DAILY CALL SHEET: DECEMBER 24, 2025

The Road Warrior (1981) Leather-clad Max Rockatansky is back and he's madder than ever about the post-apocalyptic dystopia his world has become. This time around, Max finds himself reluctantly offering to protect a small band of survivors operating a barely-working oil refinery in exchange for a few tanks of gas. This is no easy task, however, as a small army of motorized marauders led by Lord Humungus wants all of the fuel for themselves and are more than happy to rape, torture, and murder all who stand in their way of getting it. Luckily, Max has a dog, a feral child, and a gyro pilot to help even the odds a bit. The first Mad Max is a bona fide cult classic, but this follow-up is something else entirely. Not only did it help set the standards for all '80s action flicks to follow, it also shares rarified air with such movies as Jaws, Star Wars, Alien and Halloween, in that it became a template for an entire subgenre of film.

TIL: It's easy to see how The Road Warrior became the source material for around 25 to 30 knock-offs (most of them Italian for some reason). After all, if a filmmaker could get his hands on a desert, a dune buggy or two, some cheap explosives, and a few scraps of leather clothing, then, voila, he could make himself a low budget Maxploitation movie. Not necessarily a good one, but passable at least. Of course, such reliance on another artist's work for inspiration comes easily to us humans. As Hans Urs von Balthasar noted, it's God himself who is the initiating author, director, and principal actor in the "theo-drama" of salvation. He is the transcendent source of all authentic creativity, narrative capacity, and the overarching true story of existence. As such, all human stories, at their best, are sub-creations participating in and pointing toward the original divine narrative.

Harold and Maude (1971) Death obsessed nearly-twenty Harold spends his time driving a hearse, faking suicide attempts, and going to stranger's funerals. It's at one of these he meets 79-year-old Maude, a quirky, upbeat septuagenarian who lives life by her own rules. The two quickly become romantically involved, much to the disgust of most everyone, especially Harold's snooty upper class mother, who unsuccessfully tries to find a more acceptable younger girl for Harold through a computer dating service. Harold wants nothing to do with anyone but Maude, however, as she is the first person to convince him life is worth living and to make the most of his moments of earth. But will time itself allow the odd couple to be happy together? With its lovably eccentric characters, dark yet surprisingly gentle comedy, and a nothing less than heartwarming soundtrack from Cat Stevens, this has deservedly become one of the most beloved cult movies of all time.

TIL: One of the funnier scenes in the movie is when Harold is sent to talk to his priest about his relationship with Maude and the clergyman nearly vomits at the thought of the two engaging in sex. Now, of course, the Church objects to any sexual relationship outside of marriage, but contrary to what the movie portrays, it has no prohibitions against marriages with wide age gaps between the spouses. Canon 1083 §1 states only that a man before completing his 16th year and a woman before her 14th year cannot validly marry (though many dioceses raise this higher to align with civil law). Naturally, prudence is recommended due to potential challenges like differences in life stages, energy for raising children, or companionship in later years. But, as long as both parties are freely consenting and open to life (even if naturally impossible due to age), the Church would not disapprove of Harold and Maude.