Death Race 2000

Year: 1975

Grade: C

Country: USA

Director: Bartel

Review

certainly makes sense that paul bartel (eating raoul) directed this offbeat 70s flick. tak fujimoto (sixth sense, happening) does a good job with the cinematography. this is another in a long line of 70s films about the open road or bizarre futuristic games – films like rollerball, vanishing point, cannonball (also with carradine/bartel), the cannonball run movies (unrelated to cannonball, at least formally), and more. i’ve written it before and i’ll write it again: the 70s were the most exciting decade in film history. that said, there were a lot of exciting and interesting films that weren’t all that good; this is a good example. the 70s had great films and bold films and offbeat films and epics and everything in between, but the best films weren’t necessary made during this era of freedom and experimentation. i enjoy the 40s and 90s much more, but am constantly surprised by the stuff that was produced during the 70s.