Mad Max
UW Cinematheque 821 University Ave., UW Vilas Hall, Room 4070, Madison, Wisconsin
press release: Australia | 1979 | DCP | 93 min.
Director: George Miller; Cast: Mel Gibson, Joanne Samuel, Hugh Keays-Byrne
Australia in the not-so-distant future: a roving, marauding band of motorbikers led by the vicious Toecutter (Keays-Byrne) make the mistake of attacking the family of highway cop Max Rockatansky (Gibson, in the role that made him a star). A brilliantly edited, kinetically charged revenge saga and car chase classic, Mad Max will be shown here in its original Australian version, minus the unnecessary American accents dubbed in for the U.S. release.
All Cinematheque screenings are free and open to the public.
Mad Max at 40
1979 brought the release of one of the most influential and visionary movies in international film history, George Miller’s futuristic cop-revenge thriller Mad Max. In the U.S., Mad Max was given a slapdash exploitation release and the voices of star Mel Gibson and the Australian cast were dubbed over with American accents. Despite this, the film gathered a cult following in America and around the world, prompting a sequel, the decidedly post-apocalyptic Mad Max 2. The follow-up, retitled The Road Warrior for North America, became a critical smash and a box office success. Along with Gibson’s last entry in the series, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, and Miller’s Oscar-winning 2015 reboot, Mad Max: Fury Road, the four movies have been acclaimed for their imaginatively designed dystopias, increasingly elaborate action set-pieces and breathtaking chase sequences, and a sometimes hopeful vision of humanity. This summer, the Cinematheque celebrates the 40th anniversary of Mad Max’s first release with screenings of all four films, including a 3D showing of Fury Road