Monday, May 18, 2015

F This Movie! - Mad Max: Fury Road

Have a lovely day with Patrick and JB.



Download this episode here. (67.4 MB)

Subscribe to F This Movie! in iTunes.

Listen to F This Movie! on Stitcher.

Also discussed this episode: Vampyros Lesbos (1971); She Killed in Ecstasy (1971); The Water Diviner (2015); The Gambler (2014); Roar (1981); Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)

38 comments:

  1. Great podcast guys, I also loved the movie and really want to see it again. Curious if anyone saw it in 3D and if they think it's worth it to check it out in that format. Also a side note, I totally thought that gray stuff they sprayed in their teeth was some sort of adrenaline drug the entire movie haha. And I was also wondering if anyone had an issue with furiosa's truck being pretty much indestructible through out the movie. It seemed like no amount of grenades or boom sticks was going to take that thing down. Anyways Thanks as always for the show guys.

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    1. Hi Travis - I haven't seen Fury Road yet but in my opinion I would stay away from seeing any film that is post converted to 3D. I've always been let down especially with good movies including Winter Soldier, Jurassic Park and Live Die Repeat.

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    2. Oh was it post converted? Never mind then, I'll never see a post converted 3D again.

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    3. It was - but Miller himself worked for over a year on every frame of the conversion - and it's RealD - which is a much better tech - and from what I've read - he achieved remarkable depth with it.

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    4. I saw it in 2D knowing that, based on what I saw in the trailers, my eyes would have a difficult enough time keeping up with the visual information on screen without the added stress of 3D. But I also don't handle 3D well.

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    5. Yea I had a hard time keeping up in just 2D myself lol a lot of craziness going on

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    6. The 3D is alright; there was one point where I literally flinched at something coming toward the camera. Not sure it is worth the premium, though. When I see the movie again it will be in 2D.

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    7. For what it's worth, I read somewhere that Miller himself wanted to see the movie in 3D.

      Also, this movie kicks a lot of ass, in a lot of good ways. It's been awhile since I wanted to see a movie again immediately after watching it.

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    8. TravisL, I interpreted the spray paint as also providing a buzz (huff) in battle.

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    9. Hey I saw Mad Max in 3D, I didnt want to but the Cineplex gave me no choice, however, It was not bad at all. There was one moment of obnoxious 3D trickery but for the most part it was used very well. Not at all distracting, and the action remained very clear as to what was happening.

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    10. I am concerned about the amount of 3D showings, and I wonder if it's hurting the box office. The theater closest to my house has 5 showings per day, but only 1 of them in in 2D, and when I showed up to buy a ticket for that screening an hour ahead of time, it had already been sold out. I had to settle for a sold out noon showing at a different theater on Saturday. It reminded me of Dredd, which say have been shown exclusively in 3D, and I think it actually hurt their bottom line when it's run was over.

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    11. I saw it in 3D and it was fine, but it wasn't integral to the experience. I'll go see it again on 2D mostly because it's cheaper, but if you're a 3D fan like I am then it's worth the premium. Regardless, "Fury Road" kicks ass in any dimension you care to look at it. :-D

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    12. Sweet thanks for the advice guys

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    13. I thought the 3D was really strong and definitely worth the premium, but I don't think the film will suffer from it's absence.

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  2. "The Gambler" is on my top ten of films of the year (I know, it's 2014 but I saw it this year). I went in blind and came out thinking it was a devastating film and really handled the subject matter well. It was terribly marketed in my opinion, but I don't think they knew how to market a "Leaving Las Vegas" starring Mark Wahlberg. The Director also did a film called "The Escapist" with Brian Cox that was pretty good as well. "House With 100 Eyes" looks woeful.

    I really need to see "Fury Road". I think McTeirnan coming back for "With a Vengeance" 8 years or so later is an example of someone coming back and doing it right. It doesn't beat "Die Hard" by any means, but it's second best in my opinion.

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  3. I had the fortune of seeing Fury Road twice over the weekend. On my second viewing, I decided that it was a perfect film. There is not a single thing I'd change about the movie. It's a tour de force. A masterpiece, and for a movie with so many cars and so much action, it's the most human movie I've seen in a good long while.

    Ultimately, the highest compliment I can pay the film is to relay how much it utterly owned me, especially after the second viewing. As the film ends and the screen goes black, I was so overcome with emotion and honest-to-goodness awe that I actually had to hold my breath to keep from gasping. I just sat there clicking and making weird swallowing sounds, because I knew if I opened my mouth it would sound like I was having an orgasm in the theater. Sort of a "hunnnnhhhhh!" sound, see. That's a first for me...and I kind of hope it's the last, too.

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  4. I'm going to see it again if I get a chance, but on a first viewing I loved Fury Road. I saw a later show and got home around midnight, but couldn't get to sleep because I was so pumped up! It reminded me of my friend who said he had the same problem after Monday Night Raw as a child. Good thing I'm too old for curfews, because I would've been hiding under the sheets watching Mad Max trailers and reading reviews all night. Great podcast, btw. Gave me alot to think about that I didn't catch during the movie.

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  6. Great podcast.

    You know hope is a mistake.

    I have never seen anything like it. It is interesting when you applaud the performances, I thought. I will have to pay more attention when I see it again because none of the performances seemed anything remarkable (very good, just not mind bending). I thought all the characters/performances took a far back seat to the action. I agree that the action is a character itself.

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  7. I basically never talk during films, but when the guitarist first showed up, I leaned over to my companion and said, "I want that job."

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  8. I saw Fury Road and I'd like to try to articulate a feeling that it left in me -- something I only really associate with memories of going to the cinema when I was a kid.

    I can remember trailers as vividly as movies from when I was a little kid, and even then I understood they were a sort of contract between the film-makers and me. They were making a promise: ‘come to this movie, and you’ll be amazed by what you see.’

    And in what might be part being a naive and thrilled little kid, part hazy nostalgic memories, and also having the good fortune of growing up in the 80’s and 90’s when big summer blockbusters and action movies were (sorry, Millennials…) consistently better than they are now - I remember being incredibly excited about going to see a film like Jurassic Park — then seeing it, and it delivering in every way I could imagine.

    In time, this petered out. I haven’t ever really thought about it until now — but deep down I guess I categorised the endless cycle of being excited and let down by the next big hyped movie as just another part of growing up. As starting to realise that films were just like life - the promise of something would always be sweeter than the thing itself.

    But films are not like life. And Fury Road made me feel like a little kid again because, for the first time since I saw Harrison Ford jumping from a train crash in ‘The Fugitive’ when I was 13, I was watching a big Hollywood summer blockbuster that was finally making good on every part of its contract.

    It promised me that I would not believe my eyes, and it lived up to it. And for whatever the problems the film has, it made me feel - for the first time ever - that I was actually grateful for handing over £16 for an IMAX ticket, where before I’ve only ever felt like a sucker as soon as the credits start to roll.

    I don’t know if this is just because making films is all I’ve ever wanted to do — but Fury Road is the kind of movie that feels like all those scenes you that come into your head when you close your eyes and imagine the intense, exhilarating spectacle that you’d like a film you make to look, sound and feel like.

    I'm incredibly grateful for reliving that experience in the cinema.

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  9. I'm glad that my previous comment on the birthday episode caused JB to rethink his life, and perhaps this means that his pieces on the site will get better. (Kidding of course. JB is awesome)

    I loved Fury Road so much. I have not been so anxious to see a movie opening day in a long time. I saw that amazing first trailer back in December and was blown out of my mind. I stayed away from all of the other trailers in fear that my hype would be jaded as I saw more. (Such as with Age of Ultron, Jurassic World, etc) So I was pleased when my expectations were more than met when I saw it. As a result of trailer abstaining, I binge watched the several trailers that I had ignored in hopes that I would quench the desire to see it again immediately. I plan on seeing it again very soon and will enjoy the hell out of it. In regards to the thread of people commenting on the 3D release; I probably won't see it again in 3D. I don't hate 3D movies but I don't enjoy them either. I saw a few places in the movie that would look neat in 3D, but standard was so good on its own. I wish it was showing in the imax theater here, but alas.

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  10. The thing I loved most about this movie, and this is something a lot of people are talking about with FURY ROAD so yeah I know I'm unoriginal, is how much story telling was done with simple things like looks exchanged between characters, actions characters take, and small choices in the set and production design. It is clearly the work of someone who spent a lot of time thinking about every decision before it was made. It is also a sign that Miller understands something fundamental about story telling in movies that seems to have been lost somewhere in the current blockbuster fueled Hollywood.

    Often times, in novels, radio shows, or even stage plays, every exchange between characters has to either be verbal, or meticulously explained so that the audience can keep up. Movies don't have to have that crutch. A movie can have two characters, presuming the creators have some level of talent, exchange a bevy of information with nothing more than a shared glance, and the audience, presuming they are paying attention, will never lose a beat. That is such a luxury that so few filmmakers ever really use. Precious few truly understand that, and I think Miller can be counted as one who does.

    The scene that I will point to to demonstrate this is the first scene between Nux and the bride he becomes involved with, a scene you guys mention in the podcast (great podcast by the way, keep up the always good work). There is so much emotional strength in that one scene, with each character truly showing who they are, and no more than 50 words could have been exchanged between the two of them (I have no idea how accurate that is, I just know they didn't say much). Nux's whole worldview is falling around about him, he has such an incredible feeling of guilt and failure, but at the same time is fully aware that he can never return to the only life he ever knew. And the amount of understanding and generosity required from the bride to forgive someone who not 10 minutes ago was actively trying to bring her back into a life of sexual slavery is astonishing. And all of that is portrayed with, again, so few words spoken between the two. But they understand all that is going on, and we the audience can understand it too. We see it on their faces, we know what is going on inside their heads, but we have to be paying attention, and we have to put the effort into thinking about what is going on.

    That is where some of the disconnect might be for some people. There is plenty of talk about this film not having enough emotion, or enough character development, but it has all of that in spades. It's simply a matter of Miller expecting his audience to look past just what the characters say, and to understand through the visual story telling that can only be achieved in movies what is really happening, even if it is in only a glance. But I've gone on way too long, and I'm super sorry to anyone who actually read this whole thing. I'l get off my soap box now, sorry guys. I'm just going to go into my corner now, sorry.

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  11. This movie is why we go to the movies. Period.

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  12. Also, yes -- the flame coming from the neck of the Doof Warrior's guitar IS real and in camera.

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  13. Awwww shit you guys put Jar Jar Abrams on notice! I remember the last time a new Star Wars trilogy debuted and an action movie came out earlier in the year and kicked it's ass all over the place... I loved this movie as much as you, and I loved the podcast!

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  14. The only time I've heard JB more excited about a movie was the Universal Monsters podcast. What a treat this was.

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  16. Listened to your podcast yesterday morning and was inspired to ditch my afternoon plans in favor of a repeat viewing of Fury Road. In 3D because the 3D is really well done, which is not my usual opinion of 3D in movies. What a great movie which I really enjoyed watching again after reading so many analyses of the film.

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  17. F! This Movie! What a blast - you know a movie is great when you keep loving it more and more the further you get away from it. Who knew batshit craziness could be so well-executed and beautiful - against all odds it makes a wonderful kind of sense - which I suppose is a hallmark of the franchise - but for me this is the best one yet - I really, really loved it and haven't had that much fun at the movies in a long time. I'll probably see it again in the theatre and that's not really something I do.

    All that in spite of some movie-watching tactical errors I feel like I made that prevented me from turning it up to 12:

    1) I didn't watch a single trailer. Yeah, I'm the only one. I was probably being part contrarian but I also thought I'd try going into a big movie completely sight unseen because I've been burnt by so many trailers before (e.g.. showing too much, building an expectation that the movie doesn't deliver on). As such I wasn't as excited for this movie as I could have been and missed out on the gratifying experience of presumably having all of my expectations met and/or exceeded.

    2) I watched the original Mad Max Trilogy a few weeks ago in preparation for Fury Road and I think it may have diluted the experience somewhat (to like 190 proof). I had only seen The Road Warrior up to that point (during the F This Movie Fest - yay!) so I had already been bombarded with new-to-me Max (which I loved) going into this new one. I am a full-on fan of this franchise, but having blown my load so recently I didn't go in with full Mad Max blue balls. Apologies for the gross metaphor.

    3) I watched it in 3D - not a mistake in itself - I really had no other choice and it's actually a beautiful (if unnecessary) 3D presentation - my mistake was grabbing kid-sized glasses out of the bin when the useless tool of a ticket-taker didn't hand me a pair as per usual. They were a little tight on my decidedly not-kid-sized head.

    4) My final mistake is hating women - I probably would've enjoyed it more if I let my MRA membership expire. Seriously though, how fucked up is it that that's a thing? I know those guys are assholes about everything but I can't even imagine what their problem with this movie is. Fuck them. And if you're into the MRA thing and reading this for some reason, fuck you.

    It's almost scary that I possibly could have enjoyed Fury Road even more - I'm not sure I could have taken it anyway.

    Great podcast guys - always fun to be on the same page and loving it.

    P.S. I agree with The Quibbler and his lone quibble - I actually started worrying there was something wrong with the presentation in the beginning. The great thing is I don't think that will bother me on the next viewing so this movie will just continue to get even fucking better - amazing.

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  18. I like the reading of the different areas representing different aspects of society. I hadn't even thought of this. But once JB mentioned it, it immediately clicked. Though I might suggest that The Citadel actually represents organized religion rather than the economic sector. Water, milk, plantlife, etc. are all often used as metaphors for the life-giving power of God and the War Boys certainly have a cult-like presentation to them with Immortan Joe as kind of a Pope figure (he even has his own special car!).

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  19. JB brought the heat this podcast. This is one of my favorite episodes you guys have done. Thanks!

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  20. Cant wait to see the movie. Great podcast got my hyped. Thank you

    On the 50 Greys movie Patrick saw, to reference Bill hicks again as JB did, if you want to see a sex movie then just go straight to the Sex section of the video store ! Call back I know, its like watching a pornographic movie with all the pornography took put of it, whats the point?
    Epic podcast, top form,

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  21. Finally caught this movie. I'm still trying to process what I just saw, but I can say I definitely loved it.

    As somebody pursuing a career in film, I can say that the part of screenwriting I hate the most is dialogue. I love good dialogue in other movies, but it never works well in mine. I don't have the patience to write those words out.

    Mad Max: Fury Road continues from Mad Max 2 with it's intensely visual storytelling, and absolutely surpasses it. This film is told with minimal dialogue (which, for the record, is still fantastically written and insanely quotable) and maximum imagery, images that will stick in your head for the rest of your life. This is the type of movie I want to make. This is a real fuckin PICTURE. I am very excited for the monochrome "silent film" edition that will be included on the blu-ray. This is my favorite film in years.

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  22. Finally got around to seeing Mad Max: Fury Road. I thought it was ok. The action was good ofcourse but I felt like I saw the same scene 5 or 6 times. Tom Hardy's lack of lines were an issue. My favorite moments in the film revolved around his character beats. That little thumbs up that he did and stuff like that. I knew that wasn't the type of movie I was going to see, but it still didn't stop me from wanting it to be the movie I was going to see. It felt like they really held back on the gore. I don't know how this film is rated R. I saw one ass and no blood. Not even a pair of boobies. It straddled the line as being advertised as an action blood bath a la Machete, and a PG-13 action film. They even cut away from what sounded like honey baked ham feet looking guy saying " Mother Fucker" at some point.

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  23. Enjoyed watching Mad Max: Fury Road for the first time since opening week. I found myself focusing more on the dialog and character beats than the action. The night sequence in the swamp region was my favorite section of the movie because it showed where the characters were in their respective arcs, and there were several examples of nonverbal communication between the two leads. With respect to the action sequences, I loved the stunts and would have preferred a practical effect instead of the CGI flying car during the sand storm. Overall the movie held up well and will be among my top choices of the year.

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  24. I am convinced this is the best film of the year in much the way I was convinced Unforgiven was in 1992. Now we will see if the Academy will see with the same clarity outside of its typical Oscar-baited purview. I wouldn't count on it (and don't even particularly care).

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