Now Viewing: mad_maxTag type: Copyright Tag refers to the series of Australian science fiction action movies directed by George Miller and starring Mel Gibson. The series was the major breakthrough for both men and is one of the most iconic Australian film franchises. For Miller, who was a doctor prior to directing films, Mad Max was his first feature film, and for Gibson, Mad Max was his second film and his first lead role. Miller writes and directs every installment of the film franchise although the scripts are co-written with other writers. Each film has an entirely different set of heroes and villains with Max himself being the only recurring character. The films have also received a 2015 video game adaptation developed by Avalanche Studios that is set in its own continuity. The original movie was released on April 12, 1979, and was notably a low budget production, so low budget that the filmmakers were forced to resort to cost cutting tricks such as stealing props and returning them after they're done using them and paying people with packs of beer instead of money. While the film did not have the post-apocalyptic setting the series would become famous for, it was still set in a bleak future where law and order is beginning to break down. The film's main conflict centers around police officer Max dealing with a ruthless gang led by Toecutter. Said gang reveal how fragile law and order has become as they repeatedly get away with heinous crimes. Toecutter and his gang makes things increasingly personal for Max as they go after his friends and family causing Max to edge closer and closer to a rage-filled madness. The film's setting was inspired by Miller's previous experience as a medical doctor where Miller witnessed many gruesome injuries caused by car accidents which also served as inspiration for the more violent moments of the series. This experience inspired him to set his film in the near future because he believed that audiences would better accept the violence in the film if it took place in such a setting. Screenwriter James McClausland was inspired by the 1973 oil crisis, which caused Australian motorists to behave in an aggressive and violent manner much like the antagonists in the series. Miller deliberately cast lesser known actors in the film, but the film's success ultimately made star Mel Gibson, who played hero Max Rockatansky, into a big name. The film's success relative to its budget led to the film winning and holding on to the Guiness world record for most profitable film for some time. The success of the film led to each succeeding sequel to have bigger budgets. From the second film onwards, the franchise shifted to a post apocalyptic setting where civilization as we know it has fallen; people fight for fuel and have organized into tribal societies. The characters' clothing is mostly cobbled together from whatever they can find. The franchise also transforms into a sort of futuristic western with Max becoming a drifting hero who wanders the desert landscape trying to survive and the films' plots involve Max encountering the other main good guys of each individual film and deciding to help them against various oppressors. The second film is especially iconic and influential on subsequent depictions of a post apocalyptic society whose conflicts often revolve around factions fighting over a limited and invaluable resource. It was also a big influence on the shonen action manga Hokuto_no_Ken with the character designs of the manga resembling the characters in the films. The franchise's distinctive costume designs, designed by Norma Moriceau, famously had many characters dressed in leather and wearing punk-inspired hairstyles, bondage themed clothing, and outfits clearly cobbled together from whatever's available. The costume designs were also influential on post apocalyptic fiction, which often adopt a similar look for their characters. The second film is also the most well known and widely acclaimed installment of the franchise. Besides its setting, the films' action scenes predominantly revolve around car chases, which are also one of the most famous aspects of the films. The films' numerous stunts and explosions are all done practically, a tradition preserved by Fury Road, which was made after CGI has become a common tool to create effects in science fiction films, where 90% of the effects/stunts are done practically because Miller felt that this would make the action feel more real and immersive. While the franchise is otherwise unrelated, Mad Max shares quite a few actors with the 1974 Australian biker movie, Stone. The franchise has a tendency to reuse actors. Besides Mel Gibson as Max, Bruce Spence and Hugh Keays Beane appear in multiple installments of the franchise playing two different characters. The franchise lay dormant for 30 years after Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, but was revived with the 2015 sequel Mad Max Fury Road, the start of what is planned to be a new trilogy of Mad Max films. Plans for a fourth Mad Max film were made a few years after Beyond Thunderdome and Mel Gibson would have returned, but the film was stuck in development hell for 25 years. While Miller returns to direct, Mel Gibson has been replaced with Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky. Recurring Characters: Max_Rockatansky Films: Mad Max Mad_Max_2:_The_Road_Warrior Mad_Max:_Beyond_Thunderdome Mad_Mad:_Fury_Road Other Wiki Information Last updated: 03/05/16 8:17 AM by jojosstand This entry is not locked and you can edit it as you see fit. |
     
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