Product: Mad Max (1979)
Rating: 4.0
Strewth!
Y'know, when I'm in the mood to watch a good post-apocalypse movie with lotsa high-speed cars & `cycles, and plenty of collisions & explosions, I just gotta turn to the original `Mad Max' to satiate my needs! And the new DVD presentation of `Mad Max' does just that! Not only do I get both the original Australian AND US-dub voice tracks, I also get a better picture than what I used to see on my now-well-worn VHS tape of the flick! The picture isn't absolutely perfect, though, but this is more likely due to the quality of the original print than the quality of the transfer to DVD.Although I'm happy to finally be able to view and hear `Mad Max' in its original Australian dialogue, I have a certain sense of nostalgia for the American dub as well, as it gives the flick more of a weird Godzilla-like style & cheesiness to it! But if I had my `druthers, I'd take the original voice track. Why, you ask? Well, there's just something not quite right about an American-accented voice-over uttering "strewth!", you know? But never the less, I have fun switching back and forth between the two tracks as I'm watching. I'm amazed by how well-synchronized they are-- I click from Aussie to Yankee & back, and I miss narry a word of the dialogue! And yes, people, this IS my idea of a good time. Pretty sad, huh?Anyway, on to the special features. The commentary track contains the usual mix of anecdotes and behind-the-scenes memories that one has come to expect from movie commentary tracks. I was somewhat disappointed none of the four contributors was co-writer/director George Miller, but I guess I'll just have to deal with it. Then there's the trivia feature, which works somewhat like VH1's Pop-Up music video in that it comes on the screen every several seconds with a new factoid about the flick. Many of the trivia tidbits cover the make & model of the various cars, trucks, and motorcycles that appear here, as well as letting the non-Aussie viewer in on some of the native lingo that's heard here. Also mentioned are some of the technical aspects of particular scenes, as well as revealing where certain scenes were shot. Unfortunately, I've read that some of the lingo & location trivia bits are incorrect. Which is something of a letdown, but at least I've been given fair warning...Also included are a couple of documentaries which cover the making of `Mad Max' as well as taking a look at the early days of Mel Gibson's acting career. Like the commentary track, there's plenty of amusing anecdotes and details about the more technical parts of the movie, especially the great crash & collision stunts that one sees throughout the flick. One of the BTS doc's interviewees even refers to `Mad Max' as being "porn for people who like fast cars" because of all the high-velocity vehicles and stunts! Now that's a most unusual analogy if ever I saw (or, rather, heard) one! Other neat momes include the fanboy who bought and restored Mad Max's MFP Interceptor, and the prop that helped make the Toecutter's eye-popping demise so memorable!`Late!