The Films:

Shout! Factory continues their fun line of double-bills with more Roger Corman produced B-movie goodness. If it wasn’t for the successful Death Race 2000 (here) these films wouldn’t exist, mainly because Corman was the type of producer, and in some ways still is, that would take an idea that made money – whether from others or his – and spun it a few different ways to make like-minded films. Hence, Deathsport (1978) and Battle Truck (1982) take a few notes from the previously mentioned Death Race 2000, but add a little Mad Max in for good measure, and the end results are pleasing, even you don’t mind some aimless cheese.

Deathsport is all over the place. Too many ideas, no real focus, but it manages to be a blast in its 90 minutes, because of those reasons. A thousand years into the future – it gets better – a dying bureaucrat seeks out the have nots, who appear simple like scavengers, for combatants in the Deathsport – it gets even better -  but the film has a zillion subplots to boot with “supped-up” motorcycles, wacky philosophies, groan-inducing dialogue, and boobies, all popped in a blender for a so-bad-it’s-good movie. Deathsport isn’t a good movie, in terms of how we define a good movie, but with the production seemingly lost from Day One, watching the film makes for some edge-of-your-seat entertainment, since you’ll never know what they’ll show next. Trippy opening titles, sexuality mixed with torture, laser guns, motorcycle battles, it’s a fun wtf?! It’s also fun seeing the late David Carradine looking so irritated (probably by the confused screenplay and production, judging by the audio commentary).

Battle Truck or as it’s mostly known as, Warriors of the 21st Century, is a neat little obscure film. It’s very Road Warrior, with an opening narration telling about the Oil Wars and the ensuing collapsed governments and bankrupt countries fight over the rare gasoline that’s left. The film has a sense of reality to it, and where as Deathsport over-achieves and fails, Battle Truck wins since it’s happy within its limited budgeted. All of that helps with the desert and forest locations, run-down vehicles, and desperate characters. It’s hard to fault the film for its familiarity to the superior Road Warrior since both films were being shot at the same time. Who knows why the film slipped into obscurity, but I assume it’s due to the successful Road Warrior. But the film is focused and ensured with its direction and screenplay, and plays better today, with our rising gas prices, oil spills, and fading fossil fuels, than in 1982. Oh, the joys of science-fiction.

The DVD:

Audio/Video: While this won’t go down as the best transfers Shout! Factory’s done for Roger Corman’s films, they’re still pretty decent and probably won’t disappoint many fans. In the insert, Shout! states that the best elements for Deathsport was an inter-positive from a television print. Luckily, it’s in anamorphic and the aged print adds to the drive-in feel. The audio is average, better on Battle Truck.

Commentaries: Both films feature some fun audio commentaries. On Deathsport, co-director Alan Arkush dominates the track, with editor Larry Brock, and this extra is easily worth your $10 for the DVD. It’s a pleasing lecture of a troubled production and why they acknowledge that the film is bad, it’s more fun on what went wrong, than simple observations. Even if the film didn’t do much for you, the track will make you enjoy the film more. Good stuff.

On Battle Truck, director Harley Cokliss flies alone, and while he doesn’t offer the fun quips like on the other track, it’s a great listen nonetheless.

Rounding out the extras, are Trailers, TV Spots, and some cool Still Galleries. There’s a little insert with Roger Corman explaining the origin of why he produced Deathsport. Also, kudos to Shout! Factory for their stellar cover art, with reversible covers featuring the original one-sheets.

The Films: Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

The DVD: Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Adding along with that news, Death Race 2 is already started up principal photography on February 13th in South Africa. The story takes place in the very near future, as the United States economy begins to decline and violent crime starts to spiral out of control. To contain the growing criminal population, a vast network of for-profit, private prisons springs up, creating a lawless subculture ruled by gangs, cold-blooded killers and sociopaths. The worst of these prisons is the Terminal Island.

Convicted cop-killer Carl Lucas (Luke Goss) arrives on the Island to serve his life sentence just as ruthlessly ambitious television personality September Jones launches the ultimate reality show, Death Race. A brutal prison yard demolition derby that pits prisoners against each other in steel reinforced, heavily armed vehicles, Death Race offers the winner the ultimate prize: freedom — if he can survive to enjoy it. When Lucas signs up to be a driver, the stage is set for the birth of a legendary racer.

Death Race 2 has no specific release date at the moment, but will be coming out under Universal Studios Home Entertainment Productions on DVD/Blu-Ray.

The prequel of sorts is called Death Race: Frankenstein Lives that shows the origin of the menacing racer Frakenstein prior to Jason Statham’s character taking up the mantel in Death Race. He’s the right-hand man of a notorious mobster, busted for killing a cop during a robbery and in jail enters the death race and becomes a legend (JoBlo). The film is starting up production next month with a direct-to-DVD release date that’s still pending.

Since there will be a new face to take over the role of ‘Frankenstein’, that means that action star Jason Statham will not make any sort of return. Production is set to start late Feburary of 2010, for those who are actually excited for this.

This weekend marks the first film to be released using the new Technology as Fast and Furious makes its test run in 2 theaters across the country. Those of you with access to the famous Manns Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and Ultrastar Surprise Point 14 in Arizona, will be the first to test the new technology. D Box is a new technology usually built into your theater seat that is carefully programmed to vibrate and gently shake according to what exactly is going on during the film or game that you are viewing. All cues are programmed differently per what ever game / movie you are watching at that time having every viewing be different than a different film. The box is programmed using 3 different cues roll, heave and pitch which will either make you move backwards or forwards, side to side or up and down as well from the vibrations during certain action scenes. The box is also available for home use and to date there are currently over 850 titles that use this service.

Some of the films currently available for use with this service currently include:

Bolt Death Sentence Pineapple Express

The French Connection The Rundown            Eagle Eye

Max Payne Donnie Darko Bourne Supremacy

Wanted Children Of Men Wall-E

Kung Fu Panda Sunshine Bruce Almighty

Hancock Twister I Am Legend

Casino Royale The Mist Pans Labyrinth

Cast Away Troy The Incredibles

Pulp Fiction Layer Cake Finding Nemo

If you are currently in the cities where Fast and Furious is playing and would like to purchase tickets for a showing with D Box head on over to MannTheatres and UltraStarMovies for ticket information and times.

The dailygame gave Max Payne a D Box review stating: On its own, Max Payne is a bore of a film with good special effects, but when it comes down to brass tacks; Max Payne’s true multimedia experience has D-BOX to thank for its boost.

The HDRoom’s review of Death Race with D Box: a unique D-BOX experience with movement from the chair all while the guns provide the “thumping” vibration. Because so much of the film is dedicated to the Death Race, there’s more than ample opportunity for D-BOX to put these lay