Mad max « We Are Movie Geeks

September 28, 2021

THE MAD MAX ANTHOLOGY – All Four Mad Max Films Together on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital HD – Available November 2nd

Filed under: Blu-ray — Tags: george miller, Mad max, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Mad Max Fury Road, Mad Max The Road Warrior, mel gibson, Tom Hardy — Tom Stockman @ 2:43 pm

Greetings from The Humungus! The Lord Humungus! The Warrior of the Wasteland! The Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla!”

arner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that The Mad Max Anthology, featuring 1979’s acclaimed post-apocalyptic action film Mad Max, 1981’s Mad Max The Road Warrior, 1985’s Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and 2015’s Mad Max Fury Road will be released together on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital HD on November 2. Created by George Miller and Byron Kennedy, Miller directed or co-directed all four films. Mel Gibson starred as Max Rockatansky in the first three films and Tom Hardy took over the lead role in the fourth film. Additionally Mad Max The Road Warrior and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome will also be available individually in 4K, joining Mad Max and Mad Max Fury Road which are already available in 4K.

The Mad Max Anthology 4K UHD release, along with the 4K UHD releases of Mad Max The Road Warrior and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, are from scans of the original camera negatives. The 4K UHD remasters were supervised by the mastering team at Motion Picture Imaging (MPI).

4K Ultra HD** showcases 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and a wider color spectrum, offering consumers brighter, deeper, and more lifelike colors for a home entertainment viewing experience like never before.

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc of the Mad Max The Road Warrior, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and Mad Max Fury Road will feature a Dolby Atmos® soundtrack remixed specifically for the home theater environment to place and move audio anywhere in the room, including overhead. To experience Dolby Atmos at home, a Dolby Atmos enabled AV receiver and additional speakers are required, or a Dolby Atmos enabled sound bar. Dolby Atmos soundtracks are also fully backward compatible with traditional audio configurations and legacy home entertainment equipment.

The Mad Max Anthology will be available on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack for $89.99 SRP and features Ultra HD Blu-ray discs with the 4 feature films in 4K with HDR and remastered Blu-ray discs of Mad Max, Mad Max The Road Warrior, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and Mad Max Fury Road.

Mad Max The Road Warrior and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome be available on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack for $33.99 SP each and feature an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc with the feature films in 4K with HDR and remastered Blu-ray disc of the films.

Fans can also own the Mad Max Anthology, Mad Max The Road Warrior and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome in 4K Ultra HD via purchase from select digital retailers beginning on November 2.

Mad Max (1979) was directed by Miller from a screenplay by Miller & James McCausland and a story by Miller and Byron Kennedy. The film was produced by Kennedy and stars Mel Gibson as Max Rockatansky, Joanne Samuel as Jesse Rockatansky, and Hugh Leays-Byrne as the Toecutter.

Mad Max The Road Warrior (1981) was directed by Miller and written by Miller, Terry Hayes & Brian Hannant. It was produced by Kennedy and stars Gibson as Max, Bruce Spence as the Gyro Captain, Mike Preston as Pappagallo, Max Phipps as Toadie, Vernon Wells as Wez, Emil Minty as the Feral Kid, and Kjell Nilsson as The Hummungus.

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) was co-directed by Miller and George Ogilvie and written by Miller and Terry Hayes. It was produced by Miller and stars Gibson as Max, Tina Turner as Auntie Entity, Bruce Spence as Jedediah, and Angelo Rossitto as Master.

Mad Max Fury Road (2015) was directed by Miller and written by Miller, Brendan McCarthy & Nico Lathouris. It was produced by Miller, Doug Mitchell and PJ Voeten. The film stars Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky, Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa, Nicholas Hoult as Nux, Hugh Keays-Byrne as Immortan Joe, Rose Huntington-Whitely as The Splendid Angharad, Riley Keough as Capable, Zoe Kravitz as Toast the Knowing, and Abbey Lee as The Dag.

Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray Elements
The Mad Max Anthology Ultra HD Blu-ray contains the following previously released special features:

Mad Max The Road Warrior

Introduction by Leonard Maltin
Commentary by Director George Miller and Cinematographer Dean Semler
Road War: The Making of Road Warrior

ABOUT DIGITAL
Digital movies or TV episodes allow fans to watch a digital version of their movie or TV show anywhere, on their favorite devices. Digital movies or TV episodes are included with the purchase of specially marked Blu-ray discs. With digital, consumers are able to instantly stream and download movies and TV shows to TVs, computers, tablets and smartphones through retail services. For more information on compatible devices and services go to wb.com/digitalmoviefaq. Consult a digital retailer for details and requirements and for a list of digital-compatible devices.

PRODUCT                                                                            SRP
Mad Max Anthology Ultra HD Blu-ray                                 $89.99
Mad Max The Road Warrior                                                $33.99
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome                                          $33.99

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April 23, 2020

WAMG Presents: The TOP TEN Best Movie Car Chases of the 1970’s

Filed under: Movies — Tags: Ansel Elgort, baby driver, DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY, GONE IN SIXTY SECONDS, Mad max, RACE WITH THE DEVIL, SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT, THE DRIVER, The French Connection, THE SEVEN-UPS, VANISHING POINT, WHITE LIGHTNING — Tom Stockman @ 6:13 pm

There’s nothing like a good car chase in a movie. Maybe it’s the daring-do of the stunt drivers that makes you feel you’re in danger even though you’re comfortably in your seat, or the high stakes of the moment in which the characters we’re rooting for will either get out of the situation or have a gruesome finale, but an impressive car-chase scene can make even a mediocre movie a beloved classic. What makes a car chase legendary, you ask? They’re the ones that keep you at the edge of your seat and actually fit in with the rest of the plot. While the “Fast and Furious” movies have collectively taken the car chase to the next level, they don’t count. They’re far too CGI-enhanced. The 1970’s may have marked a new age in American cinema, but it was also a decade of movies filled with practical car chases that are still the best. Here are the 10 greatest car chase movies of that glorious decade.

10. RACE WITH THE DEVIL (1975)

RACE WITH THE DEVIL was an unforgettable hybrid of horror and car chases. Warren Oates and Peter Fonda (along with wives Loretta Swit and Lara Parker) hit the road in a mammoth state-of-the-art (for 1975) motor home with a horde of devil worshipers in hot pursuit. The satanic road rage on display in the stunt-filled highway climax is insane.

9. WHITE LIGHTNING (1973)

What list about 70s car culture would be complete without a couple of Burt Reynolds movies? The 1973 moonshine opus WHITE LIGHTNING was full of booze, broads, car chases, corruption and revenge — all the things that make life worthwhile. Burt Reynolds at his peak of awesomeness (and sans mustache) mostly drove a 1971 Ford Galaxie Custom 500 to take on on despicable redneck Sheriff Ned Beatty.

8. DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY (1974)

Basically a movie-long car chase, this 1974 drive-in standard takes Susan George, Peter Fonda, and Adam Roarke through miles of rural countryside and small town highways with local police, led by Sheriff Vic Morrow, in pursuit after they’ve robbed a grocery store. They start off in a 1966 Chevrolet Impala, which they eventually ditch for a 1969 Dodge Charger 440 to stay ahead of Morrow in his Bell JetRanger helicopter.

7.VANISHING POINT (1971)

The 1971 road movie VANISHING POINT directed by Richard C. Sarafian is notable for its scenic film locales across the American Southwest and its social commentary on the post-Woodstock mood in the United States. Barry Newman and his 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T take a journey across the country defying everything the authorities can throw at him in this cult classic.

6. THE DRIVER (1979)

Walter Hill’s THE DRIVER gives us a number of lengthy car chases, including a thrilling and lengthy one near the beginning through the streets of Downtown LA. The Driver (Ryan O’Neal) steals a blue 1974 Ford Galaxie 500, which he promptly uses to escape the police with a crew of casino robbers on board. THE DRIVER is somewhat forgotten today, but well worth seeking out.

5. GONE IN SIXTY SECONDS (1974)

Amateurish, badly-acted and shot on the cheap, the original GONE IN SIXTY SECONDS (1974) is still perhaps the ultimate drive-in car chase movie. If that sounds like a backhanded compliment, then you don’t know the sheer visceral thrill of this great tire squealing, chassis-slamming, slice of outlaw auto cinema. The cult item features a 40-minute car chase that features every 60s and 70s muscle car you can imagine. Writer/Director H.D. Halicki was killed in an on-set accident while filming the sequel.

4. SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT (1977)

Redneck bad boys were all the rage in 1977. Cars were still made in Michigan and CB radios were the hot technology with phrases like “10-4 good buddy” familiar expressions and SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT captured that side of American culture as well as any film. It was the directorial debut for former stuntman Hal Needham and was the first of nine stunt-filled collaborations with his pal Burt Reynolds.

3. MAD MAX (1979)

This low-budget, high-octane Australian thriller spawned three sequels, two of which (ROAD WARRIOR in 1982 and MAD MAX FURY ROAD in 2015) are action masterpieces. The Mad Max films show that stunts themselves would be nothing without a filmmaker behind the camera and George Miller, a doctor and film buff making MAD MAX, his first feature in 1979, showed he knew what cinema was all about. Max’s black Pursuit Special driven by Mel Gibson was a 1973 Ford Falcon.

2. THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971)

Gene Hackman’s Popeye Doyle commandeers a civilian’s 1971 Pontiac LeMans in THE FRENCH CONNECTION which begins one of the greatest, most heart-pounding car chase sequences in movie history. Doyle is frantically chasing an elevated train, on which a hitman is trying to escape. The scene was filmed in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn and is a masterpiece of editing for which Gerald Greenberg took home a well-deserved Oscar.

1. THE SEVEN-UPS (1973)

This 1973 follow-up to THE FRENCH CONNECTION (some of the same cast play different characters – plus Richard Lynch and Joe Spinell!) was the sole directing credit of FRENCH CONNECTION producer Philip D’Antoni. The movie is highlighted by one absolutely incredible car chase, occurring just past the halfway point which cranks up the films’ energy level to a high degree. This is old school stunt driving and editing at its finest. The driver in the 1973 Pontiac Grand Ville sedan pursued by Roy Scheider in his 1973 Pontiac Ventura Sprint coupe is Bill Hickman, who was also the wheelman in the chase scene in BULLITT!

There were of course great car chase movies before and after the 70’s. Harold Lloyd’s SPEEDY features an eye-popping chase through the streets of New York that was filmed way back in 1927 while Robert Mitchum delivered the high-speed goods in THUNDER ROAD back in 1958. Some think the wrong-way car chase on a Los Angeles freeway in William Friedkin’s TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. (1985) outdid the chase sequence in his THE FRENCH CONNECTION. John Frankenheimer’s RONIN in 1998 was one of the last great car chase films before CGI took over, and of course THE ROAD WARRIOR and MAD MAX FURY ROAD are in a class by themselves, but the ‘70s is definitely when the car chase movie was at its peak.

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January 18, 2018

Best Australian Movies You Must See During The Australian Open

Filed under: Top Lists — Tags: Animal Kingdom, australia, Australian movies, crocodile dundee, Gallipoli, Mad max, Muriel's wedding, ned kelly, picnic at hanging rock, proof, rabbit proof fence, ten canoes, THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT, The Dish, THE ROVER, the sum of us — Movie Geeks @ 1:37 pm

Photo by American Int/Everett / Rex Features

“Livin’ in a land down under, where women glow and men plunder,” sang 80’s pop group Men At Work.

As most of the United States is buried under cold and snowy temps, Australia is having balmy warm weather. The country of marmite, koalas and kangaroos, and the Great Barrier Reef is currently hosting the first of the tennis grand slams of 2018, The Australian Open.

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic hits a shot during a training session ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament, in Melbourne, Australia January 15, 2017. REUTERS/Issei Kato

The list of actors and actresses hailing from the sixth largest nation include Errol Flynn, Peter Finch, Rod Taylor, Mel Gibson, Guy Pearce, Nicole Kidman, Geoffrey Rush, Toni Collette, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Ben Mendelsohn, Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger, Hugo Weaving, Naomi Watts, Abbie Cornish, Eric Bana, Joel Edgerton, Mia Wasikowska, Margot Robbie, Chris Hemsworth, and Sam Worthington.

1994 proved to be a great year in Aussie films with such movies as THE SUM OF US, SIRENS, THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT and MURIEL’S WEDDING.

As you catch the tennis matches, check out our list of the best of Australian cinema.

THE DISH

The gem of a film is a must see for every NASA enthusiast. Starring Patrick Warburton and Sam Neill, THE DISH tells the true story of the Parkes Observatory’s role in relaying live television of man’s first steps on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. It was the top grossing film in Australia in 2000. One of our favorites!

ANIMAL KINGDOM

Animal Kingdom is a 2010 Australian crime drama film written and directed by David Michôd, and starring Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Guy Pearce, James Frecheville, Luke Ford, Jacki Weaver, and Sullivan Stapleton.

Michôd’s script was inspired by events which involved the Pettingill criminal family of Melbourne, Australia. In 1991, two brothers Trevor Pettingill and Victor Peirce (along with two other men: Anthony Leigh Farrell and Peter David McEvoy) were acquitted in the 1988 shooting murder of two Victorian police officers. Animal Kingdom was critically acclaimed. It received 36 awards and 39 nominations, and Jacki Weaver received multiple awards for her performance, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

MAD MAX

The 1979 Australian dystopian action film was directed by George Miller, produced by Byron Kennedy, and starred Mel Gibson as “Mad” Max Rockatansky. The film presented a tale of societal collapse, murder, and revenge set in a future Australia, in which a policeman becomes embroiled in a violent feud with a savage motorcycle gang. Principal photography took place in and around Melbourne, Australia, and lasted six weeks.

The film initially received a polarized reception upon its release in April 1979, although it won three AACTA Awards and attracted a cult following. The film became the first in a series, giving rise to three sequels, Mad Max 2 (1981), Beyond Thunderdome (1985), and Fury Road (2015).

GALLIPOLI

Another Mel Gibson vehicle, the 1981 Australian drama war film was directed by Peter Weir and is the story of how the irresistible lure of adventure and the unknown, combined with national pride, bring two young men (Mel Gibson and Mark Lee) together in the Australian army in 1915.

THE SUM OF US

Directed by Kevin Dowling and Geoff Burton, the film starred Russell Crowe and Jack Thompson. Released in 1994, the delightful film is the story of a father and son and a real-tearjerker. A widowed father has to deal with two complex issues: while he is searching for “Miss Right,” his son, who is in his 20s and gay, is searching for “Mr. Right.” Thompson just about steals the film away from Crowe, who previously starred in ROMPER STOMPER, and to this day it’s still one Crowe’s best performances.

THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT

Two drag queens and a transsexual get a cabaret gig in the middle of the desert in THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT. The film was a surprise worldwide hit and starred Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce. It received great reviews and won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design at the 67th Academy Awards.

CROCODILE DUNDEE

Paul Hogan’s hilarious, endearing performance made “Crocodile” Dundee the biggest box-office comedy smash of 1986! Michael J. “Crocodile” Dundee (Hogan) is a free spirited Australian who hunts crocodiles with his bare hands, stares down giant water buffaloes, and drinks mere mortals under the table. But he’s about to face the ultimate torture test–a trip to New York City. Beautiful and tenacious reporter Sue Charlton (Linda Kozlowski) gets more than just a story as the “wonder from Down Under” rocks the Big Apple to its core. It was followed by two sequels: Crocodile Dundee II (1988) and Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (2001).

TEN CANOES

It is the first ever movie entirely filmed in Australian Aboriginal languages. Ten Canoes won the Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and was was chosen as Australia’s official entry into the Best Foreign Language Film category for the 2007 Academy Awards.

PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK

This 1975 Australian mystery drama film, directed by Peter Weir, helped usher in a new era of Australian cinema. Based on an acclaimed 1967 novel by Joan Lindsay, AT HANGING ROCK is set at the turn of the twentieth century and concerns a small group of students from an all- female college who vanish, along with a chaperone, while on a St. Valentine’s Day outing. Less a mystery than a journey into the mystic, as well as an inquiry into issues of class and sexual repression in Australian society, Weir’s gorgeous, disquieting film is a work of poetic horror whose secrets haunt viewers to this day.

MURIEL’S WEDDING

Misfit Muriel has always escaped her humdrum small-town life by listening to ABBA songs and dreaming about marriage. Ready to take control of her life, she and her best friend, Rhonda head for the big city where they end up having the exciting adventure of their lives. Everyone back home suddenly takes notice when Muriel becomes engaged to a handsome and popular sports hero, but Muriel discovers that even when it seems all her dreams are coming true, her path to the altar still has plenty of surprising twists. Starred Toni Collette, Rachel Griffiths and Bill Hunter and directed by P.J. Hogan. The film received multiple award nominations, including a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (Collette)

AUSTRALIA

Starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, it was the third-highest grossing Australian film of all time, behind Crocodile Dundee and Mad Max: Fury Road. AUSTRALIA is a character story, set between 1939 and 1942 against a dramatized backdrop of events across northern Australia at the time, such as the bombing of Darwin during World War II.

Strictly Ballroom is a 1992 Australian romantic comedy film directed and co-written by Luhrmann. The film, Luhrmann’s début, was the first in his The Red Curtain Trilogy of theatre-motif-related films; it was followed by Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!.

Other stellar Aussie films to catch are PROOF, (trailer) a 1991 Australian comedy-drama film written and directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse, and starring Hugo Weaving, Geneviève Picot and Russell Crowe. The film was released in Australia on 15 August 1991. It was chosen as “Best Film” at the 1991 Australian Film Institute Awards; THE ROVER, (trailer) a 2014 Australian dystopian drama film written and directed by David Michôd and based on a story by Michôd and Joel Edgerton. It is a contemporary western taking place in the Australian outback, ten years after a global economic collapse. The film features Guy Pearce, Robert Pattinson, and Scoot McNairy; NED KELLY features gripping action and powerful performances in this epic story of a real-life outlaw who defied the law and inspired his people. Heath Ledger (The Four Feathers, A Knight’s Tale) brings a raw intensity to the role of Ned Kelly, an innocent man driven to fight the corrupt authorities oppressing his people. Joining Ned’s legendary gang is his best friend, Joe, played with devilish charm by Orlando Bloom (Troy, Pirates of the Caribbean) and Naomi Watts (21 Grams, The Ring) as Ned’s lover, Julia. Overnight, the Kelly Gang become heroes to their people. But as their popularity grows, they quickly find themselves the target of a ruthless lawman, (Geoffrey Rush) who soon makes them the most wanted men the world has ever known, and RABBIT PROOF FENCE, (trailer) a 2002 Australian drama film directed by Phillip Noyce based on the book Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington Garimara. It is loosely based on a true story concerning the author’s mother Molly, as well as two other mixed-race Aboriginal girls, who ran away from the Moore River Native Settlement, north of Perth, Western Australia, to return to their Aboriginal families, after being placed there in 1931.

Wait, wait… one more! BRAN NUE DAE is a charming new Australian-based, music-driven road movie/romantic comedy starring Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush that literally bursts onto the screen with unbridled energy and fun. Loosely based on one of Australia’s most beloved and popular musicals, Bran Nue Dae is a foot stomping tour-de-force centering on the romantic adventures of a young aboriginal couple set against the spectacularly beautiful Australian landscape.

(trailer)

Contributed by Michelle Hannett and Melissa Thompson

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June 27, 2017

Top Ten Tuesday – BABY DRIVER Opens This Week, So Here Are the Best Car Chase Movies of the 1970’s

Filed under: Movies,Top Ten Tuesday — Tags: Ansel Elgort, baby driver, DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY, edgar wright, GONE IN SIXTY SECONDS, Mad max, RACE WITH THE DEVIL, SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT, THE DRIVER, The French Connection, THE SEVEN-UPS, VANISHING POINT, WHITE LIGHTNING — Tom Stockman @ 6:31 am

Edgar Wright’s BABY DRIVER opens Wednesday, June 28th. Baby (Ansel Elgort), is an innocent-looking getaway driver who gets hardened criminals from point A to point B, with daredevil flair and a personal soundtrack running through his head. That’s because he’s got his escape route plotted to the beat of specific tunes that go from his well-curated iPod straight to his ears, and which translate into expertly timed hairpin turns, gear shifts and evasive maneuvers that leave his passengers on the ride of their lives. Wright claims BABY DRIVER was inspired by the great car chase movies of the ’70s, and for good reason. While the “Fast and Furious” movies have collectively taken the car chase to the next level, they don’t count. They’re far too CGI-enhanced. The 1970’s may have marked a new age in American cinema, but it was also a decade of movies filled with practical car chases that are still the best. Here are the 10 greatest car chase movies of that glorious decade.

10. RACE WITH THE DEVIL (1975)

9. WHITE LIGHTNING (1973)

8. DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY (1974)

7.VANISHING POINT (1971)

6. THE DRIVER (1979)

Walter Hill’s THE DRIVER (which Edgar Wright claims as his primary inspiration for BABY DRIVER) gives us a number of lengthy car chases, including a thrilling and lengthy one near the beginning through the streets of Downtown LA. The Driver (Ryan O’Neal) steals a blue 1974 Ford Galaxie 500, which he promptly uses to escape the police with a crew of casino robbers on board. THE DRIVER is somewhat forgotten today, but well worth seeking out.

5. GONE IN SIXTY SECONDS (1974)

4. SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT (1977)

3. MAD MAX (1979)

2. THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971)

1. THE SEVEN-UPS (1973)

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May 18, 2016

MAD MAX – LIVE! Stage Play Coming to St. Louis in June

Filed under: General News,Movies — Tags: Mad max — Tom Stockman @ 7:49 pm

“If I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die historic on the Fury Road!”

St. Louis Shakespeare’s The Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre adapts a cult film into an onstage farce once a year. Previous adaptions have included PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, REEFER MADNESS, GLEN OR GLENDA, GAME OF THRONES, HARRY POTTER, and THE STAR WARS TRILOGY (!!). In 2011 they helped celebrate Vincentennial, the Vincent Price 100th Birthday Celebration with a stage presentation of one of the home town horror star’s classics: THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES in 3D, a sidesplitting, Pythonesque parody.

This year, those crazy Smoking Monkeys are presenting MAD MAX – a spoof of all four of those great Mel Gibson action movies (and that Tom Hardy one). So join MAD MAX and a cast of rowdy characters in an epic race for guzzolene, freedom and a better life beyond Thunderdome…in 60 minutes or less. THAT’S RIGHT! All 4 movies in less than an hour!

***Patrons are encouraged to show up in their post-apocalyptic finest and compete in a costume contest. Fabulous prizes awarded at EVERY performance!

The dates of the play are: June 10th, 11th, 17th and 18th

TWO shows nightly at 8:00pm and 10:30pm

The play is stage at The Regional Arts Commission
6128 Delmar Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63112
(located across from The Pageant on the Delmar Loop).

Tickets are $15 or $10 for students and seniors

Tickets can be purchased through Brown Paper Tickets HERE

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2550739

The Magic Smoking Monkey Site can be found HERE

http://www.stlshakespeare.org/magicsmokingmonkey.htm

A Facebook invite for the event can be found HERE

https://www.facebook.com/events/514734422048327/

MAD MAX is directed by Imperator Suki Peters and stars:

Ben Ritchie as Mad Max I-III and others
Charlie Barron as Mad Max IV and others
Dustin Allison as Gyro Captain and others
Nicole Angeli as Furiosa and others
Stan Davis as Immortan Joe and others
Brennan Eller as DOG and others
Roger Erb as Nux and others
Britteny Henry as Savannah and others
Amy Kelly as Feral KID and others
Morgan Maul-Smith as Lusty and others
Carl Overly, Jr. as Aunty Entity
Jamie Pitt as Master and others
Cliff Turner as Blaster and others
John Wolbers as Humungus and others

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June 7, 2015

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Surpasses $300 Million At Worldwide Box Office

Filed under: Box Office — Tags: Charlize Theron, george miller, Mad max, mad max: fury road, Tom Hardy — Michelle McCue @ 10:21 am

Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ MAD MAX: FURY ROAD is continuing to draw moviegoers around the globe, now surpassing $300 million at the worldwide box office. The announcement was made by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, and Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

Directed, written and produced by George Miller, the feature marks the filmmaker’s return to the post-apocalyptic landscape of his iconic Road Warrior, Max Rockatansky. Domestically, the movie has held firm at the box office since its opening, earning $125.1 million to date.

The widely praised film is also still pulling in big crowds overseas, so far taking in an estimated $177 million at the international box office for a worldwide total of more than $302 million and counting.

Read Tom Stockman’s review HERE.

In making the announcement, Fellman said, “‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ has proven to be a hit with followers of the original films while also creating a new generation of fans. Congratulations to George Miller, Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron and everyone else involved in the film on this ongoing success.”

Kwan Vandenberg stated, “Word of mouth remains strong worldwide as the film continues to gain both first time and repeat viewers. Together with our partners at Village Roadshow Pictures, we are thrilled by the response of critics and audiences, who have made ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ one of the most acclaimed and talked-about films of the year.”

From director George Miller, originator of the post-apocalyptic genre and mastermind behind the legendary “Mad Max” franchise, comes MAD MAX: FURY ROAD a return to the world of the Road Warrior, Max Rockatansky.

Haunted by his turbulent past, Mad Max believes the best way to survive is to wander alone. Nevertheless, he becomes swept up with a group fleeing across the Wasteland in a War Rig driven by Imperator Furiosa. They are escaping a Citadel tyrannized by the Immortan Joe, from whom something irreplaceable has been taken. Enraged, the Warlord marshals all his gangs and pursues the rebels ruthlessly in the high-octane Road War that follows.

Tom Hardy (“The Dark Knight Rises”) stars in the title role in MAD MAX: FURY ROAD – the fourth in the franchise’s history. Oscar winner Charlize Theron (“Monster,” “Prometheus”) stars as Imperator Furiosa. The film also stars Nicholas Hoult (“X-Men: Days of Future Past”) as Nux; Hugh Keays-Byrne (“Mad Max,” “Sleeping Beauty”) as Immortan Joe; Josh Helman (“X-Men: Days of Future Past”) as Slit; Nathan Jones (“Conan the Barbarian”) as Rictus Erectus; collectively known as The Wives, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”) is The Splendid Angharad, Riley Keough (“Magic Mike”) is Capable, Zoë Kravitz (“Divergent”) plays Toast the Knowing, Abbey Lee is The Dag, and Courtney Eaton is Cheedo the Fragile. Also featured in the movie are John Howard, Richard Carter, singer/songwriter/performer iOTA, Angus Sampson, Jennifer Hagan, Megan Gale, Melissa Jaffer, Melita Jurisic, Gillian Jones and Joy Smithers.

Oscar-winning filmmaker George Miller (“Happy Feet”) directed the film from a screenplay he wrote with Brendan McCarthy and Nico Lathouris. Miller also produced the film, along with longtime producing partner, Oscar nominee Doug Mitchell (“Babe”, “Happy Feet”), and PJ Voeten. Iain Smith, Chris deFaria, Courtenay Valenti, Graham Burke, Bruce Berman and Steven Mnuchin served as executive producers.

The behind-the-scenes creative team included Oscar-winning director of photography John Seale (“The English Patient”), production designer Colin Gibson (“Babe”), editor Margaret Sixel (“Happy Feet”), Oscar-winning costume designer Jenny Beavan (“A Room with a View”), second unit director and stunt coordinator Guy Norris (“Australia”), and makeup designer Lesley Vanderwalt (“Knowing”).

The score is by composer Tom Holkenborg aka Junkie XL. (Interview)

This film has been rated R for intense sequences of violence throughout, and for disturbing images.

madmaxmovie.com

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May 3, 2015

MAD MAX – The 1979 Original Screens at The Tivoli Midnights This Weekend

Filed under: General News,Movies — Tags: george miller, Mad max, mel gibson — Tom Stockman @ 9:32 pm

“The chain in those handcuffs is high-tensile steel. It’d take you ten minutes to hack through it with this. Now, if you’re lucky, you could hack through your ankle in five minutes. Go!”

So jazzed about MAD MAX FURY ROAD you’re having trouble sleeping? Can’t wait until the 15^th? Would a midnight screen of the original MAD MAX from 1979 hold you over? Unless you got a pass to this week’s screening of MMFR, it’s gonna have to! MAD MAX will be playing midnights this Friday and Saturday night (may 8^th and 9^th) at The Tivoli as part of their ‘Reel Late at The Tivoli’ midnight series and I will be there handing out some MAD MAX FURY ROAD schwag (I’m not sure what it is exactly yet but I think it will be T-Shirts and hats)

Director George Miller’s MAD MAX, with an unknown Mel Gibson in the lead, would probably rate as just another undistinguished exercise in road kill mayhem were it not such a polished, high-octane, adrenalin-laced Australian production about terror on the highway. The overall novelty of this slam-bang import came from the superlative camera-work of cinematographer David Eggby, the highly credible special effects, the super-charged stunt car driving, and George Miller’s competent, no-nonsense helming. Although it isn’t quite as spectacular as its sequel THE ROAD WARRIOR (1981), and was only available in a weirdly-dubbed American-accents version for decades, MAD MAX qualifies as top-notch entertainment for anybody who craves revenge-based actioners. Mel Gibson became a star after this role. He’s cool and charismatic but also shows great skill as an actor – years before he became boxoffice. Even better are the villains. Hugh Keays-Byrne is convincingly sadistic as ‘Toecutter’ the leader of the biker gang that Mad Max goes up against. Tim Burns is enjoyably over-the-top as Johnny Boy and Vince Gil is memorable in his small role as The Nightrider (“I’m a fuel injected suicide machine. I am the rocker, I am the roller, I am the out-of-controller!”). The best performances in the film however are the cars. For its low budget, the stunt work is amazing. Max’s car is a 1973 Ford Falcon GT Coupe with a 300 bhp 351C V8 engine, customized with the front end of a Ford Fairmont and other modifications, but you already knew that!

Admission is $8. Hope to see everyone this weekend at The Tivoli!

The Facebook invite for this event can be found HERE

https://www.facebook.com/events/825129867582170/

The Tivoli is located at 6350 Delmar in The Loop. Visit Landmark’s The Tivoli’s website HERE

http://www.landmarktheatres.com/market/st.louis/tivolitheatre.htm

Here’s the Reel Late at the Tivoli Midnight schedule for the rest of May:

May 15-16 WATERSHIP DOWN

May 22-23 THE THING

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March 10, 2015

The Tivoli Announces the ‘Reel Late’ Midnight Line-Up – MAD MAX, THE THING, BLADE RUNNER – Oh My!

Filed under: Movies — Tags: Beetlejuice, Better Off Dead, Blade Runner, howl's moving castle, Mad max, ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, the thing, WATERSHIP DOWN — Tom Stockman @ 9:42 pm

“I am the Nightrider. I’m a fuel injected suicide machine. I am the rocker, I am the roller, I am the out-of-controller!”

I gotta say – this lineup of midnight movies for the ‘Reel Late at The Tivoli’ may be the best ever! It’s almost like they let me choose them myself (which they did not). It’s a great selection with an unusually cool variety of standards and classics to draw the late night movie buff crowd.

The awesome line-up of midnight movies begins April 3^rd and 4^th with THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (usually the series ends with ROCKY in October so we’ll see how it does in April – meaning will it sell out in advance or on the night of?). The roster includes one Miyazaki (attendance insurance), the animated WATERSHIP DOWN (the uneven 1978 version of Richard Adams’ 1972 cult novel about rabbits) and cult comedy nuggets BETTER OFF DEAD and BEETLEJUICE (both recent Tenacious Eats fare!). But it’s a trio of Sci-fi masterpieces showing on the big screen midnights at the Tivoli that’s the real excitement! Hardboiled, uncompromising and totally bad-ass, George Miller’s MAD MAX, which single-handedly boosted the Australian film Industry in 1979 will play midnights May 8^th and 9^th – the weekend before the belated fourth chapter of the Mad Max saga, MAD MAX FURY ROAD opens. Ridley Scott’s stunning futuristic film noir epic BLADE RUNNER, which I have not seen on the big screen in quite a while, is scheduled for April 24^th and 25^th. John Carpenter’s THE THING (1982) is his best film – the suspense is heart pounding, the performances uniformly terrific, and Rob Bottin’s monster effects are timelessly terrifying and the star of the film. THE THING is a terrific choice for a midnight movie and should pack ‘em in when it plays May 22^nd and 23^rd.

Reel Late at the Tivoli takes place every Friday and Saturday night and We Are Movie Geeks own Tom Stockman (that’s me!) is usually there with custom trivia questions about the films and always has DVDs, posters, and other cool stuff to give away. I can’t wait to write THE THING trivia! Ticket prices are $8 except ROCKY HORROR which is $10. We hope to see everyone late at night in the coming months.

The Tivoli is located at 6350 Delmar in The Loop. Visit Landmark’s The Tivoli’s website HERE

http://www.landmarktheatres.com/market/st.louis/tivolitheatre.htm

Here’s the newly –announced Reel Late at the Tivoli Midnight schedule for April and May:

April 3-4 ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW with live cast Samurai Electricians
All seats $10

April 10-11 BEETLEJUICE

April 17-18 HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE subtitled

April 24-25 BLADE RUNNER: THE FINAL CUT

May 1-2 BETTER OFF DEAD

May 8-9 MAD MAX

May 15-16 WATERSHIP DOWN

May 22-23 THE THING

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July 27, 2014

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Comic Con Trailer Is Here

Filed under: Trailer — Tags: Charlize Theron, george miller, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Mad max, mad max: fury road, Nicholas Hoult, Riley Keough, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Tom Hardy, Zo — Michelle McCue @ 12:00 pm

Debuting at Warner Bros. Pictures’ Comic Con panel over the weekend, watch the first trailer for director George Miller’s MAD MAX: FURY ROAD.

Oscar-winning filmmaker George Miller’s MAD MAX: FURY ROAD revisits his own post-apocalyptic trilogy featuring the anti-hero known as Mad Max. The original 1979 movie starred Mel Gibson.

Miller made an appearance at Comic Con on Saturday with new footage from his film.

"This is my first Comic-Con!" – #MadMax director George Miller before taking a photo with the Hall H crowd #SDCC pic.twitter.com/NBNv1CQQhm

— Warner Bros Pictures (@wbpictures) July 26, 2014

Tom Hardy stars in the role of Max Rockatansky, alongside Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Zoe Kravitz, Riley Keough, Hugh Keays-Byrne and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Miller directed from a screenplay he wrote with Brendan McCarthy and Nico Lathouris. Miller also produces, along with Doug Mitchell and P.J. Voeten. Iain Smith, Graham Burke and Bruce Berman serve as executive producers.

Set for a May 15, 2015 release, MAD MAX: FURY ROAD is a Kennedy Miller Mitchell production. The film will be presented by Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/MadMaxMovie
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/MadMaxMovie

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October 26, 2009

MAD MAX 4: FURY ROAD Moving Quickly

Filed under: Action,Clips,Franchises,General News,Movies,Sequels — Tags: Charlize Theron, fury road, george miller, Mad max, mad max 4, sam worthington, Tom Hardy — Kirk @ 5:38 am

mad max

I do mean “quickly” both literally and figuratively, as it was announced on Saturday in Australia’s The Daily Telegraph that pre-production on George Miller’s fourth installment in the MAD MAX series had begun. Word came down last week as to who Miller himself saw in the lead roles (thumbs up for Tom Hardy, thumbs in the I-don’t-know for Charlize). Rumors come up in the Telegraph that redux go-to guy Sam Worthington is up for the lead role. Hardy would be better, but I understand the box office draw Worthington is slowly amassing.

While much of the Telegraph article is about how the new MAD MAX film will bring much to the Australian economy, it does touch on some of the technical aspects on the film. For one, it is revealed the film will have 30 weeks worth of production. With most films generally taking 2-3 months to shoot, this amount of production time is insane, and reveals some of what Miller’s scope for the film will be. The whole project is expected to take 2 1/2 years to complete, so look for a Summer 2012 release date.

Premier of New South Wales, Nathan Rees, had this to say:

The Mad Max films are iconic. In the hands of director George Miller, we will see one of the largest and most ambitious live action films ever made in Australia. This is a clear vote of confidence in Australian expertise. This proves that Sydney is an international contender for major film production.

Granted, Rees is a Premier whose ties to the film are strictly political, but him saying “live action” in that quote pretty much puts to bed any ideas Miller had about shooting this animated-style as was believed was to be the style of the film a few years back.

In addition to the Telegraph’s article about pre-production beginning, we also have this clip courtesy of Australia’s ABC News. It features Miller introducing some of the cars that are to be used in MAD MAX 4, and it has Miller expounding on some of those casting rumors.

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