<P> The film initially received a polarized reception upon its release in April 1979 , although it won three AACTA Awards and attracted a cult following , while its critical reputation has grown since . The film earned more than US $ 100 million worldwide in gross revenue . It held the Guinness record for most profitable film and has been credited for further opening up the global market to Australian New Wave films . The film became the first in the Mad Max series , giving rise to three sequels , Mad Max 2 ( 1981 ) , Beyond Thunderdome ( 1985 ) , and Fury Road ( 2015 ) . </P>
when was the first mad max movie release
April 1979