Death Race 2000 - Special Edition [DVD]

Blu-ray offers a very nice video & audio upgrade from all previous format versions of this, the blackest of cult classic comedies.THE STORY: In the dystopian future year of 2000, nationally-celebrated racers in wildly insane-looking customized cars throttle across country in the annual Trans-Continental Road Race; America's favorite sport. A thoroughly twisted bonus aspect of this ultra-violent mechanized marathon is that the drivers can score additional points during the race by running down men, women and children! Legendary winner of multiple races... the often crashed & smashed, creamed & reamed but never down & out champion, "Frankenstein" (an appropriately menacing & stoic performance by David 'Kung Fu' Carradine), is the odds on favorite to take the crown once again, but the other blood-thirsty drivers, (a young Sylvester Stallone, in his second starring role, among them), are going to use every nasty, under-handed trick they can to eliminate Frankenstein and capture first place. As if that wasn't enough tension, a small band of government resistance rebels have hatched a plot to stop the Death Race. To this end, they have entrenched a double agent amongst the racers to sabotage the proceedings whenever possible. Their ultimate goal is to unseat the self-appointed Christ-like President of the United States and overthrow the iron-fisted rule of his thoroughly corrupt totalitarian government.THOUGHTS: Paul Bartel directs this wild, one-of-a-kind, low budget, high speed crashfest with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek. The violence is so over the top that it borders on cartoonish. The motivations of the various (and strictly one-dimensional) characters are uncomplicated & straightforward. Genius genre producer Roger Corman puts his indelible stamp on this crazed film and gives viewers of the time something they had likely never seen before. The more things change, it seems, the more they stay the same, so the movie's stinging political barbs are every bit as appropriate today as they were when the film was first released 40+ years ago. The thinly-veiled pokes at TV viewership & reality TV shows actually seem prophetically ahead of their time. The film manages to entertain, hitting all the right notes to keep it relevant & poignant even all these decades later. The wild car designs & energetically suicidal racing action continue to delight long-time enthusiasts of the film and draw new legions of fans, generation after generation. Yes, the film is cruel and decidedly insane, but it's also wickedly funny. That makes it hard NOT to enjoy, especially from a black comedy perspective.THE BLU-RAY: This new release from Shout!Factory revs up the screen with a truly impressive picture & thundering sound. Original film elements were used to achieve the best possible picture and the resulting remastering is a major improvement in every way over all previous formats. I've had this film on VHS, DVD ...and now this beautiful Blu-ray. It looks just amazing here. The restored picture contains only minimal artifacting & pixelation; hardly any dust, dirt or debris to detract from the garish color scheme. Focus is quite sharp in most of the scenes. Sound is clear, strong & level. Honestly, if you already have DR2k on DVD, I can whole-heartedly recommend this upgrade as being absolutely worth the double dip. But wait... the improved picture & sound quality are just the tip of the iceberg. There are also several interesting behind the scenes featurettes, with recollections from both fans of the film and the original crew that helped make it. Interestingly enough, some of the best tales come from the woman who did the costume designs for the film. The interview with Ib Melchoir, whose story "The Racer" was the inspiration for the film, is well worth watching, too. All in all, this is a terrific release worthy of your attention & ownership! 5 STARS!

Great movie if you do not take things to serious. Bonus Points for taking out his own Pit Crew or some thing like that. Oh I forgot that Sylvester Stallone played in this movie.

I first watched  Death Race 2000  (where else?) late at night on a cable movie network, not knowing what to expect. I'd heard many things about it before that night; how gory it was, how unnecessary its nudity was, how it put Sylvester Stallone on the map before  Rocky ...but what I saw that night was a profound, humorous and thought-provoking social commentary on society's uncontrollable infatuation with violence.In director Paul Bartel's alternate version of the year 2000, the United States is a self-righteous totalitarian dictatorship run under the fist of "Mister President". A violent obsession consumes the nation, its outlet the annual Transcontinental Road Race, where drivers earn points by running over innocent bystanders (more for mowing down children, disabled or the elderly). The film centers around Frankenstein (the late David Carradine), the prototypical "iron man", whose numerous injuries are as famous as his victories (hence, his nickname). However, the enigma surrounding this onyx-clad veteran of the "Death Race" may not be all it seems...The film is tremendous social satire, lampooning the media, violence and the nature of competition itself. However, in spite of most of its brilliance and Bartel's trademark dark humor, the film is very much a low-budget product of its time. A Roger Corman production, the film is certainly low-budget, raunchy and bloody. The opening titles and establishing shot of the raceway are enough evidence. This film wasn't meant to blow viewers away with its visuals. Instead, in trademark Corman fashion, the positives are accentuated while the negatives are downplayed. If viewers look past its low budget, they'll discover a tremendously fun, entertaining and surprisingly intellectual experience.Shout! Factory, producers of the amazing  Freaks and Geeks  and  SCTV  box sets, helm this release and present it extremely faithfully. The 1080p transfer of the film is far from pristine given the limitations of its source material, but in spite of this, it's still a solid transfer. Its Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack is a bit of a disappointment in this era of lossless audio and bombastic low-end frequencies, but it does its job effectively. Once again, the explanation lies in the limitations and low budget of the source material.As is the case with most of Shout! Factory's releases, the greatness lies in the supplements. Two audio commentaries and a collection of documentaries and featurettes (both in 480p and 1080p) cover all of the bases, from Corman's hilariously inaccurate estimation of Stallone's future career during production to production design, scripting, scoring and trailer-making (yes, trailer-making). Not only are these featurettes informative, but reveal a lot about the filmmaking process Corman perfected. Shout! Factory deserves a lot of the credit here, for their overview of the film is equally substantial and informative, with some laughs along the way.Yes, it's dated, gory, goofy and sultry. Look beyond the obvious, however, and Death Race 2000 becomes a smart, satirical comment on contemporay American society's obsession with violence and its exploitation through media and politics. Shout! Factory does extremely well in bringing it to Blu-ray, providing everything a fan of the film needs to know. Both the film and blu-ray are surprisingly in-depth and entertaining. Overall, a great release.

Obviously a 70s B movie. I’ve seen the other Death Race movies and was hoping for another good movie. I WAS WRONG! I forced myself to watch all of it and threw it away after. I was so disappointed and can’t figure out why people liked this

Very impressed

This is one of those movies that is so bad it's actually entertaining. Cheap, cheesy fiberglass cars; stupefyingly awful acting (David Carradine projects stoicism as if lobotomized); dialog from the dregs of a high school play; an embarrassingly bad sex scene; a ridiculous attempt at social relevance; and a cross-country trip that looks like it was filmed within a ten square mile area of the Malibu Hills. It's like a stew made with all the wrong ingredients, a disaster worthy of Ed Wood. Watching it alone would be an exercise in masochism. But in company, boy, what a hoot! The bit where the "car" plows it's way through a gaggle of people, hidden behind a hedge or whatever, and they go flying in the air like a 1920s Hal Roach comedy is priceless. If you need a laugh, you could do worse than this dreck.

This review is the "Optimum" release which is the only widescreen release in the UK at present, and is also out of print.This was my very first viewing of the very trashy 1974 Roger Corman movie Drath Race 2000The picture on the whole is quite good considering the stock footage, but is a bit grainy in places. However, unlike the original UK Cinema (Cert X) version, this release is uncut. It's great to see Sly Stallone in one of his first major film roles just months before he got his way to star in his film Rocky.Death Race 2000 is not an Oscar winner but has cult status for a reason.Some films are so utterly sh*te they are great fun........this is one of them 😁Sadly lacking on extras, one interview and some linear notes.

There are a few gore moments, but mere moments is all that they are. And, their brevity helps to conceal the dated special-effects. I was surprised at the amount of black humour, in this (I mean black as in dark comedy rather than in the racial sense). It moves along at a fast pace, and it’s never really clear; what direction this story will take. By focusing on the action, it could and should lessen the need for viewers to dwell upon such luxuries - as having a rational narrative! On the other hand, it’s intended to be fun and shocking; at the same time (so probably best to enjoy it accordingly!). The much more recent version, starring Jason Statham, would probably appeal to viewers; who are looking for more violence and improved special-effects. Many critics and others, compare Roger Corman’s version with Rollerball; partly because they were made during the same era. That, and apart from the idea of using a violent spectator sport, for pleasing mass audiences with political ends; the two films have relatively little in common. Anyway, make of it - what you will..!

As a young boy in the mid 1970's I saw in the paper that this film had come out, it's a gory X-rated film screamed the headline, la la la la. Well time went by and finally last year I got this on DVD. Perhaps by 1975 this was X rated but in the 21st century it screams "low budget B movie"; this isn't to say the film's rubbish, because it's not, looks like it was made on a budget of about $10k, but if you approach it with a view that it's really a Sunday afternoon tougue in cheek satire on Big Corporations running Amerika (s.i.c.) and giving the people what they want, a la "Rollerball", "Logan's Run" and "The Running Man", all films that were around at the same time if my memory serves me correctly, then you should be fine. The cars are laughable, the people being run over is more funny than gory and the bit of nudity is pretty tame by today's standards. Put this in your DVD player, crack open a beer or three, and turn your brain off for an hour and a half of silly entertainment.

I finally discovered this legendary, grotesque and disturbing 1975 Roger Corman production and I must say I am glad that I did - although I wouldn't go as far as saying that I liked it because it is not exactly a film you like..))) Below, more of my impressions, with some SPOILERS.In an alternate reality timeline, in the Year of Disgrace 2000, USA are an oppressive totalitarian dictatorship known us United Provinces of America (UPA), ruled by a unique party formed by a fusion of Republicans and Democrats and known as "Bipartisan Party". At the head of the state is Mr President - it is his official title and official name and nobody uses his real name.In order to provide entertainment in 1980 the Bipartisan Party created "the Annual Transcontinental Road Race", a competition between teams composed each of one driver and one navigator, who operate specially decorated and armed cars. In order to win however it is not enough to arrive first to the finish line - it is also necessary to score a maximum of points, by chasing and killing innocent pedestrians...This film tells the story of Death Race 2000, in which five teams will compete. The drivers, who are the main stars, are all well known veterans of previous editions:- "Frankenstein" (David Carradine), mutilated, disfigured champion in title, always wearing a mask.- "Machine Gun" Joe Viterbo (Sylvester Stallone), "loved by thousands, hated by millions", challenger for the title- "Matilda the Hun" (Roberta Collins), "America's little svastika honey" (she drives a car looking like a V-1 flying bomb)- "Calamity" Jane Kelly (Mary Woronov), a hot babe dressed as a cowgirl- "Nero the Hero" Lonagan (Martin Kove), a guy trying to look as a Roman gladiatorThe only recognizable actors in this film are of course post-Kung Fu David Carradine and pre-Rocky Sylvester Stallone. "Sly" was in this time in fact still a struggling young actor and it was only his second real role ever, after appearing as Frank Nitti in "Capone" earlier the same year (before that he made just cameos, mostly uncredited).I will not say much here about the story, other than this is a quite typical low-budget Roger Corman film, so you can expect cheap decorations, lame special effects, bad taste jokes, graphic violence, some sex and nudity (but not strong language and no F-bombs), acting taken directly from porn movies and last but not least actresses who got their roles for their looks (and possibly some services rendered) rather than for any kind of talent...And yet, SURPRISE, SURPRISE, here this coctail actually somehow WORKS, mostly because of the darkest kind of black humour which keeps all this together. The completely over the top, outrageous scenario makes this film of course quite disturbing by moments, but all in all also quite watchable. I must admit that when the final credits started rolling to my surprise I found myself quite content - in fact that was a quite satisfactory, although funny tasting, viewing experience...If you didn't see this movie yet, I really recommend it, as it is a kind of cult film - and honestly, it deserves this status...

Death Race 2000 is a cult classic of a film from 1975. Based loosely on the short story The Racer/Race of Death by Ib Melchior, Death Race 2000 is a brutal sports pioneer released the same year as the legendary  Rollerball . Death Race is something of a B Movie with pretty limited effects and acting range on display. The B Movie feel is in part the small budget but in part the work of producer Roger Corman whose career spans some of the best known B Movies in the Hollywood pantheon.Closing in on 40 years later, Death Race 2000 does not of course look anywhere near as good as modern blockbusters. The lighting is not very effective. The sets are ugly at times. The scenery shots are generally quite empty. None of that matters one iota. What matters about Death Race 2000 is the awesome concept of a brutal sports race, the excellent performance from the most prominent antagonist, and absolutely sparkling black humour.The brutal sports element is the race itself. It is a transcontinental dash across a dystopian US. The racers are up against each other in trying to speed across country the fastest but also pick up points by running people over. That concept was later taken by  Carmageddon  but perhaps more importantly by the original set of  Grand Theft Auto  games. The race itself is not well defined and it is entirely unclear how time and points scored relate to one another, the rules are a bit incoherent especially when compared to the much more sophisticated game of Rollerball. There is though an excellent moment when the scoring system itself is explained. The enthusiasm with which the colour commentator explains the different point values assigned to different categories of people run over is hilarious.The brutality of the race itself is excellent. 4 of the 5 racers successfuly score during the race and they often do so hilariously. The scoring of the Deacon of the Bipartisan Party is particularly brilliant because of the tension the commentators offer before they realise that score is acceptable. The scoring of a pit crew is genious while the dispatching of a chicken crew is such incredible bleak humour.The humour is what makes Death Race 2000 quite so groundbreaking. Most brutal sports offerings are deadly serious. Films like Rollerball or  Salute Of The Jugger  go through their actions scenes with just the violence itself. Death Race 2000 makes death and carnage funny. In doing so it succeeds where other dystopian brutal sports films tend to fail - it actually makes a good point. The point is the superficial and bloodthirsty being played out for our entertainment.Being funny and entertaining separates Death Race 2000 even if it a less cohesive film than others in the genre. The meta-plot is kind of stupid, the future US is ruled by a distant tyrant called Mr President who has decreed the race as a means of keeping the masses sated. Television dominates the message, told through the voices of three commentators who are explicitly under instruction from brown-suited government types. A group of rebels sets out to disrupt the race in order to bring an end to the brutality.With the meta-plot as the backdrop, the story is mainly that of the main racers. The lead character is Frankenstein, played by David Carradine. He is the fan favourite, a survivor of this most eviscerating of events. His main rival is "Machine Gun" Joe Verterbo played by Sly Stallone. The two have an excellent rivalry which plays out through the race itself but also in the behind the scenes section notably with the role of navigators. Each of the racers has a very attractive navigator of the opposite sex. In Frankenstein's case it is Annie Smith played by Simone Griffith as the main love interest.Annie gets to know Frankenstein and inevitably the pair find themselves dancing mostly naked in a horrid 70s bedroom. The very 70s sense of style is most at home in the undercurrent of sleaze. The dance featuring an athletically slender Carradine wearing his character's gory mask is a bit odd. Smith's pose later on to just about keep enough modesty to get past the censors looks very uncomfortable. The unnecessary topless sequence and near fight between the two female racers played by Mary Woronov and Roberta Collins is just silly.The sequences are not helped by the generally quite poor standard of acting. Even Carradine is pretty uninspiring. His soft-spoken and fairly emotionless character leaves the door wide open for Sly Stallone to steal the show. Steal it he does. Joe Verterbo is the most exciting and engaging character on display. His aggressive mysogynism towards navigator Myra played by bombshell Louisa Moritz works because of the rapid fire one-liners the pair trade. The best of the lines is definitely: "some people might think you're cute, but me I think you're one very large baked potato".There are loads of hilarious lines scattered through the film. The respect Woronov's character Calamity Jane shows for her rival Matilda The Hun is a great moment. It is great because the respect is for Matilda's quality driving in being able to score Jane's navigator. Dark humour in a way Americans really are not normally capable of.The point being made by the humour is excellent. It hits home right at the end with Frankenstein and allies laughing about using the same violent tactics necessary in the race to kill someone they find annoying.Annoyingly the political backdrop to Death Race 2000 gets in the way of the brilliance at times. Much in the same way Rollerball was an amazing film with an annoying distraction in the form of politics, Death Race 2000 fails whenever the rebels are on screen. They fail mostly because lead rebel Thomasina Paine played by Harriet Medin is ear-bleedingly bad. The reference to the author of  The Rights of Man  does not really fit and is not funny. Paine looks and sounds like a fanatical puritan. She is a school ma'm of the worst order. Surprisingly Paine is vehemently anti-violence but as soon as another rebel tells her the rebel's violent plan is being put into effect she joins in. For all her horrid preaching she is prepared to take up a gun is the only person in the film to shoot somebody. That the somebody is pretty much entirely unharmed is beside the point, Paine is a badly written character terribly acted.Fortunately Paine does not get much screen time. Even more fortunately there is plenty enough Stallone. Coming a year before  Rocky  he plays an entirely different character, a malicious and short-tempered goon prepared to go too far in order to win. Stallone is magnificent in this film.A special moment in Death Race 2000 is the fight sequence between Stallone and Carradine. Carradine of course was most famous for his role as Caine in  Kung Fu  but at the time no-one involved could have known what Stallone was about to do to propel himself into superstardom. Having a fight scene between Caine and Rocky is just genious.Graphically the performance is not as good as that Stallone offers. The cars look a bit silly. They may have been impressive at the time but in retrospect they were perhaps a clearer source of inspiration to  Wacky Races  than to the kind of  Mad Max  vehicles the makers probably intended. Musically Death Race 2000 is largely not noticeable until a painful electronic screech of sound assaults the ears towards the end of the film. The production values are low. This is not a film with shiny toys.The DVD Extras are disappointingly thin. The only real Extra is a five minute interview with Roger Corman which does at least show he has a good sense of humour.Death Race 2000 is a cult classic. It is not quite the brutal sports masterpiece of its contemporary Rollerball but it is still an awesome vision delivering a great concept in a very funny way with an unexpectedly fine turn from the excellent pre-Rocky Sly Stallone. Brutal sports fans need to have this film in the collection. Those who appreciate the B Movie style and black humour at its Hollywood best will appreciate this underrated gem. RollerballCarmageddonGrand Theft AutoSalute Of The JuggerThe Rights of ManRockyKung FuWacky RacesMad Max