This isn’t a super obscure film as far as I’m aware, as it does seem to have a bigger cultural relevance than some other B-movies, but I’d still say it’s less known than a lot of big mainstream films (plus, it’s almost five decades old now, so time might’ve added some obscurity points). Anyway, it’s another film that I’ve always heard of and wanted to finally check out, and I have to say that, for what it is, it works pretty well. It’s definitely not high art, nor is it striving to be, and there are some obvious technical quirks, but the film manages to work with its lower-budget limitations and deliver a solid and fun movie. Plus, fans of David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone will probably be interested to see this, if they haven’t already, as it’s probably a classic for the former and an early career installment for the latter. So, let’s get an idea of what this “death race” is all about.
The story is set in a dystopian America with a dictatorial government, wherein a yearly race is held as a sort of “neo-gladiator death game.” Basically, a set of racers drive across the country and hit pedestrians along the way, which earns them “bonus points.” This is seen as perfectly normal and accepted by the general public, though certain folks are not so happy with it. Specifically, one certain group has formed as a rebellion against the government and plots to take down the race, and eventually, the President himself. Their plan is to send in Annie, the leader’s granddaughter, to pose as the “navigator” for the racing champion, Frankenstein (no, not the scientist or monster, he’s just a guy named Frankenstein), with the ultimate goal to take him hostage and use him to their advantage. At the same time, they’re also trying to kill off the other racers as well, which take on a series of schemes and scenarios as the film goes on. In fact, most of the film is different scenes of the contestants racing and killing people, as well as the resistance bumping off the racers and trying yet failing to capture Frankenstein. At the same time, there’s also some tensions going on between the racers, especially with Frankenstein and Machine Gun Joe, the latter of whom really wants to knock Frankenstein off his pedestal. Along with all of this, Frankenstein slowly begins to realize what the resistance is planning, and what Annie’s role in all of this is. Will the rebellion succeed? Will Frankenstein win the race? Will there be a lot more explosions and mutilated bodies? Well, I guess you’ll have to find those out for yourself.
This film is definitely reflective of the trends of the time. Dystopian and/or post-apocalyptic sci-fi really started booming in the 70’s, with movies like Logan’s Run, Silent Running, Soylent Green, THX 1138, A Boy and His Dog, Mad Max, and The Omega Man all becoming iconic examples of the genre in that decade. Death game movies were also gaining a bit of prominence as well, and interestingly, Death Race actually released the same year as another prominent installment: Rollerball. What sets Death Race apart from some of these films listed, however, is its embrace of a campier form of satire and delivery. The racers are all dolled up in gimmicky attire and vehicles (for example, Machine Gun Joe has a big fake gun barrel attached to the front of his car, while Frankenstein’s car is decked out with evil headlight eyes and a mass of gnarled teeth for a grill), and many of the pedestrian deaths are played for twisted dark humor. For instance, there’s a bit where the nurses of a hospital are wheeling out some of their elderly folks out onto the road, in the hopes that the racers will hit them, but Frankenstein instead veers onto the hospital grounds and takes out those same nurses instead. This dark humor style makes a lot of sense, considering its coming from director Paul Bartel, known for Eating Raoul, and producer Roger Corman, known for (among hundreds of other films) A Bucket of Blood and the original Little Shop of Horrors. Interestingly, the demented and heartless attitude of the characters and the “splatter” nature of some of the deaths almost seem like a prototype for what Troma (the Toxic Avenger guys) would take to further extremes in the 80’s and 90’s. This is definitely a movie for B-film fans, especially of the twisted variety, but I do have to give Death Race credit, it’s actually a more watchable B-movie than others I’ve encountered. The murders and hijinks during the race never go too far overboard to the point where the film might get tired or boring, and the actors manage to play their roles just good enough, not Oscar-worthy but not painful, so the film is easy to watch all the way through (unless you’re squeamish, but then, you probably shouldn’t be watching at all). There are still some classic B-movie issues, especially in the editing, wherein I noticed several awkward cuts between takes during the scenes (e.g., shot of Annie reaching over to Frankenstein, cut to close-up on Frankenstein telling her to get off, cut to Annie already settled back into her seat sans arm retraction). The audio can be intermittently weak as well, with noticeable echoing during some of the interior scenes, but neither of these issues are ever too egregious. Roger Corman may have made a ton of weak B-movies throughout his career, but I think that very fact also helped him get a good understanding of how to use what you have as best you can. Basically, if he needs to make it count, he makes it count, and that’s pretty commendable. Not to downplay Paul Bartel at all, as he clearly has a certain eye for dark humor, what with his previous feature Private Parts and his eventual success, the aforementioned Raoul, so credit to him as well. In terms of the film’s satire and its “trueness to potential reality”, I’d have to imagine that human society would probably never reach the level of “death games” being so widely accepted as they are in this film, especially to the point of involving innocents. It’s been centuries since the gladiator days, and I certainly hope we never return to them. However, I viewed the idea of the death game future in this movie as less of a “this could be us one day” thing and more as a “the fact that the film’s society is so okay with this is concerning” sort of thing. It’s less that the specific scenario shown in the film would ever be accepted in reality, and more that the fact that it is accepted is a way to show how society can change so much for the worse and how so many people will go along with it. I’m not going to claim that Death Race 2000 is the pinnacle of social satire, but I think that the way is handles the satire works for the kind of film that it is. I think that’s the best way to sum up this film: it works for what it is, and you know what, I had a fun time with it. It’ll never go down in history as one of the greatest films of all time, but it’s also way better than a lot of other low budget affairs. And, hey, David Carradine is a great garnish for any B-movie, not to mention a pre-Rocky Stallone, so those add a few points there. I think it’s about time to be heading out, so I’ll give my final thoughts.
Death Race 2000 works for what it is, and you know what, I had a pretty good time with it. If you’re in the mood for a good B-movie, a demented dark comedy, a campy 70s movie, or all of the above, then definitely check this film out. I’m aware that there was a remake of this film made in the late 2000s, but I haven’t seen it and I most likely won’t be covering it on this blog. I’ve realized that I’ve one a few B-movies recently, so I think I’m going to try to cover something artier again for next week. Be prepared for whatever that ends up being, but until then, hit the road with Death Race 2000. It’s way safer to be inside than outside, and in more ways than one these days.