Seeing as I have a slightly personal connection with the 1979 movie 'Mad Max' (I previously owned the 1959 Chev Impala that the bikers destroyed ) and my 17 y.o. son Jake's fascination with the movie, we have previously been to some of the film locations at Avalon Beach, Altona, Little River etc, and today we decided to go to Clunes and visit the site of the town that the Toecutter Gang created a bit of havoc at.
It is only 20 minutes from here.
Here are snaps from the movie and ones we got today to compare.
Thanks for that Ken -- it's a favourite movie of mine too. Did you put the faux-fur lining in the Impala's interior??
Must have been a disappointment to see how they trashed/destroyed that car in the movie.
My favourite line/dialogue from the film was on the railway station you've imaged for us. After the station-master (alluding to the Night-Rider's under-sized casket) made a glib comment to the effect that "they didn't leave much of him did they"? to which Bubba Zanetti turns and replies (slow -- dead-pan):
"Must have cut his heart out ... eh"? -- You have to see it to appreciate it.
There's also the road just outside Lara (between Lara and Bannockburn) that has a great dry stone wall along it where scenes were filmed too. It has an fantastic dip in the road down to the creek that if you hit at about 100 makes you airbourne and gives you that sick feeling in the stomach - I love it and always take international visitors along it without any warning. One group made me do it 3 times even though we were on our way to a funeral!
Make sure if you bring Jake to Melbourne you bring him to ACMI - we have a replica car in here!
Thanks for that ken. I didnt realise Clunes was one of the towns in the movie. Was there recently, and bought some ... boring old books .
Also love Mad Max, and must watch it again.
Thanks for that Ken -- it's a favourite movie of mine too. Did you put the faux-fur lining in the Impala's interior??
Must have been a disappointment to see how they trashed/destroyed that car in the movie.
Les D
Les, it was a dead stock car in very good condition, but back then nobody wanted them. They were too expensive to run and too big to park.
I actually broke a Besser Brick wall at a KFC store in Northcote when I backed into it while parking.
As you pass over the west gate bridge towards geelong from Melbourne, look along the riverfront to the left and you will see the halls of justice, pretty much as it was in the movie... Been a while since I went that way but every time I go over I have a look.
As you pass over the west gate bridge towards geelong from Melbourne, look along the riverfront to the left and you will see the halls of justice, pretty much as it was in the movie... Been a while since I went that way but every time I go over I have a look.
It's good to see that some members have connections to one of the all time classic movies.
Cheers
Yep, and I also used to live 5 minutes from Avalon Beach where Jessie bought the Ice-Cream. We used to swim there.
And it was only 10-15 min drive to many of the other locations.
And I remember in 1980 sitting in the Altona Drive-In watching Mad Max and when the chase goes over the bridge we all flashed our car lights and blew our horns coz the real bridge was visible right next to the image of it on the screen
It was like a wierd 'stereo' vision
I was watching an article on telly about the new Mad Max movie.
It seems that they have put of filming in Broken Hill for at least 12 months. They want a desolate wasteland but after all the rain the whole area is green and full of flowers.
Apparently it's not the visual effect they are after.
I was watching an article on telly about the new Mad Max movie.
It seems that they have put of filming in Broken Hill for at least 12 months. They want a desolate wasteland but after all the rain the whole area is green and full of flowers.
Apparently it's not the visual effect they are after.
And I remember in 1980 sitting in the Altona Drive-In watching Mad Max and when the chase goes over the bridge we all flashed our car lights and blew our horns coz the real bridge was visible right next to the image of it on the screen
It was like a wierd 'stereo' vision
Very bizarre sight.
Isn't it ...
Not the same film but I know the feeling. I went to the very first public screening in 1981 of another not quite so well known Australian film from the same era -- "Puberty Blues" directed by Bruce Beresford starring a very young Nell Schofield and based on the novel of the same name by Kathy Lette.
The location for the screening -- Cronulla Cinema. Most of the film was shot within 2km of that cinema which was in-turn about 10km from where I grew up. The whole cinema was choc-a-block full of Sutherland Shire locals about my age (20-odd) watching scenes/storylines that strongly paralleled scenes from our own (and friends) lives that we ourselves were playing out in the exact same scenery we all knew so well and was in fact, metres outside the cinema foyer door. Slightly surreal.
I went to the very first public screening in 1981 of another not quite so well known Australian film from the same era -- "Puberty Blues"
Most of the film was shot within 2km of that cinema . . strongly paralleled scenes from our own (and friends) lives that we ourselves were playing out in the exact same scenery we all knew so well and was in fact, metres outside the cinema foyer door. Slightly surreal.
Best,
Les D
I reckon Puberty Blues is another 'all time classic'
Yeah, that would be cool Les.
Walk out of the theatre and into the 'real' movie
Would feel bizzarre
Walk out of the theatre and into the 'real' movie
Would feel bizzarre
Very much so. I know I'm a little off-topic here but I'm really good at digression! As is graphically and accurately depicted in the film, at least half of the teenagers of the shire in the 1970's dispensed with their innocence to the sounds of Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin in a panel-van/station-wagon in the dirt car-park behind Wanda/Green-Hills beach, or at the Taren Point Drive-in. Classy huh!
The rest of us desperate aspirants to tread that "very cool" path were either too timid, too nerdy, or didn't have access to a car.
) and my 17 y.o. son Jake's fascination with the movie, we have previously been to some of the film locations at Avalon Beach, Altona, Little River etc, and today we decided to go to Clunes and visit the site of the town that the Toecutter Gang created a bit of havoc at.
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