Review: Death Race 2000
We’re in the future where the 20th annual
Death Race is to commence, a violent blood sport where drivers get points for
running down various pedestrians. The reigning and defending champion is the
mysterious Frankenstein (David Carradine) a leather-wearing freak whose name
derives from the fact that his frequent crashes have resulted in multiple body
part replacements. There’s barely a recognisable human being behind the mask
anymore. His chief rival is perpetually angry, Tommy Gun-wielding ‘Machine Gun’
Joe Viterbo. The other racers include Calamity Jane (Mary Woronov), Mathilda
the Hun (Roberta Collins), and Nero the Hero (Martin Kove), whilst Simone
Griffeth and Louisa Moritz play the navigators for Frankenstein and ‘Machine
Gun’ Joe, respectively. Real-life disc jockey ‘The Real’ Don Steele turns up as
an excitable TV reporter, with Joyce Jameson having a cameo as another
reporter. While the racers are competing, a band of revolutionaries are
carrying out plans to ruin the race.
Before violent video games like ‘Carmageddon’ and
‘Grand Theft Auto’, producer Roger Corman and director Paul Bartel (director of
the cult black comedy “Eating Raoul”) gave us this lean, and very, very
mean black comedy from 1975. An unquestionable cult classic, it’s a long way
from being a masterpiece but it’s a lot more fun than a lot of supposed
masterpieces. Where else are you gonna see Louisa Moritz and Roberta Collins
naked, elderly people being run over for extra points, a ‘head crush’ gore set
piece, and a bunch of outlandish “Mad Max II” meets “Wacky Racers”-inspired
vehicles all in the same film? It’s even got Mary Woronov playing a racer named
Calamity Jane!
Cult actress Woronov is terrific, and if you don’t
laugh at Roberta Collins’ ‘Mathilda the Hun’ or David Carradine’s bizarro
leather outfit (which apparently wasn’t actually leather), this film’s
gonna be a bit of a rough experience for you. If you can’t get into any of
that, you’re sure as hell not gonna enjoy the ‘Euthanasia Day’ scene at the
geriatric hospital. Me, I was busting a gut. I’m going to hell, aren’t I? A
preening, pre-“Karate Kid” Martin Kove is hilarious as the dumb Nero the
Hero. However, the most enjoyable performance is by a pre-“Rocky” Sly Stallone
as a misogynistic brute named ‘Machine Gun’ Joe Viterbo. Whether it’s firing a
Tommy Gun he keeps in his car or throwing insulting verbals in the direction of
his ditzy navigator Louisa Moritz, he’s a hoot. Sure, some of his dialogue is
completely unintelligible (and it’s not just the sound quality), but that
somehow makes it even funnier. The late David Carradine is perfect as the grotesque
and mysterious driver Frankenstein, who as the name suggests is seemingly
barely even human after so many dangerous races. Even better is his
monstrous-looking vehicle, one of the coolest-looking cars in cinematic
history.
If you love “Yogi’s Space Race” but wish it had
violence and gore and points for running over old ladies, this B-movie is for
you. Lean, mean and nasty as hell, it’s a darkly hilarious hoot with a
one-of-a-kind cast (Look out for the requisite Dick Miller cameo). Easily one
of the most wildly entertaining movies Roger Corman’s name has ever been
associated with. High art? No, but so what? The schlocky screenplay is by
long-time Corman associate Charles B. Griffith (“A Bucket of Blood”, “Little
Shop of Horrors”) and Robert Thom (Corman’s “Bloody Mama” and the
similar “Crazy Mama”) from a story by Ib Melchior (writer-director of
the awful “Angry Red Planet”, co-writer of the even worse “Journey to
the 7th Planet”).
Rating: B+
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