Why does everyone hate Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome?

Okay, maybe everyone doesn’t hate it. But, it sure seems like most people do. Let’s look at some common complaints:

It’s not as good The Road Warrior. Well, duh. What movie is better than The Road Warrior?

Goofy comic relief. Yeah, so the filmmakers decided to throw in a few cheap laughs. At least it wasn’t as bad a The Phantom Menace.

It messes with the Gyro Captian’s story from The Road Warrior. This use to bother me a lot. But, movies in the trilogy aren’t really connected together that well. Nowadays I view them more as stand alone stories about the same character.

Two words: Tina Turner. Certainly not the best casting job ever, but it could have been worse. For instance... hmmm... maybe... Jane Fonda. Or an animatronic Ellen DeGeneres like the one at Disney World that tells you about dinosaurs.

The Waiting Ones slow the movie down. True, yet they represent a compelling picture of PA life rarely if ever seen in cinema. They capture my imagination quite well. Also, children repeating everything you say in unison has always creeped me out ever since the original “Star Trek” episode Miri. “No more blah, blah, blah!”

If you haven’t guessed I’m kind of fond of the movie myself. I think most of the scorn comes from people not knowing what type of movie they are watching. Mad Max was a hardcore revenge story. The Road Warrior was a mythic samurai/western with tons of action. While, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome is a contemplative parable about technology, nature, history, memory and the desire to return home. If you know that going in it is more likely you can appreciate the film.

Ezra Crane Update

Check out the latest on my movie Ezra Crane.

"Mighty Orbots" (1984-85)

I watched this vintage 80’s cartoon every Saturday and then it was gone. I didn’t understand why, because it was great. I remembered excellent animation, good stories and a little android girl who had the key to activate a giant robot. After years and years of trying to remember the title, it only took 5 hours of searching through an 80’s cartoon forum to find it. This show kindled my imagination like few others. It never got the recognition it deserved.

Check it out:
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The Naked Kiss (1964)

I saw this at the St. Louis International Film Festival this week. I must say that it is bizarre, shocking, over-the-top, but I loved every minute of it. Director and screenwriter James Gunn led a discussion of this odd Sam Fuller film which I found very interesting. Hopefully this week I will be able to catch some more films.

Ezra Crane Update

This weekend we completed Jaxon’s ADR... Read more at www.whatmadness.com.

Ezra Crane Update

Jaxon came out this weekend and we pounded out more ADR. We wrapped up a number of scenes... Read more at www.ezracrane.com.

Angel and the Badman (1947)

I enjoyed this movie very much. It is a solid film from the acting to the directing to the writing, but especially the writing. John Wayne gave a great performance. Gail Russell was strikingly beautiful. One might think I’ve been studying John Wayne with some of the movies I’ve been watching. But, actually I’ve been studying James Edward Grant who was a frequent collaborator of Wayne’s. Mainly a writer Grant also directed this film. His story sense and skill with dialogue was very impressive.

The Comancheros (1961)

This is one entertaining movie. It’s slightly dated in shooting style and some would fine it slow. I however thought it was very refreshing. The action was exciting and shot very well. It was just a good old fashioned story told well. The film had an overall settling effect on me. I can’t explain it exactly right. I think it was the worldview of the film. It was steady compared to other films I’ve been recently watching.

Ezra Crane Update

We launched a new trailer on Friday...

Dirty Harry (1971)

For years I thought I had seen this, but I realized I had seen the third one and thought it was the first one. Watching this I did notice I had seen parts of it before. I must say it didn’t do much for me. Don’t get me wrong it was directed and shot better than the majority of today’s movies. But, I found it to be disturbing and unsettling more than entertaining.