DEATH RACE 2000 REVIEW FULL

Two commentaries are included on the disc, bringing the one from the previous release, featuring star Mary Wornov and Corman himself, as well as a really interesting one with assistant director Lewis Teague and editor Tina Hirsch. To me, the star of this DVD has to be its impressive duo of commentaries. It comes as part of the Roger Corman Cult Classics Collection, and the Paul Bertel directed film is one of the more impressive parts of the collection. With the new Shout Factory DVD, comes a much needed release, completely worth the name of Death Race 2000. Sure, the film has been on DVD for quite some time, but for a film so perfect for its time, it hasn’t seen its glory really put to plastic. That said, one of the more disappointing aspects of the film has been its lack of a worthwhile DVD/Blu-ray release.

DEATH RACE 2000 REVIEW FULL

It’s a thematically full film, that while working on a completely entertainment level, has quite a lot behind it for those who are willing to dig a little deeper than just the superficial, gore hound feast that it can be. It looks at the idea of violence as entertainment, and the then state of American politics, which in its own interesting way, is just as relevant today as it was 35 years ago. The film has a rather full plate it tries to dig into. Both Carradine and Stallone are great here, in their own, cartoonish way, but the real star of the film has to be the themes behind it. It’s campy as all hell, and it’s one of the most enjoyable times you’ll have in front of your TV. It features a rather impressive cast, headlined by the likes of Sylvester Stallone and the late David Carradine, as two racers thrust into a cross country competition, where the point is to not only win, but take out as many people as you can in the process. It’s not in my ‘top 10’ or anything like that, but if I want to sit down, and watch a film that is both eminently watchable, as well as quite thematically interesting, this is one of my go to films. Personally, this is one of my all-time favorite films. For the most part, they definitely succeed, as this is an interesting, albeit a mixed bag, DVD. However, Shout Factory, with their new release of the film, is looking to change all of that. Anderson (and I stress the W.S., not Thomas, there is indeed a massive difference) remake, and a recently announced direct to DVD sequel, but it has seemingly been lost to history, as outside of the film world, its name isn’t quite as well known as it damn well should be. Not only has the film become fodder for a rather turgid Paul W.S. When thinking of classic B-movies, the conversation must start and stop with not only Roger Corman, but the seminal sci-fi cult masterpiece, Death Race 2000.

Death race 2000 review