Death Race 2000 (1975)

Director:

Paul Bartel

Writers:

Ib Melchior (story)
Robert Thom (writer) ...

Release Date:

27 April 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi | Sport

Tagline:

In The Year 2000 Hit And Run Driving Is No Longer A Felony. It's The National Sport!

Plot:

A champion of a brutal cross-country car race of the future where pedestrians are run down for points...

Plot Keywords:

Race | President | Wedding | B Movie | Impalement

Cast

David Carradine	...	Frankenstein
Simone Griffeth	...	Annie Smith
Sylvester Stallone	...	Machine Gun Joe Viterbo
Mary Woronov	...	Calamity Jane
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	...	Deacon

Runtime:

USA:84 min | Argentina:84 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Brazilian Sign Language | Spanish

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Stereo | Dolby | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:M (TV rating) | Netherlands:18 (original rating) | Argentina:18 (re-rating) | Argentina:X (original rating) | Netherlands:16 (re-rating) | France:-16 | Australia:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Finland:K-18 | Germany:16 (2002) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 (original rating) | Canada:R (Manitoba) | UK:X (original rating) | Norway:18 (DVD release) (2003) (uncut version) | Norway:16 (video) (1988) (heavily cut) | Norway:(Banned) (1976-2003) (cinema release) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (2002)

Filming Locations:

Chet Holifield Federal Building - 24000 Avila Road, Laguna Niguel, California, USA

Company:

New World Pictures

Trivia:

Roger Corman wrote the original treatment of the film, which was serious in tone, but thought it was not right and, in his words, was "kind of vile". He decided the dark material of the story would be better served by making the movie into a comedy and had 'Robert Thom' rewrite the treatment.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: After Frankenstein has reaches the finish line, a shot clearly shows him using his right hand to lift himself up and out the car, despite his navigator having removed it just a couple minutes before. This is because this is actually the navigator posing as Frankenstein. This shot is a clue to Frankenstein's final ruse, and thus not an error.

Quotes:

[after Frankenstein runs over a doctor during "Euthanasia Day"]
Harold: Which only goes to show that even the fearsome Frankenstein has a one hundred percent red-blooded American sense of humor.

Movie Connections:

Spin off Death Race 2000 (1976) (VG)

A Parody of a Parody...

Death Race parodies so many things it's hard to know where to begin. America-centrism (the government blame the French for everything), professional sports, pro wrestling (the drivers are badly acted "theme" types), Big Brother, and just about everything else you could name. At the same time it panders to the blood lust of the audience with cartoon violence. Sylvester Stallone is hilarious as a driver with the mannerisms of a 30's gangster, practicing on his accent for the Rocky movies. A must -see.