Sylvester Stallone and Co. Broke Laws During ‘Death Race 200’ Filming

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Audience members today might recognize Paul W. S. Anderson’s “Death Race”, featuring Jason Statham and Tyrese Gibson. In this action-packed movie, the CEO of a privatized prison makes a fortune by airing “Death Race”, a deadly car racing competition involving armed and armored vehicles, where inmates fight each other for the chance to regain their freedom. One such competitor is a masked driver known as Frankenstein (Statham). However, it’s important to note that this plot isn’t entirely unique.

The concept for this movie traces back to a 1956 short story titled “The Racer,” penned by Ib Melchior. This story later transformed into the dystopian sci-fi thriller known as Death Race 2000, directed by Paul Bartel and produced by the esteemed Roger Corman for New World Pictures. The film made its debut in 1975, featuring David Carradine in the main role of “Frankenstein,” and a young Sylvester Stallone as Joe “Machine Gun” Viterbo, one of the racers. However, the production was tumultuous, with Stallone and some other cast members even bending or breaking certain laws during filming.

The Original ‘Death Race’ Is a Little Different From the Modern Version

In the year 2000, as depicted in the movie Death Race 2000, we are transported to a future marked by widespread turmoil and economic instability that has reshaped the U.S. government into a totalitarian regime under martial law. To appease the public, the authorities establish an intensely competitive event known as The Transcontinental Road Race, where skilled drivers compete by speeding across the country in their heavily modified, high-performance vehicles.

The race is extremely violent, and the drivers, having become numb to violence, receive additional points for deliberately hitting and causing harm to unsuspecting bystanders: 100 points for someone in a wheelchair, 70 points for the elderly, 50 points for children, and so forth. In one particularly gruesome instance, malicious nurses positioned several patients’ wheelchairs on the road, anticipating the carnage, but he veered off the road instead and ran over the medical staff.

The primary figures flourishing despite the darkness are Frankenstein, a previously victorious enigmatic man in black attire; Calamity Jane, a passionate cowgirl with an affinity for the Wild West; Machine Gun Joe Viterbo, a notorious Chicago gangster; Matilda the Hun, a known white supremacist; and Nero the Hero, a supposed Roman gladiator. Among them, it’s Joe (Stallone) who is most resolute in his quest to vanquish Frankenstein and claim the title of champion.

The excitement truly kicks off when a relative of Thomas Paine from the 1770s American Revolutionary War, named Thomasina Paine, establishes a resistance movement to halt some unspecified events, which we later learn are games or races. Their objective is to cause chaos by damaging the competition, eliminating many drivers, and abducting Frankenstein as a bargaining chip against the President. To maintain order, the authorities attempt to conceal the disturbance, falsely accusing French dissidents of the disruption. For fans of romance, the storyline takes an intriguing turn, with Frankenstein entering into matrimony with one of the rebels (not Thomasina). What’s more shocking is the unexpected profession he adopts once all this turmoil subsides.

The Low Budget for ‘Death Race 2000’ Forced the Actors To Break Some Laws

Roger Corman earned his title as “The King of B-Movies” in a creative and frugal manner, as demonstrated by the production story of Death Race 2000. Since he couldn’t afford a large number of extras to play the bystanders, he cleverly shot racing scenes during actual racing events when people were already moving around. Furthermore, due to budget constraints, many scenes had to be filmed on public roads instead of private ones, which would have been too expensive to hire.

Next, there arrived the film that actors should have found issues with. For the majority of its duration, this edge-of-the-seat, high-speed chase movie pulsates at the boundary of realism, opting for daring stunt work over groundbreaking visual effects. As revealed in the film’s behind-the-scenes documentary, Sylvester Stallone and David Carradine were compelled to execute most of their own driving stunts due to many of the specially built cars being non-street legal. The original stunt drivers declined to drive them in locations where they could be arrested. Operating these vehicles also posed insurance issues if a collision occurred.

In the course of filming their scenes, Stallone and Carradine unintentionally violated several traffic regulations. Fortunately, no overzealous police officers were present at the time. However, it’s not difficult to visualize the potential danger associated with driving a customized vehicle. Remarkably, Mary Woronov, portraying Calamity Jane, was spared from performing stunts as she was unable to drive a car. Her car, in fact, was being towed by a flatbed truck throughout the filming, although it’s scarcely perceptible.

‘Death Race 2000’ Is Better Than the Jason Statham Remake

Despite its modest budget and production challenges, “Death Race 2000” stands as an exceptional film centered around Frankenstein the driver. It’s a unique road movie filled with eccentric characters that you won’t forget easily, and it offers a chilling, deadpan depiction of impending madness. Roger Corman demonstrated his knack for making magic out of scarcity resources yet again in this production.

Stallone made his mark with an exceptional performance, displaying a level of finesse similar to actors in films like “Excuse my Dust” and “Ten Laps to Spare.” On Rotten Tomatoes, the original film garnered an impressive 82% rating, whereas the Jason Statham remake could only muster 41%.

In a nutshell, the more recent movie delivers the action impressively, particularly during the climactic confrontation, however, it falls short by veering significantly away from its original source. Unfortunately, like many Jason Statham films, it leans heavily on spectacle rather than substance. Contrastingly, the initial film focuses more on themes and character development. Each driver embodies something meaningful, and the narrative provides insightful psychological insights into the murderous spree we see, ensuring that the unsettling atmosphere of this chilling tale is preserved.

Furthermore, the intertwined narrative about overthrowing a tyrannical regime enhances the suspense, leading to a movie that is both engaging and insightful regarding political issues.

Back in the day, when Sylvester Stallone’s movie hit the big screen, it didn’t exactly win over the critics. Roger Ebert, for instance, gave it a harsh zero out of four stars. His criticism, however, seemed to miss the mark, as he focused more on societal issues rather than the dystopian thriller itself. In fact, he was troubled that small children were seen digging for gratuitous violence – a concern that should have been directed towards those who should enforce the R-rating. Gene Siskel wasn’t impressed either, giving it only one star out of four and labeling it as “the goofiest and sleaziest film I’ve seen in the last five years.” Fortunately, with time, more fair reviews emerged, leading to a higher Rotten Tomatoes score. As a movie enthusiast, I’m eager to see if my perspective aligns with the current consensus!

It’s intriguing to note that the Statham film could have been superior with a different twist. Originally, Roger Corman was slated to produce the better version, and Tom Cruise was intended to lead the cast. With such a powerful duo, it seemed impossible for anything to go awry. Unfortunately, Cruise decided against the project due to concerns about the script’s quality, which in turn dissuaded Corman as well. Years later, Corman went on to produce “Death Race 2050,” a film that, while not the original plan, is still worth watching if you get the chance. Give it a try!

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2025-01-20 06:32