This ludicrous but entertaining satire is perfect for after-pub viewing. Sly Stallone gets a good kicking too, bonus!

A must-see experience.
Review date: 2004-06-28 Rating: 8 out of 10

This is a Roger Corman epic made with the usual low budget ($300k when other films at the time were costing $5 million).

Melodramatic and kitsch: almost a farce at times and overlooking reality the whole of the way through..

But it's a brilliant and highly intelligent film all the same.

With great 70's music, a bit of titillation and a smattering of gore- there's no pussy-footing around.

It's all done with the blackest of black humour: there's the usual message about too much violence in society and at times it's almost anti-American in the send-up of American institutions The presenters are larger than life and the appearance of "Mr President in his Summer Palace in Peking" is inspirational.

In this alternative future, most of the world is an American totalitarian state where the real power is with the secret police. The race is there to placate the population. The drivers are adored by the public but the drivers, far from being important are expendable and replaceable. Shades of Rollerball but done with a wry smile.

The snippets of info on the future are just enough to keep you wondering and there's even hints of a American-European rift (the French Airforce mention is especially funny).

The film sets up a fast pace from the off with an intro to the drivers & their cars:
Calamity Jane
Matilda the Hun
Nero
Machine gun Joe (Sylvester Stallone is a natural in only his 2nd feature film).
Frankenstein (David Carradine)

Good DVD extras too

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