Deathsport / Battletruck

This review is for the standard DVD version of 'Roger Corman's Cult Classics Double Feature: Deathsport & Battle Truck' released by Shout! Factory in 2010.First a warning for parents. Even though these are old movies, shot in the 70's, there is plenty of nudity in 'Deathsport'.DVD & EXTRA's : This DVD is a pretty good value. It comes with two movies and each has an always welcome audio commentary. 'Deathsport' is in Anamorphic widescreen and 'Battle Truck' is in standard format 4:3. I wasn't thrilled with the picture quality. It was no better than 'just OK'. I was hoping for better. You also get still galleries for both movies and some trailers and TV spots.*****WARNING - LOTS OF SPOILERS BELOW THIS POINT*****PLOT/SUMMARY: DEATHSPORT: A narrator tells us that this movie takes place a thousand years in the future, after 'The Neutron Wars.' In this world, there are a bunch of walled city states and the surrounding terrain is wastelands. Out in the wastelands, live the 'Range Guides.' These Range Guides assist people travelling between city states. The primary purpose of the Range Guides is to protect the travelers from the dangers in the wasteland. A major concern of all are the cannibal mutants. David Carradine plays the Range Guide, 'Kaz Oshay.' Playboy Playmate, Claudia Jennings, plays the Range Guide, Deneer. Range Guides ride horses and run around in loincloth's and bikini's. Their weapon of choice is a clear (what looks like plastic) sword. The Range Guides love the independent nomadic lifestyle and owe allegiance only to their 'Code.' What this 'Code' consists of, is never explained. There are no planes or helicopters in this advanced civilization, presumably due to the war. Since the narrator states, "The remaining machines..." it can be assumed that after the wars, there were no more scientists and/or manufacturing facilities left. The remaining machines left on earth are owned and only used by Statesman. We are not told how many machines remain in the world, but we are told they are rare. We are also told that the city states are populated by 'Statesmen.' I'm not sure if that means that everyone in the cities, other than slaves, are Statesman or just some of the population.Lord Zirpola, the leader of Helix City, wants to attack a neighboring city state. He tests his ultimate weapon, a motorcycle with laser guns mounted on the front, in a competition called 'Deathsport.' Lord Zirpola sends soldiers into the wasteland to capture some Range Guides to be used for combat in Deathsport. Kaz Oshay ends up being captured along with Deneer. Once imprisoned, we meet Lord Zirpola's top general (I guess), Ankar Moor (or alternatively, Darth Vader). We find out that he is a former Guide that has gone against the code. (In other words, he has gone over to the dark side). We also find out that he has killed Obi-Wan, nope, it was Kaz's Mom. He was an expert in the force... OK, seriously... 'the code.'He also enjoys watching naked girls running around in a room getting shocked by tubes. Zirpola, at times seems very concerned with the loss of death machines, but then there are other times when he doesn't seem to care how many he loses. It is revealed that Lord Zirpola has a brain tumor that is driving him mad.Luke and Leia, well, Kaz and Deneer escape during the Deathsport... anyway, I'm going to cut this plot summary short because it just doesn't seem worthwhile to keep up with in this review. I could write a whole book on what's wrong with this movie.Ultimately Luke and Darth Vader meet for their showdown with light sabers in hand, OK, so really Kaz and Ankar meet with clear plastic swords that make a cool sound in hand... that's enough already... plot summary over. BATTLE TRUCK: In the future, the world's petroleum reserves have run out. Colonel Straker (James Wainwright) leads a group of men scouring the earth looking for fuel. Early on, they discover a large reserve and set up camp to protect it. Straker orders his daughter, Corlie, to execute someone. She refuses and runs away. A loner out on his motorcycle, Hunter (Michael Beck), spots the fleeing Corlie and picks her up. He brings her to a small community, Clearwater Farm, where they take her in. Colonel Straker and his soldiers go looking for Corlie, find Clearwater Farm and break into the community. Straker and Co. terrorize the town and take anything they want from the town. Corlie flees during the attack and runs back to Hunter. Straker has the town mechanic, Rusty, tortured until he gives up Hunter's location.Straker heads out to find Hunter and Corlie. Hunter's property is destroyed, partially by the battle truck and partially by Hunter setting explosives. Hunter takes Corlie back to Clearwater Farm and has Rusty build him an armored car. One of the members of Clearwater Farm, betrays the group, hoping to gain favor with Straker. He kidnaps Corlie and takes her to Straker. He also ambushes Hunter, shoot him with a crossbow and leaves him for dead. Hunter survives and gets back to Clearwater Farm. From here it's up to Hunter and the Clearwater Farm to defeat Straker and Company so that they can have a chance to live in peace.PRODUCTION/COMMENTS: DEATHSPORT:-I really didn't like this movie. I know it's just a low budget futuristic Sci-Fi but it never seemed believable. Not even slightly so.-This movie was shot in 1975. It is the subject of much derision and deservedly so. This movie is so incredibly illogical that it is barely worth commenting on. Literally, almost nothing makes sense. I could basically rip apart every scene in the movie if I wanted to.-The shoot was very problematic and the director, Nicholas Niciphor, was replaced with Allen Arkush. Niciphor quarreled with his lead actors, Claudia Jennings and David Carradine. Apparently both of them were using drugs on set and Niciphor had Jennings forcibly removed while she was 'high.' Carradine didn't take kindly and actually struck Niciphor.-'Deathsport' was originally intended as a sequel of sorts, or at least related to, Death Race 2000.-The arena used for the deathsport is basically endless. Anybody could just ride off since there is no real arena depicted. They are just 'outside.' Essentially, you could just run away.-The death machines themselves are basically useless. Since everyone seems to have a hand held laser, there is no reason to mount them in an unmovable position on a motorcycle. In that position, it is just about impossible to aim. So you would be better off just holding them and aiming it as a gun. They could have at least put the laser on a swivel. But hey, that would be logical. The death machines are also easily 'disintegrated'. So as weapons they are, once again, useless. You'd be better off just using them for transportation.-I'm not sure why the Range Guides would ever use the sword as opposed to a laser gun. The laser gun disintegrates a person into nothingness. Why would you waste your time with a sword? Once again, that would be logical and it wouldn't look 'cool' either.-A young daughter of a Range Guide, that is killed by cannibals, is captured. Don't ask why they don't eat her like they eat everyone else. Perhaps they are going to just keep her till she grows into an adult so there will be more meat to eat? I'm being sarcastic. BATTLE TRUCK:-I think that this is the better of the two movies. Though it seemed like it had a slightly lower budget. This movie had a slightly more 'believable' plot. 'Deathsport' seemed like pure fantasy.-The opening title screen calls this movie 'Warlords of the 21st Century' (this was the title in New Zealand.) The original title was 'Battle Truck.' The market that the movie was show in, dictated what title was used. Even though 'Battle Truck' had an alternate title, I didn't think either title was really a good name. I like the 'Battle Truck' name but the truck didn't do a whole lot of battling. Granted it did do some but it wasn't as much as you would think. It wasn't really the focus of the movie. Of course, Warlords of the 21st Century is not appropriate at all. You basically have one Warlord who commands all of one truck and a few soldiers.-'Battle Truck' was filmed in New Zealand but was produced by an American film company. It was filmed in 1982. Right around the time of 'Mad Max.'CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS: These two movies might be worth a look if you are a fan of post-apocalyptic movies. The effects are not very good but the movies are somewhat entertaining. I doubt most of today's younger audience would like these movies very much.I give the release 3 1/2 stars which I'm rounding up to 4 stars. You get two movies with audio commentaries which is good value. The picture leaves something to be desired. I'm sure one day these movies will get a Blu-ray release but as of today (November 29, 2017) no such luck.

this is probably the best movie ever made. prepare for drinking games.

This is one of those movies to be appreciated solely for the theatrics. It doesn't make sense, and doesn't need to. Say what you will about the cheesy script and sci-fi; if you like motorcycles and explosions, you will enjoy this film.It has a science fiction theme, with old-school action, especially motocross, dirt bike stunts, and vintage special effects. It features lots of real off-road riding in both motocross and desert trails. There's a few pretty good stunts, at least for the time. The bikes are made to look futuristic with some custom sheet metal work, and they use turbine engine sounds to sound that way.There are also LOTS of explosions. .. real explosions, done with all sorts of chemicals, including what appears to be dynamite, gasoline bombs, napalm, and even white phosphorus for an extra eye-popping over the top enhancement. Maybe it was to make the explosions more high-tech? A truly unique touch in any case. It looks like someone is celebrating each explosion with a grand finale-like firework. Whatever they used, it is just so much better than the super lame CGI you see in modern films.It is true that much of the action makes very little sense. There's one really creative explosion sequence involving large fuel drums which get projected skyward. It looks great, but you wonder what it had to do with the plot at all. Shortly after that, you get to see all the stunt riders making the same jump through the fire. It didn't matterwho was chasing who, they all just lined up for the jump. Still really cool, if you're only in for the action.There isn't much for martial arts from Carradine or anyone. Some half-decent swordplay here and there, with a few de-capitations. But most of the deaths come from Star-Trek like "Phasers", which cause the victims to simply vanish.

If you want to see dirt bikes explode for no reason and David Carradine rock his dad bod and chew scenery like he gets paid by the chew, this is the movie you did not know you were looking for.David Carradine is no Caine or Frankenstein in this one, but he decapitates two guys as good as Arnie would do it. Corman paired his familiar face (Kung fu, Death Race 2000) up with Richard Lynch (The Sword and the Sorcerer), but I clicked on this one because I couldn’t believe Claudia Jennings was in it. She doesn’t do a lot in this one, but if you love crazy 70s movies like I do, check out Unholy Rollers or ‘Gator Bait, which are classics.Ok, so there’s not really a reason to watch this movie, unless you’re bored, or you want to see David Carradine ride a motorcycle. And, er, Jennings (a former playmate) does full bush. Otherwise, the way to enjoy this one is to turn off your brain and just wait to see what crazy thing they do next. Dirt bikes make airplane noises? Of course they do. Oh, “hand blasters” shaped like long tin cans erase people? Sure, why not. Why does anything that comes into contact with a dirt bike burst into flames? Who cares, really. Just enjoy all the random explosions (Corman really put out for this one). Ok, she can heal his sweaty whip wounds with her mind? Why not, I say. The evil lord touched a naked woman and now he’s dead? Of course he is! Never let the plot get in the way of the story. “Man is like a candle: he must radiate life by burning himself.” Exactly.See? Fun. :)Not one person of color appears anywhere (it’s the future!) and of course no one in the future is LGBTQ either. Still, the costumes are fabulous, and the sweaty men whipping each other is kind of suspicious.I don’t know what else to say. Anyway, it’s still better than the Avengers.

Part of the schlocky 70's/80's film fare that tried to capitalize on Star Wars. Production values were low even for back then. Still... good to see David Carradine and Claudia Jennings. High marks for the nostalgia.

Bought this in 2010 almost 10 years later I finally watched it!UggghhhhNot good - I love schlock movies (Cannon films fan here) but this is not a good one, paltry budget and worse yet a yawn fest.The title of the film is the best part for me 'Death Sport' sounds like it could be another Death Race 2000 or Running man but sadly no.A prism release and suitably mediocre VHS quality transfer, this is one best left to the imagination imo.There is a world of worthy trashy cinema out there and i'd put your money and time elsewhere If i was you.I'd give this one ...3/10

Fantastic post apocalyptic death matches taking place in gladiatorial arenas but with laser motorbikes and clear plastic sword. Also ping pong ball eyed mutants and naked lady's tortured with fairy lights . Oh and loads of explosions get it now it will make you 85% more epic

While this film from the late 70's was cashing in on the relative success of Death Race 2000, I am sorry to say that Deathsport failed miserably (In my humble opinion).The film has not aged well.

Not the best Flicks ever made,especially Death Sport which is Frankly Awful but Each comes with A Directors Commentary which is far more entertaining than the Films they cover.Worth it for those alone.

I absolutely love Battle Truck, it was right up my alley. Death Sport may be the lesser of the two, but the director's commentary is especially great and a hoot, definitely worth it for that alone.