Amazon.com

After forming a match made in trash-movie heaven in John Waters's Polyester, Tab Hunter and Divine reunited for this deliciously tasteless Western comedy, which borrows its title from the nickname for Duel in the Sun, the turgid Western that inspired director Paul Bartel's affectionate spoofery. With Hunter wearing two hats as hero and coproducer, the movie indulges its own outrageous excess while staying true to the dustiest traditions of the Western genre. It's just good enough to watch without shame, and rude enough to hide from more offendable members of the family.

Nothing's sacred in Chile Verde, the wild western town where lone gunman Abel Wood (Hunter) arrives after rescuing corpulent saloon singer Rosie Velez (Divine) from being defiled by Hard Case Williams (Geoffey Lewis) and his gang of misfit gunslingers. Saloon owner Marguerita Ventura (Lainie Kazan) gets hot 'n' heavy for Abel's wood, and passions flare up in a race for hidden treasure, the map to which is tattooed in two sections on Rosie's and Marguerita's ample posteriors. To reveal more would spoil the wretched hilarity; one needn't love Westerns to enjoy this pig-wallow of a comedy, but it helps if you know the legacy of screen villains like Henry Silva, who's riotous here while barely shifting his vile expression. No doubt, this is the wackiest Western that ever cooked under the "blistering, burning, blazing, scorching, roasting, toasting, baking, boiling, broiling, steaming, searing, sizzling, grilling, smoldering, very hot New Mexico sun." --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Westerns should be this much fun
John Water's became a cult classic guy with Polyester, and Tab Hunter and Divine the drag queen bi-sexual gay guy, are back in this take off of the Duel In The Sun classic. And this is a funny movie. Tab Hunter whom some may not remember from the 50's and 60's (but should get reacquainted with ) plays a cowboy in Chile Verde, a gritty and dusty wild western town.

If you have ever seen Divine who plays Rosie Velez you will see how this rolly polly borderline whore character can come off sofunny. Lainie Kazan plays a lusty busty saloon owner named Marguerita Ventura . Now the basics of the movie are Rosies and Marguerita's ample butts which hold part of a map to hidden treasure.

And if you can invision what the guys will do to get a look at the maps and the surprises involved with some really funny outhouse and bar room scenes then you will know why this and all of Mr Water's movies are a must own.

It lives up to the Water's genre and is ... funny
John Water's became a cult classic guy with Polyester, and Tab Hunter and Divine the drag queen bi-sexual gay guy, are back in this take off of the Duel In The Sun classic. And ... this is a funny movie. Tab Hunter whom some may not remember from the 50's and 60's (but should get reacquainted with ) plays a cowboy in Chile Verde, a gritty and dusty wild western town.

If you have ever seen Divine who plays Rosie Velez you will see how this rolly polly borderline ... character can come off so ... funny. Lainie Kazan plays a lusty busty saloon owner named Marguerita Ventura . Now the basics of the movie are Rosies and Marguerita's ample ... which hold part of a map to hidden treasure.

And if you can invision what the guys will do to get a look at the maps and the surprises involved with some really funny outhouse and bar room scenes then you will know why this and all of Mr Water's movies are a must own.

My idea of side splitting funny material......
But that's because I happen to think you can't get much funnier than casting a very overweight white male (who thinks he's a female) as a side-saddle burro riding Mexican plus sized siren named Rosie Velez, who is on her way to the dusty desert town of Chile Verde. Miss Kazan, one of moviedoms most underrated comedic actress', shines with her usual brilliance. Definately one of my personal top ten rated comedy pictures of all time. Which means it's right up there with "Some Like it Hot" "Dinner at Eight" and "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World".

"You're going to have your filthy way with me."
Divine was at the peak of his short career when he was cast as Rosie Velez in the Paul Bartel western film, "Lust in the Dust." Divine (AKA Glenn Milstead) plays Rosie Velez--a woman who waddles her way to a town named Chili Verde. With a parasol to protect her from the baking desert sun, Rosie runs into Hard Case Williams and his libidinous motley gang of outlaws. Williams--the bible-quoting, perfume-allergic, bad man isn't prepared for Rosie's zest for survival or the murderous power of those thunder thighs. So after leaving the gang members in the dust, Rosie continues on her way to Chili Verde. Rosie meets a mysterious, silent stranger, Abel Wood (Tab Hunter), and the unlikely pair travel together.

Chili Verde is more or less run by saloonkeeper, Marguerita Ventura (Lainie Kazan). Soon it is clear that both Rosie and Marguerita are vying for the attentions of Abel Wood. To this love triangle throw in buried treasure, a tattooed map showing the location of the buried treasure, the world's oldest salon girl (Big Ed), gunslingers and a couple of very raunchy songs, and you have a splendid parody of the spaghetti western. The title "Lust in the Dust" is a reference to the film "Duel in the Sun," and you'll understand why if you watch the film. All the elements of the spaghetti western are here--the silent stranger who protects the sanctity of womanhood, the hidden agenda of the mysterious stranger, and even the familiar baddie, Bernado, who wears black. The film is full of some great lines. For example, Rosie says to Marguerita, "I've been poor all my life," and Marguerita replies, "You've got it all wrong, Honey. You're not poor--you're cheap." The best lines and the best laughs are delivered by Rosie and Marguerita. The songs performed by Divine and Lainie Kazan are priceless.

For Divine fans, this film really shouldn't be missed. It's a good, crude, tasteless laugh, and that's all it's supposed to be. The film reunites Divine and Tab Hunter--they made a successful screen pair in "Polyester." "Lust in the Dust" has adult themes, and adult humour, and it's not for the kiddies--displacedhuman

These Lips Were Made for Kissin
It isn't the greatest movie ever, but it has some great moments. I am buying this strictly to hear Divine's pub room song. It is th highlight of the film. Another scene you'll love is when a lover gets accidently squeezed to death between Divine's legs. And don't miss Divine riding a donkey through the desert! ... Read more

Amazon.com

You'd think a black comedy about murder, tackiness, and sexual perversionwould quickly become dated, but Eating Raoul (1982) feels surprisinglyfresh and delightful. When Mary Bland (Mary Woronov) gets assaulted by oneof the repulsive swingers from the neighboring apartment, her husband Paul(Paul Bartel) rescues her with a swift blow from a frying pan--only todiscover a substantial wad of cash in the swinger's wallet. Alure-and-kill scheme follows, which nicely fills their nest egg until aslippery thief named Raoul (Robert Beltran of Star Trek: Voyager,making his film debut) stumbles onto the truth and insists on getting ashare. When Raoul starts demanding a share of Mary as well, Paul has totake drastic steps. The key to Eating Raoul isn't the sensationalcontent, but the blithe, matter-of-fact attitude Bartel and Woronov taketo it; their sly underplaying makes the movie sparkle with wicked wit.--Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (30)

A CULT CLASSIC...
One of the funniest films of the 80's is Paul Bartel's "Eating Raoul" starring Bartel and cult actress Mary Woronov as Paul and Mary Bland, an old-fashioned "straight" couple with dreams of owning their own restaurant. Paul is a wine connoisseur working at a liquor store in a bad neighborhood and Mary's a dietician working in an LA hospital. They are bewildered and disgusted by their dead end jobs, crime and the amount of sexual deviants piling into their apartment building. They also don't have enough money to buy the choice property they've found for their dream restaurant. Paul loses his job and things really start to look bleak. But optimistic Mary has high hopes and these come to fruition when they kill a "swinger" with a frying pan who tries to attack Mary and find he has a lot of cash on him. Soon , they're in business thanks to a sexy add in a swinger's trade paper...luring "swingers" to their apartment with fake set ups, whacking them with the frying pan and rolling their pockets. Things are looking good until they meet Raoul, a shyster locksmith with an agenda of his own, a dog food connection...and an attraction for Mary. "Eating Raoul" manages to poke fun at everything and remain consistently entertaining evry time you watch it. The cast is energetic and funny and full of familiar faces: Edie McClurg, Hamilton Camp and many others. Susan Saigler as Doris the Dominatrix is especially funny. The Bland apartment is a delightful nightmare of "fabulous fifties' furniture" and other kitsch. The DVD looks good and Mary Woronov's incredibly long and tawny legs seem to fill up the screen. She's sexy yet the kind of girl you'd like to know. She's a thinking man's sex symbol and an excellent comic rolled into one. "Eating Raoul" may be this underrated and underused actress' finest hour. So for anyone who hasn't seen this, it's a rare ode to everything tacky and a very funny film. Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

Eating Raoul
Delicious black comedy about the Blands, a super-square couple who lure wealthy swingers to their apartment and kill them, which helps finance their dream restaurant. Sags a little here and there, but overall a bright, original, and hilarious satire.
I give the movie 5 stars!

You need to watch this movie!!
Paul Bartel -- a genius. Mary Woronov - one of the best (and, unfortunately, underappreciated) comedic actresses of our times. This movie pairs the two of them for the first time, and one of the best comic duos of all times had been born. Playing an uptight married couple trapped in a swingers world, watching Bartel and Woronov playing off of each other, and the various characters that come in and out of their lives, shows us why independent movies still shine far above most commercially/studio made movies out there. Get this movie -- better yet, buy this movie and add it to your collection. You won't be disappointed.

Love the movie, but could have been a better DVD.
I have waited long for the release of Eating Raoul for years to come to DVD. Now that its here, I have forgotten what a great and funny film it actually is. However, I wasn't expecting much as far as the DVD transfer is concerned (since I first saw it on a deteriorated VHS tape I rented and I would have liked anything even slightly better)but like the other reviewers stated, I don't think the anamorphic transfer is correct. It seems to look better when you watch it streched to fit a full screen television. The company should have done a better job putting this onto DVD and I could have waited longer for better package, mabye with some spceial feature to go with it. Besides the disapointing DVD, the movie is a comedy satire classic and its really great.

AVOID: Bad Transfer
This long awaited DVD is an incredible disappointment. The major problem that makes this unwatchable is that somehow this movie has been stretched horizontally to fit a widescreen TV. The result makes everything look distorted. I don't know what the original aspect ratio was but this presentation is an abomination. I tried running it on my computer software to manually adjust the picture dimensions. The film does appear to be wider than the standard screen size but not the ratio as presented on this DVD.

And to top it off the print appears to be something of the VHS quality (i.e. poor) with color and resolution deficiences. There appears to be a gash in the screen as if the video was shot from a movie screen with a tear in the top middle. The sound appears to have been mono that someone has doctored up by added fake stereo and reverb, then steering the dialog from side to side. Warning: Listening to this may cause sea sickness.

Sony should be sued for selling this junk. I probably will be returning my copy. One thing for sure: if you are unable to manually adjust the aspect ratio with a computer, do not buy this. I will be anxiously waiting for this to be remastered - this is a good and funny film. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Paul Bartel's 1975 cheap-o satire about a futuristic internationalsport--an anything-goes car race where drivers score points for hittingpedestrians--stars David Carradine as a hero behind the wheel and SylvesterStallone as his nemesis. The film is clever and macabre enough as a modernistsatire, but finally overplays its hand in grim, decadent humor. The sets aregloriously artificial, and former Warhol star Mary Woronov is in sexy, comic form. A DVD release is available. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (48)

A bad film, unless you like that sort of thing.
This is a very silly movie that hasn't aged well since its release in 1975. It has aspirations of being a clever social satire, but it's really just low-brow entertainment, often not too far removed from the "Skinimax" flicks of the late-80's. That may be a good thing if you're into cult flicks and B-movies, but for most viewers this is too cheesy to even be mildly amusing.

In "Death Race 2000", David Carradine stars as national hero and veteran racer Frankenstein, while Sylvester Stallone plays Machine Gun Joe Viterbo, his biggest competitor. They compete against three other drivers in a transcontinental road race where extra points can be earned by running over pedestrians. One by one, the five cars fall victim to a group of rebels who are intent on putting a stop to the gruesome sport.

The violence, of which there is very little, is played for comedic effect. However I think the intended reaction was more along the lines of "oh man, that was BRUTAL, haha!" rather than "oh man, that looked so cheap, haha!" Low budget film-lovers rejoice! This is your movie.

Interested parties should be prepared for Carradine's "dominatrix" outfit, complete with mask and cape. I think it was supposed to make him look sinister, but instead he comes off looking rail-thin and ridiculous. Stallone, in a supporting role as a stereotypical Italian tough guy, steals the movie.

The beautiful supporting actresses also overshadow the star, Carradine. Anyone familiar with producer Roger Corman knows that, in his world, fast cars and gratuitous violence go hand in hand with bare-breasts and the occasional catfight. "Death Race 2000" is no exception.

If you've seen this before and decided it's your type of film, then this is definitely version to get. Stay clear of the 1998 release by Digital Multimedia, a very poor transfer with blurry, grainy images and an ever-present hiss. This 1999 release by New Horizons looks infinitely better and the sound has been digitally re-mastered. It also has a few extras, like the theatrical trailer, bios and an interview with producer Roger Corman.

Darth Frankenstein ?
Tell Me Mr. Lucas didn't get his idea for Darth from Frankenstein's wacky wardrobe. Even using the unmasking scene!!

If my Auto Insurance Agent only knew!
I loved this movie, actually caught it at a drive-in theater back in 1975, not that long after getting my drivers license. David Carradine, fresh from the cancelled Kung Fu television series, played Frankenstein, a master driver, rumored to be half cyborg. This movies motivation was all about the anti-establishment, post Vietnam War era, and reflected the prevailing attitudes against US Imperialism. Seems a little ironic it takes place in 2000, with our return to that sort of attitude in government today.

In about 1978, just before the launch of the video game Space Invaders, the most popular arcade game in America was Death Race. You chased little stick figures (they called them gremlins... but you know :) ) with a car, and ran them down. They squealed, turned into crosses, (tombstones that is) you would hit reverse, and keep driving. At the end of the game, your score was the number killed. The moms of America were outraged at the game, and later a version was modified, (They renamed it Demolition Derby) you were chasing cars, which then turned into wrecks. In a nutshell, the original game is the plot of the movie Death Race 2000.

The movie is about a national sporting event, apparently to show that life is cheap, and only the meanest SOB wins. Racers get varied degrees of points, for mowing down pedestrians in a cross-country, racing event. A pre-Rocky Sly Stallone plays the main competition for Frankie. Carradine handles the role with just the right amount of campy acting, and without going too far overboard. While some of this stuff plays like an episode of the Road Runner, they never lose the spirit of the film, so it comes off well.

Believe it or not, some of the race itself is very exciting. For a low budget film that was probably made in a week or two, the action sequences were well thought out. The politics may be a little preaching at times in the film, but don't really get in the way of the fun. My five star rating, does not mean I think this is on par with past Oscar winners. What it means is, that for this type of low budget, camp movie, I consider it a classic along the lines of Motel Hell, Little Shop of Horrors, Harold and Maude, and Easy Rider.

Very underrated movie
"Death Race 2000" is an incredibly entertaining movie on various levels. You can sit back and just enjoy the over-the-top acting, amazing cars, and bloody violance, or you can actually get into the story a little deeper, of how America is run by Mr. President and how various people (including, as we eventually find out, Frankenstein) try to take him down for the good of the country.

The film is filmed beautifully, especially when the cars are on the road. There's a lot of action as the cars run over people for points and battle each other to win the race.

The biggest regret I have about this DVD is that it is not in widescreen. This is a shame because, well, if it isn't in widescreen, you are being cheated. And this great film deserves to be in widescreen. (Let the VHS fans have the fullscreen.) Some deleted scenes would have been nice as well, as I have seen photos of action not in the final print, and even in the trailer on the DVD there is a line not in the film ("This is a death race," as said by Frankenstein). Despite no widescreen, still a must-buy.

Classic Comedy
This look at the year 2000 from the 70's, point of imagination, is just as funny as it is disturbing. This movie is for the hit and run junkie, only you get paid for vehicular murder. The drivers race cross country in an all out frenzy to collect as many points as possible running people over. From the young to the old, rich to the poor, no one is safe on the streets of the future. So the next time you cross the street you better think twice about it, because Frankenstein ( David Carradine) Or Sly Stallone's car just might mow you down. The quality of this flic is a little distorted, and cheaply made, but is worth it's weight in gold, and should keep you amused the whole way through.
So grab the gear shifter and hang on For Dear Life, this is one crazy ride. Beep Beep The KritiK ... Read more

Amazon.com

Cannonball is 100% car-crashin', gas-guzzlin', tire-squealin', '70s-style fun courtesy of executive producer Roger Corman and director Paul Bartel (Eating Raoul). Inspired by the success of Bartel's Death Race 2000, Corman commissioned him to direct this down-and-dirty adventure comedy about an illegal transcontinental car race and the eccentrics who compete for its $100,000 prize. Leading the pack is David Carradine, who's brought his sexy parole officer (Hill Street Blues' Veronica Hamel) along for the ride; hot on his tail are scurrilous Bill McKinney (Deliverance), cult queen Mary Woronov, and a host of marvelous character actors. Bartel also dots Cannonball with cameos by Corman, Sylvester Stallone, co-writer Don Simpson, and numerous fellow filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, Joe Dante, and Allan Arkush, all of whom were in Corman's New World stable at the time. Undeniably lowbrow, but also unquestionably exciting and far more entertaining than Burt Reynolds' Cannonball Run pictures (which borrowed wholesale from this film), Cannonball offers plenty of thrills for cult movie enthusiasts. Blue Underground's DVD includes theatrical and TV spots and bemused interviews with Carradine, Corman and Woronov. --Paul Gaita ... Read more

Reviews (48)

A bad film, unless you like that sort of thing.
This is a very silly movie that hasn't aged well since its release in 1975. It has aspirations of being a clever social satire, but it's really just low-brow entertainment, often not too far removed from the "Skinimax" flicks of the late-80's. That may be a good thing if you're into cult flicks and B-movies, but for most viewers this is too cheesy to even be mildly amusing.

In "Death Race 2000", David Carradine stars as national hero and veteran racer Frankenstein, while Sylvester Stallone plays Machine Gun Joe Viterbo, his biggest competitor. They compete against three other drivers in a transcontinental road race where extra points can be earned by running over pedestrians. One by one, the five cars fall victim to a group of rebels who are intent on putting a stop to the gruesome sport.

The violence, of which there is very little, is played for comedic effect. However I think the intended reaction was more along the lines of "oh man, that was BRUTAL, haha!" rather than "oh man, that looked so cheap, haha!" Low budget film-lovers rejoice! This is your movie.

Interested parties should be prepared for Carradine's "dominatrix" outfit, complete with mask and cape. I think it was supposed to make him look sinister, but instead he comes off looking rail-thin and ridiculous. Stallone, in a supporting role as a stereotypical Italian tough guy, steals the movie.

The beautiful supporting actresses also overshadow the star, Carradine. Anyone familiar with producer Roger Corman knows that, in his world, fast cars and gratuitous violence go hand in hand with bare-breasts and the occasional catfight. "Death Race 2000" is no exception.

If you've seen this before and decided it's your type of film, then this is definitely version to get. Stay clear of the 1998 release by Digital Multimedia, a very poor transfer with blurry, grainy images and an ever-present hiss. This 1999 release by New Horizons looks infinitely better and the sound has been digitally re-mastered. It also has a few extras, like the theatrical trailer, bios and an interview with producer Roger Corman.

Darth Frankenstein ?
Tell Me Mr. Lucas didn't get his idea for Darth from Frankenstein's wacky wardrobe. Even using the unmasking scene!!

If my Auto Insurance Agent only knew!
I loved this movie, actually caught it at a drive-in theater back in 1975, not that long after getting my drivers license. David Carradine, fresh from the cancelled Kung Fu television series, played Frankenstein, a master driver, rumored to be half cyborg. This movies motivation was all about the anti-establishment, post Vietnam War era, and reflected the prevailing attitudes against US Imperialism. Seems a little ironic it takes place in 2000, with our return to that sort of attitude in government today.

In about 1978, just before the launch of the video game Space Invaders, the most popular arcade game in America was Death Race. You chased little stick figures (they called them gremlins... but you know :) ) with a car, and ran them down. They squealed, turned into crosses, (tombstones that is) you would hit reverse, and keep driving. At the end of the game, your score was the number killed. The moms of America were outraged at the game, and later a version was modified, (They renamed it Demolition Derby) you were chasing cars, which then turned into wrecks. In a nutshell, the original game is the plot of the movie Death Race 2000.

The movie is about a national sporting event, apparently to show that life is cheap, and only the meanest SOB wins. Racers get varied degrees of points, for mowing down pedestrians in a cross-country, racing event. A pre-Rocky Sly Stallone plays the main competition for Frankie. Carradine handles the role with just the right amount of campy acting, and without going too far overboard. While some of this stuff plays like an episode of the Road Runner, they never lose the spirit of the film, so it comes off well.

Believe it or not, some of the race itself is very exciting. For a low budget film that was probably made in a week or two, the action sequences were well thought out. The politics may be a little preaching at times in the film, but don't really get in the way of the fun. My five star rating, does not mean I think this is on par with past Oscar winners. What it means is, that for this type of low budget, camp movie, I consider it a classic along the lines of Motel Hell, Little Shop of Horrors, Harold and Maude, and Easy Rider.

Very underrated movie
"Death Race 2000" is an incredibly entertaining movie on various levels. You can sit back and just enjoy the over-the-top acting, amazing cars, and bloody violance, or you can actually get into the story a little deeper, of how America is run by Mr. President and how various people (including, as we eventually find out, Frankenstein) try to take him down for the good of the country.

The film is filmed beautifully, especially when the cars are on the road. There's a lot of action as the cars run over people for points and battle each other to win the race.

The biggest regret I have about this DVD is that it is not in widescreen. This is a shame because, well, if it isn't in widescreen, you are being cheated. And this great film deserves to be in widescreen. (Let the VHS fans have the fullscreen.) Some deleted scenes would have been nice as well, as I have seen photos of action not in the final print, and even in the trailer on the DVD there is a line not in the film ("This is a death race," as said by Frankenstein). Despite no widescreen, still a must-buy.

Classic Comedy
This look at the year 2000 from the 70's, point of imagination, is just as funny as it is disturbing. This movie is for the hit and run junkie, only you get paid for vehicular murder. The drivers race cross country in an all out frenzy to collect as many points as possible running people over. From the young to the old, rich to the poor, no one is safe on the streets of the future. So the next time you cross the street you better think twice about it, because Frankenstein ( David Carradine) Or Sly Stallone's car just might mow you down. The quality of this flic is a little distorted, and cheaply made, but is worth it's weight in gold, and should keep you amused the whole way through.
So grab the gear shifter and hang on For Dear Life, this is one crazy ride. Beep Beep The KritiK ... Read more

Reviews (48)

A bad film, unless you like that sort of thing.
This is a very silly movie that hasn't aged well since its release in 1975. It has aspirations of being a clever social satire, but it's really just low-brow entertainment, often not too far removed from the "Skinimax" flicks of the late-80's. That may be a good thing if you're into cult flicks and B-movies, but for most viewers this is too cheesy to even be mildly amusing.

In "Death Race 2000", David Carradine stars as national hero and veteran racer Frankenstein, while Sylvester Stallone plays Machine Gun Joe Viterbo, his biggest competitor. They compete against three other drivers in a transcontinental road race where extra points can be earned by running over pedestrians. One by one, the five cars fall victim to a group of rebels who are intent on putting a stop to the gruesome sport.

The violence, of which there is very little, is played for comedic effect. However I think the intended reaction was more along the lines of "oh man, that was BRUTAL, haha!" rather than "oh man, that looked so cheap, haha!" Low budget film-lovers rejoice! This is your movie.

Interested parties should be prepared for Carradine's "dominatrix" outfit, complete with mask and cape. I think it was supposed to make him look sinister, but instead he comes off looking rail-thin and ridiculous. Stallone, in a supporting role as a stereotypical Italian tough guy, steals the movie.

The beautiful supporting actresses also overshadow the star, Carradine. Anyone familiar with producer Roger Corman knows that, in his world, fast cars and gratuitous violence go hand in hand with bare-breasts and the occasional catfight. "Death Race 2000" is no exception.

If you've seen this before and decided it's your type of film, then this is definitely version to get. Stay clear of the 1998 release by Digital Multimedia, a very poor transfer with blurry, grainy images and an ever-present hiss. This 1999 release by New Horizons looks infinitely better and the sound has been digitally re-mastered. It also has a few extras, like the theatrical trailer, bios and an interview with producer Roger Corman.

Darth Frankenstein ?
Tell Me Mr. Lucas didn't get his idea for Darth from Frankenstein's wacky wardrobe. Even using the unmasking scene!!

If my Auto Insurance Agent only knew!
I loved this movie, actually caught it at a drive-in theater back in 1975, not that long after getting my drivers license. David Carradine, fresh from the cancelled Kung Fu television series, played Frankenstein, a master driver, rumored to be half cyborg. This movies motivation was all about the anti-establishment, post Vietnam War era, and reflected the prevailing attitudes against US Imperialism. Seems a little ironic it takes place in 2000, with our return to that sort of attitude in government today.

In about 1978, just before the launch of the video game Space Invaders, the most popular arcade game in America was Death Race. You chased little stick figures (they called them gremlins... but you know :) ) with a car, and ran them down. They squealed, turned into crosses, (tombstones that is) you would hit reverse, and keep driving. At the end of the game, your score was the number killed. The moms of America were outraged at the game, and later a version was modified, (They renamed it Demolition Derby) you were chasing cars, which then turned into wrecks. In a nutshell, the original game is the plot of the movie Death Race 2000.

The movie is about a national sporting event, apparently to show that life is cheap, and only the meanest SOB wins. Racers get varied degrees of points, for mowing down pedestrians in a cross-country, racing event. A pre-Rocky Sly Stallone plays the main competition for Frankie. Carradine handles the role with just the right amount of campy acting, and without going too far overboard. While some of this stuff plays like an episode of the Road Runner, they never lose the spirit of the film, so it comes off well.

Believe it or not, some of the race itself is very exciting. For a low budget film that was probably made in a week or two, the action sequences were well thought out. The politics may be a little preaching at times in the film, but don't really get in the way of the fun. My five star rating, does not mean I think this is on par with past Oscar winners. What it means is, that for this type of low budget, camp movie, I consider it a classic along the lines of Motel Hell, Little Shop of Horrors, Harold and Maude, and Easy Rider.

Very underrated movie
"Death Race 2000" is an incredibly entertaining movie on various levels. You can sit back and just enjoy the over-the-top acting, amazing cars, and bloody violance, or you can actually get into the story a little deeper, of how America is run by Mr. President and how various people (including, as we eventually find out, Frankenstein) try to take him down for the good of the country.

The film is filmed beautifully, especially when the cars are on the road. There's a lot of action as the cars run over people for points and battle each other to win the race.

The biggest regret I have about this DVD is that it is not in widescreen. This is a shame because, well, if it isn't in widescreen, you are being cheated. And this great film deserves to be in widescreen. (Let the VHS fans have the fullscreen.) Some deleted scenes would have been nice as well, as I have seen photos of action not in the final print, and even in the trailer on the DVD there is a line not in the film ("This is a death race," as said by Frankenstein). Despite no widescreen, still a must-buy.

Classic Comedy
This look at the year 2000 from the 70's, point of imagination, is just as funny as it is disturbing. This movie is for the hit and run junkie, only you get paid for vehicular murder. The drivers race cross country in an all out frenzy to collect as many points as possible running people over. From the young to the old, rich to the poor, no one is safe on the streets of the future. So the next time you cross the street you better think twice about it, because Frankenstein ( David Carradine) Or Sly Stallone's car just might mow you down. The quality of this flic is a little distorted, and cheaply made, but is worth it's weight in gold, and should keep you amused the whole way through.
So grab the gear shifter and hang on For Dear Life, this is one crazy ride. Beep Beep The KritiK ... Read more