearing on this as well. In any case, while it wasn't necessarily a bad movie by any means, it could have been better and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Slightly below average.

"How do you go about killing a machine?"

[bensonmum2 · 2/10 · 23 December 2020]

An evil spirit takes control of a bulldozer and uses it to terrorize the workers on a small island.

I'm usually the one praising 70s-era made-for-TV horror movies, but not this one. I'm going to use a word to describe Killdozer that I normally don't use - this is one stupid movie. My problem is that I don't see any horror in a bulldozer. First, these aren't the most nimble, stealthy vehicles. You should be able to hear or see one coming from across the tiny island. Yet time-after-time, the bulldozer is able to sneak up on our oblivious heroes. Second, sure a bulldozer is reasonably fast in comparison to a man (about 10 mph - I looked it up), but not fast enough a man couldn't outmaneuver one. In several instances, the characters in Killdozer stand and wait to be slaughtered.

Not only is Killdozer stupid, but listening to these full-grown, intelligent men recite the dialogue their given . . . well I'm not sure it's stupid, but they sure sound dumb.

2/10

Kill D'Oh! Zer

[Zbigniew_Krycsiwiki · 1/10 · 2 August 2012]

With a premise like this, it should have been funny, but alas, from minute one, as the awful font appeared, I found myself thinking that it was pretty lame.

A Styrofoam meteorite plops down on a postage-stamp-sized island off the coast of Africa (not "a small Pacific Island during WWII", as Bill Leue wrote in his bewildering plot summary) where a construction crew, hacking out a base-camp for an oil company (not "building an airstrip" either, Bill) unearth said meteorite in the sand (There is also no "ancient non-material lifeform which has lived in the ruins of an ancient temple for millenia" either, Bill. What the hell movie did you watch? And what the hell is a non-material lifeform?) which proceeds to glow blue, and kill a guy, somehow. The blue glowing light thingie possesses the bulldozer, and it very, very slowly takes out another man on the crew, so dimwitted that he just simply sits in his jeep for nearly 20 seconds while Killdozer slowly meanders its way toward him, and *SPLAT*. It proceeds to stalk the remaining crew members, taking them out, very slowly, one by one. Killdozer even runs over their radio, eliminating any chance of contacting anyone with it. Who could they call, and what could they tell them? That they're being stalked by a bulldozer come to life?

Clint Walker overacting outrageously, impersonating Clint Eastwood throughout the entire film is neither funny nor does he make a convincing hero. The "villian", Killdozer, was silly and, even if Killdozer had managed to kill the entire crew, so what? It would still be stuck, left to rust on that tiny little postage-stamp-sized island off the coast of Africa.

Disappointingly dull and ultimately pointless.

Maybe we should appeal to its sense of decency and fair play?

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 1 October 2021]

An eerie blue-tinged meteor crashes down to Earth, landing on an island 200 miles off the coast of Africa. There it becomes embedded in the rock. When a small construction crew tries to move it, this allows a mysterious cosmic entity to take possession of the "D9er" bulldozer, and use it to terrorize and murder the confused workers, one at a time. Our heroes have to do some serious thinking as to how to defeat their enemy, since they reason that you can't "kill a machine".

This minor cult classic, a TV movie from the mid-70s, benefits from an amusing story that calls to mind other "killer vehicle" yarns like "The Car", "Christine", and "Maximum Overdrive". Since it obviously didn't have a huge budget, it wisely concentrates on story over spectacle. That said, 'Killdozer' actually benefits from a minimum of cheese and serviceable special effects, as the filmmakers do a decent job of convincing us that this mammoth machine is operating on its own. (And that's after its fuel line has been cut.) The movie has good atmosphere, and the relatively trim running time of a vintage TV movie. So director Jerry London ('Shogun') and company obligingly cut to the chase efficiently, giving us a couple of fine action scenes, some appreciable humor (they never take this thing too, too seriously), and capable performances by an array of tough-guy character actors in these blue-collar hero / victim roles: Clint Walker ("The Dirty Dozen"), Neville Brand ('The Untouchables'), Carl Betz ('The Donna Reed Show'), James Wainwright ("Joe Kidd"), James A. Watson Jr. ("Airplane II: The Sequel"), and a baby-faced Robert Urich, post-"Magnum Force" and pre-'Vega$'. Wainwright, as the increasingly unstable Dutch, delivers the standout characterization.

'Killdozer' is a good deal of fun, no matter if it likely wouldn't really scare anyone. It's a nice little diversion, co-scripted by noted sci-fi writer Theodore Sturgeon from his own short story. Some of the best shots involve the Killdozer (truly just as much of a character in this thing as the human actors) just "watching" the men.

Seven out of 10.

KILLDOZER!

[BandSAboutMovies · 5/10 · 4 October 2018]

Originally airing on February 2, 1974 on ABC, this Theodore Spurgeon adaption answers the question we've all been asking: "Who would win in a fight to the death - a man or a bulldozer?" Sure, a mysterious meteorite is behind it all, but this one's really all about machine on man violence.

This one has Clint Walker (The Phynx, as well as TV movies like Snowbeast and Scream of the Wolf), James Wainwright (TV's Beyond Westworld), Carl Betz (Donna Reed's TV husband), Neville Brand (Eyes of the Night and Without Warning, James A. Watson Jr. and Vega$ star Robert Urich are all up against an alien aura possessed Caterpillar D9 bulldozer that takes them out one by one.

The story - and this movie - were popular enough that Marvel Comics featured an adaption in Worlds Unknown #6, released the very same year as this film.

Thanks to Conan O'Brien, this film has become a punchline. It's also become the name of a somewhat famous band. It was released as part of the on demand Universal Vault Series. It's a product of its time - a 70's TV movie on a low budget - but it's entertaining enough.

Rage coming from the Machine!

[Coventry · 6/10 · 26 November 2008]

There are plenty of hidden treasures to discover among the wide selection of 70's made-for-TV horror/thriller movies. Most of these are virtually unknown and even more impossible to track down, but when you do find one you're usually in for a big and undemanding little treat. "Killdozer" is the one that always stood high on my wish list for obvious reasons: a movie about a murderous vehicle is always guaranteed fun (remember "Duel" and "The Car"?). The production values here are very modest and the few special effects used look particularly cheesy and dated by now, but there's still a fair portion of suspense to enjoy as well as the macho performances of Clint Walker and Robert Urich. "Killdozer" opens with the cheesy image of flashy blue meteorite peacefully floating through space and making its way to earth. A couple millions of years later, the place where it crashed – a remote island little off the African coast – is a construction site where six workers are assigned to build an airstrip. When one of them hits the meteorite with a heavy bulldozer, a blinding blue light transfers into the large machine and it becomes possessed with an evil force. It goes haywire and promptly becomes an uncontrollable killing device, functioning by itself and aiming for the construction workers. "Killdozer" has a simple but highly effective premise and director Jerry London processed it into an explosive and powerfully short (barely 75 minutes) little movie. Obviously not the type of film you watch for its intellectual content and poetically written dialogs, but the sight of a 15 ton bulldozer running amok definitely gets your blood pumping.

Interesting to say the least

[QueenoftheGoons · 2/10 · 26 May 2023]

Neville Brand, the old Indian, Clint Walker the beefcake, James Wainwright who is always interesting but not usually off key, and Carl Betz who looks rough on here are the 4 reasons why i own this. All 4 of which were always easy on my eyes. No women in it love that. I'm a woman and a faithful woman hater at that so that was a blessing. Not sure exactly how you get killed by a dozer. Okay, its not like you can't hear it coming okay they don't all of a sudden rig themselves for silent running. Its slower than a snail. This was a nice D8 least i got to see one, as it was described in Grizzly as a d8 cat with teeth.

A fun 70's made-for-TV sci-fi/horror flick

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 7 May 2008]

A meteorite crashes onto the surface of a remote Pacific Island. A malevolent alien force in the meteorite causes an enormous Caterpillar D9 bulldozer to come to murderous life and terrorize a small handful of construction workers. Director Jerry London, working from a compact script co-written by noted science fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon, relates the compelling story at a steady pace and maintains a grimly sober tone from start to finish. Moreover, the able cast all contribute solid performances: Clint Walker as stern, rugged foreman Lloyd Kelly, Carl Betz as stolid, cynical loner Dennis Holzig, James Wainwright as hale'n'hearty lug Jules "Dutch" Krasner, Neville Brand as grizzled veteran mechanic Chub Foster, James A. Watson, Jr. as the laid-back Al Beltran, and a very young and boyish pre-"Vega$" Robert Ulrich as eager young turk Mark McCarthy. While the premise sounds admittedly silly, it's thankfully handled with admirable conviction and seriousness by the director and cast; the increasingly grim, tense and nightmarish atmosphere in particular prevents the whole thing from ever degenerating into laughable camp. The bulldozer makes for a genuinely fearsome and intimidating juggernaut. A pitched fight between the bulldozer and a huge shovel rates as a definite thrilling highlight. Terry K. Meade's polished cinematography and Gil Melle's nicely wonky'n'spooky score are both up to par. An enjoyable "Duel" variant.

Man vs. Machine

[gstevens-2 · 6/10 · 4 May 2001]

This film falls roughly into the 'revolt of the machine' genre. I was reminded of the movies, 'the Car' and 'Christine', both stories about 20th-century technology that takes on a life of its own. In the case of 'Killdozer', this is some kind of alien intelligence which when it gets into a large construction bulldozer begins to kill the members of the construction crew one by one. The movie was somewhat interesting due to the awesome power of the bulldozer being showcased. Having been around such machines for years, the thought of one with a attitude and what it could do is a scary thought. I'd like to see the film again.

Dulldozer

[daviddaveinternational · 2/10 · 7 April 2012]

Although I rated it rather low, I still actually liked the movie. A runaway Cat possessed by a rock from the sky. Nice plot line, eh? I was a heavy equipment mechanic for many years and know pretty much everything about bulldozers and how they operate. A diesel engine requires fuel and compression to run. While this dozer is running around killing people I always wondered why nobody just shot the fuel injection pump. It would literally stop in it's "tracks". "Shoot the injectors. It's helpless with out them!" (a take-off of a line by Professor Medford in the movie "THEM!") Maybe being possessed by the evil spirit of a rock from space, it didn't require fuel. I don't know. Still a good movie if you have nothing better to do...like stick your face in a fan. If I was channel-surfing and came across it, I would watch it again, though That's how sick I am..