Right, tonight, i went out to this pub here in HOBART with a mate, called the CORNISH MOUNT TAVERN. I'm in there shooting down some CIDER, when this big biker guy beside me hands to the guy tending the bar, a DVD of STONE, you know that cool arse Aussie biker movie with half the cast of MAD MAX in it. The bar tender takes a pen and signs the cover.
Cut this story right down, i find out this guy is an actor, been in half a dozen Aussie movies, and performs sh*t loads of stage down here in TASSIE. nobody big, just an extra. usually.
Till i popped the magic M word, and goddamn he'd been an extra in MAD MAX 2, as a GAYBOY BERZERKER, though he said he was "one of the guys in the leather face masks and helmets" I went crazy, embaressing myself, but who gives a sh*t, i attacked him with a barrage of questions, - which one were you? did you shoot dog? did you drive the RED XA? turns out he was none of these, but then he went on to reveal, there only was about 4 of them, and they just re used them over and over again, and he was in a number of scenes - First he was the one who, standing next to the HARPOON GUN VALIANT, laughs spins round and hits the roof, when TOADIE loses his fingers. Then he said keep an eye on the BERZERKER, who MAX nearly runs over leaving the compound in the MACK, check out the way the BERZERKER 'hobbles' out of the way - 'hobbles' cause that was him too, and he'd come off his bike that week, f**king up his knee bigtime, but still had to perform, so I when i went home i took another look, and sure enough that guy is limping out of the way, obviously favouring that right knee.
He was also one of the ones who run away from the compound as MAX fires flames at them, he said they did that f**king scene all day, revealing some small deleted shots, he said they had to run up to the compound walls, then were chased back off, by the flames about 3 times, before MAX actually got one of them.
Surprisingly he was very cool with my questions, and he talked for ages, unfortunately he was pressed for time though, so i couldn't get it all out of him. Though he couldn't remember that much, he was only about 21 at the time, and he remembers it being Freezing cold, and very windy, alot of waiting around too.
And check this out, he's still got his helmet and mask and boots he wore for the role, and also after the movie he fell in love with the INTERCEPTOR so much that he baught a black XB COUPE and drove it across Australia.
But guess what, and i barely believe this myself, i'm f**ked if i remember his name, though i did get his autograph, just on a piece of paper i had on me, its pretty unreadable though.
Cept i got his number, and organized to ring him, and find out when he's working next, he said he'll bring the BERZERKER gear, and a photo of his Black COUPE.
Goddamn what a night. Thats two people i've met involved with the MAD MAX movies, fair enough the first guy was just a 'helper' with props and sh*t on MAD MAX 1, had some cool stories on trains that kept stopping at the station and f**king up TOECUTTER's "NIGHTRIDER" speech, but hey its someone...
Now i just gotta find a night i'm free and organize to go back in, this time i'll have a camera...
