Examines the Mad Max series within the context of international exploitation cinemas, looking in detail at the films themselves, their precursors, and their influence on post-apocalyptic exploitation films of the 1980s and 1990s.

The Mad Max Effect provides an in-depth analysis of the Mad Max series, and how it began as an inventive concoction of a number of influences from a range of exploitation genres (including the biker movie, the revenge film, and the car chase cinema of the 1970s), to eventually inspiring a fresh cycle of international low budget ‘road warrior’ movies that appeared on home video in the 1980s. The Mad Max Effect is the first detailed academic study of the most famous and celebrated post-apocalypse film series, and examines how a humble Australian action movie came from the cultural margins of exploitation cinema to have a profound impact on the broader media landscape.

"The Mad Max Effect stands as an engaging exploration of perhaps the most (in)famous post-apocalyptic action film series and its enduring legacy and influence. Detailing the wider impact of the initial film series, the book addresses examples of international ‘MadMaxploitation’ cinema, 21st century Road Warrior fan productions and the enduring aesthetic influence of ‘Diesel Punk’ in contemporary media. Newton is able to navigate the tarnished steel, burnt out tyres and ignited engine oil to examine the broader contexts of national cinema and cultural identity, transnational cinematic flows, and developments in screen media technology (all of which are central to the ongoing study of global exploitation cinema)." - Thomas Joseph Watson, Lecturer in Media Studies, Teesside University, UK