Home
search
more | tips
IMDb > Death Race 2000 (1975)
Death Race 2000
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Death Race 2000 (1975) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 29 | slideshow) Videos (see all 10)
Death Race 2000 (1975) -- Open-ended Trailer from New World
Death Race 2000 (1975) -- US Home Video Extra (Clip) from New World
Death Race 2000 (1975) -- US Home Video Extra (Clip) from New World
Death Race 2000 (1975) -- US Home Video Extra (Clip) from New World
Death Race 2000 (1975) -- US Home Video Extra (Clip) from New World

Overview

User Rating:
6.1/10   8,800 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 7% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Paul Bartel
Writers:
Ib Melchior (story)
Robert Thom (writer) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Death Race 2000 on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
27 April 1975 (USA) more
Genre:
Action | Sci-Fi | Sport more
Tagline:
In The Year 2000 Hit And Run Driving Is No Longer A Felony. It's The National Sport! more
Plot:
A champion of a brutal cross-country car race of the future where pedestrians are run down for points... more | add synopsis
NewsDesk:
(39 articles)
David Carradine: 1936-2009
 (From Huffington Post. 10 June 2009, 3:05 PM, PDT)

News: In memory of David Carradine
 (From SoundOnSight. 4 June 2009, 2:02 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
Action, dark comedy, political satire, SciFi, romance .... racing ... it's all here more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

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
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
USA:84 min | Argentina:84 min
Country:
USA
Color:
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Certification:
Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Netherlands:18 (original rating) | Argentina:18 (re-rating) | Argentina:X (original rating) | Netherlands:16 (re-rating) | 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)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Several of the cars in the movie are re-bodied Volkswagens, including a VW Karmann-Ghia (Matilda's Buzz Bomb). The white Resistance Army car that chases Frankenstein very briefly before crashing and blowing up is a 1965 or 1966 Ford Mustang. Nero's car was based on a Fiat 850 Spider, and Frankenstein's on a Chevrolet Corvette. more
Goofs:
Continuity: During their last stop at Albuquerque, near the last scene before resuming the race, while talking to Frankenstein, Annie slips off a stocking. Then, after the camera goes from Frankenstein back to her, she is again taking off the same stocking. more
Quotes:
Machine Gun Joe VeTurbo: [strangling Annie] How does it feel to know you're gonna spend the rest of your life in pain? The rest of your life is about a minute and a half. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Futurama: The Honking (#3.1)" (2000) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
54 out of 60 people found the following comment useful:-
Action, dark comedy, political satire, SciFi, romance .... racing ... it's all here, 17 March 2005
8/10
Author: mstomaso from Vulcan

David Carradine stars in this classic cult creation. Deathrace 2000 is the 20th anniversary of the murderous trans-continental road race, or, in the words of the US president "what you all want".

You could lose this film in the repertoire of John Carpenter. If you're a Carpenter fan, you really need to see this. Much is made of Corman's production of this film, but this is really not a Corman film in any sense - except for its very obviously low budget. Paul Bartel (of Eating Raoul fame) deserves the directorial credit here, and he really did well given the mediocrity of the material he had to work with.

Ostensibly, the film is about a race involving five participants - Frankenstein (Carradine), Machine Gun Joe Viterbo (Stallone), Calamity Jane (Woronov), Mathilda the Hunn, and Nero the Hero - all of comic book stature. They are joined by navigators who double as concubines, which, I suppose, illustrates the trust and intimacy a driver must have with any partner involved in a high speed transcontinental race where the goal is to kill as many pedestrians as possible along the way. About a quarter of the way through the film, it becomes clear that the real story is about the connection between the US government, religion, mass-produced violence and a resistance movement, all focused on either promoting or ending the race once and for all. As despicable as the empowered elite may be in this film, the critique of the media is even more scathing.

Carradine is race hero Frankenstein. Sly Stallone plays his arch-rival Machine Gun Joe Viterbo, and an ensemble cast of fellow racers, media mavens, politicos, and willing and unwilling victims of "the great race" lend strong support. The acting is predictably campy and sometimes just a little too B grade. But the occasional pacing disaster just enhances the humor-value of the film. Stallone is particularly amusing, and gets great support from his sidekick. Carradine is typically bizarre, and even parodies himself with a few poorly choreographed kung fu techniques during his absurd fight scene with Stallone. As short as he is, Stallone is still a much larger and more fit man than Carradine, but gets handily whooped. The cinematographer makes no effort to hide the absurdity of this scene.

The script for this film is a series of well-delivered clichés strung together with cleverly choreographed racing action sequences. As such, it parodies tough-guy talk in films and in real life. The photography is excellent, and on par with John Carpenter's straightforward visual subtlety.

This film appears, at first blush, as a comedic celebration of violence. But it's really a very campy comment on the use of violence in sport and entertainment, as a way to distract and desensitize the public from serious issues such as economic stress, collectivist totalitarianism, the enshrinement of mediocrity, and "minority privilege" (a euphemism for rule by an entrenched powerful elite). The film is dated and does not need to be seen ten times to get it (though I just completed about my 12th viewing).

The political messages are worth hearing, the humor is worth paying attention to, and, if it's your first time, you will likely find this movie quite entertaining.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Death Race 2000 (1975)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Am I the only one that think this movie suck? LeCrisp
New Horizons DVD question nyhcskin
connection to star wars: a helmet victor08
Cartoon??? Firesquad
Machine Gun Joe Viterbo vs. Patrick Bateman houseofboognish
DR2000 predicts Reality Shows gsuffa256
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Wild at Heart The Black Widow Body Double City of Shoulders and Noses Blade Runner
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Action section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.