DEATH RACE 2000
1975 – Produced by Roger Corman
Directed by Paul Bartel
New World Cinema

HEY! The year 2000 has come and gone and we STILL haven’t adopted the game of killing peds for points. What gives? Why don’t WE get points for running down morons who block intersections & streets during our commutes? Sigh. We can only dream as we watch Death Race 2000, a consistently clever view of the future where bloodsport reigns, rebells fight a Bushlike dictator who’s taken over the world, and the “treacherous French” are blamed for mayhem and wrecking the telephone system. The film is not far-fetched sci-fi: Besides an evil president, it parodies reality television in a way that hits home today. Can a Death Race not be that far away from “Fear Factor”?

Death Race 2000 works despite an alleged $3,000 budget that limits the race to five drivers (albeit in really kickass theme cars) and a “cross county” route that looks exactly like rural Southern California. The film has a few quick gore scenes and though toddlers pull in 70 points per kill, don’t expect a bunch of fat rat bastards like the Family Circus being splattered (dammit); director Paul Bartel keeps the carnage to a relative minimum with a light, fun touch. In between driving over construction workers, the cast has lots of time to get naked (cult goddess Mary Woronov battles prison film veteran Roberta Collins in an excellent nude brawl) and have sex (David Carradine in a speedo!). Lots of explosions. Lots of cleavage. Lots of great racing scenes. Lots of DJ “The Real” Don Steele’s frightening kneehigh leather boots. Plus, a pre-Rocky Sylvester Stallone--with clam dip on his face—shows his supreme acting range by beating up a violin.

Try to check out Death Race 2000 with an audience so you have people to cheer the ped hits with. It’s a movie meant to have fun with so go for it. Plus, keep an eye out for Fred Grandy preparing for his future as a Republican Congressman by portraying a Nazi.

-Zzilly Gutbuckets (aka Lizz Fisher)