Product: Mad Max (1979)
Rating: 5.0
mel gibson's first movie
It actually isn't Gibson's first movie, he had a small role in one before Mad Max, but this is his first starring role, and the one that began his ascent into fame. Mad Max is set in Australia, in the near future. It hasn't gotten as post-apocalyptic as Road Warrior and Beyond Thunderdome, but you get a definite feel of bleakness and of the apocalypse. What Mad Max is, is basically a car movie. But what a car movie. The cinematography is great (and at times dangerous for the camera operator).As a dvd, the Special Edition is great (the reason I haven't bought Road Warrior is that I'm hoping they'll be releasing a special edition with the extras like contained on Mad Max). The commentary track doesn't have the director or Gibson, but it does have the DOP, Art Director, a film historian, and so on. They give a lot of great insight into the making of this film. There is also a 'trivia track' which flashes up trivia during the film. It also will point out every continuity error in the film. One of the great highlights of the dvd is that it is the original Australian recording (though you can access the American dubbing, but I think that is more for showing what dubbing does rather than to watch). There are a couple of featurettes and trailers. It's really a good dvd. And a great movie.