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Mad Max
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Mad Max (1979) -- In a dystopic future Australia, a vicious biker gang murder a cop's family and make his fight with them personal.
Mad Max (1979) -- CineMagia.ro - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
6.9/10   32,856 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 38% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
George Miller (story) and
Byron Kennedy (story) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Mad Max on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
12 April 1979 (Australia) more
Tagline:
The Maximum Force of the Future. more
Plot:
In a dystopic future Australia, a vicious biker gang murder a cop's family and make his fight with them personal. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
4 wins & 4 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(232 articles)
Mel Gibson To Go On 'Summer Vacation'
 (From LatinoReview. 15 December 2009, 5:25 PM, PST)

Mel Gibson Takes A Summer Vacation
 (From Screen Rant. 15 December 2009, 2:25 PM, PST)

User Comments:
A quarter of a century on now (from the original filming) and still an icon of Aussie movie making! more (195 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Mel Gibson ... Max
Joanne Samuel ... Jessie
Hugh Keays-Byrne ... Toecutter
Steve Bisley ... Jim Goose
Tim Burns ... Johnny the Boy
Roger Ward ... Fifi

Lisa Aldenhoven ... Nurse
David Bracks ... Mudguts
Bertrand Cadart ... Clunk

David Cameron ... Underground Mechanic
Robina Chaffey ... Singer
Stephen Clark ... Sarse
Mathew Constantine ... Toddler
Jerry Day ... Ziggy
Reg Evans ... Station Master
Howard Eynon ... Diabando
Max Fairchild ... Benno
John Farndale ... Grinner
Peter Felmingham ... Senior Doctor
Sheila Florance ... May Swaisey (as Sheila Florence)
Nic Gazzana ... Starbuck
Hunter Gibb ... Lair
Vincent Gil ... Nightrider (as Vince Gil)
Andrew Gilmore ... Silvertongue
Jonathan Hardy ... Labatouche (as Jonathon Hardy)
Brendan Heath ... Sprog
Paul Johnstone ... Cundalini
Nick Lathouris ... Grease Rat
John Ley ... Charlie
Steve Millichamp ... Roop
Phil Motherwell ... Junior Doctor
George Novak ... Scuttle
Geoff Parry ... Bubba Zanetti
Lulu Pinkus ... Nightrider's Girl
Neil Thompson ... TV Newsreader
Billy Tisdall ... Midge
Gil Tucker ... People's Observer
John Arnold
Tom Broadbridge
Peter Culpan
Peter Ford
Clive Hearne
Telford Jackson
Kristine Kaman
Joan Letch
Kerry Miller
Janine Ogden
Di Trelour
Vernon Weaver
Paul Young
Brendan Young
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Amanda Muggleton ... Biker's moll (uncredited)
Kim Sullivan ... Girl in Chevvy (uncredited)
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Directed by
George Miller 
 
Writing credits
George Miller (story) and
Byron Kennedy (story)

James McCausland (screenplay) and
George Miller (screenplay)

Produced by
Byron Kennedy .... producer
Bill Miller .... associate producer
 
Original Music by
Brian May 
 
Cinematography by
David Eggby 
 
Film Editing by
Cliff Hayes 
Tony Paterson 
 
Casting by
Mitch Consultancy 
 
Art Direction by
Jon Dowding 
 
Costume Design by
Clare Griffin 
 
Makeup Department
Vivien Mepham .... makeup artist (as Viv Mephan)
Ben Taylor .... hair stylist
 
Production Management
John Hipwell .... unit manager
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Steve Connard .... second assistant director
Ian Goddard .... first assistant director
Des Sheridan .... third assistant director
 
Art Department
Steve Amezdroz .... assistant art director
Richard Francis .... props
Frank Matich .... helmets
 
Sound Department
Ned Dawson .... sound effects
Roger Savage .... post-production sound
Mark J. Wasiutak .... boom operator (as Mark Wasiutak)
Gary Wilkins .... sound recordist
 
Special Effects by
Chris Murray .... special effects
 
Visual Effects by
Richard Wilmot .... optical effects operator (uncredited)
 
Stunts
Chris Anderson .... stunts
Dale Bensch .... stunts
David Bracks .... stunts
Phil Brock .... stunts
Michael Daniels .... stunts
Gerry Gauslaa .... stunts
Terry Gibson .... stunts
George Novak .... stunts
Grant Page .... stunt coordinator
Grant Page .... stunts
 
Camera and Electrical Department
David Cassar .... grip
Lindsay Foote .... gaffer
Harry Glynatsis .... assistant camera
Noel McDonald .... grip
Garry Plunkett .... best boy
Tim Smart .... clapper loader
Tim Smart .... photographer: second unit
Chic Stringer .... still photographer
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Merran Kingsford-Smith .... wardrobe
 
Editorial Department
Margaret Cardin .... negative cutter
 
Music Department
Nic Gazzana .... cabaret music
Brian May .... conductor
 
Other crew
Shirley Ballard .... script supervisor
Stuart Beatty .... traffic supervisor
Ray Beckerley .... vehicle designer
Tom Broadbridge .... production assistant
Jenny Day .... production coordinator
Bill Gooley .... laboratory consultant
Noel L. Harman .... financial consultant
Andrew Jones .... traffic supervisor
Stephen O'Hare .... truck coordinator
Robert Orchard .... mechanic
Bill Owen .... titler
Clive Rowell .... mechanic
Murray Smith .... mechanic
Lex Glouchewera .... engineer (uncredited)
 
Crew believed to be complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
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Additional Details

Runtime:
88 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Eastmancolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
UK:X (theatrical rating) | Singapore:NC-16 | Netherlands:16 | UK:18 (cut) (1986) | Ireland:18 | Brazil:16 | Italy:VM18 | Argentina:16 (re-rating) (1999) (uncut) | Argentina:X (original rating) | Argentina:18 (re-rating) (1982) (cut) | USA:TV-MA (cable rating) | Australia:R | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (special edition) | Canada:R | France:-16 (re-rating) | France:X (original rating) | New Zealand:(Banned) (original rating) | New Zealand:R18 (re-rating) | Norway:18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:(Banned) | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Finland:K-18 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The bearded man wearing an apron in front of the roadside diner watching the police cyclists and tow trucks drive away is James McCausland, the film's co-writer. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When the old woman locks the bikers in the barn there are two doors. She locks the bikers in the left one. When she runs to the car, we see the right door, which is open, not the left door. more
Quotes:
[after Roop and Charlie crash into a bystander's van]
Charlie: Boy, we're really going to get it this time. He had his indicator on.
Roop: Shut up!
more
Movie Connections:

FAQ

Did Goose and Jesse die?
Build your own black interceptor replica.
An urban myth is the stuntman on the bridge was killed when hit by his own bike. Does anyone have proof this is true ?
more
34 out of 57 people found the following comment useful.
A quarter of a century on now (from the original filming) and still an icon of Aussie movie making!, 10 January 2003
Author: Noel Bailey (uds3@hotmail.com) from Longmont: Colorado US

It was the very rawness and budgetary constraints of this little flick that made it what it was. A new kind of action hero in a new kind of world! Gibson's laughably underpaid (though unavoidably so) contribution cannot be underestimated. He imbued Max with more than the script actually merited. An attitude perhaps that struck a chord with many office-desk (wannabe) vigilantes. After all, Max takes control of his own life - is not cowed by authority. Max is everyman, the one inside us that few get the chance to let loose. He is part Jesus, part Che, part James Dean, all Australian yobbo! But this guy gets the job done - drop Max into Iraq next month and see how far Saddam Hussein gets trying to stock up on sarin!

Raw energy is what MAD MAX was all about! Distilled, tempered and inflamed by the time THE ROAD WARRIOR came around but at this juncture. a man on a mission and with the best tricked-up car since....well, THE CAR ! For those of you incidentally, totally mortified that his glorious black-hearted Interceptor was rendered dead-meat in MAD MAX 2, be comforted by the fact that it DOES in fact reside still in a museum in London (Why there and not Sydney I know not...perhaps for the same reason Australia still is not host to the cricket-ashes urn!) What chance of either's return when Greece can't even get the Elgin Marbles back?

Much has been made (and remembered) of the high-power car chases in this film, held by many in absolute reverence. In fact after the main cops vs The Nightrider work-out in the first few minutes of the flick, its pretty much all downhill in the action stakes - nothing subsequently in MAD MAX (1) comes near this brief sequence. This situation (with a way bigger budget) was inarguably reversed by the time THE ROAD WARRIOR came along. The stunts in THAT film have never been surpassed and remember this was without CGI fx.

MAD MAX has that indefinable 'something" the sequels didn't...perhaps just a raw innovation couldn't be duplicated - rather like ur first kiss. It might not have been the best, but it sure IS fondly remembered.

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more (195 total)

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