sign in sign up
<<
Home , Mad Max, Mad Max (soundtrack), Mad Max 2, Mad Max 2 (soundtrack), Max Rockatansky

GETTING THE STORY specialReport Mad Wheels Aussie antihero returns to the post-apocalyptic Outback to burn rubber in Mad Max: Fury Road

elcome back to the weird Mad Max was written and directed by esque self-destruct device fitted to world of Mad Max. Gasoline George Miller, a visionary medic inspired explode in case of attack. Director Miller and now water are gold dust, by the traumas and road accident cases has followed tradition with this year’s Mad Wand motorcycle gangs he worked on when training in the ER. His Max: Fury Road and the Road Warrior's scavenge the dusty landscape causing vision was always twofold: violence and Pursuit Special has been revamped once trouble. This year, the mega franchise has vehicles. The two are bound together, and again, with modified headlights and a returned to the roads with Mad Max: Fury Max’s car, the iconic V8 Interceptor, is crude giant Weiand blower sticking Road, over 30 years after arguably an extension of his character. through the hood. The car comes owned the original leading role. Max’s original Interceptor, back in the complete with mesh style headlight covers Mad Max: Fury Road has been three 1979 film, started life as a standard 1973 and trimmed metal concord front bumper. years in filming and 30 years in XB GT Ford Falcon Coupe. It’s a nod to The paintwork has been stripped, and it anticipation; the expectations are classic Australian police cars, and also to coughs black smoke from the exhaust. understandably high. This release sees the rough side of justice. After leaving the Like Max himself, the Interceptor has risen actor – on the fast track to MFP forces, Max’s law enforcement to meet its conditions, but must run on become a Hollywood heavyweight – partner Goose uses the car to lure Max little juice in survival mode. become Max Rockatansky. Super-fans back: ‘How the hell did you get all this The Mad Max franchise is set in the needn’t have worried, because Hardy’s together?’ Max asks. ‘It just happened near-distant future, but its cars are previous form proves his aptitude for Max, you know – a piece from here and decidedly retro. Miller explains that ‘all taking on tortured characters. ‘I find it a piece from there.’ It spells the start of the vehicles are kind of hybrid, cobbled much simpler to interpret people who more mechanical re-jigs to come, and together, from the wrecks of the past.’ make me wonder what it's like to be in petrol heads have delighted in piecing The recycled motors contribute to Mad their skin, maybe to be tougher than I together the body parts ever since. Max’s distinct USP: it’s far removed from am,’ Hardy says, having played Batman’s The latest film is both a sequel and a the four-wheel blockbusters we’ve come nemesis Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, reboot, designed to sit as a standalone, to know – Gone in 60 Seconds, The and breathed life into menacing but chronologically set between the first Italian Job and Death Race are about the bootlegger Forrest Bondurant in Lawless. and second films. showed the engines, yes, but Mad Max brings Max Rockatansky warms hearts in a Interceptor more adept to its wasteland attention to the raw mechanics. way Bane never will, but he’s no knight in driving conditions, featuring larger fuel It also lives outside of the typical car shining armour. Don’t forget, the original tanks installed in the rear, and a Bond- franchise world, removed from 007’s slick

TheNational COLLISION REPAIRER 12 SPECIAL REPORT – MAD MAX rides and Fast & Furious’ twin-turbo 90s Gibson’s legitimately and Noughties 1,500 hp engines. Paul bashed-up face scored Walker and Vin Diesel’s commercial him the role. He turned up Toyota Supras and Mitsubishi Eclipses to the audition, the day may be fashionable but Mad Max after getting in a bar fight, spotlights the Aussie muscle car as rough, solely to support an actor TOM HARDY AND race-ready and resilient. It delves through friend, and was asked a half-century's worth of mechanics to back to audition himself. develop hybrids featuring pieces from the By then, his bruises had faded, but the 30s to 50s; Hummers, Cadillac’s, perhaps part was his. With little budget, Miller also Even today, with a gargantuan budget even a Holden make an appearance in used real bikers – in their own leathers – to play with and a whole lot of blue screen Mad Max: Fury Road. for extras, and ‘borrowed’ signs for set at his disposal, Miller tried to keep his Miller makes sure coilovers, chassis and pieces. ‘ on wheels’ as ‘real’ as possible. rear axles are tacked together, and that Urban legend dictates the Mad Max car ‘I know when I see too much CGI, that the stunts are as authentic as possible. stunts were sometimes as genuine as the takes me out of the movie experience,’ he Despite a mammoth increase in budget to Outback sets – and that a stuntman lost explained at ComicCon. ‘You want to a cool $150 mil, Miller didn’t want to stray his life during the shoot. We do know that have that almost, I’m not going to say too far from his 70s shooting style when it stunt coordinator Max Aspin actually ‘documentary’ experience, but you want came to the crashes. The director has broke his leg during a stunt – but to feel like you’re really immersed, like it’s long harboured a reputation for keeping it considering the 200 plus stunts involved, really happening. So we decided to real – back in the first Mad Max Mel things could have been worse. literally do it so that every car that’s

GEORGE MILLER (RIGHT) DIRECTING CHARLIZE THERON

TheNational COLLISION REPAIRER SPECIAL REPORT – MAD MAX 13 GETTING THE MAD MAX STORY specialReport

smashed is smashed, every stunt is a real sand and have to dig it out,’ Hardy told ‘Most directors are constantly surprised when human being, even the actors do a lot of Empire. ‘It was just this unit in the middle of they meet me and get a chance to hang out their own stunts, and so on.’ The fearless x-million square-kilometres of desert, and with me for a while. I have a reputation for action-coordination department didn't then this group of lunatics in leathers, like a having a very raw sense of humour and I use balk at 180-degree turns at 150mph, really weird S&M party, or a Hell’s Angels that to my advantage. I've always used though red tape and weather conditions convention. It was like Cirque du Soleil humour as a refuge and as a way of made it a long slog to get Max and his meets Slipknot.’ The stunt team pulled out overcoming or getting past a lot of the darker, hybrids back on the road. the big guns – all ninety plus of them – sadder things that life can throw at you.’ The production fell into filming purgatory including Kill Bill legend Keith Adams and Theron uses humour, where Mad Max for going on 30 years, and when the crew Superman Returns’ Cameron Ambridge. uses action. The franchise takes were finally ready to hit the Outback in Mad Max: Fury Road’s elite stuntmen audiences into an exhilarating, if broken, 2011 in Broken Hill, New South Wales, paralleled the elite acting cast. Charlize world far removed from modern down came the rains, sprinkling the Theron plays the buzz-cut sporting bureaucracy. Its cars are paradoxically at supposedly derelict landscape with visible , playing a role far from the once ageless and dated and set the green growth. The crew had to relocate to face she puts on for perfume adverts and simple rules for what a great car movie Swakopmund in the Namibian desert for a fashion campaigns. The Oscar-winning needs: rust, steel and gasoline. NCR gruelling six-month shoot. ‘You’re spending actress battles Hardy as Max in the dirt and This interview written by Richard over 100 days in the desert, doing old dust before the two agree to unite on the Aldhous and Camilla Davies and school kind of stunts day after day after road. If Miller ever had any casting doubts, commissioned by The National day. And thinking, oh boy, we’ve got to be Theron’s performance during the shoot put Collision Repairer magazine. really careful we don’t hurt people ...’ Miller them at rest. ‘I remember thinking… She IS Editor: Fans of the original Mad Max told . the Imperator, and if this was a real will be pleased to know that Mad Max: Being miles from the studio only made wasteland and we were at war, I'd be really Fury Road will be opening soon in stunt scenes harder. The cast were filming in happy she's on our side.’ as will the many who now fast moving vehicles and just getting ‘I've played dark people in the past ... and know all about this cult movie series. equipment to and from the remote set was I'm nothing like that, although I can be a bitch a task in itself. ‘We’d lose half a vehicle in if I need to be,’ an out-of-role Theron smiles.

TheNational COLLISION REPAIRER 14 SPECIAL REPORT – MAD MAX