Join Rick and Julia as they comb through the post-apocalyptic wasteland in George Miller's Mad Max Series of movies.
For the hens at the Tweedy Chicken Farm it’s lay eggs or face the chopping block, but Ginger is determined to escape and take every last chicken out with her. Despite the fences, barbed wire, and constant surveillance she devises one scheme after another until help comes from the most unlikely of places as an American rooster named Rocky literally falls into her lap. Reinvigorated by the idea of flying the coop, Ginger, Rocky, and the other chickens race against time to reach greener pastures before Mrs. Tweedy has the chance to make them all into pies.
In 1969 The Who released a rock opera about a boy who despite his psychosomatic deafness, blindness, and inability to speak rises to worldwide renown, somehow finds a cure for his ailments and becomes a religious sensation. In 1975, Ken Russell and Robert Stigwood gathered together some of the biggest names in rock music, including Tina Turner, and brought that rock opera to the big screen. With The Who front man Roger Daltrey as the titular character, the film adaptation brings the album to life in a way that can never truly be duplicated.
Helen Buday takes center stage in this romantic drama set in the 1930s. Theresa is a bold young woman, determined to follow her heart and win the affection of an arrogant young teacher played by Hugo Weaving. Her determination will lead her to leave her home in australia and undertake the voyage, halfway around the world, to London. Along the way she will meet a charming banker, played by Sam Neill, whose own world view and interesting cadre of friends will change her life forever. From Sun-baked streets to smoke filled common houses, nothing will stop Theresa from living life on her terms and for love alone.
We return to the proper post-apocalypse with the movie that is credited as the inspiration for The Road Warrior and Fallout series of video games. It is the year 2024, and worldwide nuclear war has buried what civilization below a layer of sand and ash. Survivors wander these wastes, scavenging for supplies and doing their best to fend off horrific creatures known as screamers, as well as other survivors. In the midst of all this is a young man named Vic and his telepathic dog, Blood. They are about to find out that there are still many surprises buried deep below ground.
Guns, gasoline, and leather, three of the ingredients that make up the Mad Max Series are combined here to bring to life the vision of Director Enzo G. Castellari of a New York borough abandoned by polite society and left to the gangs. Sold as a heavy metal journey into an urban hell where everything was done wrong, The Bronx Warriors is the story of a young woman fleeing a life she does not want and the hard-riding gang leader willing to risk everything to protect her. It’s The Warriors meets Escape from New York with a bit of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly thrown in for good measure.
What better way to wrap up the year than with Henri Safran’s classic holiday tale of farm foreclosure, horse thieves, and the kids determined to set things right. When traveling Shysters, played by John Ewart and John “The People Eater” Howard, steal the prize racing horse from a small family farm, it’s up to Mark Spain, James Wingrove, and Nicole Kidman to work alongside the family’s horse trainer to track down the thieves and save the farm. It’s a solid 90 minutes of horse-riding, hiking through mountainous terrain, and all sorts of family-friendly hijinks.
This is it, we’re finally beyond Thunderdome. As such, we decided to have a little fun and play with some other podcast formats as part of this episode. We’ll share fun bits of Trivia that we may have missed in earlier episodes, Rick shares what he believes it would sound like if Aaron Menke, from the Lore podcast, were a waiting one, and we bring back, friend of the show, Cassadilla for a look at some of the crazy creatures one might find in a post-apocalypse in a send-up to Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s Drunk Safari podcast.
After spending 105 minutes picking apart Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome one minute at a time it’s hard to determine if we’re missing the forest for the trees. So, for the penultimate episode of season 3, we’ve decided to take some time and re-watch the movie. We’ll recap the film scene by scene and try to determine if the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Along the way we’ll also talk about what we would change and our most, and least, favorite things.
We’re rounding out the week with a focus on the most controversial part of Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome: The Waiting Ones. This episode kicks things off with a quick aside about the movie’s theme song, which leads us right into a review of just how effective this element of the story was implemented. Along the way, we ask if Tomorrow-morrow land was worth the effort to get there and discuss any improvements that could have been made to this part of the story.
Moving on from our main character, this episode is focused on Aunty, Master-Blaster, and the wretched hive of scum and villainy that is Bartertown. We take a moment to consider who is the real antagonist of this story between Aunty and Master. This leads into a discussion of whether either of those two learned anything from their run-in with Mad Max. Finally the conversation concludes with a bit of a look at how Aunty ran Bartertown, just for kicks.
It’s the beginning of end credits week as we highlight the main character of this story, Max Rockatansky. This discussion begins with an examination of Max’s personal arc over the course of the movie, specifically comparing who he is at the beginning of the story versus who he becomes by the end. The conversation also includes an examination of the first three Mad Max films as a single narrative, chronicling a long trip through Campbell’s Hero's Journey.
Savannah sits before the assembled crowd, holding a newborn child in her arms, as she tells them of the journey that brought them to this point in their history. As the scene shifts to a shot of the city, great signal fires can be seen in the buildings, as a way to beckon wanderers in from the wasteland, but as is also seen, there is one wanderer in particular who still walks the wastes. We can only assume their identity as the movie fades to black. Special Guests: Crystal Beth & John Robert Wilson from Keep Calm and Game On
Savannah and the other lean out the side of the plane, taking in everything around them, amazed by the sheer scale of what still remains after nearly two decades of calamity. Savannah begins speaking in voice-over and the scene fades to some time later, as a group of the tribe who left gathers in a grand hall to listen to Savannah relay The Tell for that evening. The shot tracks along a group of people, children and adults, all sitting dutifully. Special Guests: Crystal Beth & John Robert Wilson from Keep Calm and Game On
Jedediah diligently flies his Airturk with Mr. Skyfish hovering over his shoulder. The plane banks hard to the right and flies into a massive sandstorm. The thick clouds give way to a canyon, spanned by the remains of a massive bridge. At the canyon’s edge sits a mighty structure with great sweeping lines. Savannah and the others have reached their tomorrow-morrow land, the bombed out remains of Sydney. The buildings stand hollow and grey against the blowing sand. Special Guests: Crystal Beth & John Robert Wilson from Keep Calm and Game On
Aunty lets out a laugh and leaves Max to the desert, stopping only to look back at him and say goodbye before mounting her vehicle and driving away into the wasteland. Max rises to his feet and watches her go. He is left surrounded by wrecked vehicles and smoke as the scene wipes to the Airtruk, now far away from where they were. It flies along reliably, despite the massive sandstorm looming in the distance. The minute ends in the cockpit with Jedediah. Special Guest: Brad Mull from The Lost World Minute
Despite having just jumped from a speeding vehicle, Max is able to lift himself enough to the see the plane fly overhead, and see one last glimpse of the people inside. Nearby, a charred and broken arm reaches from inside a wreckage towards a mask mounted to an iron bar, raising a defiant gesture before falling limp. As Max moves to stand, he is stopped by Aunty’s guards. She approaches him and smirks, saying “well, ain’t we a pair…”. Special Guest: Brad Mull from The Lost World Minute
Max guns the engine and speeds ahead of the Airtruk, moving into position between it, and Aunty’s forces. She is unfazed by this development and as if sensing a challenge, Ironbar speeds ahead of the line, straight towards Max. But Max isn’t playing chicken today, and climbs out of the driver’s seat, leaping from the vehicle at the last moment, and sending his camel truck headlong into Ironbar. The plane leaves the ground and takes flight over the remaining vehicles. Special Guest: Brad Mull from The Lost World Minute
Noticing that Jedediah has cut the engine, Max climbs up the wing to ask him what’s going on. Jedediah is certain that there’s not enough runway between them and the might of Bartertown, but Max assures him that there will be. As Jedediah starts up the plane once more, Max reclaims his camel truck and the two begin rolling back the way they came. As they accelerate, Max maneuvers his vehicle alongside the plane and shares one last look with the people inside. Special Guest: Jim O’Kane from Apollo 13 Minute
As junk scatters across the runway, Aunty and her fleet thunder past Jedediah’s grotto, hot on the heels of the plane. Aunty is out in front, leading the charge, but another vehicle, driven by Ironbar, quickly comes from behind to lead the attack. However, the plane has come to the edge of a cliff, and without the necessary speed needed for flight, Jedediah is forced to stop and turn the plane around., which is fortunate for Scrooloose, who rejoins the party. Special Guest: Jim O’Kane from The Rocketeer Minute
With the plane spinning up outside, Max insists that Jedediah’s plane is the one thing that may save his life that day. He understands well enough what Max is getting at, and soon He and the others run out of the dugout and board the plane as Jedediah Jr. begins to taxi away. They make it to the runway, but Jedediah tells Max that they’re overloaded, they won’t get off the ground. Undeterred, Max releases the cargo nets and drops Jedediah’s junk on the runway. Special Guest: Jim O’Kane from Airport Minute
Jedediah Jr. heads underground to escape his pursuers, ducking into a series of underground tunnels, but Max and the others are close behind. The boy finds his father lounging on a bed, reading a magazine, and tries to get him to leave in their plane, but he is ignored and as Jedediah Jr. runs off, Jedediah is soon joined by some visitors to his grotto. One of the visitors in particular seems to know Jedediah quite well, and begins to insist that today is his lucky day. Special Guests: Karen & Liz
Finally free of pursuers, Max has made his way to the front of the train and found Pig Killer impaled by Ironbar’s harpoon. Max makes quick work of the harpoon, pulling it from Pig Killer’s leg, but Savannah catches sight of an obstruction in the distance that forces him to slam on the brakes. As the train comes to a halt, Max and the others find themselves being held up by Jedediah Jr., but Aunty’s vehicles are close behind, sending everyone on the run once more. Special Guests: Karen & Liz
It’s a desperate tug-of-war between Ironbar and the Children as both hold tight to Master. Max capitalizes on the opportunity and delivers a mighty kick to Ironbar’s face, sending him careening on a pipe out into open air. Dangling and helpless to rescue himself, Ironbar calls for backup, but the sudden appearance of a bridge leaves him up in the air. Ironbar fights to stay on the pipe, hurdling obstacles as they come, but ultimately Mr. Skyfish puts an end to him. Special Guests: Karen & Liz
With the cabin no longer a safe place, Savannah begins helping the smaller children move onto the Generator Train’s engine, but Aunty is clever and shouts for Blackfinger to disconnect the caboose from the engine. Savannah hears the order and quickly grabs Master, causing Aunty to rescind her order. As Blackfinger holds the train together, Aunty pulls Master away from Savannah, a victory that is short lived as Max snatches Master and they jump to safety. Special Guests: Cassandra Fredrickson & Norman Mitchell from Lord of the Rings Minute
Scorched, soot-covered, and screaming, Ironbar clings to the front of the generator train having inexplicably survived a horrific explosion. Nearby, Max finds himself the target of a Bartertown vehicle intent on doing to him what He just did to Ironbar, but Max is a skilled driver and avoids the train. Up in the cabin, Master and the children are attacked by more guards, led personally by Aunty, but luckily for them, Savannah is nearby and ushers them outside. Special Guests: Cassandra Fredrickson & Norman Mitchell from Lord of the Rings Minute
Abandoning his hand-powered rail car, Ironbar leaps onto a vehicle equipped with a harpoon gun and quickly puts it to good use against Pig killer. Before He can get off another shot, Max is there to use his cowhide car to push Ironbar’s buggy in front of the generator train. The small buggy is no match for the speed of the train and though Ironbar tries to leap to safety, he quickly finds himself engulfed in a massive fireball as the buggy is completely demolished. Special Guests: Cassandra Fredrickson & Norman Mitchell from Lord of the Rings Minute
As Max settles in behind the wheel of the cowhide car, Scrooloose makes his way to the front of Max’s old camel-drawn wagon and disables the driver with a mighty swing of his frying pan. The wagon veers in front of the generator train and sideswipes another vehicle which rouses the concussed guard. A second swing of the frying pan puts an end to him, and soon Scrooloose finds himself in, what could be considered, control of the vehicle as it speeds along.
While Anna and Skyfish learn conversational French, Eddie is at the back window using Master’s pair of binoculars to survey the landscape. Things seem quiet until, without warning the Bartertown guards are upon them, smashing windows and grabbing for Master. Max is quick to engage the guards but is quickly pulled from the train only to find himself being dragged behind a car covered in cowhides. Not to be outdone, Scrooloose also leaps from the train.
Many interesting trinkets can be found in Master’s cabin on the Generator Train, but one above all stands out to Anna Goanna and Mr. Skyfish; the old turntable. Anna is quick to call attention to it and Mr. Skyfish takes Gekko’s sonic and places it on the machine. After inspecting the relic and finding it just as quiet as before, Max steps in and reveals the true nature of the vinyl disc that they’ve carried with them ever since the day the Skyraft was attacked by Turbulents.
Clear of Bartertown, Max, Master, Pig killer and the kids seem to be in the clear. With Underworld fading further and further into the distance Max takes a moment to ask Pig killer what their next move is going to be, a question for which there is no answer. Meanwhile, in the cabin at the back of the train, Master is attempting to pack several keepsakes into a bag. This task is thwarted by the children, who are intent on exploring this cabinet of curiosities. Special Guests: Travis Bow & Eric Nash from Watchmen Minute
The terrified wastelanders press towards the exits, but Bartertown’s guards keep them in place as Aunty steps out onto a platform to address the people massing below. She raises her hands to quiet them, and though explosions continue to erupt around her, Aunty is calm and determined, instructing those gathered to chase after Master and those that took Him from them. The crowd cheers and moments later Aunty leads a rolling armada out into the wasteland. Special Guests: Travis Bow & Eric Nash from Watchmen Minute
As the Generator Train breaks free of the pipes and wires that hold it in place, Bartertown has descended into complete disarray. The guards struggle to maintain order but the near constant explosions erupting up from Underworld are making the job quite troublesome. The Collector and Dr. Dealgood quickly find themselves shoved aside as the traders that had come to Bartertown flee with their goods. Meanwhile, in a large vat of pig feces, a figure emerges. Special Guests: Travis Bow & Eric Nash from Watchmen Minute
With Ironbar dealt with, Max, Savannah, and Scrooloose scramble to board the generator train as Pig killer guns the engine. The old generator train roars as it strains against the cables and ducts that hold it in place, but slowly, the connections begin to give way. Topside, Aunty descends from her penthouse as flames erupt from the ground. Sparks leap and smoke billows from ruptured pipes as the generator train laboriously begins to roll forward along its tracks. Special Guests: Pete the Retailer & Comic Book Alex from Star Wars Minute
Max and Savannah bar the door holding back Aunty’s guards, but their victory is short-lived as the guards begin cutting their way through with a chainsaw. Max and Savannah return to the main chamber where Pig killer and Master are prepared to depart, enthusiastically blowing the train’s horn, but they’re not in the clear just yet. All of the commotions have caught Aunty’s attention through her periscope and it seems that the feed chute didn’t completely disable Ironbar. Special Guests: Pete the Retailer & Comic Book Alex from Star Wars Minute
Max and Pig killer’s reunion is cut short by the dulcet tones of Blackfinger singing a jaunty tune at the beginning of his day, but He quickly discovers that things are not as they should be in Underworld and high tails it out of there, with Max following close behind. Max is able to keep pace with the mechanic, following him through a set of heavy doors, but after rounding a corner He finds that Blackfinger is no longer alone, and the roles have reversed. Special Guests: Pete the Retailer & Comic Book Alex from Star Wars Minute
Ironbar fails to catch Max and the kids in the air vent, but as he returns to the ground He finds that someone has knocked out one of his guards, and spinning around He sees Pig killer standing with Master and Eddie on the generator truck. Pig killer is able to delay Ironbar just long enough for Master to pull a lever and drop a feed chute on Ironbar, knocking him out and bringing Max and the kids sliding down into Underworld from their hiding spot above. Special Guests: Christy Porter & Gerry Porter from Indiana Jones Minute
Scrooloose is trapped up in the pipes and surrounded by guards, but it’s Mr. Skyfish to the rescue as he swings into action and gets them out of there. and back to the vent where Max and the others are hiding. Now fully aware that there are intruders in Underworld, Ironbar grabs a weapon and tries to attack, but he is foiled by the bumbling antics of his cohorts. Undeterred, Ironbar leads his guards to the pipe, but there’s someone else they need to worry about. Special Guests: Christy Porter & Gerry Porter from Indiana Jones Minute
Having wandered away from the others, Eddie finds Pig killer tending to the newborn piglets and exhibiting a gentleness that defies his given title. Upon noticing this new face in his prison, Pig killer cannot help but chuckle. Back on the main platform, Scrooloose sits obscured in the pipes that extend above the central platform watching the amusing contest between ruffians below, but his enthusiasm gets the better of him and he is spotted by Ironbar. Special Guests: Christy Porter & Gerry Porter from Indiana Jones Minute
Max closes the opening to the air vent and quickly discovers that the children have gone ahead without him. Crawling along with Savannah and Anna, they eventually catch up to Tubba and Cusha who have found an opening that allows them to peer through to Underworld. Through the smoke and the filth, Max is able to spy Master, chained and caged in amongst the pigs. Having found the man he was looking for, Max realizes there are a few kids missing. Special Guests: Jonathan Carlisle & Tabitha Carlisle from UHF 62nd & Princess Bride Minute
Scrooloose returns to the group and wakes them up, insistent that they follow him to see what he has found. At the top of a nearby dune, the children spot distant lights and they wonder if they have found Tomorrowland, but Max knows that they have stumbled upon Bartertown. Knowing that he was exiled from the town, Max uses an air vent to sneak the children into Bartertown in hopes of finding supplies for the return trip across the nothing. Special Guests: Jonathan Carlisle & Tabitha Carlisle from UHF 62nd
Finn McCoo has disappeared beneath the desert sand and Savannah is close behind as Scrooloose is starting to lose his grip. Luckily for them, Max is there to grab them before they’re both pulled under, but he is too late to save young Finn. Savannah is devastated by the loss of her young son, but it's not dwelled on and the scene fades to the group sleeping on the side of a dune, but Scrooloose is too restless to sleep. Special Guests: Jonathan Carlisle & Tabitha Carlisle from Princess Bride Minute
Having walked very far, Anna Goanna, Tubba Tintye, Eddie, and Max have found something in the distance. It’s Mr. Skyfish’s kite, flying high on the wind, but Savannah and the others are in grave danger. Finn McCoo has fallen into quicksand and is being pulled under, with only a length of fabric connecting him to the human chain that Savannah and the others have formed to pull him out. Despite their struggle, they are losing, and Max must hurry to help them. Special Guests: Gary Roby & Victoria Cope from Harry Potter Minute
Max, Anna Goanna, and Tubba Tintye are deep in the nothing, on the trail of Savannah and the other leavers. The three hear a call on the wind, but instead of discovering someone ahead of them, they instead find that Eddie, one of the smallest waiting ones, is rushing to join them. Max is terse in his assertion that the little one will have to carry their own weight, but it’s soon shown that Max is willing to carry Eddie on his shoulders as they trek all day and into the night. Special Guests: Gary Roby & Victoria Cope from Harry Potter Minute
Having heard Anna Goanna’s request for a hunter, the tribe look to Tubba Tintye, who in turn looks to see that he has been selected to accompany Max and Anna into the nothing. The trio fills their arms with bottles, gourds, and leather flasks before heading out into the dunes. Slake and the other Waiting Ones stand silent as they watch the rescue party disappear into the desert, none of them sure if they will ever see their friends again. Special Guests: Gary Roby & Victoria Cope from Harry Potter Minute
With a dusty ocean of sand in front of him and a tribe of expectant children behind him, Max must make a decision on what to do next. Anna pleads with him to save Savannah and the others, and despite his better judgement, Max finally agrees with a simple request for as much water as possible. The tribe drops all of their water vessels at Max’s feet and as he begins to collect his supply, Anna states that she is coming along and they should bring a hunter.
As Max sits by the fire with Savannah and her crew tied up nearby, he has no idea that Scrooloose is sneaking around behind him. He is shaken awake the next morning by Anna Goanna who informs Max that Savannah and her cohorts were freed during the night and the lot of them have disappeared into The Nothing. Anna drags Max out to the edge of the desert where they find Slake and the other Waiting Ones looking out at the endless expanse of sand.
Max has Savannah held by the shoulder, but she refuses to yield. Max raises his fist threateningly, but she does not flinch. Finally, Max punches her across the face, knocking her out. Max takes a breath and leans down to pick up Savannah. With her slung over his shoulder, Max tells Slake to get the others. The group of leavers taken by the other Waiting Ones and tied to support posts in a hut so Max can keep watch over them, but someone has other plans.
Armed with the rifle that was Slake’s walking stick, Max explains to The Waiting Ones that while he’s not Captain Walker, he is still someone that they should respect, and their best chance of staying alive and safe, is to stay in The Crack in the Earth. Savannah stares at Max for a moment then turns again to leave. Max fires another warning shot which is met with spears thrown at his feet. Frustrated, Max chases after Savannah, catching her before she can leave. Special Guest: Cassadilla from Wicked Wasteland
Having heard Max’s warning about the dangers, Savannah turns her back on The Waiting Ones and starts to lead her group out. Slake calls after them, pleading for them to abandon this idea, but Savannah has had enough of Max’s words and will not stay. Seeing that the time for diplomacy has ended, Max takes Slake’s spear, actually a rifle, and with some nearby ammunition, fires a warning shot in Savannah’s direction. With their undivided attention, he speaks. Special Guest: Cassadilla from Wicked Wasteland
Slake and Savannah are facing off in the center of the camp. Savannah and her supporters are adamant about being allowed to leave, but Slake is unwilling to let them depart, considering their plan foolish and essentially a suicide mission. Despite this assessment, Savannah and her followers are determined to make the journey, which prompts Max to step in and let them know that there’s more than sand out there in the wasteland, they also need to worry about Bartertown. Special Guest: Cassadilla from Wicked Wasteland
Back in The Crack in the Earth, Max sits with Copilot away from the children of the tribe. He looks around and notices small faces glaring at him, but there is nothing he can do for them. The silence is broken by the sound of the camp gong as Savannah announces to the others that she is pulling on a leaving and looking for volunteers to join her. Slake opposes this idea and emerges from a hut to say as much, but his opinion does not sway those leaving.
© 2020-2025 Ivy Podcast Discovery LLC
