I Watch Films: Death Race 2000

 

Death Race 2000

In the near future of the year 2000 the USA is under the totalitarian rule of Mr President, who is in his summer palace in Moscow, or possibly Beijing. The greatest entertainment in this future is the Transcontinental Race, in which (this year) five racers cross America, scoring points when they run someone over. The five are Matilda The Hun, a nazi, Calamity Jane, a cowgirl, Nero the Hero, a roman emperor, Machine Gun Joe (Sylvester Stallone), a gangster and Frankenstein (David Carradine), the champion who has been put back together by surgery so many times he never takes off his trademark black suit with zips. Each has a navigator/lover.

There’s a resistance movement that is hijacking the TV broadcast, sabotaging the race, kidnapping Frankenstein (more popular even than Mr President) etc. So the race, already satirically violent, silly and dangerous, becomes even more so.

In an intriguing move to get more nudity into the film all the racers except Frankenstein have TV interviews while being massaged, with two of the women’s rivalry erupting into a fight. Frankenstein reveals that in fact “Frankenstein” is an identity taken on by new drivers when the old one is killed and he’s not hideously disfigured, though he does keep one glove and his shiny black underpants on. The glove has a payoff.

Watch This: A classic, low budget, silly and gory action film that wears its themes and opinions lightly
Don’t Watch This: The race is stupid and violent and the politics more so
In Addition: Death Race, Death Race 2, Death Race 3: Inferno and Death Race: Beyond Anarchy are a rebooted series based on this; Death Race 2050 an actual sequel