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Death Race 2000

Death Race 2000 (1975) Movie Poster
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  •  USA  •    •  80m  •    •  Directed by: Paul Bartel.  •  Starring: David Carradine, Simone Griffeth, Sylvester Stallone, Mary Woronov, Roberta Collins, Martin Kove, Louisa Moritz, Don Steele, Joyce Jameson, Carle Bensen, Sandy McCallum, Paul L. Ehrmann, Harriet Medin.  •  Music by: Paul Chihara.
        In a boorish future, the government sponsors a popular, but bloody, cross-country race in which points are scored by mowing down pedestrians--with bonus points for the elderly! Five teams, each comprised of a male and female, compete using cars equipped with deadly weapons. Frankenstein, the mysterious returning champion, has become America's hero, but this time he has a passenger from the underground resistance. A legendary cult film.

Trailers:

   Length:  Languages:  Subtitles:
 1:11
 
 
 1:04
 
 
 0:42
 
 

Review:

Image from: Death Race 2000 (1975)
Image from: Death Race 2000 (1975)
Image from: Death Race 2000 (1975)
Image from: Death Race 2000 (1975)
Image from: Death Race 2000 (1975)
Image from: Death Race 2000 (1975)
Image from: Death Race 2000 (1975)
Image from: Death Race 2000 (1975)
Image from: Death Race 2000 (1975)
Image from: Death Race 2000 (1975)
Image from: Death Race 2000 (1975)
Image from: Death Race 2000 (1975)
Image from: Death Race 2000 (1975)
Image from: Death Race 2000 (1975)
Image from: Death Race 2000 (1975)
Image from: Death Race 2000 (1975)
Well I must say that I bought this movie by chance imaging that it would be something like 'Fast and Furious'. But I must say that I was shock. I am fond of all about the 70's pop culture, movies, music, etc. (despite that i'm 25 years old today) but nothing could prepared me for this. Is obvious that the producers didn't meant to spend a decent budget on a sci-fi movie and that the writers wanted to take some time off to their sense of logic. In a few words, this film is a clear excuse to take some money out of Uncle Sam's hands.

The plot involves a killer-car race (because the contestants score points by running over people to death) which has now become the sport event of the year of a twisted and sick society that lost the last bit of common sense by awarding crime. Settled in the so far away and apocalyptic year 2000 (let me mention that this movie was made in the midd 70's) the people is ruled by Mr. President, a dictator a-la-Hitler who has control over what people should say and believe, but think about a Barney way of dictating 'My fellows I, Mr. President, am your friend, and so I only mean want good for you. Thus if is say that something should be this way, then IT MUST BE this way. Thank you I love you all!'

Now this movie shouldn't be taking seriously in certain issues, such as technical resources, because it is not I mean there is a poor development of the story because sometimes things don't seem to fit where they are, they just were thrown there (but as i will be mentioning later there might be a hidden message in such excuse of a story), there is nothing such as special effects (It was the 70's and the budget was about $12000 so you do the match!) the acting was really bad, not so much thing for dialogue more than 'which route has the more oportunity for scoring points?' or 'Come on, show me love', the sets were home-made based from 'The Jetsons' and the action? sequences where too cartoonish (in fact one runner is taking out of the race by a group of Resistance who sets a tunnel entrance on the edge of a cliff! Just like freaking WB Coyote & The Road Runner!)

Despite all of this this movie has some points that favor it (if such thing is possible!) First well if you are a big fan of 'Rocky' you can see his hilarious attempts to kick Kung Fu's David Carradine out of the race. Sly's staging of 'Joe Machine Gun', nemesis of 'Frankenstein' (Carradine) is a troglodite ironic-laughable representation of a macho-action man, so silly that you are going to laugh to tears. I warn not his best time but, hey! he had to start somehow don't you think?

Something else that's worth the comment is the script of the movie. Despite that it has such an empty plot (a Death Car Race, for crying out loud!) it states the limits that the paranoia of a politic lifestyle like the US can reach: the jailed of the Congress, a twisted and weird President who claims himself ruler of the US and the world with a near-God attitude, the standarization of the people's beliefs and toughts, blaming the FRENCH?! for 'terrorist' acts against the contestants (when in reality it was a resistance force of citizens who want to restore the goverment). So what will be worth asking is that is this poor excuse of script a way to point out the weakness and sillyness of the presidential works as well as the US international politics? Is the pointless development of the plot in fact a well-organized cover up to reach to the audience (no matter how few!) a critic of the american lifestyle and sending a wake-up call? Or is just a coincidentally set of pieces?

If you like very dark comedy, or if you want to look for an answer for these quiestions, or if you only want to shut down your brain for a while and watch WHAT SHOULDN'T BE DONE when filming a sci-fi film you better watch this movie. Just remeber to look behind the senseless plot and development of the story, is really that senseless and far away from our actual political situation? coincidence or ugly truth...?


Review by STRICKER-X from the Internet Movie Database.