Death Race 2

[El Dingo]

The cinema world has become a topsy-turvy place. I saw several big-budget films this week that were embarasing pieces of shite: "Mirrors", "10,000 B.C." "Aliens vs. Predator 2" etc.

However a straight-to-dvd prequel to the Jason Statham remake of Death Race 2000 was pretty entertaining. The acting was adequate (everybody was very sincere), the action sequences fast-paced but well edited.

The film also featured Danny Trejo, Sean Bean and Ving Rhames which automatically makes it a B-movie must-see.

Check it out.

[Drunk Monk]

I know you're holding out on us. I know your watching all sorts of deviant cinema and not sharing with your dear DOOM brothers. Kick down, brutha!

[Drunk Monk]

I love the rebooted Death Race series. I own the first one. The concept of car races with 'rollover' boosts and traps is awesome. It's like Mario Kart meets Carmageddon.

DM - Can you sneak me into "Death Race 3"? Hell, I'll drive you to the screening (Bwahhahahah).

If all goes according to plan, KFM will be holding a promo online sweepstakes for the BRD on Jan 11-24, 2013. You should enter. I'm just saying... ;-)

I just submitted questions to Danny Trejo for his role in Death Race 3, which we're doing a little promo for early next year when it debuts on BRD. Of course, the Death Race series was revived by Statham a few years ago. I think I might have seen a scene from that while channel surfing late night Spanish TV.

So my interview with Trejo is teetering and they've tossed Luke Goss at me as a substitute (which is actually more appropo as Luke claims to study kung fu - Trejo was a boxer which is a dubious connection at best, but I'd play it just to get him). Actually, Robin Shou would be best as he's a martial arts dude and in all three of the DR reboot flicks (the only one to make it through them all, I think) but I'm actually not that interested in him as we've done stuff with him already (he was even on the cover of World of Martial Arts back in the day). Anyway, I started watching the original DR2000 (which is so deliciously Corman and stars Sly in a hilarious role billed beneath Carradine - yea, those were the days...) and DR2 (which I will concede to ED isn't bad so far, only I keep thinking of LB with prison films now). I'm about halfway through both flicks (netflix doesn't offer the DR reboot sadly, but then again, y'all know my issues with Statham).

However, I just got handed tonight's screening of something completely different that I totally want to see (I'll report tomorrow) so I don't know if I'll stay up late enough tonight to get through it and go on to finish those DR films.

[Drunk Monk]

I had forgotten what a totally awesome film Death Race 2000 is. It's worth review if only to see SPOILER Carradine kick Sly's ass while wearing a dominatrix suit and a cape END SPOILER.

The new DR series doesn't hold a candle to the original, but makes for a fascinating comparison. DR2000 is outrageously campy with garish race cars in a cross-country road race like that old cartoon Wacky Races or the films Gumball Rally or Cannonball Run. There's a nazi car and Syl's ride is oddly prophetic with a huge Rambo-style knife jutting from the hood. The sets and costumes are garish. The violence is corny, not gory; blood is fire engine red. There are lots of explosions and a lot of gratuitous nudity. It's wicked satire, tongue firmly planted in cheek, and pokes fun at the viewer and their blood lust.

As for DR2, it's like Batman Begins or Casino Royale for Frankenstein, the prequel to the DR reboot, which was inspired by DR2000. DR2 has macho armored cars that look like rejects from Mad Max. It's a race in prison, divided along racial lines (black, asian, skinhead, hillbilly and of course the hero, who is white but at least has Trejo in his pit crew.) The sets are industrial and stained. The costumes are prison wear, which looks like jeans commercials. The violence is more graphic, like a videogame, dripping with testosterone. There are lots of explosions but not a single exposed nipple, just some man butts in the prison shower - wtf? The villain is the evil corporation that runs the prisons and the race.

I'll see DR3 as they usually provide me with a screener for promotions like this. I'm not sure if I'll go for the DR reboot. I don't like Statham.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Why you hatin' on my boy, Statham? "Crank" was a freakin' masterpiece.

[Drunk Monk]

Enter to win DEATH RACE 3: INFERNO BRD+DVD+DIGITAL COPY COMBO! Contest ends 6:00 p.m. PST on 01/24/2012. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.kungfumagazine.net/index.html">http://www.kungfumagazine.net/index.html</a><!-- m -->

[Drunk Monk]

In all honesty, I didn't register who Goss was until this. I wanted to interview Trejo. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1080">http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/a ... ticle=1080</a><!-- m -->

[cranefly]

At DM's recommendation I rented Death Race 2000. Yep, it's one strange trippy piece of Americana. I laughed out loud several times, and was smiling through a good portion of it. There were some slow moments and certain characters did too much of the same thing (ecstatic newscasters, Sly begrudging his lack of respect), but it works very well as satire, parody, comedy, and an action film, with better explosions, crashes, etc., than I was expecting. I became oddly attached to certain drivers and found myself hoping they wouldn't fall victim to all the boobytraps being set up for them along the way.

Lady Cranefly declined to watch it, but after hearing my laughter and looking it up on the Web (she hadn't realized Mary Woronov was in it), she wished she had. Oh well....

[Drunk Monk]

The best thing to come out of that promo was it got me to rewatch that DR2000. I had totally forgotten how awesome that film was.

DR3 is already streamable on netflix, but I think I might just give it a pass.