THE SCI-FI PODCAST EP 9: Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Max World

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TSFP Mad Max Fury RoadWelcome to The SciFi Podcast, a wretched hive of scum and villainy a podcast focused on in-depth discussion of all things Science Fiction. The SciFi Podcast features three hosts—Mattroid, Solo, and Station!—and frequent guests. Each episode we look at a science fiction theme or franchise and take the discussion where no show has gone before.

In celebration of this weeks BluRay release of Mad Max: Fury Road, the great Station! leaves the fellas on their own for a War Boys Night Out (or is it a Guys Afternoon In?) when SpaceWolf returns and special guest Jonasty makes his debut for a no-holds-barred discussion of the post-apocalyptic Mad Max franchise and the high-octane newest film in particular. What a lovely day!

Theme music courtesy of I Hear Sirens, featuring Matt on bass and Liz on keyboard. Hear more of I Hear Sirens ethereal, instrumental, post-rock at BandCamp. Podcast production and art by SpaceWolf.

Show notes after the jump.

I. INTRODUCTION

—Welcome, Jonasty!
—Mattroid introduces the theme

II. [00:03:40] WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING IN THE CRYO-CHAMBER

—Solo on his furious road trip
—Mattroid on The STATION! Wagon
—Jonasty’s been watching Age of Ultron, Star Trek Voyager, Legend of Korra
—Solo and Mattroid on Avatar: The Last Airbender

III. [00:09:41] FEATURE REVIEW: MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015)*

Mattroid: 10 ( Buy it )
Solo: 9 ( Buy it )
Jonasty: 8 (Buy it)
SpaceWolf: 9 (Buy it)

*Including much discussion and some spoilers of the entire Mad Max Universe

 

IV. [01:24:58] SEGMENTS

—This week: “The Excessive Machine”
Everyone gives a multimedia recommendation

—SpaceWolf recommends the Criterion BluRay release of Scanners
—Solo recommends revisiting the three original Mad Max movies
—Mattroid recommends watching the indie sci-fi flick Monsters
—Jonasty recommends the Arcade Fire short film, Scenes From the Suburbs

V. WRAP-UP

—Sign-offs, plugs, and recommendations

LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:

PLEASE DO ALL OF YOUR GEEK SHIRT SHOPPING at our TeePublic affiliate store to help us keep the lights on and help yourselves to some awesome tees.

REMEMBER TO CHECK OUT BRAIN’S: “The Physics of Ant-Man or The Science of Small” via his new Brain Blog on TheSciFiPodcast.com

Mattroid’s links:
—Read Matt’s writing for The Daily Herald newspaper as “Gary the Unicorn” on topics like FanX at heraldextra.com
—Watch Matt’s Gary the Unicorn comedy sketches about things like alien abduction on YouTube
—Listen to Matt discuss sci-fi / horror movies on the topics like “When Science Goes Too Far” on Horror Movie Podcast

Solo’s links:
—William says to subscribe to The SciFi Podcast on iTunes and listen to the other Movie Podcast Network shows like Movie Stream Cast and Movie Podcast Weekly

If you’re on Facebook, please “like” the TSFP Facebook page and connect with other listeners. Send emails or pre-recorded voicemails to ask [at] thescifipodcast [dot] com

COMING UP NEXT on TSFP:

Join us in two weeks for the beginning of our review of ALIENS franchise coverage with JALIEN aka JAY OF THE DEAD of Horror Movie Podcast!

 

76 thoughts on “THE SCI-FI PODCAST EP 9: Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Max World”

  1. As far as more successful reboots, would you guys agree that BATMAN BEGINS and the DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY as being more successful than MAD MAX?

    Sadly, it looks like the COACH reboot has been cancelled. Disappointing since I do really like Craig T. Nelson and I used to watch the reruns when I was young.

    Loved Mattroid’s reaction to Solo’s sexpole joke. Although, if we’re being fair, strippers do make good money so financially, they are more successful than a lot of others.

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    • Batman Begins is certainly more successful by industry standards and you can’t take anything away from what that movie spawned. One big difference is that a new Batman is always going to come out–no matter what–but Mad Max is kind of a long-forgotten franchise. This is not a character that sells comic books and coloring books and action figures and socks and underoos. Mad Max is not a sequel or reboot that the studios are demanding. Not to mention that it’s a foreign film. But here is comes, surpassing all expectations in both filmmaking execution and box office booty. It surpasses not only every film in it’s franchise in terms of technical execution of spectacle, but most films in the action genre to date. Certainly the action films grounded in practical effects. I find that kind of shocking. But, yeah, Batman was mostly well done too and a huge hit that lead to much more successful films than Fury Road likely will.

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      • That’s a good point about there always going to be more BATMAN movies. In the time span between BATMAN AND ROBIN in the mid 90’s and BATMAN BEGINS, the legacy was kept alive with various animated TV shows. Same concept applies for 2012’s THE AMAZING SPIDER MAN.

        Not taking quality into consideration, would 2007’s TRANSFORMERS be a better example of a movie that could be competitive with MAD MAX: FURY ROAD in being successful and bringing attention back to a series that was thought to as having being dead?

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        • Maybe so, Sal, but that’s a property designed to sell toys. In face, it is based ON a toy. The toys came first and those movies were timed so that the kids who played with those toys (and watched the cartoon based on them) were old enough to take their own kids to the movies and buy more toys. Although I am extremely jealous of Shannon’s Road Warrior action figure, it’s just not that kind of franchise. It’s not kid or family friendly. It’s big and loud and mean and vile and ghastly. There’s not going to be a Fury Road ride at Universal Studios. That’s a damn shame because it would be one hell of a ride, but it’s just too intense for the general public. It’s almost like rebooting a horror film, in that way.

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  3. Wayward Pines is nothing like Twin Peaks…I own the Twin Peaks series…Wayward Pines is a apocalyptic future… beastly freak…mind fuck…One of my favorite shows this year…along with Hannibal…

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  4. I personally had no problem with Tom Hardy as Max…If you think about it…we are introduced to Max in the first movie…Then every movie after Max becomes a vessel that we watch these other peoples stories through…He was never the focal point because at the end of every movie he was lost to the sands of time and became a legend to those who encountered him…He was the mysterious super hero enigma that arrives and helps save the day then disappears…I’m anti religion but I can see Max as the saviour who is just triying to survive and find redemtion but ends up doing whats right and saving others regardless of his own well being but never finds his inner peace…Wow I hope I don’t sound crazy!!!

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    • Exactly, Shannon (and Solo hinted to this on the show, as well). The moniker “Mad Max” has less to do with the character, and is more a way to bring us into this post-apocalyptic world. Each movie is like a campfire tale; the ending shot of FURY ROAD says as much, with Max walking off as Furiosa and the others celebrate.

      I’m hoping future Mad Max movies incorporate some of the characters introduced in FURY ROAD (like Furiosa, of course), but in a way that they’re just a part of this post-apocalyptic world rather than the focus of another storyline.

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  8. Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t Solo review this movie a long time ago… in a galaxy not that far away… and didn’t like it as much as he did this time? I believe young Dino, Shannon, and I were the only “crazies” that liked the movie right from the get-go. Actually, it took a little more time for the movie to simmer in my brain juices but I knew I liked it. I just wasn’t sure to what extent. Dino and Shannon were very vocal about their praise for the movie and went to great lengths to defend it from the detractors, who at the time were Jay, Karl, and to some extent, William Solo Jr. Anyway, the only reason I’m bringing this up is because I want to know how and why Solo’s view of the movie changed so much. Did Dino’s comments have anything to do with it? Because they sure had a big impact on me. He was able to brilliantly put into words the thoughts and feelings I wasn’t able to express myself. I’ll look for his post so you guys know what I’m talking about.

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    • Dino on June 10, 2015 at 10:39 pm said:
      I’ve been wanting to get some comments down on MAD MAX: FURY ROAD, but have been unable to because I was on vacation (and then extremely busy the first few days back). So, I was going to let it pass because the podcast and movie release were a few weeks ago.

      But, then I came across one too many “no plot” comments, both in the show and on the comments boards, so I had to chime in with a defense other than “it doesn’t have a plot because it’s not supposed to.”

      On the surface, it looks like I’m picking on Clayton, but that’s certainly not the case (sorry, Clayton). His post (and Jay’s reply) was just the final straw that broke the camel’s back, and provided a vehicle for me to put pen to paper (so to speak) and get some thoughts down.

      You can read that full response here >> http://moviepodcastweekly.com/movie-podcast-weekly-ep-139-tomorrowland-2015-and-poltergeist-2015-and-time-lapse-2015/#comment-18226

      I also wanted to pull some thoughts from my comments to post here, so they could live on the proper comments thread for the Mad Max episode.

      * * * * *

      The plot and character development in MAD MAX: FURY ROAD is full and rich. There is plenty of story and social commentary in the film, it’s just delivered primarily through action rather than dialogue. That’s a paradigm shift that will work for some and won’t for others, but to say the movie is just a cacophony of mindless action sequences is missing the point. Each action sequence in the movie served a purpose: to further the plot, develop a character, build the world, or something else altogether. George Miller doesn’t hold the audience’s hand, but he does provide all of the necessary context and clues to paint a fully developed world and story.

      What was discussed [in my response to Clayton’s questions: see link above] is only scratching the surface of what is in this movie. The War Boys, for example, with their fanatical religion and devotion to all things mechanical, which is evidenced by their ultimate desire to die gloriously in battle so they can ride with Immortan Joe in Valhalla and their practice of chroming their mouths just before their sacrifice (the chrome spray paint representing all things metal/mechanical and surrendering their human flesh to become metal/mechanical themselves, while the noxious chemicals from the spray gives them a high to make their sacrifice easier).

      That is why it drives me absolutely crazy whenever Willis “defends” the film by saying it’s not supposed to have a plot because that’s not what a Mad Max movie is. That’s pure BS – the complete Mad Max franchise is rife with plot and social commentary, and a fully-developed world and characters – and FURY ROAD is no exception. Saying FURY ROAD doesn’t have a plot because it’s not supposed to is just flat out wrong, and does the film an even greater disservice than when detractors claim there was no plot and clamor for more dialogue.

      MAD MAX: FURY ROAD is a singular cinematic experience – a 10/10 and a true masterpiece

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    • Juan,

      I am totally surprised and taken back that anyone cares or remembers anything I say. That might seem weird because I’m on a podcast, which is on a podcast network, and is posted publicly for the world to hear… but I rarely think of all of that, except whenever I visit the message-boards.

      That being said, I can totally understand your question and confusion about my change of heart for Mad Max: Fury Road. I do believe however, that I said on The Sci-Fi Podcast Episode that I had to reevaluate my feelings and ratings on the movie. I was referring to what I had previously rated and said on The Movie Podcast Weekly.

      Did you and Dino have a subconscious effect on my change of heart and opinion, based off your well written posts and insights?… well… I’m sure you guys did. Was I aware of that until you asked me… not at all.

      One of the hardest things about being on and reviewing movies on The Movie Podcast Weekly (for me) is that I only see the movie once and usually only have a day or two to think about it, and come up with my analytical-critique. Ideally I would like to see a movie at least twice if not three times and let my thoughts stew for about a week or more. Because of this, I have regretted and had to reevaluate my thoughts and ratings, more than a few times. For example: I rated The Giver 9 out of 10 and said Buy it, but now I think it’s more a 7.5 and Stream it. And for Mad Max: Fury Road I said 7.5 and Stream it on The Movie Podcast Weekly, but after seeing it two more times and had a few months gone by, I said 9 out of 10 and Buy it. Does this mean you and all the listeners can’t trust or take anything I say seriously? Well, I hope not.. It just means that I’m as human as the next guy/girl and it sometimes takes me a little longer to settle in on my thoughts and feelings. I would like to think that my willingness and ability to change, shows strength of character and the ability to reevaluate something that I thought I already understood. But I could be wrong that that is a strength and maybe it’s more a weakness. You can be the judge.

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      • Solo! I like you, man. I think you’re a smart guy with a lot of heart. In many ways, our ways of thinking are very similar. Your initial thoughts on any given topic is always a bit overwhelming because there’s so much passion and emotion behind your words that it’s the equivalent of my brain taking a leg sweep by yours. Usually I have to process what you’ve said in order to make sense of it because at times it sounds confrontational, but I’m sort of the same way. I have very strong emotional response to things. I let my feelings do a lot of the thinking if that makes any sense. But enough about that.

        Thank you for addressing my question. I think I must have missed the part where you addressed your previous review, but I blame Josh for editing it out. What you said totally makes sense, especially with a movie as insane as Fury Road. I didn’t mean to imply that I couldn’t trust your reviews. I trust everyone’s reviews even when I don’t agree with them. Hearing where everyone stands and why is part of the fun. I like having a number assigned to a movie because it’s an easy way for me to decide if I’ll watch something or not. But listening or reading the why is what really keeps me coming back for more, in particular when the why is discussed by more than one person.

        Anyway, I’m glad you were able to enjoy the movie a lot more now. Keep up the good work, man.

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  10. Ya know what I liked about the movie? No forms! Max did not have to fill out an approval request form in triplicate and have it submitted 5 business days prior to kicking ass. Maybe the future isn’t so bad after all…

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  11. Alright, I just finished it for the third time just now, here’s what I think.

    This movie is cinematically spectacular. The story telling is relentlessly compelling, you feel like the director’s primary goal was a “no bathroom breaks” movie, and I think he pulled it off. The blends of color and scenery were bright, contrasting, and eye catching. Looking at the screen was never a chore, it was a treat. And thankfully they didn’t role with the “zoom in really quick for emphasis” in a way that was distracting. I felt like I was watching a live action comic book, even more so than the Marvel films.
    Tom Hardy is fantastic. I loved his Mad Max. The element that I was always missing with Mel was that he was supposed to be “MAD Max” not “Brooding, sulky, wants his mom, Max”. Hardy brings some of the ‘madness’ in his acting, and the writing incorporates a bit more of the delusional, paranoid, hallucinating, tortured soul that I have always wanted to see. My impression is that the creator is telling Max’s story in 18-20 hours. That means that the primary story is likely to arc over many films. We can’t necessarily judge the validity of the plot or character development when this is just a glimpse into the whole story. As in Doctor Who where a storyline will arc over an entire season, or even two, we need to see how this film will fit into the final puzzle.
    I agree that this feels like Furiosa’s story. But I also think that is part of the point. Max is likely being set up to be a legendary ghost, a Robin Hood. He drops out of the sky at just the right moment, and becomes the ultimate anti-hero to civilizations trying to rebuild. I think that we are meant to be seeing the world as him, so he is ultimately just our vehicle into a wasted world trying to rebuild. So we don’t need a lot from him. A little exposition, a little background to explain why he is where he is, and that’s it.
    At first I was disappointed that there was not a better insight into Furiosa’s story. But I think if you view the movie as two days in the life of people you’ve never met before then it’s possible to at least understand her pain and torment, even if it’s difficult to connect to. As far as the war-boy goes, I kinda get it. I do think he transitions too quickly, but I don’t think it was for the girl, she was just the trigger. I don’t think Matt’s analogy to family is quite on the mark, a 19-20 year old living in a chaotic society has no true, deep, conviction. I think Mattroid was right in saying that someone would never give up on a conviction like that by comparing it to protecting your family, but the war-boys conviction is not that strong. He is living under the influence of the society around him, and when the king of that society rejects him and they cast him out as useless, he has a moment to see what it is he has been following. It’s more like someone changing their religious convictions, or political party, than the deep commitment to family. But I could totally see what Mattroid was getting at, and I kinda agree that it was a bit fast, but in a world where you might die tomorrow, choices are made fast. I was kinda bummed at his fate, but ultimately he is fulfilling what he has always dreamed, ultimate sacrifice for a noble cause.
    Overall this film is two days in the life of what I believe is being set up as a story about the “new savior of mankind”. If we are meant to end up seeing him this way, then it is not HIM that matters, it is how he saved the people around him. It is the story about how they succeeded, he is just the shadow that influences the outcome.

    ********SPOILERS******STOP READING*********************

    Think about it, he is not the one that kills Immortan Joe, Furiosa is. He is not the one that stops the war party, the war-boy is. He is the stepping-stone that others need to stand upon to reach their potential. He is insignificant, but his influence is ultimate. That’s what will make him a legend.

    great movie. 9/10

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    • Amazing post…Wish I had the ability to express myself as well as most the the people on these boards…with these long articulate posts…I wish I could contribute more…but I guess I’m not that guy…

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    • My friend, your comment was excellent. I particularly like the part at the end about it being more about the importance of those saved as opposed to Max. Neat insight.

      As for my “conviction” thoughts: I can see where you are coming from and it’s a good point. My point, less eloquent than perhaps it should have been, was directed at cult followers and their conviction. It’s strong, it APPEARS to them to be complete and total, but it can be swayed.

      However, it rides that line of a man and his family, the conviction he may have towards loving and protecting them. Nux was devout until given a glimpse at life outside being a warboy, but that’s why he is special–we are lead to believe that it separates him from his brothers, who may not be swayed against their beliefs by anything.

      I wish I could have articulated my point better, especially after having had some time to think on it more. But I’m glad you and Shannon have made such great comments here…that’s what matters.

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  13. Hey guys! Thanks for the warm welcome on the comment board a few episodes ago! I wrote a longer comment about the 50 sci-fi series, German beer and other stuff…but I think it got lost or maybe I didn’t even send it! Doesn’t matter now!

    I just want to give my 2 cents on the topic of Nux’s character arc, which in fact was one of my favorite things in the movie.
    My understanding is that Nux just wasn’t fully and TRULY invested in Immortan Joe and his religion to begin with. He seems to be a much more self-centered (and ultimately more reflective) character than the other war boys we see. Maybe that’s why, after a few failed attempts at going to Valhalla, he was sensitive to such intricate things as love and compassion. What has more power to open the eyes of a man, seriously? 😉

    I have a feeling that only on the surface (most likely lying to himself) Nux found his purpose in the cult of the V8, following Immortan Joe to the death – but his searching hasn’t stopped there! I guess he even surprised himself by realizing that there’s more to his life. To me his personal development is perfectly symbolized by the disappearance of the war paint over the course of this movie…
    We don’t see a “new” Nux in the end, just one who was already there under all that make-up.
    His final moment almost had me shed a tear. I never do that! 😉 I almost said out loud “That’s my boy!! ” …If there’s such a thing as a pity-induced man crush, count me in! The music here (as over-dramatic as it may be) is reeeeally effective, too. I probably haven’t made myself very clear (English not being my mother tongue) but I could talk about Mad Max all day. It seriously is one of my favorite movies I’ve seen in the last few years. That includes all kinds of classics, too.

    Greetings,
    Hanns

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  14. After much pondering and consideration, I feel the need to admit that Hardy’s Max is actually intriguing, appropriate and well suited to the new movie(s). I’m genuinely excited to once again see him as the Road Warrior.

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    • I think Hardy’s performance has been criminally under-appreciated by critics and fans. I thought it was spot on: his strained voice that often sounds more like grunts and barks hint to his descent to a more primal being, and the fact that he rarely speaks and it’s mostly to himself shows how difficult it is for him to speak to another person. The characteristics of this Max and Hardy’s portrayal all succeed gloriously (imo) to convey the character’s struggle between the current madness and his past life as a protector (father and policeman).

      I’m glad you’ve come around on it.

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  15. Honestly, I’m kind of uncomfortable with your angle on the wives and their ability to bear children. It kind of reduces them to the status of “thing” again. The movie makes it clear that the pursuit of healthy babies isn’t a worldwide system of values; it’s a Joe thing. The Bullet Farmer even gripes “all this for a family squabble” and scoffs at the idea of healthy babies. Immortan Joe is, as an individual, working in pursuit of viable children, and he treats the wives as commodities in the same way that he treats literally everyone in the citadel as commodities. The war boys are “an old man’s battle fodder,” the milking mothers are treated as livestock, etc.

    The Bullet Farmer and the People Eater, on the other hand, have their own angles of this that do not involve babies. This goes most of all for the People Eater, given his the-text-is-not-sub dietary habits.

    That said, I could listen to you guys talk about the visuals all day. It was a gorgeous movie with just enough CGI to be shiny but enough practical effects to feel exhilarating and tangible.

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    • Hi E, thanks for coming to the boards!

      Who’s comments are you referring to? I haven’t listened back for a while, so they could be mine, and if they are I’d like to make clear how I feel about it all. I really like your analogies, particularly that of comparing Joe to a farmer; astute and solid.

      Regardless, I agree that the wives are much more than mere baby-making machines, or “things” as you put it. While they certainly bring to the table something no one else in the story can bring–the ability to co-produce and essentially birth the purest and healthiest offspring–they have greater value than just that, and they show it time and again throughout the movie.

      It’s my belief that, as human beings, our primary function is to procreate as to continue the survival of our species–just like most animal species. However, I firmly believe that this is a choice, that it’s not something everyone was born to do and I certainly don’t support the idea of forcing people to do as they would rather not do, including have children. The wives, my favorite aspect of the film by far, play several roles in this film from both a practical and philosophical viewpoint, and the child-rearing aspect is a vital and interesting part of the tale.

      I would hope that, were this to be a real-life scenario, where man needed to rebuild society and strengthen the gene pool, that the healthiest among us would step up. That’s a personal belief, a survivalist’s belief, but I respect those who feel differently…not to say that you are saying otherwise or anything like that.

      I hope I didn’t radically take your comments out of the park and create an issue. I am happy you’re here and I hope you’ll continue to visit and leave your feedback. A diverse community on these boards is one of our goals, and we respect everyone and their right to speak their minds.

      That said, I too wish we could discuss the visuals all day. I have several times since this movie and probably will for years. It’s one of the most stunning achievements ever put to film.

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      • The execution really made an impression on me. I get fuzzy warm feelings just thinking about the immediate, fully realized and physical experience this movie is. Everything about it seems so iconic!!! I think Fury Road’s visual language will be “quoted” in pop culture for years! …sust Search “Immortan Joe cosplay” on Google images…You’ll find interesting interpretations! 😉

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  16. I posted my top 3 movies of 2015 over at MPW…Here they are…
    1. Mad Max Fury Road
    2. Turbo Kid
    3. Star Wars The Force Awakens
    And guess what…they are all sci fi movies…

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    • I had a hard time with that first episode. It just left me feeling awful. I love the idea behind it, I appreciate the themes and production, but I was done after the pig. So done.

      Why should I keep watching? That’s a legitimate question, a real question and an invitation for you to convince me, because I only know what I’ve seen so far.

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      • Is the fact that it presaged David Cameron’s current pig-sex scandal not enough!?

        Honestly though, it’s been a while since I watched it but I definitely recall the first episode being the hardest sit of them all. The following episodes are less overtly disgusting but still extremely inventive and satirical. To me the show is just the epitome of important Sci-Fi in that it takes contemporary concerns regarding technology/society/media and expands upon them in an extreme yet analytical and insightful way. I can definitely understand it not being to everyone’s taste though, it’s harrowing and uncomfortable to see such an unforgiving meditation on our own society and it’s potential future. I’d definitely suggest giving it a few more episodes though because the pig one isn’t an entirely representative introduction.

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  18. Due to all of the MAD MAX excitement on this podcast, I decided to finally getting around to watching the original movie. Up to this point, I hadn’t seen a single MAD MAX movie.

    I had some trouble getting into the movie in the early going likely due to the accents. I probably could have done without all of the scenes with Goose. Sure, the outcome of his character puts over how sadistic Toecutter and company are, but there was a far better example of that attitude and how much you want to see Max get revenge when it comes to what happens to his family. I wanted to see more scenes with Max’s family rather than just having that be the second half of the movie while the first half is dedicated to Max and his police force dealing with Toecutter’s gang. Ultimately, it felt as if George Miller took two movies and combined them into one. By the end of the movie, I was totally into it and loved the ruthlessness of Max’s revenge. I’d rate it 7/10 and I enjoyed it enough to plan on watching THE ROAD WARRIOR. I do think the post-apocalyptic nature of the future movies might interest me more than the still real world feel of the original MAD MAX.

    I also went ahead and watched the first two episodes of BUFFY. As I head near the end of my 20’s, I feel like a good portion of my TV viewing for the decade has been dedicated towards finally watching movies/TV shows that my stupid teenage self refused to watch. Watching BUFFY is the latest example of that. First impression was that the show reeked of 90’s-ness. With the music and the opening, there’s no mistaking the fact that this show took place in the 90’s. I know this might be considered to be a sin to some, but I never cared much for SMG. I do find her to be likable on the show with all of her one liners. I appreciate all of the practical special effects for the demonic vampires rather than just relying on CGI. It was a trip seeing such a young Eric Balfour, particularly without any facial hair. I’d say right now I’ve enjoyed it enough to keep watching for another couple of episodes. The jury’s still out on whether or not I’ll dig it enough to watch the full series. As long as SMG continues with the one liners, I imagine it’ll remain fun though.

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    • Sal, you’ve just given Station! a reason to change your mind on something, namely Buffy.

      I was a huge SMG hater before; she was super annoying to me. I only watched Buffy because it was a prerequisite to being with Station!, but let me tell you that-despite the obviously dated feel at first-it gets so, SO good. Most of the first season is pretty rough; season 2 is good but still a little difficult to stomach at times. But by the time season 3 hits there is some incredible story unfolding, and some character arcs that will kick your ass in the best way.

      Then you get Angel. Oh man, Angel is good. So good. By the end of each series you’ve been on a ride that you’ll not forget.

      Stick with it. If need be, Station! can help plan a “must-watch” episode guide to help you skip through the early years a bit.

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      • I got through another episode, so I have a solid belief that I’ll be able to enjoy it enough to at least see the first season. SMG is pretty likable on the show so I can kind of see why she became big celebrity crush for a lot of guys back then.

        Personally, I’m not a big fan of skipping around episodes. It feels…wrong? When I’m watching a series, I don’t want to miss key events and I like the build-up to getting to big moments. For example, with BUFFY, I don’t know much about the show, but I do know that Buffy had a vampire love interest in Spike and a younger sister played by Michelle Trachtenberg. Since neither one have been seen or even referenced in the first three episodes, it’s something to anticipate and truthfully, keep me going in watching more episodes. Once you start skipping around in your first viewing of a series, it feels as if you’re not really watching the series. I think relying on Station! to pick out key episodes would be more ideal if I was less open minded and had the attitude of this series has one episode to impress me or I’m giving up for good.

        In non-BUFFY related recent viewing news, I watched the full Youtube show called GARY THE UNICORN last night when I couldn’t sleep. Favorite episode was probably “Bad Wishes” with “Alien Abduction” being a close second. While not every episode did much for me (“Urine Trouble” was a miss for me) I mostly enjoyed the shorts. Particularly in “What Is Gary the Unicorn?”, I found the creator to look a lot like actor, Donal Logue. Pity there’s only eight episodes.

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        • I’m glad you’re willing to stick with it, at least for now. And I agree with you about skipping episodes, but some people don’t mind…and whatever it takes to make one a Buffy fan, I’ll do.

          As for the Gary the Unicorn stuff, it was definitely an awesome experience. Some episodes are less funny than others, and there are lots left unedited (and way more than that unfilmed) but I’m proud of what we made. Some of the other stuff though…man, it’s good. Stellar guys, that crew.

          Thank you for the kind words. I’ll have to look up Mr. Logue now.

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        • Skipping Buffy episodes? Sacrilege!!!!

          Sal, if you stick with it (which I urge you to do as the show just gets better and better), make sure to start watching Angle in tandem with Buffy because there are a lot of crossover episodes that are even more fun when you watch them back to back.

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        • @ Juan

          Oh sure, as if a commitment towards a series with 144 episodes isn’t tough enough, you want to tack on another series with 111 episodes of their own. LOL

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  20. Great episode, crew. Finally, a proper treatment and discussion of FURY ROAD on a MPN show. 🙂

    That said, I’m so pissed at the timing of this episode. It dropped on the exact day my second son was born, so I couldn’t really be a part of the conversation. Similarly, the MPW review dropped when I was on vacation for a few weeks, and couldn’t really participate in that discussion, either. Instead, I had to resort to trolling J about his initial review, and even sent him money to buy a movie ticket, soda, and a snack to coax him into re-watching (and re-considering) the best movie of 2015 (so far). I’m glad I won’t have to do that to you guys, too.

    Since I’m late to the game, I won’t really spend too much time talking about the movie. I think it’s been pretty well covered between your review on the show and what I’ve said in the past over at MPW (both on the comments and in voicemails to the show). Btw, Juan, thanks for posting one of my MPW comments over here. I’m ashamed to admit that I spent way too much time thinking of this movie, and constructing long, elaborate defenses of it in MPW comments. In fact, I think every single element of the film can be thoroughly explained by what’s given in the film (not fan fiction); the link in my comment that Juan posted above gives a few of these defenses. Anyway, back on point…

    One thing from your review that I would like to highlight is how Solo very clearly distinguished “story” from “plot.” This is something I think I always “knew” on some level, but never really thought about too deeply… and, in fact, I have been prone to erroneously using the two terms interchangeably. That will not happen again, thanks to Solo. I know this has less to do with FURY ROAD and is more of a general movie/narrative critique, but thought it was worth mentioning.

    Back to FURY ROAD, one thing you guys got DEAD WRONG in your review was your comment about CGI. You said this movie employed very little CGI, but that’s absolutely incorrect. In fact, nearly every frame of the movie uses extensive CGI. It’s successful for two main reasons, though: 1) it’s incredibly well-done (duh), and 2) it normally is used for things that aren’t necessarily the focal point (i.e. the stunts were real, mostly). If you don’t believe me, then check out this rundown >> http://www.fxguide.com/featured/a-graphic-tale-the-visual-effects-of-mad-max-fury-road/

    One more quick comment on your review: I really don’t think a b/w version of FURY ROAD will be any good. I agree that the b/w version of THE MIST works incredibly well, but I think it works well there for two reasons: 1) the visual effects are mostly cheesy crap so the b/w treatment hides much of it, and 2) that movie generally has an old school feel to it that lends itself to b/w. FURY ROAD, on the other hand, is such a visual marvel with its steampunk, over-exposed and luscious colors. The vast, hot, dry nothingness of the landscapes would be completely undermined once you lose the endless expanse of reddish-brown sand in this wasteland for different shades of gray. I’ll still watch the b/w version if and when it comes out… because I’m obsessed with this movie… but I think it’s a bad idea that won’t work nearly as well as the original film in all its colorful glory.

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    • Dino! Welcome back and congrats on the baby.

      The cgi comments could have been better clarified, admittedly, but we were actually referencing the primary effects–cars, explosions, stunts, make-up, etc–that are very commonly replaced by cgi elements today.

      In truth, the amount of cgi is much smaller than in comparable movies made in the past few years, but cgi is still spread throughout the film. And, like you said, it’s high quality.

      So yeah, we made it seem as though there were nearly no computer generated effects used; in reality we knew but didn’t feel like it applied in the way it does in, say, Avengers or Terminator.

      Good call though. I have no problem with you or others pointing things like that out, and I’ll do my best not to have a convenient excuse for each one. 🙂

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