Hey, everyone. ”Moriarty” here. I went to see THE BANK JOB on Saturday afternoon (enjoyed it), and while I was in front of the the theater, the guy handing out screening passes offered me one for DEATH RACE on Wednesday night. I took the pass. I always smile when they ask me if I work in the entertainment business, knowing full well I'm not going to go sneak into their screening. I just like being invited. One of our spies was there, though, and he sent in this quick reaction:
"Alright cocksucker. Fuck with me and we'll see who shits on the sidewalk!" So proclaims the highly-regarded actress Joan Allen in DEATH RACE, a role pretty far afield of her previous stuff. Here she plays a ruthless prison warden who oversees a brutal and bloody contest in which prisoners are pitted against each other with the prize -- if its possible to survive --of freedom. I saw it tonight in Chatsworth at the Winnetka theater. Jason Statham plays Jansen, a former driver who has been set up and taken the fall for his wife's murder. He ends up at a maximum security prison accessible only by air or a narrow bridge that plays a key role in the finale. Its here at Terminal Island that Hennesy (Allen) oversees Death Race, an internet pay-per-view event in which drivers attempt to eliminate each other and claim freedom as the prize. There is a plot of sorts .. Statham realizes he's been set yp with the murder and comes to learn that its no coimcidence that he's drafted into the race .. but its all secondary to loud, violent and non-stop racing action. The cars of each driver are souped-up, armor-plated and equipped with napalm-throwers, machine guns and rocket launchers, and each suits the persona adopted by the drivers who are players in the televised race. The drivers also have female navigators, who are bussed in from another prison. That women's prison definitely does not issue baggy orange jumpsuits. Which is good. Its loud, fast and incredibly committed to depicting spectacular vehicular manslaughter, prison fist fights, muscles, remote controlled death and the ultimate warden slash see you next tuesday mastermind. Logic isn't a priority here, but its fun and the crowd ate it up. If you run this, call me Earl Scheib.
