Review of Death Race 2000 (1975) by Joe A — 03 Mar 2012

One of Roger Corman's most famous productions and a true B movie classic, this tale of a futuristic cross country race where drivers rack up points by mowing down pedestrians, is a comic book style delight.

Gruesome at times and laugh out loud funny at others, this satirical flick takes aim at a lot of targets including the media and violence as entertainment. In some ways, it's more revelent now then it was when first shown.

David Carradine plays Frankenstein, a racer who's been surgically repaired so many times that his nick name is quite appropriate and who is the all time race champion and target for rebels who want to abolish the Death Race and take down the corrupt government that supports it.

Frankenstein and a colorful, comic bookish group of characters compete for the most kills as the rebel forces try to kill them. A camp classic co-starring a hilarious pre-Rocky Sylvester Stallone hamming it up as gangster/racer Machine Gun Joe Viterbo.