If Cannonball run had a mean cousin that was considered the dark sheep of cross country racing then it would be Death Race 2000. The story is not complicated. Multiple outrageously characterized racers race across the country to see who can win and who can get the most points through committing legalized murder. Led by the ever-popular Frankenstein (David Carradine), the racers do their best to kill as many people as possible, even if it means themselves in the process.
This movie is ridiculous from beginning to end. The acting is subpar, especially if you consider David Carradine as the lead. The cars are a bit cool, but ultimately tacky enough to not take seriously. Everything about this film screams ‘crap’, yet the dark humor that embodies this Roger Corman classic won’t let your eyes or attention stray away too far.
Corman has always been an outlandish director and Death Race 2000 is no exception. With the wild matte paintings and the futuristic look that Corman creates, DR2000 is certainly one of the more high profile and ambitious productions that Corman was involved with. This is probably one of the cult classic films of its time (even if it anoints itself that title). While certainly the entire look and feel of the film is laughable in comparison to films today, it still says a lot about what Corman did without a budget that most films acquire nowadays.
Speaking of budget, the acting in Corman’s films has always been led by unknown or just budding actors.
It has a pretty strong cast of actors including Sly Stallone who seems to talk more in this film than in the entire movie Rocky. Corman’s knack for attracting young talent to do film is impressive. Death Race 2000 does its best to take these young up and comers and put them to work in the right way. You can tell that Carradine is the most experienced of the brood, but you can see some of the actors budding with talent.
So why would you be interested in the film if you’ve never seen it? It’s a classic and you need to see it. It has all the elements of outrageously overdone filmmaking attached, but it still is well done nonetheless. It has too much nudity, too much violence, goofy looking vehicles, but it has plenty of fun. If you don’t take it too seriously then you’ll find the enjoyment in it. If you’re a hardcore filmmaker then you might want to turn away and go catch subtitled crappy art films; this may not be for you.
It’s a race about killing people and being first; nothing more and nothing less.
Now, if you’re still reading this review then I’ve trapped your attention.
Death Race 2000 looks damn good on this edition. I’m not sure what Shout!Factory did to clean up the original film, but this is the first DVD in a little while that looks sharp. Considering that this film was made in 1975, it has little to no graininess in the picture. It’s no Blu-ray quality, but it’s a notch about DVD. The first scene when the drivers come out to great their crowd you’ll find very vivid colors and just a bright and well-lit scene. Another example is the scene where all the actors are getting massages and the two nude women start fighting….. wait…. okay, that scene looks good regardless of quality (I pray my wife isn’t reading this).
As for the features, you get a boatload of extras which included interviews, commentary and just a bunch of really interesting featurettes about various parts of the production. From costume to composing to a John Landis commentary on the theatrical trailer; you get a bunch of stuff for a re-release.