Surprising Fashion Inspiration: Mad Max

January 21, 2010

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My boyfriend has been obsessed with finding the second Mad Max movie for months now, and by chance he spotted it at our local video store (Galaxy Entertainment, go there now, thank me later). Of course this meant we had to watch it AS SOON AS POSSIBLE even though I had hired out much more scintillating things to watch (like, um, Bridezillas). I'd never seen it before and since it's considered by many to be a seminal Australian film, I thought I would give both Mad Max movies a go.

Mad Max is, as described by Boy, set "in a post-apocalyptic kind of future... I think he had a wife and kid who were killed by some road people... that turned him into a kind of crazy man who basically goes for revenge, so he basically goes on a killing spree... or something" (a better explanation can be found here). However, I was more inspired by the costumes than anything else. I found it interesting that the costume budget for the first film was only $400, three films were made in total and there are rumours of a fourth...

From Rolling Stone Magazine, August 1985:"The dress Moriceau concocted for Entity is an expressionist classic: a seventy-pound soldered amalgam of dog muzzles, coat hangers and chicken wire, the whole overlaid with gleaming chain-mail butcher aprons and accessorized with pendulant auto-spring earrings. The accompanying wig, styled to echo the movie's male plumage, required Tina to shave her head for proper fitting. She offered no protest." (From Mad Max Costumes)

I kind of get a couple-of-seasons-ago Balmain vibe from a few of these pictures. Or maybe even a distinct Rhianna vibe from all these studded leather pieces? I could even see Gaga rocking that quarterback back brace... thing in the last photo. What about you?

Tina Turner (in the fifth and sixth pictures) loved her costume so much she reprised it at a concert in December 2008...

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Photos from Mad Max Costumes, Tina Turner pictures from linked article.

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Tara

6 Comments

6 comments:

Monster Girl21 January 2010 at 22:11
I'm sorry, I wish I had something more productive to say than that this reminds of in the Simpsons when Homer is writing to a movie, haha! "P.S, do you know Mad Max?" Love it.
harbourmaster21 January 2010 at 22:43
Tina Turner was in the third one (Thunderdome), I'm fairly sure they had a much bigger budget to play with...and I don't know how to say this without sounding like a 12 yr old, so here goes: LOL AT STAGE COSTUME!
Tara22 January 2010 at 02:26
Monster Girl - HAHA I love that! "This guy doesn't write to movie stars, he writes to movies. Dear Die Hard, you rock".
harbourmaster - Oops, I did just mean the first movie! Just editing it now, thanks love! Also, that was pretty much my impression of the stage costume too, haha.
emily jane22 January 2010 at 12:35
Ummm where is Feral Kid in the fashion inspiration? You know he (she?) is the best character.
Anonymous23 January 2010 at 21:50
Those are some wild outfits, but I can definitely see how they translate into today's fashion trends and inspirations. =D
Rosee27 January 2010 at 07:18
Wow. I look forward to the post-apocalyptic future in which entire leather ensembles can be bought for under $400! I think my boyfriend recently spent nearly that much on just a jacket.