Death Race 2000 [Blu-ray] [1975] [US Import]

I was glad to get a copy of this today and was hoping for an improvement over my DMI Full Frame Copy. However, it appears this is another case where marketing has misslead the public once again. The Film was clearly shot in Full Screen and this 1:85 transfer is matted down, cropping out much of the top & bottom of the image. When Frankenstein Talks to Myra, you nolonger get to see her boobs as they are now out of frame. This scene was a memorable shot in the full screen version and those who chose the framing of the matting did us no favors here. I am a bit disappointed by this issue....

However,
The Image is a vast improvement, I just wish we had been given all of it. The sound is a slight upgrade but still 2.0 mono. I would still recomend a purchase if you are interested in this title but just be aware you are not getting a true widescreen film and are missing out on some great bits that are now cut out in this print. If you have the old Full Screen release of this DVD, you may want to keep it as this new DVD does not make it obsolete.

I first watched Death Race 2000 (where else?) late at night on a cable movie network, not knowing what to expect. I'd heard many things about it before that night; how gory it was, how unnecessary its nudity was, how it put Sylvester Stallone on the map before Rocky...but what I saw that night was a profound, humorous and thought-provoking social commentary on society's uncontrollable infatuation with violence.

In director Paul Bartel's alternate version of the year 2000, the United States is a self-righteous totalitarian dictatorship run under the fist of "Mister President". A violent obsession consumes the nation, its outlet the annual Transcontinental Road Race, where drivers earn points by running over innocent bystanders (more for mowing down children, disabled or the elderly). The film centers around Frankenstein (the late David Carradine), the prototypical "iron man", whose numerous injuries are as famous as his victories (hence, his nickname). However, the enigma surrounding this onyx-clad veteran of the "Death Race" may not be all it seems...

The film is tremendous social satire, lampooning the media, violence and the nature of competition itself. However, in spite of most of its brilliance and Bartel's trademark dark humor, the film is very much a low-budget product of its time. A Roger Corman production, the film is certainly low-budget, raunchy and bloody. The opening titles and establishing shot of the raceway are enough evidence. This film wasn't meant to blow viewers away with its visuals. Instead, in trademark Corman fashion, the positives are accentuated while the negatives are downplayed. If viewers look past its low budget, they'll discover a tremendously fun, entertaining and surprisingly intellectual experience.

Shout! Factory, producers of the amazing Freaks and Geeks and SCTV box sets, helm this release and present it extremely faithfully. The 1080p transfer of the film is far from pristine given the limitations of its source material, but in spite of this, it's still a solid transfer. Its Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack is a bit of a disappointment in this era of lossless audio and bombastic low-end frequencies, but it does its job effectively. Once again, the explanation lies in the limitations and low budget of the source material.

As is the case with most of Shout! Factory's releases, the greatness lies in the supplements. Two audio commentaries and a collection of documentaries and featurettes (both in 480p and 1080p) cover all of the bases, from Corman's hilariously inaccurate estimation of Stallone's future career during production to production design, scripting, scoring and trailer-making (yes, trailer-making). Not only are these featurettes informative, but reveal a lot about the filmmaking process Corman perfected. Shout! Factory deserves a lot of the credit here, for their overview of the film is equally substantial and informative, with some laughs along the way.

Yes, it's dated, gory, goofy and sultry. Look beyond the obvious, however, and Death Race 2000 becomes a smart, satirical comment on contemporay American society's obsession with violence and its exploitation through media and politics. Shout! Factory does extremely well in bringing it to Blu-ray, providing everything a fan of the film needs to know. Both the film and blu-ray are surprisingly in-depth and entertaining. Overall, a great release.

this movie is really funny. not really a "kids" movie though...

the "plot" is: there is an annual race across country, and the drivers rack up points along the way by running people over. the drivers also try to sabotage one another. a deeper plot to the movie is, there is an activist group who wants to overthrow the government, and, among other things, they dissaprove of the annual races. one of the activists goes undercover as a navigator for one of the drivers in the race. she tries to set him up to be killed, not knowing that he also wants to see the current government overthrown.
the driver she is navigating for is Frankenstein, who is treated pretty much like a national hero; he has been in many of the races, and had so much damage done to him from them, the media had been playing the card that they "werent sure he would be able to race" this time around, but "with half a face and half a chest, and all the guts in the world - he's back!" and he enters the race, of course.
Frankenstein's plan, unknown to anyone else, is to assassinate the leader of the country; by winning the race, he will get the opportunity to shake the leader's hand. he plans to have a bomb inside his "fake robot hand" which will blow the leader (and himself) to smithereens.
So that's the plot as i see it... though the movie isnt one that i really watch for the plot. i titled this "hilarious" because that's what it is, it is hilarious. enjoy!