Blood, sweat & chrome The wild and true story of Mad Max: fury road

In 2015, Max Mad: Fury Road exploded onto cinema screens to almost universal acclaim (it was even nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture). Hailed as an innovative action movie, it was the culmination of almost two decades of obsession and frustration for its director, George Miller. It was a brutally difficult movie to make: there was no script (but there were thousands of storyboards), almost every scene was an action scene, and it was filmed on location in the Namib Desert. This must-have oral history of the movie is based on more than 130 interviews with the film's cast and crew: not just the top liners (director, stars, screenwriter, cinematographer), but set designers, prop masters, supporting players, special-effects artists, stunt performers, and many more. It's as if the entire cast and crew were in a big room, sharing their stories. The book is so good that, even though we know how the story turned out (the movie did eventually get made), we are somehow in a near-constant state of suspense, wondering if Miller and his team will ever get this celluloid beast off the ground. Filled with surprises and illuminating behind-the-scenes stories, this is the book Mad Max fans crave.

In 2020, New York Times reporter Buchanan wrote an oral history of Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) to coincide with the film's fifth anniversary. That viral article was the basis for this full-length treatment of how a film that almost didn't get made (one movie studio even walked away) turned into an unexpected success, winning six Oscars and becoming a feminist classic. Buchanan interviewed more than 130 members of the cast and crew in order to present this oral history of the decade-long process of developing the film, the fourth in a franchise. Director George Miller shares his vision for focusing the film on one long car race and discusses the decision to center Furiosa (Charlize Theron) alongside Max (Tom Hardy). Fans of Mad Max's car chases will enjoy behind-the-scenes insight on filming the stunts in the Namibian desert. Buchanan's interviews hear the crew expressing frustrations about the lengthy casting process and the film's tendency to run over budget and behind schedule. Throughout the book, Miller's vision is brought to life. VERDICT An insider's guide to Fury Road that will inspire fans to rewatch and leave them eager for the next installment on Furiosa.--Stephanie Sendaula