The Mad Max series of films, which debuted in 1979, has had a significant impact on modern popular culture. Mad Max references are deeply embedded in popular culture; references to its dystopian, apocalyptic, and post-apocalyptic themes and bizarre landscape and desolate wasteland imagery have inspired some artists to emulate the look and feel of some aspect of the series in their work.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Franchise as a whole
Pop singer Kesha noted that the vibe of her Get $leazy Tour (2011) was "very heavily influenced" by the Mad Max series. Several of the costumes she and her friends wear throughout the show are very reminiscent of characters throughout the Mad Max franchise.[7]
The sports competition show Nickelodeon GUTS featured a recurring event called "Mad Max", inspired by the movie series' chase scenes. Competitors had to steer a recumbent tricycle around a track and through various "urban wasteland"-style obstacles.
Fortnite Battle Royale's Chapter 5, Season 3, "Wrecked," is post-apocalyptic desert-themed, with clear Mad Max influences.
James Wan and Leigh Whannell credit the film's final scene, in which Max handcuffs Johnny's ankle to an overturned car and gives him a hacksaw to cut off either the handcuffs or his own foot to escape imminent death, for inspiring the entire Saw series.[12]
The music video for the 2001 single "Addicted to Bass" by Puretone was heavily inspired by the opening chase sequence in Mad Max featuring a Pursuit Special. Two Falcon XB coupes were used in the video - one painted in the livery of the MFP vehicles seen in the film.[13]
James Cameron's The Terminator used a low shot from behind when the Terminator is struck by a semi-truck and walks from the back of the truck toward the cabin dragging his leg. This is a homage to the shot in Mad Max where he limps after being shot in the leg and drags his leg to get back to his car in the 1979 film.
The music video for Duran Duran's "The Wild Boys" took design influences from Mad Max 2.
The animated series ReBoot features an episode titled "Bad Bob", which is heavily influenced by this film. One of the artists who worked on the episode was Brendan McCarthy, who would later go on to serve as co-writer and concept artist on Mad Max: Fury Road.[23][24]
Blackie Lawless from W.A.S.P. cited the film as having a huge effect on the visual theme they were to employ in their 1980s stage shows.[25]
Mortal Engines author Philip Reeve stated that the film was an influence on the creation of his particular post-apocalyptic universe.[26]
Episode 8 ("Mad Tony: The Food Warrior") of season 2 of Anthony Bourdain's television series A Cook's Tour is set in Australia and features a Road Warrior theme. The final shot mimics the departing scene from the movie, with Bourdain standing in for Gibson.
Mad Max 2's plot point of a hero driving a big rig for an enclave of post-apocalyptic survivors was an obviously strong influence on the Fighting Fantasy game book Freeway Fighter.
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
The term "Thunderdome" was adapted by popular culture and appears in various contexts with a meaning similar to that used in the film.
A 2015 television advertisement for NBC's The Voice parodied the "Thunderdome" concept.[28]
The 1996 music video for 2Pac's "California Love" includes elements inspired by the Mad Max film, such as car chases in the desert and the Thunderdome itself, according to director Hype Williams.[29]
World Championship Wrestling held a "Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal" match at their Halloween Havoc 1992pay-per-view event between Sting and Jake "The Snake" Roberts that was based on the film. The match was promoted with a segment where Sting and Roberts met in a tavern full of tough customers that resembled Bartertown. The stipulation of their match would be determined by spinning a wheel, similar to the scene in which Max's punishment is determined by a wheel. The bar patrons repeatedly chant "Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal" like in the film.[30]
In the tenth installment of the Mortal Kombat franchise, Mortal Kombat X, a character was introduced named Ferra/Thorr. These are two characters in one, Ferra being a small child who hangs on Thorr's back. This is a reference to Master Blaster from Beyond ThunderDome. If the players pit Johnny Cage against them in a fight, he will say 'Master Blaster' in the introduction, which confirms it being a direct reference.
In episode 2 of the first season of Eastbound and Down, Danny McBride's character Kenny Powers uses a gym class to re-enact the Thunderdome sequence, with pupils wearing protective gear.
Mad Max: Fury Road
"Road Rage", a 2015 song by Irish indie musician Miracle of Sound, was inspired by Fury Road.
In Moana, the Kakamora's appearance and behavior are heavily based on the War Boys of Fury Road, confirmed by both John Musker and Ron Clements.[33]Mark Mancina, the film's composer, furthers this reference during the Kakamora's theme music by directly quoting several measures of "Brothers in Arms" from the Fury Road score.
In the Kiff episode "Road Trip", during a desert chase sequence, one scene in which a biker jumps onto the Chatterley family's car in slow motion parodies Fury Road.
^Robinson, Joanna (15 May 2015). "8 Reasons Why Mad Max Is the Most Improbable Franchise of All Time". Vanity Fair. the legacy of Mad Max stretches all the way back to the original 1979 film, which kicked off an improbable franchise with an even bigger mark on pop culture than you might think. ... famed filmmakers from David Fincher to Guillermo del Toro to James Cameron all cite the enormous influence of Max Rockatansky and his creator-director George Miller.
^Byrnes, Paul. "Mad Max (1979): Curator's notes"". National Film and Sound Archive. The influence of Mad Max would be hard to overstate. Some would say it is the most influential movie ever made in Australia. The film had a profound effect on filmmakers and audiences around the world.
