Death Race 2000
Tags: comedy, murder, violence, cult, psychedelic, humor, satire, sadist

Plot synopsis:
In 1979, the United States collapsed, resulting in massive civil unrest and economic collapse. The government restructured into a totalitarian regime under martial law. To pacify the population, the government has organized the Transcontinental Road Race, where a group of drivers is driving across the country in their high-powered cars, infamous for violence, gore, and innocent pedestrians being struck for bonus points.
In the year 2000, the five drivers in the 20th annual race, who all adhere to professional wrestling-style personas and drive appropriately themed cars, include Frankenstein, the mysterious black-garbed champion and national hero; Machine Gun Joe, a Chicago tough-guy gangster; Calamity Jane, a cowgirl; Matilda The Hun, a neo-Nazi; and Nero The Hero, a Roman gladiator. Each drives with a navigator of the opposite sex, who also implicitly functions as a love interest. The race is covered on national TV by a news team headed by the boisterous and comical Junior Bruce, seductive matron Grace Pander, and laconic commentator Harold (a parody of Howard Cosell). The game has sadistic rules, where killing babies and physically challenged people will give the player extra points. Machine Gun Joe is the main opposition to Frankenstein.
A resistance group led by Thomasina Paine, a descendant of 1770s American Revolutionary Thomas Paine, plans to rebel against Mr. President's regime by sabotaging the race, killing most of the drivers, and taking Frankenstein hostage as leverage against the President. The group is assisted by Paine's great granddaughter Annie, Frankenstein's latest navigator. She plans to lure him into an ambush to be replaced by a double. Despite a pirated national broadcast made by Ms. Paine herself, the resistance's disruption of the race is covered up by the government and instead blamed on the French, who are also blamed for ruining the country's economy and telephone system.
At first, the Resistance's plan works. Nero is killed when he runs over a booby-trapped doll planted by the Resistance, which he mistakes for a real baby and proceeds to run it over to gain points. Matilda drives off a cliff while following a fake detour set up by the Resistance. Calamity Jane inadvertently drives over a land mine. This leaves only Frankenstein and Machine Gun Joe in the race.
As Frankenstein nonchalantly survives every attempt made on his life during the race, Annie comes to discover that the Frankenstein she knows is anything but a willing government stooge, nor is he the original man. The current Frankenstein is, in fact, one of a number of random wards of the state trained exclusively to race in the identity. "When one is used up, they bring in another," he tells Annie. The current Frankenstein also reveals that he has his own plans: when he wins the race and shakes hands with Mr. President, he will detonate a grenade which has been implanted in his prosthetic right hand (he calls it his "hand grenade"), which he has kept concealed by keeping his glove on at all times (even while undressed). His plan goes awry, however, when Machine Gun Joe attacks and Annie kills him using Frankenstein's "hand" grenade.
Having successfully outmaneuvered both the rival drivers and the Resistance, Frankenstein is declared the winner, although he is wounded and unable to carry out his original grenade attack plan. Annie instead dons Frankenstein's disguise and plans to stab Mr. President while standing in for him on the podium. As the president congratulates "Frankenstein" for his victory, in the process declaring war on the French and appointing Frankenstein leader of the war, Annie is mistakenly shot and wounded by her own grandmother, who is desperate for revenge against Frankenstein for having supposedly killed her during the race (he'd actually just drugged her). The real Frankenstein takes advantage of the confusion and rams the President's stage with his car, finally fulfilling his lifelong desire to kill him.
In the epilogue, Annie and Frankenstein marry. Frankenstein, now President, abolishes the race and plans to rebuild the country. However, Junior Bruce starts to protest against it. When unable to find a moral reason to continue the race, he starts shouting that it is a way of life, to keep America satisfied, to entertain and give the people what they want, now desperate to have the race perpetuate. Frankenstein, annoyed, runs him over with his car and drives off with Annie to the cheers and applause of the crowd.

Review: Ostensibly, the film is about a race involving five participants - Frankenstein (Carradine), Machine Gun Joe Viterbo (Stallone), Calamity Jane (Woronov), Mathilda the Hunn, and Nero the Hero - all of comic book stature.
Directed by the late Paul Bartel ('Eating Raoul', 'Lust In The Dust')), co-produced by b-grade legend Roger Corman ('Bloody Mama', 'House Of Usher'), and co-written by Charles Griffith ('The Wild Angels', 'Little Shop Of Horrors'), this is simply one of the most enjoyable and entertaining exploitation movies of all time.
Seventy-nine minutes is too short a time to go into these political subplots at all, but that Death Race 2000 touches on them at all when far more serious and lengthy films made years later cannot even consider them is a credit to Corman and his company.
In my youth, I never really understood where he picked it up from, but now I think it is safe to say that "Death Race 2000" was his source.While this movie is fairly cheesy, it is fun in a way most other films simply are not.
Death Race 2000 is one of the most entertaining films ever made and I, for one, can't imagine someone not loving the severely ridicule story of a coast-to-coast car race where the contesters score points by wiping pedestrians off the road.
This cult hit is set in a Dystopian future , 21th century , a cross country automobile race , there five car (several of the cars in the movie are re-bodied Volkswagens) contenders challenge the national championship in which drivers score points by killing pedestrians in a televised death race .
As there participates an assertive and charismatic masked man called Frankestein (David Carradine , the role was originally offered to Peter Fonda, who considered the movie too ridiculous for words) , Machine Gun Joe Viterbo (Sylvester Stallone did much of their own driving and wrote some of his own dialogue) , co-driver Annie Smith (Simone Griffeth was excellent as David Carradine's enticing co-pilot) , Mary Woronov as Calamity Jane , Roberta Collins as Matilda the Hun , Martin Kove as Nero , among others .
In the final of the race the lives of the competitors , pedestrians , the President and the death race itself are in deep peril .This cult fave based on the 1956 story by Ib Melchior about a futurist international sport , a violent and bloody car race where the drivers score points for hitting other vehicles ; though the screenplay retains only the basic premises of the original short story ; the characters and incidents are all different .
New World's Roger Corman wrote the original treatment of the film, which was serious in tone , but thought it was not right and, in his words, was "kind of vile" ; he decided the dark material of the story would be better served by making the movie into a comedy and had Robert Thom rewrite the treatment .
The most occasional one is the star, Frankenstein, in one of his great parts by David Carradine, who is one of many drivers who in the Death Race go across the country (apparently, it would seem, in one day, since you know they have cars like that in the year 2000) racking up points by running over as many people as possible, with children and the elderly garnering the most points.
How some of the logistical problems actually come off- why wouldn't people just stay indoors if it's the most highly anticipated "event" of the year to save their lives- is left up in the air, but by the time the story is really moving its hard to even care.This is, in essence, a near perfect exploitation flick, something grungy and rude and crude and featuring loud and crazily designed death-mobiles, plenty of naked women popping up, fights, explosions, goofy bits like Frankenstein's hand with a near-permanent grenade stuck to it, and characters with lots of meaty and fun dialog to work with (Stallone, in one of his first big performances, hams it up wonderfully and is actually not too hard to understand with his speaking voice).
I also loved the totally tasteless political satire bits, like the mention of France as an evil super-power or just the nature of the President and the resistance movement to stop the Death Race by any means necessary.Watch it friends, grab a few brews, and be prepared to actually have a really fun time with exemplary film-making on a shoestring (yes, a shoestring); its attitude and action remain fresh, which is really hard to accomplish when usually looking at the Corman body of producing work which is varied and often full of total crap.
The media is in on the barbarism, but some revolutionaries are trying to sabotage the race.Paul Bartel's film suffers both from it's minuscule budget (whatever the economic/social disaster that has caused the fall, it's left the whole of America looking like a deserted backwoods, where only cable TV exists), really obvious political satire and lame attempts at wacky humour.
But the cheapness in both budget and shots finally works against what is a marvellous idea - Death Race 2000 is a film better imagined from its plot than experienced by watching what ended up on screen..
"Death Race 2000" is a low budget genre melting pot from 1975 starring David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone as two of five feuding race car drivers competing in a futuristic sport that is won based on racking up points from killing pedestrians and others.
Based on a 1956 short story, it's a highly satiric sci-fi actioner that uses ironic and downright sadistic touches to examine America's abhorrent fascination with violence.The ridiculously contrived and outlandish futuristic setting was put into heavy rotation during the mid-70's in several other films ("Westworld"; "Soylent Green"; "Logan's Run") as a means to tell downbeat and cynical stories that allowed the audience to escape their own reality, but still experience a certain catharsis.In the case of "Death Race 2000" the results are a mixed bag, as the over the top material races from dark comedy to "Sleeper"-like sci-fi to undercooked romance and back again.
Low-budget black comedy from New World does occasionally look good (better than something like the original "Rollerball", anyway) and gets a terrific boost from Carradine, lean and no-nonsense both in and out of his black leather costume (his best moment comes when he dances gracefully with the blonde in his black Speedo).
I knew this rental was a winner the second the horrible warped soundtrack started playing and the amazing graphics with the Death Race 2000 logo appeared.As others have mentioned, the best part about this movie is its originality -- it's "Carmageddon" years ahead of its time.
Roger Corman-produced low-budget classic, directed by Paul Bartel, about a future where an annual race is held where the drivers score points by running over and killing pedestrians.
Finally after all these years watched the 1975 B movie cult classic "Death Race 2000" as I'm now watching and dissecting the films of independent and B movie king producer Roger Corman.
Overall "Death Race 2000" is one nice little cult picture a B movie gem that as you watch it's a fine feel good time it has it all sex, action, death, and the challenge of a corrupt political state, true not everything did come true in 2000 still much of it would as these themes shown in 1975 would ring true for the year 2000 and beyond.
As the five cold-blooded contestants battle it out on the open roads between New York and New Los Angeles, a group of political activists attempt to bring an end to the event by any means necessary.Don't be put off by the crappy opening title graphics that look like they've been rendered in colouring crayon by a ten year old: produced by movie legend Roger Corman and directed by Paul 'Eating Raoul' Bartel, Death Race 2000 is a thoroughly entertaining cult classic that no fan of drive-in/exploitation cinema should pass on.
A masterclass in how to make the absolute most of a minimal budget, this fast-paced film packs a surprising amount into its tight 80 minute runtime: outrageous graphic violence, imaginative design (the customised vehicles and crazy characters looking like something out of a seriously warped Wacky Racers cartoon), wanton sleaze and nudity, clever political satire, cruel black humour, and loads of bonkers high-speed race action (the likes of which would influence George Miller on his hugely successful Mad Max movies).The film also benefits from an excellent cast: David Carradine, the perfect choice to play surly race champion Frankenstein (I came face-to-face with the actor a couple of times and he was just as unapproachable in real life); a young Sly Stallone as Frankenstein's main rival, uncouth hoodlum Machine Gun Joe Viterbo; sexy Simone Griffeth, as Frank's navigator Annie, whose stunning looks and figure would make it hard for me to keep my eyes on the road; cult favourite Mary Woronov as sassy driver Calamity Jane; and Martin 'Karate Kid' Kove, as Nero the Hero, the terrorist's first victim.
Surely, this won't rate among the all time classics - but it certainly is a way better than most of the blockbusters coming out this days (maybe just because it is old and I love those oldie interpretations of the "not so distant future")...A truly spectacular, a bit nostalgic (young Stallone, mind you) and reasonably short movie for some easy-watching...
With its dark humor, the film seems to say that we, the human species, will never outgrow our penchant for blood (bloodsports here), no matter how we dress it up in government-sponsored murder or new games & rules (hm, aren't we having a problem these days with more bloody video games for the kids?).When the film begins, it comes across as almost silly, introducing the distinctive drivers in the race as little more than clowns, topped by Stallone bellowing like some modern wrestling star at his 'fans'(Stallone, just a year before he hit it big in "Rocky").
That Sadistic, Brutal Fantasy is the Premise for this Cult Film by Producer Roger Corman and Director Paul Bartel.Where the Black-Hearted "Dream" Originated in the Mind of the Species is Unknown but it is a Dark Side of Human Thought that has Taken Hold in Pop-Culture and this Film is Probably the Starting Point for the Video Games and Movies that Exploit for Profit the Underlying Abnormal Psychology (Or is it?).A Big Hit when Released to Drive-Ins and B-Movie Outlets across America, it has since become a Bono-Fide Cult Movie because of the Outrageous Concept, the Bizarre Characters, and the Colorful, Cheezy Comedy.David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone Star alongside Cartoon Inspired Volkswagen Mock-Ups with Wrestle-Mania Type Costumes.
It is also worth watching because of David Carradine in main role of enigmatic driver behind the mask "Frankenstein", great performance, also worth mentioning Sylvester Stallone as the main opponent of Frankenstein, and yes a lot of beautiful women in this one, just gorgeous natural looks, but the main reason to watch this movie is it's message, is the system guilt for raising violence and controlling our lives or we as human species love to be controlled and to do violence to others, think for yourself.
Death Race 2000The one thing to look forward to in a dystopian society is the live broadcast of the annual human blood sport.Thankfully, this post-apocalyptic action movie has full coverage.In the year 2000, a band of rebels plot to usurp the omnipotent Mr. President (Sandy McCallum) by sabotaging a state sanctioned death race across country in which racers garner points by running over pedestriansWhile their efforts work on lesser racers like Machine-Gun Joe (Sylvester Stallone), Nero the Hero (Martin Kove) and Matilda the Hun (Roberta Collins), it fails when it comes to the mysterious wheelman Frankenstein (David Carradine).Produced by B-Movie schlockmeister Roger Corman, this 1975 adaptation of an obscure fantasy novel was and is still ahead of its time in terms of apocalyptic parables - but not so much in the over-the-top acting or trashy special effects.Incidentally, if a points system were instated, hit-and-run drivers would come forward.Yellow Lightvidiotreviews.blogspot.ca.
David Carradine plays legendary driver "Frankenstein" who runs the annual cross-country race in the future year 2000(!) which is televised to a nation of oppressed citizens for their entertainment(very much like the Roman Empire) There are no rules, since the goal is for the racers to rack up points by hitting as many pedestrians as possible, some of whom willingly sacrifice themselves, and others who don't seem to have a clue what's going on...Violent but funny film has a carefully controlled performance by David Carradine, and many flamboyant ones from the others(including Martin Kove and Sylvester Stallone) Carradine must deal with treachery from his co-pilot, who is part of a resistance movement meant to overthrow the president, who no longer lives in the country.Effective satire offsets the graphic violence, and chase scenes are well staged, leading to a most satisfying(and ironic) end..
Fast and furious racing action without the use of computer enhanced special effects makes "Death Race 2000" fun to watch even though the race calls for the running down and killing of innocent civilians in order to score points, as well as finish first, to win it.
Not as corny and unbelievable as people thought at the time of its release back in 1975, the same year that the similar movie "Rollerball" came out, "Death Race 2000" shows how a dictatorial regime can come to America by using both entertainment as well as patriotism as, like a Trojan Horse, its cover.
The film's satirical take on dangerous sports is like eye-candy to the average sci-fi film goer, who doesn't mind the low-budget feel.David Carradine is an instant cult-classic as Frankenstein and while Sylvester Stallone isn't the normal dope he is in other films, his performance was easily forgettable.
Roger Corman's New World Pictures released this top-of-the-line low-budget cult film about a race where the drivers acquire points by running down pedestrians.
Everything that a good low-budget movie should have is included: non-stop action, skilled direction by trash master Paul Bartel, graphic violence, nudity, campy dialog & performances, & the presence of cult diva Mary Woronov.
By the 1970s Roger Corman had quit directing in order to become an highly successful producer and it's a sad comment on the changing nature of the movie market that junk like "Death Race 2000" did so well during its initial release.It marked a turning point and the beginning of a rapid nosedive from a creative viewpoint for a man who had previously turned out some excellent films.
The acting was beyond bad(I always thought the specialist was sly's worst film untill i saw this)the comedy was to forced in places and the special effects were as you would expect from a low budget roger corman pic,in other words a load of old crap,with some of the worst on screen titles ever.(they look like something from an old kids color in book) Too dull for a action movie,not funny enough to be a comedy.
Paul Bartel's "Death Race 2000" could very well be the Best B Film Ever.It has every exploitation feature necessary; everything a low-budget flick needs to be considered a classic of the genre: beautiful gals flashing a nifty amount of nudity/T&A, really fun violence, a fast-moving plot, zooming action & hilarious characters delivering their lines with great zest.Stallone's pre-"Rocky" Rocky is howl; Carridine plays it straight to perfection; B Queens Mary Woronov & Roberta Collins chew up the scenery & have a sexy blast; pre-Gopher on "Love Boat" & pre-Congressman Fred Grandy shows an unexpected side.And the three TV broadcasters, the legendary "Real" Don Steele, Joyce Jameson and little known-but-terrific Carle Bensen are a scream!
Blood & Fun. Death Race 2000 is one of those pulp movies that are somehow just superb and transcendent their badness into greatness - a total absurd and grotesque story targeting almost everything that we consider relevant for our societies, nations and cultures.The theme: a race across the States and the drivers (the new heroes - some pilots are even women!) get points and ovations for killing people with their cars - the more absurd the kill, the better, and all is broadcast on T.V. to entertain the Mr. President and the masses.
As I continue to work my way through the filmography of Sly Stallone in order, today I sat down to watch "Death Race 2000" To start, I would like to remind everyone that this is, in fact, a B movie.
Meanwhile, a diverse group of crazy drivers are vying to beat Frankenstein to the finish line: the hotheaded thug "Machine Gun" Joe Viterbo (pre-ROCKY Sylvester Stallone), icy cowgirl Calamity Jane (Mary Woronov), tough-as-nails Matilda the Hun (Roberta Collins) and flamboyant Nero the Hero (Martin Kove).Running at an unbelievably short 78 minutes, the film contains some awesomely nice racing cars, including Frankenstein's reptilian-inspired turbo charger, which is not a bad-looking car by the way.
This Paul Bartel black comedy from the Roger Corman stables is a classic cult picture, featuring Carradine as the grotesquely disfigured (!) Frankenstein, a rally car racing driver revered by the masses in the national sport of "death race", where competitors earn points for mowing down pedestrians.
I kinda fell asleep halfway through.Not long after, I saw the DVD going for a fiver in Fopp so I picked it up, thinking oh yeah, I never finished watching that.Although it is too dumb to be moral and too tacky to be cynical, I think "Death Race 2000" carries itself quite well as a 'cult classic' in the mould of "The Running Man" or Russ Meyer's silly '60s sex comedies.A thoughtless movie, probably knocked up in a matter of weeks, insignificant acting on display (particularly from Carradine and Stallone who would go on to bigger things) and a poor attempt at science fiction.You might as well check it out..
Death race 2000,a movie witch was not intended to be humorous, i don't think anyways.The acting is horrible and the action scenes are hilarious.This man be one of the best low budget sci fi films of all time.