Before Mel Gibson shot to superstardom as one of action cinema’s biggest names, he was known as Mad Max! Set in the near-future in Australia, a fresh-faced Gibson stars as Max Rockatansky, a highway cop traveling through the Outback in a society descending into chaos. When ‘Mad Max’ exploded onto movie screens in it’s limited release in 1979, it was something American movie going audiences had never encountered. The film’s setting, a gritty, raw post-apocalyptic world served as a perfect palette for the high-octane stunts and adrenaline-fueled violence which quickly established it as a cult movie sensation. Not only did the film serve as a vehicle for Mel Gibson it also launched the filmmaking career of George Miller (who would surprisingly go on to direct such family friendly fare as ‘Babe’ and ‘Happy Feet’) but would serve as a blueprint for hundreds of post-apocalyptic films, television series and video games to come.
The original film would spawn two big-budget sequels — 1982’s ‘Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior’ and 1985’s ‘Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome’. One of the most notable things about this franchise is that these films feature incredible car stunts and crashes which were created in the era when stuntmen, not computers, risked life and limb to achieve the final product. All three films are incredible cinematic experiences that still hold up today.
This must-own collection for action fans is available in limited premium tin packaging. The ‘Mad Max Trilogy’ will sell for $49.99 SRP on Blu-ray Disc. ‘Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome,’ which is making its Blu-ray debut, will also be available as a single along with ‘Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior.’
This Blu-ray set is the perfect jumping off point for film fans looking to revisit the glory days of practical effects as well as setting the stage for what is to be one of the biggest films of 2014 — ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’! That’s right, George Miller is helming a new installment of this epic series with Tom Hardy taking over as Max. Charlize Theron and Nicholas Hoult are also in the cast.
Keep in mind that with Father’s Day 2013 right around the corner, it is a perfect way to celebrate the occasion — even for the hard to please film fanatic!
A LOOK AT THE FILMS:
Mad Max (1979)
George Miller’s first entry in the trilogy, Mad Max packs brutal action and insane stunts as it follows the inevitable downfall of relentless cop Max Rockatansky (Gibson) in a world gone mad. Living on the edge of an apocalypse, Max is ready to run far away from it all with his family. But when he experiences an unfortunate encounter with a motorcycle gang and its menacing leader, the Toecutter, his retreat from the madness of the world is now a race to save his family’s life. – Run Time: 94 minutes; Rated R
Mad Max Road Warrior (1982)
The sequel to Mad Max, Mad Max Road Warrior provides action-packed, “automotive” entertainment, telling the story of a selfish-turned-selfless hero and his efforts to protect a small camp of desert survivors and defend an oil refinery under siege from a ferocious marauding horde that plunders the land for gasoline. – Run Time: 91 minutes; Rated R
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)
Mel Gibson returns for his third go-round as the title hero who takes on the barbarians of the post-nuclear future – and this time becomes the savior of a tribe of lost children. Music superstar Tina Turner co-stars as Aunty Entity, a power-mad dominatrix determined to use Max to tighten her stranglehold on Bartertown, where fresh water, clean food and gasoline are worth more than gold. – Run Time: 107 minutes; Rated PG-13
