Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories 10 things to know for Thursday Ashland Creek Park opens Principal Zundel looks to next challenge The seven wonders of southwest Oregon Welcome Center plans can proceed Education Principal Zundel looks to next challenge Youth Activities and Academics Levy rolls in early returns It takes a village to raise a child Ashland High's Michelle Zundel heading to Medford district John Muir students need help producing eighth-grade yearbook Environment Demonstrators hope to save tree Documentary 'When Giants Fall' tells tragic story of elephant poaching Mt. Ashland Ski Area proposes summer adventure center Long drought, big storm make for a dirty Bear Creek Jackson County declares drought disaster Business Makeover brings new look to old clinic Cars We Remember: 1955 and 1956 Plymouth memories Ashland's CD Or Not CD will carry on Sawyer Paddles sues manufacturer, alleging breach of contract Ashland seminars focus on employment law Politics and elections Welcome Center plans can proceed Ashland council to consider water rate surcharge, Welcome Center agreement Jackson County district election turnout under 17 percent Arthur I. Cyr: Camp David summit will not help Mideast stability City of Ashland to consider making recorder position appointive, not elective State News Oregon's snowpack at just 11 percent of average Lack of snow nixes ski portion of popular Central Oregon race Bill under debate in Oregon would limit livestock antibiotics Nation - World Uh oh .... Apple Watch demand is weak There's a $10 million precious stone hidden in plain sight at Grand Central Obituaries Fredric Martin Latty Death Notices Death Notices Death Notices Death Notices Shareable Check out top import and export for every U.S. state Patriots fan sets up GoFundMe page to help pay for team's Deflategate fine Sports Latest Stories SOU's sweet 16 heads to nationals Grizzlies push defending 6A champs but fall in extras O'Brien goes for rare four-peat AHS decathlete Thompson-Siporen overcomes knee surgery to shine at districts George Barnes: We need to help free Tom Brady High school Grizzlies push defending 6A champs but fall in extras O'Brien goes for rare four-peat AHS decathlete Thompson-Siporen overcomes knee surgery to shine at districts O'Brien, Kim claim MWL doubles title Thompson-Siporen earns three MWL titles in first day of district meet Southern Oregon University SOU's sweet 16 heads to nationals O'Brien, Kim claim MWL doubles title Ashland heads to Eugene for MWL district meet Raiders Maguin, Parks, Sanders highlight first day of CCC track meet SOU lands two on all-CCC softball team Voices Latest Stories Arthur I. Cyr: Secretary Kerry’s reply to North Korea Our View: Bravo, Ashland voters Granlund cartoon: Hillary and the press Landgren cartoon: College loans and graduation Robert DeWitt: WWII veterans are pieces of living history Editorial Our View: Bravo, Ashland voters Our View: AHS loses a leader Other Views: Vaccine rate improves Our View: Focus on the basics Our View: Elected or appointed? Letters Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, May 19 Letters to the Editor, May 14 (No heading) Letters to the editor: Tuesday, May 12 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: A day in the life of ScienceWorks Guest Opinion: Ambrose spins a conservative fantasy Guest Opinion: Restoring the Plaza's sense of place Guest Opinion: Making conservation a game Guest Opinion: A good day to act Columns Arthur I. Cyr: Secretary Kerry’s reply to North Korea Council Corner: Citizens on the move Guest Opinion: A day in the life of ScienceWorks Council Corner: Please help me with my list George Barnes: We need to help free Tom Brady Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Movie listings: May 22-28 5 things to do in the Rogue Valley Sly & Robbie play Historic Ashland Armory SOU presents Shakespeare's 'The Winter's Tale' 'Mad Max: Fury Road' brings the crazy like no other Theater SOU presents Shakespeare's 'The Winter's Tale' Ticket Availability Ashland-originated plays to tour throughout country Ticket Availability Ticket availability Music The Farr Side: Swift dominates Billboard Music Awards Interview: Country mainstay T. Graham Brown reflects on career The Farr Side: Contest open for singer-songwriters The Farr Side: Mumford & Sons’ latest is full-on rock Interview: Country singer Suzy Bogguss enjoying life on the road Visual Art Movies Movie listings: May 22-28 'Mad Max: Fury Road' brings the crazy like no other Movie review: Cast keeps laughs coming in ‘Pitch Perfect 2’ Documentary 'When Giants Fall' tells tragic story of elephant poaching Movie review: ‘Mad Max’ is a fresh, fantastic approach to a classic idea Food and Drink Taqueria Picaro takes over Tabu space Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Marketta Gregory: Thankful for those who made the ultimate sacrifice The seven wonders of southwest Oregon Study finds family rules about screen time, eating seem to work Gift of time: Instead of presents, share experiences with kids Reading can keep young minds fresh over summer break Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Mocha Musings Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Our View: Bravo, Ashland voters ... The seven wonders of southwest Oregon ... Ticket Availability ... Our View: Bravo, Ashland voters ... The seven wonders of southwest Oregon ... Ticket Availability ... Your A-to-Z guide to the 'Mad Max' franchise Comment By Christopher Lawrence More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Christopher Lawrence More Content Now Posted May. 14, 2015 at 7:05 AM Updated May 14, 2015 at 7:55 AM By Christopher Lawrence More Content Now Posted May. 14, 2015 at 7:05 AM Updated May 14, 2015 at 7:55 AM » Social News Odds are, when you hear the words “Mad Max,” you picture roving bands of psychopaths terrorizing the postapocalyptic hellscape in their souped-up war machines. But when the franchise first hit American movie theaters, all the way back in 1980, Max Rockatansky was a clean-cut cop who would go home after a long shift to watch the local news with his saxophone-playing wife and their infant son. Even though civilization was starting to break down, Max was a loving family man — right up until the point a biker gang ran down his wife, killed their son and sent Max flying off the rails. Things truly didn’t get hard-core until 1982’s “The Road Warrior” and 1985’s “Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.” With “Mad Max: Fury Road,” the first new installment in 30 years, opening Friday, here’s an A-to-Z look back at the franchise and how Max got to be so mad: Acolytes, The: Biker gang antagonists in “Mad Max.” Not exactly the Sons of Anarchy, they’re about as flamboyantly menacing as the Hi-Hats or the Baseball Furies from “The Warriors.” Bartertown: Remote trading post that served as the setting for most of “Beyond Thunderdome.” Bondage: Gear that “The Road Warrior” brought to the mainstream — with all its collars, cuffs and chains — decades before “Fifty Shades of Grey.” Brace: What Max wears on his left leg after being shot through the knee in “Mad Max.” Clean paperwork: All Max’s boss, Fifi Macaffee, demanded of his sometimes lawless officers. As in, “So long as the paperwork’s clean, you boys can do what you like out there.” Cow: Animal that must have died by the thousands to provide all that leather in “The Road Warrior” and “Beyond Thunderdome.” “Mad Max,” meanwhile, had such a minuscule budget, everyone but Max and The Goose had to wear vinyl. Dubbed: Version of “Mad Max,” seen by many U.S. moviegoers, in which American actors replaced the voices of the Australian stars. Extensions: Goofy looking hairpieces Max wears, giving him a near-mullet, during the first half of “Beyond Thunderdome.” Few Years From Now, A: When “Mad Max” takes place. Fifty-seven: Number of deaths that year on Highway 9, Sector 26 — the high-fatality road Max patrols — at the beginning of “Mad Max.” There would be many, many more. Four hundred thousand: Highest of several estimates, in Australian dollars, of “Mad Max’s” budget. Gasoline: Fuel that was in such short supply, it started all the marauding that would become the franchise’s trademark. People were willing to kill and die for a gallon or two of it. Surprisingly, there was never a rise in gangs of hooligans on bicycles, skateboards or roller skates. Gibson, Mel: Hollywood pariah who, in his first starring role, originated the part of Max. Goose, The: Max’s co-worker and best mate, who is burned alive by gang member Johnny the Boy in “Mad Max.” Hacksaw: What Max gives Johnny the Boy after handcuffing him to the wreckage of a truck and rigging it to explode. “The chain in those handcuffs is high-tensile steel,” Max tells him. “It’ll take you 10 minutes to hack through it with this. Now, if you’re lucky, you can hack through your ankle in five minutes.” Intensive care: The last place Goose or Jessie are ever seen. They could still be there for all we know. Jessie: Max’s wife, who is run down along with their young son, by The Acolytes in “Mad Max.” Joyriding: What every bad guy in the franchise spends an inordinate amount of time doing, despite the extreme gasoline shortages. Kids: Known as The Lost Tribe, they rescue Max after he’s exiled from Bartertown, bring him to their desert oasis and proceed to ruin the rest of “Beyond Thunderdome.” “Licorice Road”: Ridiculous song that’s performed during The Goose’s night out at the Sugartown Cafe. It’s the most hilariously random scene in the franchise. Lord Humungus: Nicknamed The Warrior of the Wasteland and The Ayatollah of Rock and Rollah, he’s the burly bad guy who wears little more than a hockey mask and studded, leather underpants in “The Road Warrior.” Main Force Patrol: The special police task force that employed Max and governs the highways. Master Blaster: The tethered combination of a grammatically challenged little person (Master) and the brute with Down syndrome (Blaster) that ruled Underworld. Melanoma: What eventually would have killed Lord Humungus, if Max hadn’t gotten around to it first. If you’re going to be rampaging through the barren Wasteland with all that skin exposed, the most valuable commodity isn’t gasoline. It’s sunscreen. Miller, George: The twisted genius behind the “Mad Max” franchise, including “Fury Road,” who also somehow wrote and directed “Lorenzo’s Oil,” the “Happy Feet” movies and “Babe: Pig in the City.” Mohawks: Hairstyle favored by many of the berserkers in “The Road Warrior” and “Beyond Thunderdome.” Mousse: Hairstyling product, vast stockpiles of which must have been discovered in order to maintain those mohawks. Nightrider, The: Member of The Acolytes whose death, as he fled Max in a stolen police car, triggers much of the violence in “Mad Max.” Oi: Aussie slang for “Hey,” it’s one of several reasons given for releasing the dubbed version of “Mad Max” in the U.S. Pants: Article of clothing rarely worn beneath all the leather chaps in “The Road Warrior.” Honestly, that’s just unhygienic. Queensland: Australian state where George Miller was born and where he witnessed many of the wrecks that would help inspire the franchise. Refinery: The oil-producing compound that provides security for dozens of survivors in “The Road Warrior.” “Saw”: Series of horror movies whose makers admit was inspired by the hacksaw scene. Sporting goods: Preferred accessory in “The Road Warrior” and “Beyond Thunderdome.” With all the shoulder pads, shin guards, knee pads, catcher’s masks and hockey masks being worn, it’s as though, when the world went to hell, the first place everyone looted was a Dick’s franchise. Sprog: Infant son of Max and Jessie. Seriously, who names a baby Sprog? Turner, Tina: Singer who portrayed Aunty Entity, ruler of Bartertown, and offered the original trilogy its only recognizable name aside from Gibson and Miller. Toecutter: Theatrical “Mad Max” villain and leader of The Acolytes, portrayed by Hugh Keays-Byrne, who returns to the franchise in “Fury Road” as the evil Immortan Joe. Thunderdome: Steel cage used to settle disputes with one simple rule: Two men enter, one man leaves. Underworld: Area beneath Bordertown that turned pig feces into methane to power the city above. Vacation: Where Max, Jessie and Sprog are when she encounters Toecutter and his men. Wasteland, The: The “blighted place,” according to the introductory voiceover, where Max wandered after becoming “a burned-out, desolate man” in “The Road Warrior.” XB GT Coupe: The 1973 Ford Falcon that was modified to portray Max’s iconic Pursuit Special. Yowza: The only way to describe Turner’s plunging, chainmail dress. Zilch: Chances that Warner Bros. would knowingly let Gibson anywhere near the “Fury Road” set. Although there’s still a chance, however slim, that he’s in the latest installment somewhere, buried beneath pounds of makeup and other disguises. Christopher Lawrence writes for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. By Christopher Lawrence More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Christopher Lawrence More Content Now Posted May. 14, 2015 at 7:05 AM Updated May 14, 2015 at 7:55 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501