Death Race 2000

I've ridiculed many a Roger Corman film in my time, but I have nothing but love for his 1975 B-movie triumph Death Race 2000 (although, to be fair, most of the credit should go to director Paul Bartel). In this brilliant black comedy satire, Corman gives us what we want - fast cars, hot naked gals, and lots of glorified violence, not to mention brilliant performances by David Carradine and a pre-Rambo Sylvester Stallone - and all with a budget of only 300 grand.

In this futuristic vision of the year 2000, America has devolved into something of a fascist police state called the United Provinces, ruled from overseas by Mr. President (Sandy McCallum) who, like all good dictators, has established an external outlet for whatever bloodlust, anger, and general discontent that may exist among the populace. Enter the Transcontinental Road Race, better known as the Death Race. Now in its 20th iteration, this fierce competition pits the greatest, most fearless drivers in the land racing from New York to New Los Angeles. Lest any visions of Cannonball Run threaten to run your head, know this: the beauty of the Death Race is the fact that extra points are awarded for any and all innocent spectators you kill along the way, with children and seniors bringing in the most points (if you don't think this is great fun, you haven't played any of the games in the Carmageddon series, which count among my favorite games of all time).

This year's contestants are Nero the Hero, Matilda the Hun (with Representative Fred "Gopher" Grandy as her navigator Herman the German), Calamity Jane Kelly, Machine-Gun Joe Viterbo (Sylvester Stallone), and the fan favorite, Frankenstein (David Carradine). Frankenstein is something of a mystery man, his mask and cowl hiding a body that has had more parts replaced than your grandfather's beat-up old pickup. He and Machine-Gun Joe are bitter rivals, but this year the greatest threat Frankenstein faces is a plot by the Resistance, led by Thomasina Paine (Harriet Medin), to put an end to the barbaric race once and for all (using - wouldn't you know it? - barbaric methods of their own).

From euthanasia day at the hospital to the wickedly tripped-out cars designed for human carnage as well as speed, Death Race 2000 is a tour de force of B-movie entertainment. The sociopolitical statement the film makes is also very real and important, but I'll leave the interpretation of all that to the individual viewer. Carradine's amazing, Stallone's a brilliant bonus, the supporting cast make hay with even the smallest of parts (The Real Don Steele, anyone?), and Simone Griffeth is fun to watch both in and out of her clothes (and I haven't even mentioned the whole French Air Force thing). Death Race 2000 is the epitome of cult classic.

The movie that inspired the first ever Video game to be banned from the market due to violence, and one of the first Post Apocalypic Cyberpunk style movies made.

Quickly: it's so bad it's good, well sorta. It's old, the acting sucks, but it's about a race in a utopian society where drivers get points for running people over, how cool a plot is that?

Summar: It's a pretty much utopian society. America is now run by a god figure of a president who provides everything the populace could want, including entertainment. The years big entertainment is the Transcontinental Race. The 20th of which is about to start at the start of the movie. 5 teams of racers in souped up cars (including mele weapons on the front) race to get to the end of the track and score points for running over pedestrians. Seniors are worth the most points, followed by todlers, then teens. Any women are worth a bonus 10 points. While this race is going on a group of rebels attempts to stop the race and overthrow the President. The main character Frankenstein (David Caradine) turns from Bad to Good, falls in love with his navigator and of course saves the day. Sly Stalone plays his main rival in a role more hammed up then Rambo.

The Good: a cult classic, and a cult classic for a reason. This is primo camp. The plot is rather sickly amusing and I would almost call this a black comedy. The violence is very over the top in what I would call a good way (the first kill is a man impaled on a knife on the front of Sly's car, between the legs).

The Bad: the quality of this fits the times but does get annoying. The sound quality especially. The charcters are just a little too over the top, even more so the announcers. They drove me nuts. The special effects are just a bunch of explosions and thats about it. There is a 'hand grenade' at the end of the movie that is just laughable. I personally would have liked to see more of the 'future society' presented in the movie and less of empty back roads.

The Ugly: the acting. They got some real actors for this, but it must have been before they could act. Not that Caradine or Stallone could ever act well, but this is definately the worst of the worst.

Overall: a good cult classic that you will either love or hate. I still say you have to at least be mildly amused with the concept.

This really made me want to play some Auto Assault.

This look at the year 2000 from the 70's, point of imagination, is just as funny as it is disturbing. This movie is for the hit and run junkie, only you get paid for vehicular murder. The drivers race cross country in an all out frenzy to collect as many points as possible running people over. From the young to the old, rich to the poor, no one is safe on the streets of the future. So the next time you cross the street you better think twice about it, because Frankenstein ( David Carradine) Or Sly Stallone's car just might mow you down. The quality of this flic is a little distorted, and cheaply made, but is worth it's weight in gold, and should keep you amused the whole way through.
So grab the gear shifter and hang on For Dear Life, this is one crazy ride. Beep Beep The KritiK