Wipe your mind of that hideous faux Death Race film that recently came out with Jason Statham and Tyrese Gibson. The time has come for the greatest cross country destruction derby to hit high definition when Death Race 2000 hits Blu-ray this summer. It’s full throttle mayhem as David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone tear up asphalt and flesh. Here’s the press release from Shout! Factory.
Turbo-Racing Into Stores Nationwide June 22, 2010
From Shout! Factory
It’s time for full-throttle, full-tilt, fast and furious fun this summer, as Shout! Factory, in association with New Horizons Picture Corporation, unleash one of Roger Corman classics that give new meaning to the term “road rage.” June 22, 2010 will see the release of the Death Race 2000 Special Edition Blu-ray™ and DVD, earmarking the latest installment from Roger Corman’s Cult Classics home entertainment series.
Death Race 2000 Special Edition boasts a high-octane selection of extensive bonus content including all-new interviews and commentary with cast and crew, rare behind-the-scenes footage and much more, making this definitive home entertainment release from Shout! Factory’s much-anticipated Roger Corman’s Cult Classics line a must-have for Roger Corman fans and film aficionados as well as anyone who remains young at heart. Death Race 2000 Special Edition Blu-ray is priced to own at $26.97 SRP, and the DVD is available at $19.93 SRP.
Widely revered as perhaps the greatest B-movie of all time, Death Race 2000 is one of the most enduring of all Roger Corman films – as well as his biggest box-office success up to that point.
Film Synopsis:
Welcome to the year 2000, a bleak and politically oppressive world plagued by immorality and political unrest. The only thing that appeases the population is the three-day Transcontinental Death Race, a high-speed, coast-to-coast competition which is won by the driver who racks up the most points by killing spectators, pedestrians and other unlucky passers-by.
This year, however, the Death Race drivers have something more to worry about than getting killed by the other contestants: A covert faction of Anti-Race revolutionaries bent on putting the brakes on Death Race for good. When they say “Speed kills” – they’re not kidding!
Executive produced by Corman and directed by Paul Bartel (Eating Raoul), Death Race 2000 is one of the quintessential cult classics of all time and marks the only pairing of box-office superstars David Carradine (Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2, Bound for Glory, TV’s Kung Fu) and Sylvester Stallone (Rocky, Rambo, Cliffhanger), as well as featuring a cult-friendly supporting cast that includes Simone Griffeth (Hot Target), Mary Woronov (Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills, Eating Raoul), Roberta Collins (Hardbodies and Hardbodies II), Martin Kove (The Karate Kid, TV’s Cagney & Lacey), Louisa Mortiz (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, New Year’s Evil), legendary Los Angeles disc jockey “The Real” Don Steele (Grand Theft Auto, Rock ‘N’ Roll High School), Joyce Jameson (The Comedy of Terrors, Tales of Terror) and Fred Grandy (TV’s The Love Boat), who was later elected to the U.S. Congress!
This new special edition DVD and first-ever Blu-ray release of Death Race 2000 is loaded with high-octane special features.
DEATH RACE 2000 SPECIAL EDITION BLU-RAY & DVD
EXTENSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE:
* New Anamorphic Widescreen Transfer (1.85:1) in high definition from the inter-positive film element
* David on Death Race: A brief look back from star David Carradine recorded in 2008
* Audio commentary with Roger Corman and Mary Woronov
* New audio commentary with assistant director Lewis Teague and editor Tina Hirsch
* Playing the Game: Looking Back at “Death Race 2000″
* Ready to Wear: In-depth interview costume designer Jane Ruhm on her inventive work for this film and other Roger Corman classics
* Designing Dystopia!: A detailed look at the film’s futuristic landscapes and now-classic race cars with co-art director B.B. Neel, car designer James Powers and car constructor Dean Jeffries.
* Start Your Engine!: How the world of Death Race 2000 came to life, interview with original story creator Ib Melchior
* Killer Score: An all-new interview with composer Paul Chihara on the creation of the film’s eclectic score, which was also his first feature film composition.
* Leonard Maltin interviews Roger Corman about Death Race 2000
* Original theatrical trailer
* Original theatrical trailer with commentary by filmmaker John Landis, courtesy of trailersfromhell.com
* Collectible 12-page booklet
* New World trailers
Following the release of Death Race 2000 Special Edition Blu-ray & DVD, Shout! Factory will continue to present Roger Corman’s Cult Classics home entertainment releases on a monthly basis. Upcoming highlights include Forbidden World (DVD), Galaxy Of Terror (DVD), Piranha (Blu-ray & DVD) Attack Of The Crab Monster/ Not of This Earth (DVD), Humanoids from Deep (DVD), Starcrash (Blu-ray & DVD) and Battle Beyond The Stars (Blu-ray & DVD), among others.
Independent filmmaker-producer Roger Corman’s storied career ranks as one of Hollywood’s most amazing success stories. Having produced more than 350 films and directed 50 others, his influence on American film goes far beyond his own energetic, creative low-budget movies. He is arguably one of Hollywood’s most gifted and masterful filmmakers. In 2009 he was the recipient of an honorary Academy Award® for his contribution to the medium of film.
Noted for his keen ability to spot young talent, Corman’s most lasting legacy will undoubtedly be the legion of producers, directors, writers and actors he has fostered, among them: James Cameron, Jack Nicholson, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Peter Fonda, Jonathan Demme, Gale Anne Hurd, Diane Ladd, Tommy Lee Jones, Sandra Bullock, Bruce Dern, Talia Shire, Charles Bronson, Joe Dante, Peter Bogdanovich and Sally Kirkland.
