Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
Encyclopedia
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome is a 1985 Australian post-apocalyptic film directed by George Miller
and George Ogilvie
, written by Miller, Doug Mitchell and Terry Hayes
, and starring Mel Gibson
and Tina Turner
. It is the third installment in the action movie Mad Max franchise
. The original music score was composed by Maurice Jarre
.
(Mel Gibson
) is riding a camel
-drawn wagon across the Australian desert when he is attacked by Jedediah the Pilot (Bruce Spence
) a pilot flying a Transavia PL-12 Airtruk
, who steal his belongings and vehicle. Max continues on foot and stumbles upon the only nearby human outpost in the wasteland—the seedy community of Bartertown, founded and run by the ruthless Aunty Entity (Tina Turner
).
In Bartertown, electricity, vehicles, functioning technology are made possible by a crude methane
refinery, fueled by pig
feces
. The refinery is located under Bartertown and is operated by the diminutive Master (Angelo Rossitto
), who is carried around by his enormously strong bodyguard, Blaster (Paul Larsson). "Master Blaster" holds an uneasy truce with Aunty for control of Bartertown. Master, however, is beginning to exploit his position with energy "embargo
es," challenging Aunty's leadership. She is furious with him but cannot challenge him publicly, as Master is the only one with the technical know-how to operate the machinery that powers Bartertown. The controlled chaos of Bartertown is maintained by a set of inflexible laws, including one that states that no contract
can be broken, for any reason. The punishment for breaking this law is equally inflexible and invoked with the simple phrase, "bust a deal, face the wheel."
Upon entering Bartertown Max meets the Collector (Frank Thring
) who recommends his talents to Aunty Entity (Tina Turner
). Aunty recognizes Max as a resourceful fighter, and strikes a deal with him to provoke a duel with Blaster in the "Thunderdome," a gladiatorial arena where conflicts are resolved by a duel to the death. Max goes to Underworld, where he befriends a convict who was imprisoned for killing a pig in order to feed his children, and thus nicknamed Pig Killer (Robert Grubb
). Max finds his stolen vehicle in Master Blaster's possession and confronts them both - in an effort to size-up Blaster's fighting strengths, resulting in the necessary challenge to enter Thunderdome. The rules of Thunderdome, as chanted by onlookers crowding the arena, are simple —"two men enter, one man leaves." After a difficult match, Max defeats Blaster, but refuses to kill him when he discovers that Blaster is little more than a man-child with developmental disabilities. An enraged Aunty has Blaster executed and invokes the law since Max broke his deal with her. They wheel out a large, spinning metal disc (similar to a Wheel of Fortune) with several consequences. Possible outcomes include Death, Hard Labour, Complete Acquittal, Gulag, Aunty's Choice, Spin Again, Forfeit Goods, Underworld, Amputation, and Life Imprisonment. When spun for Max, it lands on "Gulag." He is exile
d to the desert wasteland, strapped to the back of a horse. The horse runs after a bottle of water strapped in front of its face.
Some time later, Max is near death due to exposure. He is saved, though, by a group of children led by Savannah Nix (Helen Buday
). The children, hardened to the desert environment, are descendants of the survivors of a nearby crashed Qantas
Boeing 747
. They have formed a tribe in the sheltered oasis
. Clinging to the hope of rescue, they keep their memories of the past civilization
alive in the form of spoken "tells
", including the return of the messianic
"Captain Walker" who will repair the aircraft and return them to civilization. The "tell" explains that Flight Captain G.L. Walker at one point took the adults to seek help, promising they would be back to rescue the rest, but never returned. One of the kids is seen with a "sonic", a record attached to a stick. Max looks so much like Walker, the children believe that he has indeed returned to take them to "Tomorrow-morrow Land." After nursing him back to health, they are shocked that Max insists that they remain in the relative safety of the oasis, knowing that the only "civilization" within reach is the rough and hellish Bartertown.
Some of the children decide to leave anyway, determined to find "Tomorrow-morrow land," so Max goes after them.
Max catches up with them at the outskirts of Bartertown. They sneak in, intent on finding Master. Without Blaster to protect him, Master is little more than Aunty's slave. Max and the children free him (with the assistance of Pig Killer, who also escapes), but alert the guards, and a chase ensues, resulting in Bartertown's methane factory being rocked with a number of explosions, ending at the hideout of the same pilot that attacked Max in the beginning of the movie (Bruce Spence
). The kids then find out that the "sonic" is just an old French
learning record. Max coerces him to help them escape in his plane, but there is too much weight and not enough runway between them and the attackers' vehicles, so Max takes a truck and drives it in front of the airplane, smashing through the roadblock, allowing the plane to take off. Max is found by Aunty, but having earned her respect, she spares his life.
The story shifts to many years later, when the much older children are seen in the ruins of a destroyed Sydney
, lit up by thousands of fires and lights. Savannah, the leader of the children, recites a nightly "tell" of their journey and the man who saved them.
was killed in a helicopter crash while location scouting
. Miller later agreed to direct the action sequences, with George Ogilvie directing the rest of the film. There is a title card at the end that says, "...For Byron".
Critical reaction to the film was generally positive, it holds an 81% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes
, although reviewers were mixed regarding whether they considered the film the highest or lowest point of the Mad Max trilogy. Most of the criticism was focused on the children in the second half of the film, which many felt was too reminiscent of the Lost Boys from Peter Pan
. On the other hand, critics praised the Thunderdome scene in particular; critic Roger Ebert
called the Thunderdome "the first really original movie idea about how to stage a fight since we got the first karate movies" and praised the fight between Max and Blaster as "one of the great creative action scenes in the movies."
American Film Institute
Lists
originally released the soundtrack album in 1985. It included the movie's theme song, Tina Turner's Canada #1, U.S. #2, and UK #3 single "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)
". A 2-CD soundtrack containing only Maurice Jarre's original (and intended) music was issued in 2010 on Tadlow Music/Silva Screen Records.
George Miller (producer)
George Miller is an Australian film director, screenwriter, producer, and former medical doctor. He is most well known for his work on the Mad Max movies, but has been involved in a wide range of projects, including the Oscar-winning Happy Feet and "Babe" family films.Miller is the older brother...
and George Ogilvie
George Ogilvie
George Ogilvie is an Australian actor and film director. He was born in Goulburn, New South Wales in 1931. He directed Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome with George Miller.He was awarded the A.M...
, written by Miller, Doug Mitchell and Terry Hayes
Terry Hayes
Terry Hayes is an English screenwriter and producer born on the 8 October 1951. In 2001, he was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award for Best Screenplay for his work on From Hell...
, and starring Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
and Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
. It is the third installment in the action movie Mad Max franchise
Mad Max (franchise)
The Mad Max franchise refers to a series of futuristic films, taking place in the "Mad Max Universe", that tell a story of breakdown of society, murder, and vengeance. The first Mad Max was an Australian action film directed by George Miller and written by Miller and Byron Kennedy, released in 1979...
. The original music score was composed by Maurice Jarre
Maurice Jarre
Maurice-Alexis Jarre was a French composer and conductor.Although he composed several concert works, he is best known for his film scores, and is particularly known for his collaborations with film director David Lean. Jarre composed the scores to all of Lean's films since Lawrence of Arabia...
.
Plot
Set 15 years after the previous film, the film opens as MaxMax Rockatansky
"Mad" Max Rockatansky, sometimes referred to as The Road Warrior and The Man with No Name, is the main character from director George Miller's Mad Max franchise, appearing in the films Mad Max, Mad Max 2, and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome...
(Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
) is riding a camel
Camel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
-drawn wagon across the Australian desert when he is attacked by Jedediah the Pilot (Bruce Spence
Bruce Spence
Bruce Spence, born September 17, 1945 is an actor, having spent most of his career performing in Australia. Bruce attended Henderson High School in West Auckland....
) a pilot flying a Transavia PL-12 Airtruk
Transavia PL-12 Airtruk
-Bibliography:*Donald, David . The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Leicester, UK: Blitz, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.*Taylor, John W R. . Jane's All the Worlds Aircraft 1976-77. London:Jane's Yearbooks, 1976. ISBN 0 354 00538 3....
, who steal his belongings and vehicle. Max continues on foot and stumbles upon the only nearby human outpost in the wasteland—the seedy community of Bartertown, founded and run by the ruthless Aunty Entity (Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
).
In Bartertown, electricity, vehicles, functioning technology are made possible by a crude methane
Methane
Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...
refinery, fueled by pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
feces
Feces
Feces, faeces, or fæces is a waste product from an animal's digestive tract expelled through the anus or cloaca during defecation.-Etymology:...
. The refinery is located under Bartertown and is operated by the diminutive Master (Angelo Rossitto
Angelo Rossitto
Angelo Rossitto was an American actor. He had dwarfism and was 2'11" tall.Rossitto was discovered by John Barrymore and made his screen debut opposite Barrymore in The Beloved Rogue . He appeared in the then controversial 1932 film Freaks directed by Tod Browning. He appeared in another...
), who is carried around by his enormously strong bodyguard, Blaster (Paul Larsson). "Master Blaster" holds an uneasy truce with Aunty for control of Bartertown. Master, however, is beginning to exploit his position with energy "embargo
Embargo
An embargo is the partial or complete prohibition of commerce and trade with a particular country, in order to isolate it. Embargoes are considered strong diplomatic measures imposed in an effort, by the imposing country, to elicit a given national-interest result from the country on which it is...
es," challenging Aunty's leadership. She is furious with him but cannot challenge him publicly, as Master is the only one with the technical know-how to operate the machinery that powers Bartertown. The controlled chaos of Bartertown is maintained by a set of inflexible laws, including one that states that no contract
Contract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
can be broken, for any reason. The punishment for breaking this law is equally inflexible and invoked with the simple phrase, "bust a deal, face the wheel."
Upon entering Bartertown Max meets the Collector (Frank Thring
Frank Thring
Frank William Thring was an Australian character actor.-Early life:Thring was born in Melbourne and educated at the Melbourne Grammar School. His father, Frank W. Thring, was the head of Efftee Studios, in Melbourne, in the 1920s, and is said to be the inventor of the clapperboard...
) who recommends his talents to Aunty Entity (Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
). Aunty recognizes Max as a resourceful fighter, and strikes a deal with him to provoke a duel with Blaster in the "Thunderdome," a gladiatorial arena where conflicts are resolved by a duel to the death. Max goes to Underworld, where he befriends a convict who was imprisoned for killing a pig in order to feed his children, and thus nicknamed Pig Killer (Robert Grubb
Robert Grubb
Robert Grubb is an Australian actor. He studied acting at National Institute of Dramatic Art , where he graduated in 1978.Grubb played the role of Dr. Geoffrey Standish in the popular series The Flying Doctors...
). Max finds his stolen vehicle in Master Blaster's possession and confronts them both - in an effort to size-up Blaster's fighting strengths, resulting in the necessary challenge to enter Thunderdome. The rules of Thunderdome, as chanted by onlookers crowding the arena, are simple —"two men enter, one man leaves." After a difficult match, Max defeats Blaster, but refuses to kill him when he discovers that Blaster is little more than a man-child with developmental disabilities. An enraged Aunty has Blaster executed and invokes the law since Max broke his deal with her. They wheel out a large, spinning metal disc (similar to a Wheel of Fortune) with several consequences. Possible outcomes include Death, Hard Labour, Complete Acquittal, Gulag, Aunty's Choice, Spin Again, Forfeit Goods, Underworld, Amputation, and Life Imprisonment. When spun for Max, it lands on "Gulag." He is exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
d to the desert wasteland, strapped to the back of a horse. The horse runs after a bottle of water strapped in front of its face.
Some time later, Max is near death due to exposure. He is saved, though, by a group of children led by Savannah Nix (Helen Buday
Helen Buday
Helen Buday is an Australian theatre, TV, movie actress and singer. She appeared as "Savannah Nix" in the film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome...
). The children, hardened to the desert environment, are descendants of the survivors of a nearby crashed Qantas
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
. They have formed a tribe in the sheltered oasis
Oasis
In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...
. Clinging to the hope of rescue, they keep their memories of the past civilization
Civilization
Civilization is a sometimes controversial term that has been used in several related ways. Primarily, the term has been used to refer to the material and instrumental side of human cultures that are complex in terms of technology, science, and division of labor. Such civilizations are generally...
alive in the form of spoken "tells
Oral history
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews...
", including the return of the messianic
Messianism
Messianism is the belief in a messiah, a savior or redeemer. Many religions have a messiah concept, including the Jewish Messiah, the Christian Christ, the Muslim Mahdi and Isa , the Buddhist Maitreya, the Hindu Kalki and the Zoroastrian Saoshyant...
"Captain Walker" who will repair the aircraft and return them to civilization. The "tell" explains that Flight Captain G.L. Walker at one point took the adults to seek help, promising they would be back to rescue the rest, but never returned. One of the kids is seen with a "sonic", a record attached to a stick. Max looks so much like Walker, the children believe that he has indeed returned to take them to "Tomorrow-morrow Land." After nursing him back to health, they are shocked that Max insists that they remain in the relative safety of the oasis, knowing that the only "civilization" within reach is the rough and hellish Bartertown.
Some of the children decide to leave anyway, determined to find "Tomorrow-morrow land," so Max goes after them.
Max catches up with them at the outskirts of Bartertown. They sneak in, intent on finding Master. Without Blaster to protect him, Master is little more than Aunty's slave. Max and the children free him (with the assistance of Pig Killer, who also escapes), but alert the guards, and a chase ensues, resulting in Bartertown's methane factory being rocked with a number of explosions, ending at the hideout of the same pilot that attacked Max in the beginning of the movie (Bruce Spence
Bruce Spence
Bruce Spence, born September 17, 1945 is an actor, having spent most of his career performing in Australia. Bruce attended Henderson High School in West Auckland....
). The kids then find out that the "sonic" is just an old French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
learning record. Max coerces him to help them escape in his plane, but there is too much weight and not enough runway between them and the attackers' vehicles, so Max takes a truck and drives it in front of the airplane, smashing through the roadblock, allowing the plane to take off. Max is found by Aunty, but having earned her respect, she spares his life.
The story shifts to many years later, when the much older children are seen in the ruins of a destroyed Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, lit up by thousands of fires and lights. Savannah, the leader of the children, recites a nightly "tell" of their journey and the man who saved them.
Cast
- Mel GibsonMel GibsonMel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
as "Mad" Max RockatanskyMax Rockatansky"Mad" Max Rockatansky, sometimes referred to as The Road Warrior and The Man with No Name, is the main character from director George Miller's Mad Max franchise, appearing in the films Mad Max, Mad Max 2, and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome...
, a former MFP officer and lone warrior, Max roves the desert aimlessly, his existence entirely based around self-survivalSelf-sufficiencySelf-sufficiency refers to the state of not requiring any outside aid, support, or interaction, for survival; it is therefore a type of personal or collective autonomy...
.
- Tina TurnerTina TurnerTina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
as Aunty Entity, the ruthless, determined ruler of Bartertown. Entity is a glamorous, Amazon-like figure who recognizes a strength of character in Max, and hopes to exploit him in order to gain sole control of Bartertown from Master. Despite her brutality and Bartertown's chaos, Entity is an intelligent, cultured woman, who holds a hope of one day rebuilding society to its former glory.
- Bruce SpenceBruce SpenceBruce Spence, born September 17, 1945 is an actor, having spent most of his career performing in Australia. Bruce attended Henderson High School in West Auckland....
as Jedediah the Pilot.
- Adam CockburnAdam CockburnAdam Cockburn is a former Australian child actor who appeared in movies filmed in Australia during the 1980s.He is currently working as a disc jockey.-Filmography:-External links:...
as Jedediah Jr., Jedediah's son, who often helps his father steal supplies, flying his dad's plane whilst Jedediah procures the goods.
- Frank ThringFrank ThringFrank William Thring was an Australian character actor.-Early life:Thring was born in Melbourne and educated at the Melbourne Grammar School. His father, Frank W. Thring, was the head of Efftee Studios, in Melbourne, in the 1920s, and is said to be the inventor of the clapperboard...
as The Collector, head of Bartertown's trade and exchange network.
- Angelo RossittoAngelo RossittoAngelo Rossitto was an American actor. He had dwarfism and was 2'11" tall.Rossitto was discovered by John Barrymore and made his screen debut opposite Barrymore in The Beloved Rogue . He appeared in the then controversial 1932 film Freaks directed by Tod Browning. He appeared in another...
as Master, a diminutive former engineer, who parlays his technical expertise into building the methane extractor responsible for Bartertown's electricity. When the film begins, Master has grown power-crazed under the protection of Blaster, and frequently humiliates Entity into acknowledging his power. When Blaster is killed, however, Master becomes a far more subdued, humble character, and eventually escapes with the help of Pig Killer and the children.
- Paul Larsson as Blaster, Master's silent, mentally-impaired bodyguard.
- Angry AndersonAngry AndersonGary Stephen "Angry" Anderson AM is an Australian rock singer, television presenter/reporter, actor and conservative political activist. He is best known as the vocalist with the hard rock band Rose Tattoo since 1976 but he is also recognised for his acting roles and his charity work...
as Ironbar Bassey, head of Bartertown's security and Aunty Entity's Number One Henchman. Bassey is a short man, despite this fact he is a fierce warrior figure, wearing a doll's head standard on his back, who comes to dislike Max more and more as the film proceeds. He is eventually killed in the film's climatic chase sequence.
- Robert GrubbRobert GrubbRobert Grubb is an Australian actor. He studied acting at National Institute of Dramatic Art , where he graduated in 1978.Grubb played the role of Dr. Geoffrey Standish in the popular series The Flying Doctors...
as Pig Killer, a convict in Bartertown sentenced to work in the methane refinery, shovelling pig feces. He befriends Max, and when Max and the children return to rescue Master, Pig Killer escapes to help them.
- Helen BudayHelen BudayHelen Buday is an Australian theatre, TV, movie actress and singer. She appeared as "Savannah Nix" in the film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome...
as Savannah Nix, leader of a tribe of child survivors (or the children of those survivors) from a crashed 747. Savannah is the one who ensures the tribe remembers its past through the "tells," and acts as a surrogate mother figure to many of them. She is also the partner of Slake.
- Tom Jennings as Slake M'Thirst, the male leader of the child tribe.
- Edwin HodgemanEdwin Hodgeman-Selected Filmography:* Hey, Hey, It's Esther Blueburger .... as Rabbi* Rain Shadow .... as Steve Willis* Lucky Miles .... as Coote* Look Both Ways .... as Jim* Human Touch .... as Mr. Thompson...
as Dr. Dealgood, the flamboyant Master of Ceremonies and chief auctioneer of Bartertown.
Reception
George Miller, director of the first two Mad Max movies, lost interest in the project after his friend and producer Byron KennedyByron Kennedy
Byron Eric Kennedy Born Melbourne was an Australian film producer best known for the Mad Max series of films....
was killed in a helicopter crash while location scouting
Location scouting
Location scouting is a vital process in the pre-production stage of filmmaking and commercial photography. Once scriptwriters, producers or directors have decided what general kind of scenery they require for the various parts of their work that is shot outside of the studio, the search for a...
. Miller later agreed to direct the action sequences, with George Ogilvie directing the rest of the film. There is a title card at the end that says, "...For Byron".
Critical reaction to the film was generally positive, it holds an 81% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, although reviewers were mixed regarding whether they considered the film the highest or lowest point of the Mad Max trilogy. Most of the criticism was focused on the children in the second half of the film, which many felt was too reminiscent of the Lost Boys from Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
. On the other hand, critics praised the Thunderdome scene in particular; critic Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
called the Thunderdome "the first really original movie idea about how to stage a fight since we got the first karate movies" and praised the fight between Max and Blaster as "one of the great creative action scenes in the movies."
American Film Institute
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
Lists
- AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs:
- We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) - Nominated
- AFI's 10 Top 10AFI's 10 Top 10AFI's 10 Top 10 honors the ten greatest American films in ten classic film genres. Presented by the American Film Institute , the lists were unveiled on a television special broadcast by CBS on June 17, 2008....
- Nominated Science Fiction Film
Additional scenes
Further scenes that would have fleshed out the character of Max much more than shown in the final movie were cut before international release for the sake of reducing the running time.- Max sleeps soundly for the first time in many years in Crack in Earth (the oasis) and wakes up after dreaming of his wife and son, murdered by bikers in the first movie and starts to cry, realizing that he is no better than the "goons and crooks" that he used to hunt as an MFP officer.
- Max takes Gekko (the child from the tribe with the vinyl record tied to a stick) to the top of a sand dune at night, facing the lights of Bartertown and as the boy lies dying, tells him that they have reached Tomorrow-morrow land and are home.
Soundtrack
Capitol RecordsCapitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
originally released the soundtrack album in 1985. It included the movie's theme song, Tina Turner's Canada #1, U.S. #2, and UK #3 single "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)
We Don't Need Another Hero
"We Don't Need Another Hero " is the hit theme song to the 1985 film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome with Mel Gibson and Tina Turner. The single was recorded by Turner, who played Aunty Entity in the movie...
". A 2-CD soundtrack containing only Maurice Jarre's original (and intended) music was issued in 2010 on Tadlow Music/Silva Screen Records.