1975 action film directed by Paul Bartel
Death Race 2000 is a 1975 American dystopian science-fiction action film directed by Paul Bartel and produced by Roger Corman for New World Pictures. Set in a dystopian American society in the year 2000, the film centers on the murderous Transcontinental Road Race, in which participants score points by striking and killing pedestrians. David Carradine stars as "Frankenstein", the leading champion of the race, who is targeted by an underground rebel movement seeking to abolish the race. The cast also features Sylvester Stallone, Simone Griffeth, Mary Woronov, Martin Kove, and Don Steele.
Noting the publicity surrounding the film Rollerball (1975), Roger Corman sought to develop his own futuristic sports action film, and optioned the rights to Ib Melchior's 1956 short story "The Racer". Paul Bartel was hired to direct. The film was released on April 27, 1975. It initially received mixed critical reviews but was a considerable commercial success, grossing over $14 million from U.S.A and Canada from a sub-$1 million budget.
In the years since its release, critics have praised the film's political and social satire, and it has developed a strong cult following. It spawned a 2008 remake, entitled Death Race, and a 2017 sequel film, Death Race 2050.
Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.