Mad Max 2 / The Road Warrior
Road Warrior Lost Version / Alternate TV Version
Back in the days when there was less violence on TV, an extremely censored version of Mad Max 2 was created for TV. It was screened sometime in the mid-80's on NBC (USA), and subsequently on Network 10 in Australia, and possibly also other countries. This practice of having an alternate TV version with scene differences is actually not uncommon, especially when some scenes of a film have had to be cut, requiring additional scenes to pad the film back out to proper length.
This version is notable for several reasons. Firstly the opening and closing narrative are given by an uncredited American actor (who sounds a lot like Gus Mercurio), instead of the original Harold Baigent voice overs (although Harold's credit remains in the modified version). This version is censored to the extreme, with most of the human violence cut out - they even cut out Max saying "Crap". To pad the time back out for all these cuts, in many places additional or alternate scenes have been added.
Thanks to the tireless efforts of The WordWarrior, I have below a pretty much complete list of everything that is different in this modified TV version. If anyone out there has a pretty much pristine copy of this modified version, and would like to help me out in getting a better copy myself, please contact me. I have a pretty good NTSC copy at the moment, but a clearer copy would still be nice.
The Road Warrior "Lost" Version / Alternate TV version differences are as follows:
BEGINNING NARRATION
UNCUT, "I remember the roadwarrior, the man we called Max." NBC, "I remember the man we called Max, the roadwarrior." UNCUT, "Ordinary men were battered and smashed." NBC, "Good, brave men were battered and smashed." UNCUT, "Men like Max, the warrior Max." NBC, "Men like Max, who ruled the highways in the name of the law. Who became a lover, husband, father." UNCUT, "...lost everything, but became a shell of a man, a burnt-out desolate man. A man haunted by the demons of his past." NBC, "...lost everything, his woman, his child, his world." UNCUT, "A man that wandered out into the wasteland. And it was here, in this blighted place, that learned to live again." NBC, "He wandered out into the wasteland, and here he would learn, amid the dark wreckage, that the fire which burns in the heart of man, will endure. Hope survives."
THE BEGINNING CHASE SCENE
The NBC cuts out Wez pulling the arrow out of his arm. The NBC replaces the dying dune buggie driver screaming with a shot of the road as the sound of a crow crawing, and flapping it's wings, is heard. NBC cuts out the rig driver's bloated face shots.
MAX MEETS GYROCAPTAIN
The NBC switches to an aerial shot of Max as he approaches the gyroplane. This is done to hide the nude girl painted on the gyroplane. NBC silences Max as he says "Crap!" to the Gyrocaptain.
THE MARAUDERS ATTACK NATHAN'S VEHICLE
NBC cuts out shots of the Woman while she's exposed. NBC cuts out shots of rape and of Wez shooting arrows into Nathan. NBC cuts out shot of Mohawker shooting woman with crossbow. NBC shuffles some shots- the Gyrocaptain watches Wez drive off through his telescope, as opposed to Max. As soon as Max starts to swing his tool at the Mohawker's head, NBC cuts to a shocked Gyrocaptain as he looks through his telescope. This shocked look was used after the shooting of the Woman in the UNCUT.
MAX'S ENTRANCE
NBC cuts out Max pulling and cutting Nathan from the arrows. NBC adds a shot of the FERAL KID and DOG together as Max carries Nathan. NBC replaces a shot of Nathan's bloodied face with a shot of the faces of those that are helping him. NBC adds Pappagallo touching Nathan's face as Big Rebecca stands angry. NBC shows a light truck pulling the interceptor into the compound.
The Feral Kid plays with Dog
THE MARAUDERS RETURN
NBC replaces a panning shot of the Marauders, including several victims sprawled across cars, with a far way shot. NBC adds a shot of Big Rebecca and Quiet Man lowering their weapons. NBC adds shot of two Gayboy Berserkers standing up out of the T-top. NBC replaces close-up shot of Toadie punching Defiant Victim with a longer angle shot. NBC cuts out rabbit twirling after Wez shoots it. NBC switches to Pappagallo while Wez head-butts Defiant Victim. As the boomerang flies the first time, NBC adds a shot of a Goggle Mohawker watching. NBC cuts out shot of boomerang in Golden Youth's head. NBC adds Max observing. As the boomerang flies toward Toadie, NBC adds a dune buggie driver observing, and the sidecar Mohawker observing. NBC cuts out slicing of Toadie's fingers. NBC adds a dune buggie driver laughing, and the sidecar Mohawker laughing. NBC cuts out shot of the back of Humumgus' head, and also the dialogue, "We all lost someone we love." NBC adds Max observing. After the Humungus starts his vehicle, NBC adds the sidecar Mohawkers mounting, the Goggle Mohawker and two different dune buggie drivers getting into their vehicles. NBC adds a shot of the Ford F100 truck driving off. NBC adds a shot of the Marauders driving off, with Pappagallo in foreground.
PAPPAGALLO SPEAKS
NBC adds, "Do we wander the wasteland, and become like them, savages?" and, "And I'll stay, alone if I have to. I'll leave them nothing. That I promise."
MAX SNEAKS OUT
NBC switches to an angle including the Bearclaw Mohawker and Max, as the Bearclaw Mohawker looks, picks up a stone and throws.
THE RIG DELIVERY
NBC removed the shot of the truck falling on the marauder's leg, and replaces with an aerial shot of the rig racing down the road past some trees, from a side view. Between shot of rig rounding the corner and Humungous loading his gun, NBC adds two additional aerial wide shots of the rig, with marauders in pursuit. Intercut between the two aerial shots is an additional close up shot looking at the Gyro Captain. NBC cuts close up shot of tent lovers, and replaces with wide shot of the rig running over the tent, with no lovers to be seen. As Max sounds the horn, NBC adds shot of Pappagallo saying "Get to your positions!" NBC adds four shots of good guys running and climbing to their positions. NBC adds wide shot of rig and pursuers approaching just before close up shot of Wez. As Max struggles with Wez, NBC adds shot of Pappagallo, "Open the gate!". NBC cuts out shot of airgun arrows in the back of a Gayboy Berserker's seat. NBC cuts out pink Chevy driver's face before the car is covered in flames and explodes. NBC cuts out head-butt by Wez to Quiet Man. When Pappagallo is hit with an arrow, NBC switches to Pappagallo's face, instead of showing his leg. NBC adds a shot of Wez doing a forward somersault as he's running through the compound.
"Get to your positions!"
THE AFTERMATH
NBC includes a new take of Pappagallo as he says, "How's the rig?" NBC cuts the Marauders setting a victim on fire and shows other marauders whipping, etc. NBC adds Zetta running across during repairs.
MAX LEAVES
NBC adds shot of Gayboy Berserker lower crossbow after Dog comes from behind rock. NBC cuts dog yelping. NBC switches to a shot of Toadie as he says, "The tanks are full, oh mighty Wez, and it's all yours!" NBC cuts out shots of Toadie and Gayboy Berserker during explosion. NBC adds a green hue to the screen as soon as Max turns over and sees the Gyroplane.
THE FINAL SCENE
NBC replaces, "C'mon, cut the crap" with, "You're not so sprite yourself." NBC silences the Gyrocaptain as he yells, "Oh, shit!" NBC replaces a shot of Feral Kid with a shot of the Gyroplane flying. NBC cuts shot of grappling hook on Zetta's leg. NBC switches to a top-of-the-tanker angle looking back as Zetta is pulled off of the tanker by the dragging dune buggy. NBC avoids showing Warrior Woman's blood soaked, arrow wounds. NBC cuts Warrior Woman drooling blood. NBC adds Mechanic putting down his things and leaning over to pull Warrior Woman back up. NBC cuts Warrior Woman and the Mechanic being hit and pulled to land on the road. NBC cuts close up of Red Falcon's windscreen being shot. NBC cuts close-ups of passenger trying to steer the Red Falcon. NBC cuts the flying Mohawker stunt. NBC cuts the "Shoot the Tyre!" run-over scene and Humungus ramming into the tanker, taking the Broken Victim's head off. NBC adds shots of Gyroplane, Gyrocaptain. NBC adds stationary shot of motorcycle and dune buggy jumping a crest off-road. NBC adds 2 shots of motorcycles and dune buggy alongside Pappagallo. NBC adds Gyroplane flying forward, Gyrocaptain looking at Rig, Gyroplane flying past the Rig. NBC cuts Feral Kid looking after arrow lands between Max's legs. NBC replaces Masked Mohawker being shot, with a shot of Max's arm outstretched, firing.
FINAL NARRATION
No major changes (besides Narrator)
Additional wide shot of vehicles approaching during the Rig Delivery
Lost Version DVD
Since around early September 2002, the "Road Warrior Lost Version" has been showing up for sale on eBay as a DVD. Chris Maier purchased one of these DVDs, and has been able to provide some additional information on it. Basically the disc is a DVD-R, and Chris says the quality is about as good as if you had taped it from a television broadcast (which is probably what was done I would guess). It also includes the Mad Max 2 making of documentary and a trailer, which have most probably been taken from the Road Warrior Special Edition VHS. The film itself contains only three chapter stops. Below is a scan of the cover.
If you want to try getting hold of this, you could either search eBay, or you could try emailing Shane at [email protected].
Back to Mad Max 2 / The Road Warrior (1981)