DEATH RACE 2000 - Paul Chihara - "The Future Is Now" (1975)

I have been trying to get a copy of "Death Race 2000" for a couple of years now, and out of the blue it appears in my Netflix Que, and it happened at the same time that I got the latest issue of SCREEM with Greg Goodsell's Mary Woronov interview, and she's one of the stars of this film! It's like Fate I tell you!!

"Death Race 2000" is exactly what it says it is! It's just like going to Vegas and playing War, the simplest card game in the world, the biggest attraction of the future is like a game of Chicken, but with armed cars and extra points for hitting people in a crosswalk or a wheelchair etc! The killer-diller driving music in this insane flick was composed by the honoured Mr. Paul Chihara in his first film outing. Paul has won scores of musical awards and went on to write the music for such films and TV movies as "A Walk On The Moon," "Brave New World," and "Penn & Teller Get Killed!"

Instead of an actor, the announcer for the big event, Junior Bruce, is one of the most popular disc jockeys of all time, The Real Don Steele!! Don rocked L.A. hard for over 30 years, and even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!!

It might be the future, but some things don't change, and every driver has their diehard fans, and in this movie they literally die hard!!

Commentators Joyce Jameson as Grace Pander and Carle Bensen as Harold get their first look at the driver "Frankenstein!"

Director/Actor Paul Bartel has a small part as Frankie's doctor! Besides directing "Eating Rauol," Paul Bartel left his mark on a whole lot of the best bad and worst good movies of the last 40 years; all-time classic cult faves like "Hollywood Boulevard," "Rock 'n' Roll High School," "Frankenweenie," and one of my all-time favorites, "Get Crazy!!"

Sandy McCallum plays the part of Mr. President, a man you can trust!!

Pretty cool looking future! Don't forget to bring your shades!

They call David (Kung Fu)Carradine's character Frankenstein, because he has been re-assembled a few times after various crashes and racing mishaps!!

It looks an awful lot like sunny California, and the future of the boondocks hasn't changed much in the last 35 years!

On the air, Harold explains the points system!!

Everything is hunky-dory and then, those silly freedom-fighting rebels who are opposed to the great race, take over the airwaves with Harriet Medin as Thomasina Paine, leading the charge!!

Great shot of "Frankenstein!"

Anyone want to disagree with me that Mary Woronov as Calamity Jane is hot in this movie? We haven't had a chance to talk about Mary much here, but she was an incredible classic beauty who came up through the Andy Warhol/Exploding Plastic Inevitable/Velvet Underground school of film making. She also starred in "Silent Night, Bloody Night" which we plan to get around to one of these days, and worked with Paul Bartel on some other films! She was in "House Of The Devil" last year, and still active today, although she'd rather be painting!

I love this part where the French rebels polish off one of the drivers "Wiley Coyote" style, with a mailorder Acme Detour and Fake Tunnel Entrance Kit!!

Here's another reason "Death Race 2000" is such a fan favorite, one of the drivers is Sylvester Stallone as maniac Machine Gun Joe Viterbo, another funny man from Chicago! Machine Gun Joe's character pre-dated "Rocky" by about a year!

Another brilliant scene is when Machine Gun Joe Viterbo takes out his own pit crew to get some extra points! This story was written by science fiction author Ib Melchior, who was also responsible for writing major titles like "Angry Red Planet," "Reptilicus," and "Journey To The 7th Planet" etc.

Never at a loss for words, The Real Don Steele still has something else to say! This is a very simple film, but there's too much to cover in this format, so you're just gonna have to go get yourself a copy. I do believe it has recently been released on Blu-Ray too! What are you waiting for?? There's something here for everybody!!

I, MONSTER / Amicus - 1971

Welcome everbloody to 'nother Friday Night Drive-In here at the Dungeon! Tonight we gots a great little Amicus sleeper that stars Dungeon favorites, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing!

For Tabonga, this flick is all about the awesome Christopher Lee and his truly creepy appearances as he undergoes another incarnation of the 'Jekyll and Hyde' tale. Notice the two-headed baby in the jar!

Music is by the great Carl Davis, who had a whopping 162 composing credits. He totally captures the airy insanity such a film requires! Some other movies he composed for are THE CHASTITY BELT, RENTADICK, WHAT BECAME OF JACK AND JILL, BIRTH OF THE BEATLES and FRAGMENTS OF ISABELLA, but worked mainly on British TV series.

Okay then, time for our lil' hunchback Dungeon helper, Ralphie the Tarantula, to push (again) that big red 'GO' button over there, and start our Eariffic Earclip for tonight! So, hit that button, Ralphie!!.. I, MONSTER!!

Lee plays the dubious Dr. Charles Marlowe, who's a brusque, anti-social, sadistic and voyeuristic character.

He's treating Susan Jameson for a sexual disorder. Sexy Susan can also be seen on these Brit TV programs... STRANGE REPORT, UFO, Z CARS, SPACE 1999, HELL'S BELLS, DRAMARAMA, WOOF! and A VERY BRITISH SEX SCANDAL!

While the doctor goes to get a syringe, Susan goes through some of the drawers in his study!.. Oopsie!!

...Okay, bend over!

The doctor's serum has quite an effect on the patient.

As Edward Blake, he goes out and gets a room in the city, where he can keep watch over the residents from his second story room.

When prodded by a street hood, Blake responds with glee. It's surprising that he doesn't slit the little bastard's throat with the razor, but he doesn't!

When he goes out to mingle with the ladies at a bar, it backfires big time as you can hear in the soundclip.

And, of course, revenge is just around the corner!

Blake's skating on the edge!

Children run away from him at the zoo, and now he's starting to transform without an injection.

Look at these teriffic stills as Blake becomes more and more hideous and demented!

As he destroys his lab in a blind rage, he picks up this book and quickly opens it without any thought, but when it's open, he looks intently at the pages in total disbelief and non-comprehension. Truly great acting!!

Oh yeah... Here's Peter!

Okay, here you go, Blake at his zenith!!

Goodnight, sweet Prince Of Darkness!..

THE WORLD'S GREATEST SINNER Part 2 - God Hilliard - "Take My Hand Again" (1962)

What better to follow up Felix with than another completely wild cat, Timothy Carey, and Part 2 of "The World's Greatest Sinner." Now it's time for things to change!

As uplifting as part one of "The World's Greatest Sinner" was, and you can read it right "here", that's how far "The World's Greatest Sinner" Part 2 takes Clarence God Hilliard down!

This WTF!? Wednesday feature goes out to Double D at WFMU, without a doubt, the best radio station in the world!! When you ain't got nothing else to do, then why not listen to WFMU?

Well, Clarence really screwed up when he told all his Followers that they were Gods, and Super Human Beings, the next thing you know, there's a riot going on!! This movie preceded the Watts Riots in L.A. by three years!!

God has a serpent and Carolina Samario too!

The God riots go on, the kids think "We're Gods," but people who haven't read God's doctrine or seen God's act, think they're "nothing but a bunch of idiots, that's all!"

As well meaning as his original intentions were, God Hilliard has his flaws, and like all great musicians, he has dues to pay!!!

Clarence, I mean God, starts to show his mean streak!

Depression, Elation, Death, Destruction! Everything is starting to spiral out of control!

Here, he is folks, God Hilliard.......

....and even though he doesn't know it, Clarence Hilliard has literally sold his soul for rock and roll!!

God Clarence is pretty much a one-hit-wonder, and if you check the charts, you will see that the one-hit-wonder competition was pretty tough in 1962! Check it out! Just to name a few, there's Arthur Alexander (Who I really hate to call a one-hit-wonder because his version of "Anna" is better than The Beatles) - "You Better Move On," Joe Meek's The Tornadoes with "Telstar," Billy Joe and the Checkmates - "Percolator," The Contours - "Do You Love Me," Claudine Clark - "Party Lights" ("I see the lights, I see the party lights, they're red, blue, and green"), Don and Juan - "What's Your Name" and Ernie Maresca - "Shout! Shout!(Knock Yourself Out!)" Songs so powerful, and played so many times in repetition on KAFY AM radio, that I still remember all the words to this day!! AAaaahhhh!!!

The Devil has a place for God Hilliard, and the real God is more than willing to work with Satan on this particular issue!

Heed my warning, all you followers take shelter while there is still time!! Nobody else is paying attention!! Go!!

With all the stupid crap going on in the world, it's a damn shame that somebody can't get do something good for humanity, and get this film released, so it could be seen by all the good people who deserve to see it!!!

Timothy Carey as God Hilliard does rule the universe, doesn't he?

The hall that leads to The End!

To make a point, the very last sequence of events is in colour!! Timothy Carey might be gone, but like God Hilliard, his genius will remain forever, and now that I think about it, Timothy Carey really is a God! His vision came true!!