Friday, March 22, 2013

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome


1985 Post-Apocalyptic Film

Director: George Miller & George Ogilvie

Writer: Terry Hayes & George Miller

Cinematography: Dean Semler

Running time: 107 minutes

Country: Australia

Tagline: Two men enter. One man leaves.

Cast:
Mel Gibson as "Mad" Max Rockatansky
Tina Turner as Aunty Entity
Bruce Spence as Jedediah the Pilot
Adam Cockburn as Jedediah Jr
Frank Thring as The Collector
Angelo Rossitto as Master
Paul Larsson as Blaster
Angry Anderson as Ironbar Bassey
Robert Grubb as Pig Killer
Helen Buday as Savannah Nix
Tom Jennings as Slake M'Thirst
Edwin Hodgeman as Dr. Dealgood

Plot
A former Australian policeman is rescued by a tribe of children when he is banished from a desert town and sent into the desert to die by the desert town's evil queen.

Awards:
  1. Image Award-Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture-Tina Turner-Image Awards

Trivia
George Miller lost interest in the project after his friend and producer Byron Kennedy was killed in a helicopter crash while location scouting. That may explain why Miller only handled the action scenes while George Ogilvie handled the rest. The film is dedicated to Byron Kennedy. 

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5 star out of 5 stars


Friday, March 15, 2013

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior


1981 Post-Apocalyptic Action Film

Director: George Miller

Writer: Terry Hayes, George Miller & Brian Hannant

Cinematography: Dean Semler

Running time: 95 minutes

Country: Australia

Tagline: Only one man can make the difference

Cast:
Mel Gibson as "Mad" Max Rockatansky
Bruce Spence as the Gyro Captain
Emil Minty as the Feral Kid
Michael Preston as Pappagallo
Virginia Hey as the Warrior Woman
Kjell Nilsson as The Humungus
Vernon Wells as Wez
Max Phipps as the Toadie
Arkie Whiteley as The Captain's Girl
Moira Claux as Big Rebecca
David Downer as Nathan

Plot
In the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter agrees to help a small, gasoline rich, community escape a band of bandits.

Awards:
  1. Saturn Award-Best International Film-Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
  2. AFI Award-Best Achievement in Costume Design-Norma Moriceau-Australian Film Institute
  3. AFI Award-Best Achievement in Editing-David Stiven, Tim Wellburn, Michael Balson, Christopher Plowright & George Miller-Australian Film Institute
  4. AFI Award-Best Achievement in Production Design-Graham 'Grace' Walker- Australian Film Institute
  5. AFI Award-Best Achievement in Sound-Roger Savage, Bruce Lamshed, Byron Kennedy, Lloyd Carrick, Marc van Buuren, Penn Robinson & Andrew Steuart- Australian Film Institute
  6. AFI Award-Best Direction-George Miller-Australian Film Institute
  7. Grand Prize-George Miller-Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival
  8. LAFCA Award-Best Foreign Film-George Miller-Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards

Trivia
Mel Gibson only had 16 lines of dialogue in the entire film, and two of them were: "I only came for the gasoline."


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5 star out of 5 stars


Friday, March 1, 2013

Mad Max


1979 Dystopian Action Film

Director: George Miller

Writer: George Miller, Byron Kennedy & James McCausland

Cinematography: David Eggby

Running time: 93 minutes

Country: Australia

Tagline: He rules the roads.

Cast:
Mel Gibson as Max Rockatansky
Joanne Samuel as Jessie Rockatansky
Hugh Keays-Byrne as Toecutter
Steve Bisley as Jim "Goose"
Tim Burns as Johnny the Boy
Geoff Parry as Bubba Zanetti
Roger Ward as "Fifi" Macaffee
David Bracks as Mudguts
Bertrand Cadart as Clunk
Stephen Clark as Sarse
Brendan Heath as Sprog Rockatansky
Mathew Constantine as Toddler
Jerry Day as Ziggy
Howard Eynon as Diabando
Max Fairchild as Benno
John Farndale as Grinner
Sheila Florence as May Swaisey
Nic Gazzana as Starbuck
Paul Johnstone as Cundalini
Vincent Gil as The Nightrider
Steve Millichamp as "Roop"
John Ley as "Charlie"
George Novak as "Scuttle"
Reg Evans as the station master
Nico Lathouris as Car mechanic

Plot
A vengeful Australian policeman sets out to avenge his partner, his wife and his son whom were murdered by a motorcycle gang in retaliation for the death of their leader.

Awards:
  1. AFI Award-Best Achievement in Editing-Tony Paterson & Cliff Hayes- Australian Film Institute
  2. AFI Award-Best Achievement in Sound-Gary Wilkins, Byron Kennedy, Roger Savage & Ned Dawson-Australian Film Institute 
  3. AFI Award-Best Original Music Score-Brian May-Australian Film Institute 
  4. Special Jury Award-George Miller-Australian Film Institute

Trivia

Mel Gibson didn't go to the audition for this film to read for a part, he actually went along with a friend who was auditioning. But because he had been in a bar fight the night before and his head looked like "a black and blue pumpkin" (his words), he was told he could come back and audition in three week's time because "we need freaks!” He did return in three weeks' time, wasn't recognized (because his injuries had healed well), and was asked to read for a part. 

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4 star out of 5 stars