Search - Mad Max [Special Edition] on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Graphic Violence, Nudity, Adult Situations, Not For Children, Adult Language, Profanity Movie Release: 1979 DVD Release: 01/01/2002 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV,Pan and Scan Edition: Restored/Remastered,Special Collection Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 34 mins Studio: MGM Members Wishing: 2 Genres: Action, Science Fiction, Chase Movie, Sci-Fi Action, Biker Film See Also: Mad Max, Mad Max [UMD for PSP], Mad Max [DVD/UMD], Mad Max [Decades Collection]

This stunning, post-apocalyptic action thriller from director George Miller stars Mel Gibson as Max Rockatansky, a policeman in the near future who is tired of his job. Since the apocalypse, the lengthy, desolate stretches of highway in the Australian outback have become bloodstained battlegrounds. Max has seen too many innocents and fellow officers murdered by the bomb's savage offspring, bestial marauding bikers for whom killing, rape, and looting is a way of life. He just wants to retire and spend time with his wife and son but lets his boss talk him into taking a peaceful vacation and he starts to reconsider. Then his world is shattered as a gang led by the evil Toecutter (Hugh Keays-Byrne) murders his family in retaliation for the death of one of its members. Dead inside, Max straps on his helmet and climbs into a souped-up V8 racing machine to seek his bloody revenge. Despite an obviously low budget and a plot reminiscent of many spaghetti Westerns, Mad Max is tremendously exciting, thanks to some of the most spectacular road stunts ever put on film. Cinematographer David Eggby and stunt coordinator Grant Page did some of their best work under Miller's direction and crafted a gritty, gripping thrill ride which spawned two sequels, numerous imitations, and made Mel Gibson an international star. One sequence, in which a man is chained to a car and must cut off a limb before the machine explodes is one of the most tense scenes of the decade. The American version dubbed all the voices -- including Gibson's -- in a particularly cartoonish manner. Trivia buffs should note that Max's car is a 1973 Ford Falcon GT Coupe with a 300 bhp 351C V8 engine, customized with the front end of a Ford Fairmont and other modifications. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

Mel Gibson - Mad Max
Joanne Samuel - Jessie
Hugh Keays-Byrne - Toecutter
Steve Bisley - Jim Goose
Roger Ward - Fifi Macaffee

Mel Gibson stars in the futuristic action-thriller gone awry Mad Max. MGM has done a great job on this 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, which is easily leaps and bounds over Image Entertainment's initial release of the film a few years back. All aspects of the colors look even and bright with the black levels well-rendered and dark. Aside from a small amount of grain that shows up once in a while, this transfer of =Mad Max: Special Edition looks fantastic. Also included on this disc is a cropped pan-and-scan version of the film which is not recommended. The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround in both the original Australian soundtrack as well as the horrible English-dubbed version fans had to put up with for years. The surround feature kicks in a lot during this soundtrack, and, overall, this is a great-sounding 5.1 mix with all aspects of the dialogue, effects, and composer Brian May's score clear and free of distortion. Also included on this disc is a Dolby 2.0 soundtrack in English and Australian, and subtitles in English, French, and Spanish. This new special edition of =Mad Max includes some very exciting and insightful extras. To start with, there is an audio commentary by art director Jon Dowding, director of photography David Eggby, special effects supervisor Chris Murray, and film historian Tom Ridge. All of the participants on this track seem to really enjoy the film and have a lot of stories to share about the production and creation of Mad Max. A "road rants trivia and fun facts" track features info on the film shared through words and sentences appearing on the screen. Two featurettes, "Mad Max: The Film Phenomenon" and "Mel Gibson: The Birth of a Superstar," are both interesting and informative. Each featurette focuses on either superstar Mel Gibson and his role in the movie, or what the movie means now to modern-day audiences, as well as its place in cinematic history. Finally there is a colorful stills gallery, a theatrical trailer for the film, and some TV spots for Mad Max. Road rage should be kept to a minimum after fans get their hands on this great disc. ~ Patrick Naugle, All Movie Guide