“THE MAXIMUM FORCE OF THE FUTURE!” Everything great has to start somewhere. Mad Max is a film I saw for the first time as a kid, and I remember being pretty bored with it for the majority of the films runtime, with the odd adrenaline rush from the practical stunt work and automobile mayhem. I appreciated it, but didn’t really get into it. Of course, The Road Warrior was an instant classic on first viewing, and remained one of my favorite movies growing up. I didn’t revisit Mad Max for at least another decade, but now that I’ve seen it several times over the last few years, I’ve come to appreciate it for its rustic, minimalist, visceral nature. As a showcase for early Mel Gibson, it’s also fun, as despite his minimal dialogue, you can see the makings of a hungry super star. Everything that came after this is superior, but none of it would be possible without Mad Max establishing the chaotic sense of joyous mayhem that would be further exploited to increasingly manic degrees. A decent enough film experience that is inarguably a classic. What do you all think of Mad Max? Is it your favorite Rod Warrior film? Let’s chat below! @shoutfactory