Sci-Fi Pick – Death Race 2000 (1975)
Sometimes you go to sci-fi for a calm, cerebral experience. Other times, you’re in the mood for some good, old-fashioned gore and guts. Well, is there a better way to get your gore than during a transcontinental road race where extra points are scored for all the innocent bystanders you can impale? If that sounds like your cup of blood – er, tea – then Death Race 2000 is the perfection movie for you this week.
Paul Bartel’s 1975 film stars David Carradine, Simone Griffeth, Sylvester Stallone, Sandy McCallum, Louisa Moritz and Don Steele. It’s set in an alternate American future where an oil crisis has led to the Bipartisan Party taking over the country and Mr. President remaining in charge for years. This race is his way to give people what they want, in part in effort to justify his rein as all-powerful leader of the country.
Each racer has a different theme, with the two most popular (and best) being Frankenstein (Carradine) and Machine Gun Joe (Stallone). While traveling across the country with their navigators, trying to be the first to New Los Angeles, racers kill as many pedestrians as possible, all while trying to avoid an ongoing uprising from resistance forces presenting a deadly obstacle. Sounds fun, right?
As far as dystopian futures go, Bartel’s is one of the simplest. It’s not overpopulated, it’s not under attack by aliens and it doesn’t involve impending natural disasters. But the simplicity leads to a pure movie, where violence is taken beyond belief in a fun way. It’s like the The Hunger Games if the The Hunger Games had nudity, sex and heads being run over by car tires. In fact, I’d be very surprised if the The Hunger Games series didn’t draw inspiration from Death Race 2000. So if you like that franchise and you’re old enough to take the blood and guts, then be sure to check out Death Race 2000.
That’s it for today, but be sure to tune in next week though for another edition of We Got Netflix Covered! Also, be sure to leave a comment and let us know if you enjoyed any of these picks.