Mad Max (1979)
A policeman comes into conflict with a group of bikers as society crumbles.
Genre
Characters/Groups
Underground Mechanic - David Cameron
Senior Doctor - Peter Felmingham
Junior Doctor - Phil Motherwell
Nightrider's Girl - Lulu Pinkus
People's Observer - Gil Tucker
Couple Towing a Camper - Peter Culpan
Couple Towing a Camper - Di Trelour
Kid in Purple Shirt - Brendan Young
Character thumbnails with links to profiles
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Detailed Synopsis
A few years from now...
Roop and Charlie are parked on the side of Highway 9 Sector 26 when they receive a call from March Hare, Sarse and Scuttle, asking for assistance in apprehending a cop killer. Roop and Charlie argue who is going to drive and then they drive off to help March Hare. Charlie attempts to ram the vehicle driven by the Nightrider and with the Nightrider's Girl inside, while Roop attempts to shoot them with a shotgun. Nightrider manages to avoid Charlie's attempt to ram him and Charlie crashes the vehicle. Roop forces Charlie to move into the passenger seat and then they resume the pursuit. Jim Goose is talking with a Restaurant Customer telling him a story of a crash victim, when a customer in a hat notices the Main Force Patrol pursuit of the Nightrider. Goose then runs out of the restaurant followed by two Tow Truck Drivers as a Fat Nancy Waitress watches. A Couple argue on the side of the road while their Toddler runs into the highway. A Couple Towing a Camper stalls in the middle of the highway, while trying to pull a U-turn. Roop crashes into a paint van causing the van and them to crash, while Scuttle and Sarse continue their pursuit. Roop manages to restart his vehicle and again joins in the pursuit despite Charlie pleading with him to stop the pursuit. The Nightrider drive towards the Toddler, but narrowly avoids him and Sarse and Scuttle crash their vehicle and flip it. Roop then crashes his vehicle into the Camper. Goose slides into the side of the truck hauling the Camper and Roop calls the dispatcher to tell her Charlie needs an ambulance. Goose then updates Max of the situation and the Nightrider taunts Max over the radio. Max plays chicken with the Nightrider and the Nightrider flinches and swerves his car. The Nightrider loses his confidence and crashes into a roadblock causing a large explosion.
A TV Newsreader tells the public about that day's police chase and the death of the Nightrider. Jessie asks who he was, and Max dismisses him as another glory rider. Before leaving for work the next morning, Jessie tells Max she's crazy about him using sign language. Goose takes Max down into the parking garage where they meet Underground Mechanic. Goose and Underground Mechanic show Max a vehicle they dub the last of the V8's and Max asks when they can take it for a spin. In his office, Fifi is listening in secretly to what is happening in the garage, and Labatouche tells him he doesn't like the idea of bribing cops to stay on the force. At an accident, Fifi tells Max that the Nightrider's friends are out to get him, but Max blows off the threat. Toecutter's gang rides into New Jerusalem waking up the local residents including Lair, Girl in Chevvy, Grinner and a Woman in Red. They park their motorcycles and walk up to the Station Master and Bubba Zanetti tells him that they are coming to meet their friend on the train. Toecutter makes the Station Manager take off his hat in respect and then tells everyone to leave so he can be alone with the coffin. Mudguts sprays milk shake on Grinner's face, which Diabando licks off. Mudguts and Cundalini attack Grinner and Grinner is then dragged behind a motor cycle. As Lair and Girl in Chevvy are driving off, they almost hit Toecutter. Toecutter whistles to his gang and they ride off after Lair and Girl in Chevvy. They catch up to Lair and Girl in Chevvy and attack his car, causing Lair to crash. Max and Goose are talking with a couple in a custom motorcycle when they get a call from dispatch about the incident in New Jerusalem. Before leaving, Goose gives the couple a get out of jail free card. As they are driving, they see Lair running away with no pants on. They arrive at the scene of Lair's destroyed vehicle and find Johnny the Boy high on drugs holding a rope with Girl in Chevvy attached to the end. Johnny the Boy starts yelling about the Nightrider.
As Toecutter is leading his gang while siting in the bed of Woman in Red's truck with the Nightrider's coffin in the bed, Bubba Zanetti motions him to pull over and tells him Johnny the Boy stayed behind and Toecutter tells him to go back and get him. While waiting outside the Halls of Justice, a Kid in Purple Shirt asks Bubba Zanetti what happened to Lair's car, which had been towed inside the gates. Max, Fifi and Roop arrive with the People's Observer and Silvertongue. Fifi orders Johnny the Boy to be released after telling Max and Goose that the case ended in a no contest due to none of the townspeople or victims showing up in court. Silvertongue tells Goose there is no case and the People's Observer demands that Johnny the Boy be released. Johnny the Boy taunts Goose, and Fifi and Max are forced to hold Goose back. As he is leaving, Johnny the Boy taunts Goose once more before being dragged away by Bubba Zanetti. On the beach, Mudguts and Cundalini are playing with a mannequin while Diabando and Clunk laugh. Toecutter tells Cundalini to place the mannequin against a post and tells everyone that the mannequin is a spy for the police. Johnny the Boy grabs Toecutter's shotgun and shoots the mannequin. Toecutter drags Johnny the Boy into the water after telling him not to talk so much. Goose is at the Sugartown Cabaret listening to a Singer, while outside Johnny the Boy messes with Goose's motorcycle. In the morning, Goose wakes up in the bedroom of Singer and as he is riding on his motorcycle, he looses control and crashes. He wakes up and starts walking along the road before he is picked up by Midge, who lends him his truck. As Goose is riding off he yells to Midge his motto, "Jimmy the Goose, larger than life and twice as ugly!" As Goose is riding along the highway he is attacked by Toecutter's gang and he crashes Midge's truck. The truck flips over and gasoline starts to pour into the cab. Toecutter tells Johnny to light his cigarette with a matchstick and when Johnny resists Toecutter yells at him until Johnny throws it at the truck, which goes up in flames with Goose inside of it.
Max arrives at the hospital and after seeing what remains of the Goose, he refuses to accept the body is Goose and runs out of the hospital. The next day Max has a nightmare and tells Jessie he is having a hard time coping with what happened with Goose. He goes to Fifi's office with a resignation letter. Fifi tells Max they are going to "give people back their heroes" and as Max continues to walk out, gives him a few weeks vacation to think it over. Max, Jessie and Sprog leave for vacation, on their way stopping to buy a Dog from a Dog Seller. They take a picnic and Max tells Jessie he loves her. They stop at a junk yard and to have Grease Rat look at one of their tires and Max stays behind while Jessie and Sprog go to town to get ice cream. Starbuck sees Jessie drive up and tells the others. As Jessie is walking back to the car with her ice cream she is confronted by Toecutter. She shoves her ice cream into his face and then drives off. As she does, Cundalini swings a chain at the car. Jessie speeds back to the junk yard and picks up Max and then drives away. Toecutter's gang follows behind and asks Grease Rat where Jessie and Max are heading. Max and Jessie stop and as Jessie gets out of the car she sees one of Cundalini's hands still attached to the chain tied to her car. They hand over the hand to Ziggy who tells them not to worry. They arrive at May Swaisey's property and Jessie goes down to the beach while Max works on the car. As Jessie is walking to the beach, Max signs to her that he is crazy about her and May tells Jessie not to worry about Benno if she meets him. As Jessie is walking back to May's house, she finds the Dog they just bought dead hanging from a tree and she nearly runs into Benno. Max tells May to call the authorities and then runs towards the beach with Benno behind him. Jessie remembers Sprog was left outside and runs to the car. She finds Sprog being held by Diabando, and Toecutter demands Cundalini's hand back. May points a shotgun at Toecutter's gang and tells Jessie to grab Sprog and get in the van. Jessie drives away with May and Sprog, but the vehicle stalls. As she is running with Sprog, she is run over by Toecutter.
Jessie is brought to the hospital where the Junior Doctor reads off Jessie's injuries to the Senior Doctor. The Nurse tells them Sprog died and Junior Doctor tells the Nurse to tell Max Jessie is going to be okay. Max returns home, scrunches up his monster mask and opens his trunk full of his police gear. He returns to the Halls of Justice and drives away in the black V8 Pursuit Special. He goes back to the Grease Rat's junk yard and finds out where the Toecutter and his gang are. Max tracks Johnny the Boy, Mudguts, Starbuck, Clunk, and Diabando and drives straight towards them causing Johnny to lose control and crash. The other members of the gang chase after Max. Max, who has a photo of Jessie and Sprog in the center of the steering wheel, passes a bridge and quickly turns around. He drives directly at the gang killing Mudguts, Starbuck, Clunk and Diabando. Johnny goes to a highway phone and calls the Toecutter who finds photos of Jessie and Sprog and Goose in his motorcycle helmet. Toecutter sets an ambush for Max, who is shot in the leg by Bubba Zanetti when he gets out of his car. Bubba Zanetti then runs over Max's arm and Toecutter tells Bubba to finish Max. As Bubba comes around to run over Max again, Max shoots him with his sawed off shotgun killing him and Toecutter and Johnny the Boy ride away. Max gets back into his vehicle and drives after the Toecutter, toying with him, until eventually the Toecutter crashes into a semi and is torn in half. He comes across a crash and finds Johnny the Boy stealing the boots of the crash victim. Max orders Johnny to put a pair of handcuffs on his ankle and then drags him to the truck where he puts the other cuff onto the truck. Max sets Johnny's lighter next to a headlight collecting gasoline and gives Johnny the option, after dropping a hacksaw, to cut off his ankle or burn to death. Max walks off and drives away as the truck explodes.