Magic Hour: George Miller (Mad Max) and Danny & Michael Philippou (Talk to Me)

Magic Hour is an occasional Letterboxd series in which perfectly matched filmmakers have a conversation with each other. In this episode, Talk to Me directors Danny and Michael Philippou (of YouTube channel RackaRacka fame) get into the details of directing with Australian legend George Miller, creator of the Mad Max franchise and the Babe films. The trio talk editing, being twins, Buster Keaton, making Babe better, pure film language, building great action sequences, Australia’s film history, great one-shot scenes, banging trailers, editing on the go and the great Margaret Sixel. Watch this conversation on our YouTube page.

A note from the team: This interview was conducted during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in accordance with the DGA contract, which was ratified in June 2023. Without the labor of writers and actors currently on strike, many of the films we cover wouldn’t exist.

Sponsor: Talk to Me (A24) in theaters everywhere July 28th.

Credits: Produced by Gemma Gracewood, edited by @CultPopture and slim. Production coordinator: Sophie Shin. Editorial producer: Brian Formo. With thanks to Courtney Mayhew and Ahi. Music from Junkie XL, Takara, and Sadistik.

Films mentioned, Talk to Me, Mad Max, Mad Max 2, Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa, The General, Safety Last!, Ben-Hur, The French Connection, Bullitt, Duel, The Story of the Kelly Gang, Breaker Morant, Picnic at Hanging Rock, My Brilliant Career, Jedda, Nursery Rhymes, Babe, The Godfather: Part II, The Fabelmans

Also mentioned: Kevin Brownlow’s book on the silent screen, The Parade's Gone By.