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!

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.

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.