Jeez... I'm depressed. This project went from such a high level of coolness in my eyes to such a pit of hell no interest whatsoever, sooooooo quickly. You know, this film almost has to be a pleasant surprise when I see it, cause after this report I feel like shit. I checked up on this fella, wrote him back a few times, and actually talked on the phone with him for a few hours today and.... It's really depressing. Ya know... Why call it DEATH RACE 3000 and attribute ANY connection at all if it's just gonna be a visceral racing car movie through all types of landscapes. Call it.... POLE POSITION or something. Well, here's Frankenstein... I'm gonna go to sleep now. I don't feel good.
Usually I abhor what it is you do here at this site, frankly because you are always picking on us folks that work on Paul Anderson’s films. This time though I have to concur with you and that angers me.
I love with the original DEATH RACE 2000, and when I saw that you misattributed the film to Paul Thomas Anderson yesterday, for just a second I felt like screaming, “I wish that were true.”
Sometime in this business you accept a paycheck to simply pay the bills, send the kids to college, keep the wife happy. This is one of those projects with me. I am working on this one to pay the bills and it kills me.
I feel that the original film is one of the great social satires put to celluloid. However, that does not describe at all DEATH RACE 3000. The fact is that Paul is not looking to remake DEATH RACE 2000, Paul really likes racing video games. And that is his concept for DEATH RACE 3000.
Basically it would have Tom Cruise’s character racing through a series of environments. These would be such high concepts as ICE AREA and FIRE AREA and JUNGLE AREA and CITY AREA. Basically it would be a feature length Pod Racing Movie. The cars would morph into vehicles most appropriate for the environments. Suddenly the tires would sprout spikes for traction.
That’s the film. It’s a BIGGER film, but devoid of the satire that made the original movie the important film that it is.
If they just called the movie RACE, I would be happy. Calling it DEATH RACE 3000 though angers me. The film is a case of putting the effects ahead of substance. I am going to work my ass off for this film, but inside it is killing me. Paul simply does not get what I’m talking about here though. He likes video games and that I understand. He would be a fantastic game creator, but for film he needs to love stories.
What I find stunning is this movie is going to cost an exponential figure higher than the original, and when all is wrapped and the film is sitting on a video shelf next to David Carridine’s original, DEATH RACE fans will still pick up the original cheapo version. Maybe that is how it is supposed to be.
This project and the work being done on it finally made me understand why you do this Harry. I can not stand to see this title being shat upon, that is why I am writing. You do a good thing here Harry. Thank you.
Sign me Frankenstein
