'Death Race 2000' Feels More Relevant Than It Ever Was
"Machine Gun Joe, thousands love him. Millions hate him,” intones the announcer Junior Bruce while introducing Sylvester Stallone’s invulnerable character
The same was being said about Donald Trump in the run-up to his presidential upset in 2016. Yes, it was also being said about his competition, the former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, but she didn’t have a reality TV show and she was ultimately fired. Corman and his indomitable American International Pictures called all this back in 1975, before there was even The Gong Show. The legendary filmmaker spoke with Den of Geek about the pileup that awaits.
Death Race 2000 was a prescient satirical look into a future when satire wasn’t our everyday norm. The country is ruled by a benevolently wacky despot who likes things big and fast. The world’s media is captivated by the Miss America-contestant-worthy presidential aides, the country is experiencing a perennial rebound and reality TV is so real you just might get run over.
Death Race 2000 was remade by director Paul W.S. Anderson as Death Race in 2008, with Jason Statham and Joan Allen chasing the checkered flag, but Corman is back in the driver’s seat with the sequel, Roger Corman’s Death Race 2050, directed by G.J. Echternkamp (Hard Candy), which is is now out on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD.
“In the not-too-distant future, America is controlled by an all-powerful corporate government that keeps the masses placated with violent virtual-reality entertainment," reads the official synopsis of Roger Corman’s Death Race 2050. The film stars Malcolm McDowell as the Chairman of the Corporation, whose hair has experienced its own apocalypse.
In Corman's film, "the United States of America has become the United Corporations of America,” Corman said. "The president is now the chairman of the board of the United Corporations. He is a flamboyant, wild-talking person, entertaining and nevertheless holding strong to his dictatorial position. That’s not exactly what is happening, but is a possible future route.”
http://www.denofgeek.com/us/movies/death-race-2000/261430/death-race-2000-feels-more-relevant-than-it-ever-was
