The Wasteland Reviewer

Outside the Wasteland: The Road Warrior (1981)

Film can mean so much more than just entertainment on a screen, right? Outside the Wasteland is my new avenue to express my thoughts on films that have truly made an impact on my life. This is not about how great the films are or even how much I love them. This is an expression of how these films have made a direct impact on my life including my love of film, my personality, my world view, and just an overall lasting impression that deeply affected me.  This is a doorway into The Wasteland Reviewer through the films that have shaped me.

The Road Warrior (1981)

Now…why might The Road Warrior be a film that has influenced me so much? There are certainly some obvious elements of my life that have been highly influenced by George Miller’s all-time classic action flick but there are some other elements of my life that are more personal than have been influenced as well. Mad Max has become one of the benchmarks for action franchises as this five-film franchise has delivered some of the most beloved action films of all time.  Many (including myself) would argue that Mad Max: Fury Road is the greatest action film of all time.

But where did the blueprint come from for Fury Road to soar? The Road Warrior. Fury Road is not a remake, but it does feel like the type of film that Miller would have made with The Road Warrior with modern technology and a much larger budget. If you want to see one of the premiere examples of action choreography and staging, look no further than the tanker chase at the end of The Road Warrior. This 20-minute chase is filled with wild stunts, a mix of combat, and exceptional filmmaking technique. The intense music, dynamic camera work, and practical effects (as in smashing actual vehicles together) are mixed with some cinematic alchemy. Miller is the best at shooting action because he has the most precise and controlled eye. The focus of how the camera moves between the different focal points is just amazing. The Road Warrior is one of the reasons why I am a self-professed “Action Snob”. I really am. When watching action films, I hold them to standards that are quite high because we exist in a world where Miller has created Mad Max, The Road Warrior, Beyond Thunderdome, Fury Road, and Furiosa. I will be an action movie fan and hold them up on the same level as any other genre all thanks to films like this.

What is the most obvious influence of Mad Max on my life? Well…you are reading this on The WASTELAND Reviewer website. Where did I get the Wasteland from? That twisted mind of Dr. George Miller…that is where. The wild leather-clad, high octane post-apocalyptic Australian future is one of the coolest worlds ever created on film. The barren desert, lawlessness, and bombast just make this world so fascinating. My life (especially as a cinephile) has two parts. Pre-The Road Warrior and post-The Road Warrior. I love the aesthetic as well. I own a leather jacket like the original uniform of Max. I have big black biker boots as well. My brother even bought me an ID badge for MFP Max Rockatansky. All the logos that I have feature the awesome cartoon version of my biker self (shoutout to my buddy Joe Tedesco for his excellent work). Almost every single article series, YouTube show, or podcast that I have is named with the “Wasteland” motif. It is all about the branding (even when I struggled to remember which damn show I am recording at any given circumstance). My alter ego, The Wasteland Reviewer, all derives from Miller’s seminal classic, The Road Warrior. This film (and franchise) has certainly made a deep impact on my life over the last nine years since I started my YouTube channel.

But that isn’t the extent of how The Road Warrior has influenced me…is it? Something that some people close to me know is that I am an amateur screenwriter. I have never tried selling any of my work or really attempted to get them made either. But I have written four and a half screenplays up to this point. Four of those scripts are part of a five-part saga called The Dukes Saga. This is a story about two brothers who were adopted by the federal government in a not-so-distant future and turned into bounty hunters who hunt down drug cartels who now rule over the now collapsed southern border of the United States. This United States is on the verge of dystopia and highly influenced by The Wasteland. This story focuses on the two brothers and explores themes and motifs centered around generational trauma, violence, xenophobia, geopolitics, and sexuality. The design of the older brother, Rick Duke, is highly influenced by Max with his leather patrolman uniform, sawed-off shotgun, and gruff demeanor. I even have some concept art of Rick, and I certainly channeled a lot of Max. He even drives a black 80s Ford Mustang (as an homage to Max’s Interceptor which is a black Ford Falcon). The first seed that was planted for my sprawling action/thriller franchise after I watched The Road Warrior for the first time.

How much have the works of George Miller meant to me? Based on everything I have said above…A LOT. The Road Warrior has completely changed the way I look at action in films and how I analyze action films. My whole brand is deeply rooted in the motifs and aesthetics of the Mad Max franchise. The Road Warrior (and George Miller) influenced me to want to create myself, which I am endlessly grateful for. That is why The Road Warrior will always be one of my favorite films and why Miller will always be one of my favorite filmmakers.