Review of Death Race 2000 (1975) by Stuart K — 04 Oct 2008
The original and best stab at the deadly race car sport, a good piece of cheesy and violent sci-fi done on the cheap for $300,000!! Based upon a short story by Ib Melchior, produced by Roger Corman and directed by Paul Bartel.
Set in a now dated vision of the year 2000, where America is a fascist police state co-run by the church. The people of America are kept entertained by a violent road race across America called the Transcontinental Road Race, in which drivers win points for every pedestrian they kill.
The racers include the mysterious Frankenstein (David Carradine), Machine Gun Joe (Sylvester Stallone), Matilda the Hun (Roberta Collins), Calamity Jane Kelly (Mary Woronov) and Nero The Hero (Martin Kove).
The race is sabotaged along the way by a Resistance group led Thomasina Paine (Harriet Medin), who is trying to have Frankenstein murdered, and Paine has also got her granddaughter Annie (Simone Griffeth) to act as Frankenstein's co-driver.
But, Frankenstein soon sees the error of the sport's ways. The film is like an adult version of Wacky Racers or Speed Racer, but it's also a satire on the world's media, and how far they would go with violent sports, (they've nearly got it right as well!!) But, it's a product of it's time, the cars decorated in cheesy day-glo designs and colours look silly rather than scary, but that adds to the films appeal.
We need more films like this today!! ;).
This review of Death Race 2000 (1975) was written by Stuart K on 04 Oct 2008.
Death Race 2000 has generally received positive reviews.
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