Furiosa!

Hell yeah! And how is Fury Road eight years old?

Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth star in Academy Award-winning mastermind George Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” the much-anticipated return to the iconic dystopian world he created more than 30 years ago with the seminal “Mad Max” films. Miller now turns the page again with an all-new original, standalone action adventure that will reveal the origins of the powerhouse character from the multiple Oscar-winning global smash “Mad Max: Fury Road.” The new feature from Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures is produced by Miller and his longtime partner, Oscar-nominated producer Doug Mitchell (“Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Babe”), under their Australian-based Kennedy Miller Mitchell banner.

As the world fell, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the Wasteland, they come across the Citadel presided over by The Immortan Joe. While the two Tyrants war for dominance, Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home.

Taylor-Joy stars in the title role, and along with Hemsworth, the film also stars Alyla Browne and Tom Burke.

Miller penned the script with “Mad Max: Fury Road” co-writer Nico Lathouris. Miller’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes first assistant director PJ Voeten and second unit director and stunt coordinator Guy Norris, director of photography Simon Duggan (“Hacksaw Ridge,” “The Great Gatsby”), composer Tom Holkenborg, sound designer Robert Mackenzie, editor Eliot Knapman, visual effects supervisor Andrew Jackson and colorist Eric Whipp. The team also includes other longtime collaborators: production designer Colin Gibson, editor Margaret Sixel, sound mixer Ben Osmo, costume designer Jenny Beavan and makeup designer Lesley Vanderwalt, each of whom won an Oscar for their work on “Mad Max: Fury Road.”

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents, in Association with Village Roadshow Pictures, A Kennedy Miller Mitchell Production, A George Miller Film, “Furiosa.” The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, in theaters only nationwide on May 24, 2024 and internationally beginning on May 22, 2024.

Andy Kaufman’s Helpful Hints

Renfield and I caught the new Kaufman documentary at the Indie Memphis Film Festival yesterday, which of course sent me down the YouTube rabbit hole later. These clips are not in the movie, but a good sampling of some of the things he did to enrage the locals during his Memphis wrasslin heel stint in 1982. Hilarious.

The guy they keep cutting back to is Dave Brown, weatherman and co-host (along with Lance Russell) of the local wrestling program on our NBC affiliate.

Good Question

Thanks to Droogie for bringing this to my attention! Sadly, I don’t have Paramount+ …

Geddy Lee, legendary bassist and vocalist of Rush, stars in a new docuseries set out to answer one question: Are bass players human, too? He visits fellow bass players Krist Novoselic of Nirvana, Melissa Auf der Maur of Hole, Robert Trujillo of Metallica, and Les Claypool of Primus, to explore their expansive worlds beyond music.

This One’s For You, Renfield

Mrs. Makerbot and I just watched Dracula last night, so this is a particularly timely find. We also streamed Renfield, which we thought was goofy fun.

In this in-depth retrospective, I tell the story behind the one that started it all: 1931’s “Dracula”, starring Béla Lugosi as The Count. I delve deep into its rocky development, cursed casting process, and messy production, as well as its public reception and timeless legacy, all while providing my own thoughts on the film. Also starring: Helen Chandler, Edward Van Sloan, Frances Dade, David Manners, and Dwight Frye. Directed by Tod Browning. Produced by Carl Laemmle for Universal Pictures.

I’m A Sucker For These Beatles Stems

This rhythm section kicked major ass, and Mr. McCartney was obviously paying close attention to James Jamerson by Rubber Soul.

Best YouTube comment:

The craziest part about Paul’s basslines is that, at least on Rubber Soul and before, he was playing and singing this LIVE with no monitors.

This Song Is Full Of Spoilers

Mrs. Makerbot and I re-watched Don’t Look Now the other night and I was reminded of this Big Audio Dynamite song, a tribute to Nicolas Roeg and his films. Who would’ve ever guessed this would be Mick Jones’s new direction after departing The Clash? Even cranking out … whatever this is … (Alternative dance? Post-punk? Dance-punk? Avant-rock? Sampledelia?) Jones is still a hook machine.

Anyway, 1985’s This Is Big Audio Dynamite is a definite contender for our perfect first album list for me, probably because it takes me back to being 16. Nothing hurt and things were just getting good!

Bonus: The below video is worth a look just for the Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon (and John Lydon) cameos.