Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 9786304864265
Format: Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
ISBN: 6304864264
Label: Image Entertainment
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Image Entertainment
Release Date: February 18, 1998
Running Time: 90 minutes
Sales Rank: 11500
Studio: Image Entertainment
Theatrical Release Date: April 27, 1975
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Editorial Review:
Amazon.com:
No doubt about it, Death Race 2000 is one of the greatest B-movies ever made. A crown jewel in the career of B-movie king Roger Corman, it's a sublime example of exploitative filmmaking from a time when Corman's low-budget quickies were about to be swept aside by the blockbuster success of Jaws and Star Wars, and all of its outrageous ingredients combined to create a schlock-movie masterpiece. Liberally infused with director Paul Bartel's macabre sense of humor, Corman's mandatory formula for success (R-rated violence and nudity, served up at least once every 15 minutes) is zanily applied to a near-future scenario (similar to Rollerball, also released in 1975) in which a fascist empire appeases its oppressed citizens with 'Death Race 2000,' an automotive spectacle in which five costumed racers drive wacky race cars cross-country from New York to 'New Los Angeles,' scoring points with hit-and-run killings awarded on a sliding scale, with highest points for hitting children and the elderly! In addition to 'Calamity Jane' (played by former Andy Warhol acolyte Mary Woronov), 'Matilda the Hun' (Roberta Collins), and 'Nero the Hero' (Martin Kove), the hottest contestants are 'Machine Gun' Joe Viturbo (Sylvester Stallone, on the verge of Rocky stardom) and the reigning champion 'Frankenstein' (David Carradine), whose 'Death Race' prowess has reached near-mythic proportions.
Filmed for $300,000 on desert-road and freeway locations throughout California's San Fernando Valley, Death Race 2000 packs more entertainment into 78 minutes than most movies can muster in two hours or more. Although it originated as a serious short story by Ib Melchior (best known as the writer-director of The Angry Red Planet), Corman took a cue from Dr. Strangelove and gave the material a satirical spin, resulting in non-graphic road-kills that are more hilarious than horrific, especially with the play-by-play race commentary by legendary disc jockey 'The Real Don Steele,' whose priceless performance (along with Carradine's deadpan drollery) turns Death Race 2000 into a low-comedy classic. The deadly car bodies were designed by Dean Jeffries (who also customized the 'Monkeemobile') and fitted onto Volkswagen chassis, and Bartel's ingenious use of a meager budget epitomized the Corman aesthetic, reaping impressive box-office profits on its way to becoming one of the most beloved cult classics of all time. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - movie dvd
great condition, communication, all that we expected and more. highly recommend. thank you!!!
Rating: - Wonderful bloodthirsty road movie
This is a cheesy, exciting and entertaining B movie. It's fast paced and funny, with some fantastic jokes and very entertaining violence.
Clearly a big influence on Mad Max, this one has a remake out but check out the original!
Rating: - Great movie, definitely better than the 08 remake
A great movie. Definitely nothing more than a simple plot with lots of violence and car stunts. It goes outside the boundaries of what today would be considered politically correct, even for a movie, and that is what makes Deathrace 2000 great. Where else would you get to see "euthenasia day" at the hospital? I just wish the newer version was as ballsy.
Rating: - Watched It In The Theater When It First Came Out and Still Love It!
I remember convincing my dad to take me to this movie when it first came out telling him about all the "cool cars" that were in it. He almost flipped a lid when the first nude scene miraculously popped onto the screen. I remember him telling me not to say a word of it to my mother. Oh what fond memories that brings to the forefront of my memory.
This is such a fun satirical movie that you can't help but like it.
The one scene that always sticks in my mind as perhaps the most hilarious of the entire movie is when a bunch of doctors and nurses take a bunch of sick and elderly people and put them in the middle of the road prior to the racers arrival in order to help their favorite driver score some much needed points. They then hide in a driveway off to the side of the road in front of the hospital.
Well, along comes their favorite driver barreling down the road heading for the patients all lined-up in the middle of the road while they are all lined-up in the driveway. (I think you can see where this is going) Anyhow, the driver at the last instant turns into the driveway and proceeds to run over all of the doctors and nurses scoring those much needed points. Absolutely mind-blowing hysterical!
There are many more funny scenes in this movie and I am not going to spoil it by telling anymore. Suffice to say this is never going to be on AFI's Top 100 films of all times, but it will definitely make the "Top 100 All Time Greatest Drive-In Movie Flicks." ... Read More
Rating: - DEATH RACE 2000
There is only one DEATH RACE. The greatest B movie of all time? Hmmmm... perhaps. I know this - it is better than the remake that I haven't seen. Why? And how do I know? Dude, I can't like explain to you if you don't know. It just is. Why are these Roger Corman films so special and great even though and despite being obviously terrible? Well actually the Amazon review kind of sums it up pretty good. One thing I feel like remarking on is how the pointless, soulless, high budget remakes of classics like DEATH RACE or DAY OF THE DEAD seem to always leave out the political or social commentary of the originals. Sign of the times I suppose. What a lame drag it is. Better special effects, less interesting, less entertaining movie.
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