THE YEAR 2000. AMERICA IS...
THE YEAR 2000. AMERICA IS A VAST SPEEDWAY. PEOPLELINE THE STREETS TO WITNESS A RACE FROM SEA TO SHININGSEA. YOU FINISH FIRST OR NOT AT ALL.
IF The Dukes of Hazzard movie was alittle too highbrow and hard to follow,then 1975's Death Race 2000 should beright up your alley. Here's the voice-overfrom the trailer:
"The year 2000. America is a vastspeedway. People line the streets to witnessa race from sea to shining sea. Youfinish first or not at all. Every car, adeadly weapon, every spectator a potentialpoint. It's a cross-country road wreckand the traffic is murder.
"Who are you anyway?" [asks co-starSimone Griffth].
"Frankenstein, national hero, bestdriver on earth," [replies DavidCarradine].
"He was built by the world's finestsurgeons to drive the fastest car everdesigned, and nothing can stop him now."Death Race 2000, rated R."
If that riveting dialog doesn't grab you,then maybe the crazy cars will. In a postcatastrophicAmerica, the spectator sportof choice has become a cross-country racein which mowing down bystanders scoresbig points. David Carradine, better knownas Grasshopper from the Kung Fu series,is the star driver, purpose-built by surgeons.Not surprisingly, he's got a hotblonde navigator. Cars are designed to gofast and are fitted with various devices upfront to shred human flesh. Lots ofexpendable people become roadkill alongthe way--country bumpkins, annoyingnews reporters, competitors. SylvesterStallone also played one of the drivers.That's pretty much the extent of the plot.
Joining the Mid America Motorworks'MY Garage collection is the star of thatshow--a highly stylized Corvette-esqueroadster. If you think it looks like it's gotsome strands of dune buggy DNA, you'reright. It's based on a VW pan. They're easy to adapt to such conversions, andthey're very rugged. Six cars were builtfor the movie.