RIP Thread

RIP Hugh Keays-Byrne, aged 73

Undoubtedly a bigger name in his native Australia, he's best known internationally for playing two amazing main villains in Australia's greatest cinematic export: the Mad Max franchise. He played the sadistic Toecutter in the original Mad Max movie and returned to the franchise 36 years later as the despotic wasteland conqueror, Immortan Joe. I admittedly only saw him in those roles but man, did he make those characters "work." Those films would not be held in the regard that they are without his great performances as the main psychopath. Seriously, look at his scenes as Toecutter in Mad Max. He is so utterly vile that you can't stand the sight of him yet there's a charisma to him that makes you take note of his every word, grimace, whimsical gesture, etc. He is the biggest scene stealer in the film (unless you count the pursuit special, one of THE all-time great film vehicles). The same holds true with his performance as Immortan Joe, who is a completely different kind of madman than Toecutter. Joe is charismatic and unquestionanly brutal in his ways but he also has a level of forethought to his actions that have only been rivaled in the series by the faction heads in "Beyond Thunderdome." In a sense, Joe is an amalgamation of Toe Cutter's impulsiveness, Lord Humongous' brutality, and Master and Entity's cunning, all executed so believably Keays-Byrne that the character practically glows when he's on screen (though it might just be all of the chrome, lol).

Anyway, please excuse my digression. I'm obviously a big fan of those films and his role(s) in them will always be remembered and admired by me and fellow fans.