Very well executed

recommended

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Roger Corman-produced low-budget classic, directed by Paul Bartel, about a future where an annual race is held where the drivers score points by running over and killing pedestrians. The reigning champion is a masked driver named Frankenstein (David Carradine), whose new "navigator" is a woman with ties to a resistance movement looking to overthrow the despotic President. In typical Corman fashion, the movie came about because Corman wanted to capitalize off of Rollerball, another movie about a violent future-sport. While I do like Rollerball, this one is more fun to watch, in my opinion. The movie has a great cast playing assorted colorful characters. In addition to David Carradine, there's Mary Woronov, Martin Kove, Louisa Moritz, Simone Griffeth, Joyce Jameson, and Sylvester Stallone (in one of his first big film roles). There's satire, action, droll comedy, and intentional corniness. Despite the futuristic plot, this is totally a product of its time. Probably not something for all tastes but few things worth enjoying are.

When Roger Corman and his crew set out to make a movie, you weren't always guaranteed a good time. However, with DEATH RACE 2000, you'll be happily rewarded. Here is, perhaps, the best "death match" movie ever made! In the not-too-distant future, a cross-country auto race is held once a year. Participating drivers are given the opportunity to run over unwitting citizens. And score points based upon their age, race, social status, and so forth. In this year's current race, there's the ever-popular Frankenstein (David Carradine), Machine Gun Joe Viterbo (Sylvester Stallone), Calamity Jane (Mary Woronov), Matilda the Hun (Roberta Collins), and Nero the Hero (Martin Kove). Who will win? Who will die? Watch and enjoy! And flatten all the remakes along the way!!!

"Death Race 2000" is adrenaline-charged fun, a fast paced, funny, satirical, and bloody sci-fi action picture loaded with political commentary and a cast of B movie icons to die for. Produced by the legendary Roger Corman and directed with gusto by the late Paul Bartel ("Eating Raoul"), it has a wicked sense of humour and also benefits from a bunch of colourful characters and their equally colourful cars. It hits the ground running and rarely lets up, with a particularly delicious wrap-up.It's the future (at least, the future as it was envisioned in 1975), and a no holds barred, brutal cross county car race known as the Transcontinental Road Race is the national sport. The points are scored by running down pedestrians. This sport is used by a totalitarian government to keep its violence-hungry population satisfied. The star of the race is the peoples' champion, Frankenstein (David Carradine), who has had various body parts replaced over the years. His chief rival is the foul tempered Machine Gun Joe Viterbo (a hilarious, scene stealing Sylvester Stallone). Competing against them are Calamity Jane (Mary Woronov), Matilda the Hun (Roberta Collins), and Nero the Hero (Martin Kove). Seeking to put an end to the race are a group of rebels known as The Resistance.Carradine is lots of fun as the cynical Frankenstein, although Stallone is the one who really walks off with the movie. Simone Griffeth is lovely as Frankensteins' new navigator, Annie; she, Woronov, Collins, and the always cute Louisa Moritz all make for fine eye candy. Adding to the entertainment value are other familiar faces such as Don Steele (a riot as annoying announcer Junior Bruce), Joyce Jameson, Fred Grandy, and Leslie McRay. (Look for John Landis in a bit part as a mechanic.) Director Bartel has an uncredited cameo as a doctor."Death Race 2000" is full of high speed action, explosions, and a genuinely interesting script by Robert Thom and Charles B. Griffith, based on the story "The Racer" by Ib Melchior. It does make us consider our own appetites for destruction while sating them at the same time. It may strike viewers as being dated in some ways, but it has an undeniable campy and cheesy charm going for it, making it hard to resist, and entertaining to revisit on a regular basis.Nine out of 10.

Actually, that's not quite fair. The movie itself is far from trash, although there is a lot that's trashy about it. But it makes a good sound bite, no? :-)As I write this, there are already 130 reviews of DR2K on IMDb. What could I add? With that many reviews in the hopper already, this is a vanity review. Oh well. Here's my take:This is cheap B-movie fare, but it reminds me of the Beatles in that its greatness stems from a nexus of circumstances unlikely to ever occur again. Everything came together here to make a really outstanding B-movie, and the trashiness adds to the fun (for those who let it). DR2K has wicked tongue-in-cheek fun while also throwing at us gratuitous nudity and slapstick violence, and always keeping us guessing at what in the world is coming next. I think only the 1970s could produce a movie like this; we grew up too much after that, and everything is too self-aware and self-conscious now to do this sort of zealous, devil-may-care schlock any more.It's a bit like Mel Brooks at his best, but doing it on a shoestring budget. This sort of production only works if everyone believes in it enough to put enthusiasm into their work, because it sure isn't going to make it on production value. Thankfully, in this case, they got terrific, spirited performances from just about everyone involved. (That's not to say that the acting was top-notch, just that it was lively and kept things moving and entertaining.) There's no mystery why some hate the film; you need a sardonic sense of humor and a tolerance for low budget antics. Those without should watch something else. For the rest of us this is a real gem.Simone Griffeth is enchanting in this movie, both for her beauty and seductiveness as well as for providing much of the best real acting; I find myself wishing she'd found a lot more success later. She seemed to have everything one could want in a rising starlet, but I don't think I've ever seen her before. The other gals are lovely as well; plenty of good B-movie eye candy, just as it should be, and they don't just sit there, they really get into their roles, as the guys do too.*** MILD SPOILER: *** what other movie offers you, with as straight a face as anything else in the film, a line like "Mr. and Mrs. President Frankenstein"??!? LOL!!If you're up for some campy fun and dark humor, don't miss DR2K!