Death Race 2000 [Special Edition]

Director: Paul Bartel Paul Bartel

Overview

"Finally, a version of Death Race 2000 that's worth adding into any DVD collection. Long available in separate cheap versions that offered little of interest to the film's cult fan base, this new edition sports an anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen picture and a bevy of extras that provide fine detail into the low-budget 1975 production that continues to entertain and delight fans to this day. Bonus materials include a ten-minute making-of as well as a full-length audio commentary with producer Roger Corman and actress Mary Woronov that are filled with fun facts and insight into the stripped-down production. The original theatrical trailer is also included in this release from Buena Vista Home Entertainment, whose Disney ties make for a curious match to the brutally satirical picture, but who can complain after the time put into this beefed-up edition? Far superior in transfer quality from previous releases, this is the disc to get for anyone who craves a little Frankenstein and Machine Gun Joe Viterbo action every once in a while."

Product Details

Release Date:	09/09/2020
UPC:	0786936693126
Original Release:	1975
Rating:	R
Source:	New Horizons
Region Code:	1
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	1:18:00
Sales rank:	5,518

Special Features

Playing the game: Looking back at Death Race 2000-A compelling look at the Gorman classic featuring current interviews with Roger Gorman, actor Martin Kove, actress Mary Woronov and writer Charles Griffith; Audio commentary - With Roger Gorman and Mary Woronov; Original theatrical trailer; Technical Specifications; Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono Sound; Widescree (1.78:1) - enhanced for 16x9 televisions

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

David Carradine	Frankenstein
Sylvester Stallone	Machine Gun Joe Viterbo
Simone Griffeth	Annie
Mary Woronov	Calamity Jane
Roberta Collins	Mathilda the Hun
Martin Kove	Nero the Hero
Louisa Moritz	Myra
Don Steele	Junior Bruce
Joyce Jameson	Grace Pander
Carle Bensen	Harold
Harriet Medin	Thomasina Paine
Vince Trankina	Fury
Bill Morey	Deacon
Fred Grandy	Herman
William Shephard	Pete
Leslie McRay	Cleopatra
Wendy Bartel	Laurie
Sandy Ignon	FBI Agent
John Landis	Actor
Roger Rook	Radio Operator
David Boyle	Actor
Peter Cornberg	Actor
Alan Hubbard	Actor
Keith Michl	Actor
Paul Laurence	Special Agent
Dan O'Herlihy	Actor
Paul Chihara	Composer

Technical Credits

Robert Thom

Charles B. Griffith

Paul Bartel	Director
Roger Corman	Producer
Richard MacLean	Special Effects
Robert Thom	Screenwriter
Charles B. Griffith	Screenwriter
Jim Weatherill	Producer

Editorial Reviews

Death Race 2000 is the type of bad movie that can be very good, or, at least, a whole lot of fun -- the formula for a cult classic. It offers a surprisingly effective mix of violence, sex, and humor, all the more impressive given its modest budget. B-movie veteran David Carradine is appropriately gruff as the weary Frankenstein, and a pre-Rocky Sylvester Stallone is cast with comic perfection as -- what else? -- an Italian thug. Rounding out the extensive group of bizarre competitors is cult favorite Mary Woronov, as the cowgirl Calamity Jane. The gore gets a little excessive, perhaps not surprising given that the film was produced by Roger Corman, legendary for high-quality, low-budget exploitation films. The movie is not entirely without redeeming moral value, however. Like 1987's The Running Man, it does a good job of satirizing the blood lust of professional sports and the TV shows that enable and encourage it. Maybe this is a film that one shouldn't think too much about. But if you can handle spurious accusations against the "treacherous French," and you don't mind assigning point values to pedestrians, Death Race 2000 is a heck of a trip.