I can't wait for the Paul W.S. Anderson version of Death Race 2000

There's are two types of "so bad it's good" movies. One is those that are conscious of their badness and have something to say through it -- such as Wild Things. It's gleefully terrible but pointed as well. Then there are the others -- those that attempt to be "good" but end up as risible fiascos. Killer Nun is the first movie that pops into one's head, contemplating this quality. Death Race 2000 (1975) desperately wants to be the consciously bad/profound movie, and though it is satirical, the satire is so obvious that it leans more toward the latter -- but it's still very effing enjoyable.

All of the "themes" aim at America's bloodlust. The obnoxiously flamboyant Junior Bruce (Don Steele) hosts the precipitous Death Race, where a bunch of rogue drivers race reach other in ridiculously designed vehicles from New York to New Los Angeles. Our hero is Frankenstein (David Carradine), who supposedly has a fake arm, fake leg, disfigured face, etc. and drives a car shaped like a lizard. His nemesis is the rude and ruthless "Machine Gun" Joe Viterbo, who possesses an aversion to good sportsmanship and an erection for dead bodies. During the contest, racers can gain "points" for killing innocent pedestrians -- it's something like 20 points for college students and 70 for infants.

None of that is subtle or realistic enough to make you say "Whoooa," but the hysteria is slightly -- very slightly -- true, and that earns it some points. But one of the true joys of the film comes through its cast -- Stallone hasn't been in anything remotely good for several years (though I've heard Copland is alright), and Carradine's post-Kill Bill aspirations to be taken seriously as an actor were shot down. Hence, viewing two actors in their prime, surrounded by cheesy pre-Star Wars production design, will always make for an amusing experience.

But with Roger Corman's humorous script, intermittently thrilling racing scenes and copious supplies of boobs, Death Race 2000 must've been decent in 1975 (if you're an older reader of this review and you saw it back then, let me know). When Machine Gun is introduced, Junior says of him, "Loved by thousands and hated by millions..." It's a simplistic statement, but there's a kind of gold in it -- even if it's only fool's gold -- that makes it somewhat endearing. The hood-angle shots, combined with some extremely high-speed scenes on public roads, are techniques still mimicked today, lending the work some technical merit. Add in a seditious subplot that doesn't make any sense, and your night is made.

Death Race 2000's ideas have been improved upon by superior films such as Michael Haneke's Funny Games or, to some extent (sort of), Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers. But its willingness to mock its audience is at least good enough for an upcoming Paul W.S. Anderson remake (ugh).

Rating: B