Scene of scenes?

[Anklecranker]

Toecutter is pursued. Speed builds. Max in tow. Toecutter bolts as tires squeel. Max hammers the throttle. The blower builds. And builds.


Now the scene of scenes.


Revolutionary at the time, the camera-man directed by Miller or Kennedy perhaps, films another low-angle shot that starts at The Black's front fender and traces the vehicle lines past the zoomies as the engine barks authoratatively in staccato notes .


Next the entire vehicle slips past like a hungry Great White at feeding time.


Greetings from Doom await TC..............





Your Fav?

[mad_manx]

I agree with the above being absolutely awesome. Here's my two cents worth.


Max is reeling, following the loss of his best friend and his family. As he stares out at the ocean like he did so many times with Jessie by his side, his self control is crumbling. He marches into the house and throws open his locker, revealing the MFP uniform he had all but put away forever. We don't see him dress or head out to MFP headquarters, but we know what he's doing. Here's the scene, albeit a short one....My description probably takes longer to read.


Max, clad in his MFP leathers, marches into the dark recesses of the underground garage at MFP HQ. We share the quickening pulse of our hero, and the rhythm of his walk communicates the urgency of what he is about to do. His walking figure fades out as the approaching Interceptor fades into view, demonstrating the shared need of the man and machine to exact revenge upon the nomad bikers who destroyed Max's world and everything he loved. As the Interceptor rolls out into the sunlight, without any fanfare, not a soul is in sight. Nothing and nobody will stand in the way of the true justice that is about to be played out in the rest of the film.

[Mitch]

I still like the scene in Road Warrior when Max leans out the door of the tanker and blasts the driver of the landau. It's like, ok, now you really pissed me off. All hell breaks loose.


Mitch

[Toe Cutter]

Rather then just point out one scene... let me list some quick moments in the three films which just give me chills. Mind you, these aren't the normal scenes that everyone discusses (ie: the opening car chase of Mad Max). These are moments which rock.


MAD MAX:


1) I love the look of the Knightrider's car as it skids out of control to its death. The way the wheels buckle against the dry cement. We're so used to seeing streets get wetted down before a car chase. That bores me. Dry roads are the way to go.


2) I love how overdone Toecutter's entrance into the film is handled. It's so evil. Brian May's soundtrack reaches a high, screeching tone as Toecutter dismounts his bike and slowly makes for the camera, with Johnny the Boy fixing his hair. Classic.


3) When Toecutter almost grabs the agent's throat. Also, the line, "Anything I say. What a wonderful philosphy ya have."


4) I love the camera direction in the scene where Goose's bike wipes out. So well handled. You know it's coming everytime... and still, it's such a tense scene.


5) I love the zoom into the blower of the black on black as Barry and Goose are talking it up. It's almost like the black on black is a monster which must be contained.


6) I love Max's walk into the garage at the end... how it dissolves into the Interceptor zooming out.


7) I love the howl you hear Max give from a distance as he kneels over Jessie and Sprog's bodies in the road.


8) I love how playful Toecutter is with Jessie. "That is Cundallini. And Cundallini wants his hand back."


ROAD WARRIOR:


1) The opening helicopter shot towards the road, which dissolves quickly into the pull-out from the blower as Brian May's score kicks in, is priceless.


2) Even though it's damage to the Interceptor, I love when Max rams the bad cop, and the front flaring of the fender comes off. That's realism. This car isn't indestructibile... and neither is Max. And so right away, we understand the tone of RW. It's going to be a dirtier film than the first.


3) Obviously, "Two days ago, I saw a truck that will...." line. Great.


4) I love the eye contact that Max makes with Wez when Wez charges through the compound, leaping here and there.


5) I love Wez's headbutt to shut the wounded prisoner up.


6) I love the back shot on Humongus giving the chokehold to Wex. The strings of hair lead us to believe that something horrible happened to Humongus as a result of the nuclear fallout. Radiation perhaps? You never know. And that's why it's so great.


7) In the final chase scene, there is a slow zoom to Max, as he steers the tractor. He is slightly angled in the seat from the pain and his one eye is closed. Such a badass shot. And the score that accompanies the shot is perfect.


8) I love the heartbeat that plays over the scene of Feral Kid trying to grab the shot gun shells off the hood of the tractor.


THUNDERDOME:


1) The Bartertown entrance score is great. Those steel drum sounds. So acocalyptic.


2) When Max unloads all his weapons to the Collector. His eyes never leave the Collector's throughout the whole scene. So badass.


3) "That's my vehicle!"


4) Knocking Savannah out. That hesitation before he does. Then his hand becomes a fist.


5) "I'm the guy that keeps Mr. Dead in his pocket..."


6) Believe it or not, I love the "Shadddduup" line. One of the only real indications of where Mel Gibson's humor would fit in to all the big movies he would soon do.


7) The exploding dune buggy on the train track.


8) The shot of Syndey and the destroyed bridge.


I'm tired now. Beddy bye time.


- Dennis

[jmu2000]

Wonderful selection there, many of my favoruites too.


Also add from MM2 the classic moment where Papagallo pulls alongside the tanker cab and looks across at Max who looks back, rolls his eyes slightly and shrugs his shoulders or something.


It says 'Typical day at work mate'!

[MaxG]

I also liked the tension in the ice cream scene with Jesse and Toe Cutter. She handled it wrong imho. Should've somehow faked friendliness with him some way (hard but necessary with a psycho), used her kid as an excuse to leave or something (Well would ya look at the time Mr. Scary Biker Man, gotta go give Sprog dinner and a bath, Daddy and his 10 brothers are waiting for us) ...... and none of the rest of the movie would have happened LOL

[Road Rash]

I think "faking friendliness" would not have helped her at all. They were moving on her regardless. I liked the bold reaction.


The musical screeching beneath Toecutter's entrance(as TC noted) really makes that scene. Also his supernatural pivot to "the agent" was devilishly cool. Actually, just about every gang scene was done quite well.


I also loved the characters' eyes popping out when they saw death.

[The US Bloke]

A response to Mitch!





You hit it right on the nose, bro! (no pun intended). That IS the ULTIMATE Mad Max scene - for the entire trilogy!!! I'll replay that over and over. Someone tell me what isn't awesome about that sequence? Including the follow-up over the handle bars stunt and the final crushing of the Red Landau. Beautiful horizon in the background just lights up all the flying debris. Heh, Heh, heh...








"Metal damage - brain damage..."

[Anklecranker]

I really enjoy the scene where Max gets the Tanker.


The air starter barks. And barks. Unburnt fuel is expelled from the stacks. BANG! the Rig lives again!


"What about me? You're not going to leave me here are ya?"


"Do what you want...."

[Intceptbuilder]

Mad Max Two, (Road Warrior), The scene (Looking out over the Mundi Mundi plain) After Wes has retreated, this is the scene where Max drives into the storm colored sky, It has everything. The isolated feeling of an Apocalyptic world, the threat of the desert in change, the War-torn Interceptor still defiant and potent in a failing world.


The purple hue of the storm front in the desert sky, dust, smoking ruins, distant horizon, uncertain future.


One single camera angle with no edits, and it said everything.


Just brilliant.. awesome, awesome shot.


Max One, The underground carpark introduction, (As you would).


And the yellow Interceptor starting up and rumbling out, no need to panic or move fast, everything was under control, the yellow interceptor obviously harnessed energy, potential violence, a loaded weapon. From Max there is no emotional response to the panic of the situation. The rest of the officers are in a frenzy. The Nightrider has them in a headspin and he (Nightrider) is controlling the situation. Max is cold as Ice. And this makes you the viewer very, very, aware that it is Max who will control the situation the moment that he arrives. Max by his demeanor indicates this wonderfully. A bit like Clint Eastwood in the old westerns.


Another seemingly simple shot that says so much.[/font]


Cheers

Gordon[/font]