Review: Deathsport

Set thousands of years into a post-apocalyptic future, Richard Lynch plays an evil warlord who captures our heroes David Carradine and Claudia Jennings. He forces them to engage in a gladiatorial deathsport fighting against motorcycle-riding goons. David McLean plays Lynch’s predecessor, whom the latter overthrows.

 

Paul Bartel’s original 1975 film “Death Race 2000” was a violently funny precursor to “Carmageddon” and the like, basically “The Running Man” with cars and a black sense of humour. It’s a hoot if you’re demonically inclined. Legendary B-movie producer (and occasional director) Roger Corman eventually decided to do a quasi-sequel with this 1978 film from director Nicholas Niciphor (an occasional writer in his only stint behind the camera) and his co-writer Donald Stewart (“Jackson County Jail”, “Missing”, “Patriot Games”). It’s an unmitigated cheapo disaster of colossal disappointment, and was a rather troubled production as well from what I understand. Director/co-writer Niciphor was at some point replaced by Allan Arkush (“Rock ‘n’ Roll High School”), who wasn’t able to rescue things with re-shoots. Before that happened there were allegedly violent disagreements between Niciphor and Carradine, alleged assault by Niciphor on Claudia Jennings (he denies it), and a lot of alleged drug and alcohol intake by cast and crew.

 

The crummy result predates “Mad Max II” and the zillions of cheap post-apocalyptic rip-offs, and in no way resembles the original “Death Race 2000”. It sure does resemble a lot of other stuff though, whether it be medieval fantasy flick, Carradine’s enjoyably weird “Circle of Iron”, or a “Star Wars” rip-off. That last one is the chief influence here, right down to one particular sound effect being stolen from Darth Vader. I’m 100% convinced it’s the exact same sound, repurposed to make the sound of a door opening and closing. I know we’re talking about the guy who produced a series of “Star Wars” rip-offs, but it’s bizarre and pathetic. At least “Battle Beyond the Stars” was a great deal of cheesy B-grade fun. Corman’s in full-on cynical derivative mode here and not bothering to give the poor director enough funds to make the thing look halfway decent. It’s not the original director’s fault, he’s been given crumbs to work with on a futuristic science-fiction/fantasy spectacle film. It was doomed from then on. Just look at the plastic swords, apparently they were constantly breaking during filming too. It’s pitiful from the normally penny-pinching yes, but shrewd (show) businessman. His films are at least normally fun. The woefully self-serious tone the whole thing has is a killer, it’s no fun at all. Well, aside from maybe Claudia Jennings’ very weird nude scene. That briefly woke me up a bit, I suppose. Otherwise, the film’s weirdness isn’t of the interesting kind, and Jennings’ second nude scene (full-frontal, I might add) is ruined by annoying strobe lighting and nauseating sound FX. Jennings was apparently both drunk and high during filming, but given the incoherent editing one has to strongly question whether Mr. Niciphor might’ve been right about the drug use being rampant on set (Eerily, poor Ms. Jennings was killed in a car accident shortly after making the film). Or perhaps it’s signs of a hack-work job by Arkush in post, I dunno. The best I can say for star David Carradine is that he doesn’t carry the air of someone who doesn’t want to be there. Apparently he felt his career was severely damaged by this awful film, and indeed he sure made a lot of low-budget crap after this. Here he’s quite stiff and uninteresting. Veteran B-movie villain Richard Lynch, as always does what he can in a comfortable part for him. Unfortunately, in this instance what Lynch can do is not much, because the film around him is a lost cause. Still, he’s the closest the film has to a decent performance.

 

Instead of car mayhem and slaughter, we get a quasi-futuristic version of the arena action in “Spartacus” mixed with motorbike demolition derby shit from Eastern Creek raceway. Oh, and the cheapest-looking matte drawings you’ve seen since “Beneath the Planet of the Apes”. The violence this time is neutered to the point where even the decapitations are completely bloodless. Are you kidding me?

 

I guess being so barely connected to “Death Race 2000” (if at all) at least means that this film’s taint doesn’t retro-actively ruin that film’s reputation. Otherwise, this is a boring, derivative piece of crap from a producer who should know better. Absolutely dreadful, joyless slog is quite possibly the worst film to bear Corman’s name. Yeah, possibly even worse than "Monster From the Ocean Floor".

 

Rating: D-