REX - Regional Express

OUTThere Magazine l June 2013

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drivetime Previous page, above and below: Mel Gibson in the Interceptor; life-size characters on display at the Mad Max 2 Museum; the Silverton museum dedicated to all things Mad Max 2. Adrian even owns a blue heeler named 'Dog', just like Max Rockatansky does in the movie. When Adrian arrived in Silverton, however, he was surprised to find that there was nothing commemorating the region's famous film heritage. "Silverton was known as the Hollywood of the Outback," he explains. "I arrived expecting to see Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Razorback and Mad Max on every street corner, but there was nothing." News soon spread that the Englishman was opening a museum dedicated to Mad Max 2. "It was headline news before I'd even started doing anything," Adrian laughs. "So that's when I decided to build something to justify all the hype." Soon, Broken Hill locals who'd been extras in the movie started to donate Mad Max 2 photographs from their personal collections, while Adrian scanned the location for pieces of memorabilia left over from the shoot. When the museum opened in September 2010, cast and crew from the film started popping in to share their unique behind-the-scenes experiences. "They're such pleasant people and always have time to talk Mad Max. Many of them are my friends now," says Adrian, who also enjoys introducing newcomers to the films. "Visitors often leave saying they're going to see the films in a different light, and that's what the museum is about: educating people. Mad Max 2 isn't the violent biker movie that people assume; it's actually very clever, and George Miller is one of the most talented filmmakers in the world." In addition to curating the museum, which includes life-size characters in full costume, original and replica vehicles and other artefacts from the movie, Adrian often takes visitors out to the film's locations. "Sometimes I take them to the site where the Interceptor was rolled over and blown up. If you're patient, you'll still find pieces from the car wreckage," he says. "There's so much more to the 90 minutes you see on screen. Most of the people in Mad Max 2 were Broken Hill locals," Adrian reveals. "They acted, drove the vehicles and even did some of the stunt work. They went far beyond anything a normal extra would do, and that's part of what makes the film so gritty, because what you see on screen is so real." Silverton now attracts about 80 per cent of visitors to Broken Hill. During the holiday season, this can amount to 120,000 tourists. Not bad for a town with a population of less than 40! Aged 49, Adrian is certainly living his dream. "The sense of satisfaction I get is wonderful," "Mad Max 2 isn't the violent biker movie that people assume; it's actually very clever." 25

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