While no similar film can top Paul Bartel’s “Death Race 2000,” a brilliant and bloody satirical Roger Corman exploiter about a lethal car race of the future in which points are racked up by running down innocents with wildly tricked out cars, there have still been some good follow-ups to the original. Both its official remake, “Death Race”, and its prequel, “Death Race 2,” lacked the subversive, satirical edge of “2000″ – except for some broad strokes, such as the Robocopish media – but were gritty, violent and entertaining nonetheless. But perhaps the most unique revisiting is The Asylum’s DEATH RACERS, which borrows more from the remakes than the original. It isn’t any more subtle than either of the modern “Death Race” movies, but it’s low-budget gore produces more glee in the horror hound than the carnage of those latter two big-budgeters. In fact, in this way, it’s closer to Corman’s picture. But it’s also a very contemporary flick and its sense of style is quirky, to say the least. Let me just point out that the cast includes WWE’s Raven and none other than the Insane Clown Posse, playing themselves, no less! DEATH RACERS is an enthusiastic fusion of sci-fi, action and horror-style violence (one things obliquely of Troma), not to mention sick humor. Throw in the weirdly decorated cars – check out the man-eating ice cream truck ICP is driving! – and you’ve got a modern kitsch classic.
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