Mad Max Fury Road: Black & Chrome

Director George Miller has said that he prefers the black and white version of his film Mad Max: Fury Road — a shocker, given that one of the most notable visual aspects of a film noted for its visuals was its over-saturation of color. A bleak and de-saturated post-apocalyptic landscape this was not. Max (Tom Hardy) and Furiosa (Charlize Theron) and the five virgins motored through a desert wasteland that was roughly the color of orange pop. The sky was more teal than blue. But the removal of this explosive palette reduces the film to its starker elements — man vs. hideous wilderness; woman vs. the patriarchy; gnarly post-apocalyptic truck vs. gnarly post-apocalyptic armada. It should be — unlike some milquetoast "directors' cuts" that feature one or two meaningless deleted scenes — a new and unique viewing experience. The film won six Academy Awards in 2016 and was ranked by numerous publications, including this one, as among the year's best films. At midnight tonight, the Capitol Theatre will screen the "black & chrome" edition of the 2015 high-octane romp as part of the Melt Late Shift series. Tickets are $6. (Sam Allard)