Death Race 2000
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| Death Race 2000 | |
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| Directed by | Paul Bartel |
| Produced by | Roger Corman Jim Weatherill |
| Written by | Robert Thom Charles Griffith |
| Starring | David Carradine Simone Griffeth Sylvester Stallone Sandy McCallum Louisa Moritz Don Steele |
| Music by | Paul Chihara |
| Editing by | Tina Hirsch |
| Distributed by | New World Buena Vista Home Entertainment |
| Release date(s) | 1975 |
| Running time | 79 min. |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Death Race 2000 is a cult action film directed by Paul Bartel in 1975. The movie takes place in a dystopian American society in 2000. David Carradine, Simone Griffeth and Sylvester Stallone played the star roles; Mary Woronov, Roberta Collins, The Real Don Steele, Joyce Jameson, Carle Bensen, Sandy McCallum and Harriet Medin co-star. The screenplay was based on the short story "The Racer" by Ib Melchior.[1]
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[edit] Plot synopsis
The film is set in the year 2000, when the United States has been destroyed by a financial crisis and a military coup, and the United Provinces (a fascist police state), rules America, keeping the people satisfied by feeding a stream of gory gladiatorial entertainment. The political parties have collapsed into a single Bipartisan Party, which also fulfils the religious functions of a unified church and state.
Frankenstein (Carradine) is the most celebrated racer in a bloody spectacle instituted by the President of the United Provinces, the Transcontinental Road Race. He is reputed to be part machine, rebuilt after many crashes, and he is the government's champion. The race itself, in three segments from east coast to west, is scored both by traditional methods of timed checkpoints, and also by the number, age and gender of people killed by the drivers. The cars are equipped to kill, bearing anti-personnel weaponry ranging from blades to rockets, and the drivers and their cars are themed in a manner reminiscent of the Hanna-Barbera animated series Wacky Races.
In form, the film is thus part horror film, part satire. The dysfunctional fascist society is depicted, often accompanied by sick humor, through the playing out of the suicidal and homicidal impulses of the drivers and their victims. For example, in one memorable early scene, the staff of a geriatric nursing home array their patients in the path of the race. Frankenstein veers off the road and kills the staff instead.
There are three main subplots: the deadly competition between the rival drivers, particularly Frankenstein and "Machine Gun" Joe Viterbo (Stallone), who hates playing second fiddle; the revolutionary machinations of Thomasina Paine (Harriet Medin), a lineal descendant of Thomas Paine and head of the Resistance, and her granddaughter Annie (Simone Griffeth), who infiltrates herself into the race as Frankenstein's co-driver intending to lure him into a planned ambush where he is to be replaced by a double; and finally, the enigmatic identity of Frankenstein himself.
The plot twist is that Frankenstein is not a willing government stooge. There is no single Frankenstein, and he is simply one of many trained to race in the role. "When one is used up, they bring in another", he tells Annie. He isn't opposed to Annie and the resistance as such, but instead has his own plan to end the tyranny: win the race and shake hands with the President, detonating a grenade planted in his right hand.
Frankenstein successfully outmaneuvers both the rival drivers and the Resistance, and is declared the winner and sole survivor. In a swift-moving climax, Frankenstein and Annie combine to dodge Mrs Paine's attempt to assassinate Frankenstein, and Frankenstein succeeds in killing the President. In an epilogue, Annie and Frankenstein are wedded, and Frankenstein, now President, abolishes the race and the perverse laws of the Provinces, though he does make a point of running over an objecting (and objectionable) reporter.
[edit] Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| David Carradine | Frankenstein |
| Simone Griffeth | Annie Smith |
| Sylvester Stallone | "Machine-Gun" Joe Viterbo |
| Mary Woronov | "Calamity" Jane Kelly |
| Roberta Collins | Matilda the Hun |
| Martin Kove | Nero the Hero |
| Louisa Moritz | Myra |
| Don Steele | Junior Bruce (as The Real Don Steele) |
| Joyce Jameson | Grace Pander |
| Carle Bensen | Harold |
| Sandy McCallum | Mr. President |
| Paul Laurence | special agent |
| Harriet Medin | Thomasina Paine |
| Vince Trankina | Lt. Fury |
| Bill Morey | The Deacon of the Bipartisan Party |
| Fred Grandy | Herman the German |
| William Shephard | Pete |
| Leslie McRae | Cleopatra (credited as Leslie McRay) |
| Wendy Bartel | Laurie |
| Jack Favorite | Henry |
| Sandy Ignon | an FBI agent |
| John Landis | a Mechanic |
| Darla McDonnell | Rhonda Bainbridge |
| Roger Rook | Radio operator |
| Paul Bartel | Frankenstein's Doctor (uncredited) |
| Lewis Teague | Toreador (uncredited) |
[edit] Critical Reception
The movie has long been regarded as a cult hit, [1] and was often viewed as superior to Rollerball, made in the same year — another dystopian science fiction sports film, similarly focusing on the use of sports as an "opiate".[1]
[edit] Remake
Paul W. S. Anderson is directing a remake entitled Death Race, starring Jason Statham, which begun production in late August 2007.[2] Besides Statham, the film will also star Ian McShane, Joan Allen, and Tyrese Gibson. [3]
[edit] Other Media
A sequel comic book entitled Death Race 2020 was published in 1995 by Roger Corman's Cosmic Comics imprint. It was written by Pat Mills of 2000 AD fame, with art by Kevin O'Neill. The pair had already worked together on several comics including Marshall Law. The comic book, as the title indicates, took place 20 years after the movie and dealt with Frankenstein's return to the race.
[edit] The Cars
Frankenstein's car is a heavy moddified Chevrolet Corvette C3 convertible although it is very difficult to position a V8 engine in the back of the corvette due to the natural layout of the normal corvette which is FR Front engine, Rear drive, so technically his car is FR not MR.
Stallones car is presumably a chevy or Chevrolet V8 427 with a concept body shell it resembles a cross between a front end ford GT40 and a back end of a corvette. This technique of cross platform is still used today mostly on japanese cars.
The most noticible vehicle is matilda the huns car which actually has a real pulse jet engine around 200lb thrust on top of the car to increase its speed, but due to its weight at the time of filming most likely the engine would provide to much power for the chassis and suspension causing damage to the car let alone to much pressure for the vehicles tyres and would used to much fuel so its possible its a hollow cylinder with blades in it. Most pulse jets today are getting lighter as they are used in RC model aircraft.
It is possible to speculate that the other cars in the film were heavy tuned american muscle road cars with bodykits
[edit] Vehicle Realism
Due to the handling of the cars in the film all of them were fully functional road cars and were based mostly on modded american muscle cars with a body kit or some type chassis conversion. In some of the film sequences mostly on frankensteins car annie is seen adjusting the spark plugs rotation at the back of car which would mean the car is MR Mid engine, Rear drive used in sports cars eg: Honda NSX, Toyota MR2 only a few cars from that year have MR layouts mostly the GT40 is known for this layout.
