Mad Max (1979)
- Many of the practical effects used in the climax were achieved without any CGI.
- During the filming of Mad Max, Mel Gibson improvised one of the most famous lines in the movie.
- George Miller originally wanted a completely different ending for the film, but test audiences preferred the one we see today.
Mad Max is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller, the ultra-low-budget debut that launched one of cinema's most enduring franchises. Mel Gibson, in his first leading role at age 23, stars as Max Rockatansky, a Main Force Patrol officer in a near-future Australia where civilization is beginning to collapse and motorcycle gangs terrorize the highways. When a particularly savage gang led by the Toecutter, played by Hugh Keays-Byrne, murders Max's wife and infant son, the last vestiges of Max's civilized restraint shatter, and he becomes the relentless, merciless avenger the wasteland demands.
George Miller made Mad Max for approximately $350,000 Australian dollars, using real Australian highways, real cars, and real danger โ the stunt work, performed at genuine high speeds with minimal safety precautions, gave the action sequences a terrifying authenticity that no budget could replicate. Mad Max entered the Guinness Book of Records as the most profitable film ever made relative to its budget, earning over $100 million worldwide.
