The Revenge of the 31 Days of Cheese - Day 23 - Death Race 2000

Sometimes my brother and I are in a car and we’ll see say a jogger going along or someone crossing a street with a walker or a Nun leading school children across the street.

“Look at those points” one of us will say.

That tasteless comment comes from having watched today’s cheese slice 1975’s Death Race 2000 an absurdist black comedy featuring a coast to coast road race where the object is not only to finish first but to run over as many people as you can – old people and small children score the most.

In this, our old future America is ruled by a president who has been holding onto office since the 70’s – because of the recession or some such – the president is living in China and things are like they were in the 70’s only more so.

The Race is immensely popular (except for pedestrians) with the American public and is used to illustrate that we are still top dog via our willingness to do anything to win.

You see the film is at heart this nasty idea about running over folks laded with more a bit of political/social satire. But in a world of reality TV, Celebrity worship, Mixed Martial arts shows, Freedom Fries, (the French are blamed with things go wrong) the shrinking middle class, our national thirst for violence, wars we can watch on TV and well just how broken or falling apart everything seems these days. this film looks less like satire and more like prophecy.

David Carradine stars as Frankenstein the greatest driver in the history of the race; his primary opponent is played by Sylvester Stallone in his first big movie role – they along with 3 other contestants Matilda the Hun (decked out like a Nazi) Calamity Jane (in a car with bull horns attached) and Nero (roman themes of course) speed across the country. Meantime a resistance group is trying to stop the race – and one by one the racers are being blown up (a lot of things blow up in this film – it’s required I think) by them – as a plot twist Frankenstein’s navigator is one of the resistance (granddaughter of the leader of the movement no less). But Frankenstein has his own agenda and he needs to win the race to do so – and he won’t let anyone not the resistance or any other driver stand in his way.

Gruesome and funny as hell at the same time; loaded with over the top performances (especially by Stallone who shines here) and shot on a shoestring (it’s a Roger Corman film - so what are you expecting?) it’s just a classic cult film.

There are numerous high points – one where the staff of the old age home wheels some of their members out into the middle of the street so Frankenstein can run them down – and when he runs the staff down the TV commentators mention he really passed up a lot of points. Another involves a hand grenade – see the movie it’s worth it.

Enjoy with American Chesse.