DEATH RACE 2000 (1975) C widescreen 78m dir: Paul Bartel

w/David Carradine, Simone Griffeth, Sylvester Stallone, Mary Woronov, Roberta Collins, Martin Kove, Louisa Moritz, Don Steele

From The Movie Guide: "Superior drive-in exploitation fare, this violent, campy action flick presents Carradine as Frankenstein, a scarred road warrior in black leather suit and cape. He's the formidable defending champion in the nationally televised Transcontinental Death Race in which competitors gain points by running over pedestrians. His challengers include Stallone as a sort of gangster on wheels with a machine gun in his car and Woronov as a western-outlaw Amazon. Carradine's navigator, Griffeth, is actually a revolutionary spy dedicated to sabotaging the savage race.

"DEATH RACE 2000 boasts nonstop brutally funny comic-book action. Intended as a rip-off of the big-budget ROLLERBALL, this likably ragged knockoff has become a cult favorite, while its bombastic inspiration has been consigned to the junk heap of genre movie history. The success of this film is a testament to producer Roger Corman's shrewd exploitation of promising filmmakers under the aegis of his New World production company. This legendary 'B-minus' movie factory was formed in 1970 and attracted bright young filmmakers eager to break into the Guild-controlled industry. As a case in point, the film's director, Paul Bartel (who would later direct EATING RAOUL and SCENES FROM THE CLASS STRUGGLE IN BEVERLY HILLS), was paid $3,500 for his work on this profitable production."