Product: Mad Max (1979)
Rating: 5.0
Inspired by A Boy and His Dog...
Personally I loved Mad Max. To me and more than a few of my friends who were into bikes back then (79 to 85) Mad max along with Quadrophenia made us feel like we were badguys (hey we were young). After watching Max and co young bikers across the UK attempted to emulate Max, Goose, Toecutter by being mean moody and more than a bit sad just as their predecessors had tried to emulate Marlon Brando (The Wild One) and Peter Fonda (Easy Rider) years before.The film although low budget is none the worse for that as it takes away some of the glitz that hollywood loves to throw into films and sometimes ruins by doing so (e.g. Thunderdsome Mad Max 3).The stunts are terific and the use of outback shots enhances the desolation the film seeks to portray. The acting is weak in some respects but the actors who portray 'the Goose' and 'the Toecutter' stand out even above Mel Gibson with performances that while believable are just the right side of over the top.The sound is excellent with good mood music work by Brian May. However in some places the speeded up driving and riding shots fail to work as well as they might. But in other areas the feel is just right e.g. Goose's ride out the morning after his night of passion with the nightclub singer.Overall a real groundbreaker which has rarely been beaten and which will still be remembered in years to come as a classic of Aussie cinema.