History Film / DeathRace2000

** LaResistance plans to hold Frankenstein hostage because he's a personal friend of Mr. President. Turns out the real Frankenstein died long ago and the [[LegacyCharacter current one]] hates Mr. President.

* LaResistance: The Army of the Resistance lead by Thomasina Paine is trying to kidnap Frankenstein, and replace him with an imposter who will deliver an ultimatum to Mr. President. Meanwhile her more radical subordinate Lieutenant Fury is trying to get the race shut down with threats and the assassination of racers.

* EpicRace: The eponymous Death Race-from one coast to the other, with the winner being ([[{{Calvinball}} apparently]]) whoever has the highest kill score and/or arrives first... or survives.

* EvilStatesOfAmerica: It's not unsubtly implied that the United States has invaded multiple other countries around the world (why else would Mr. President have vacation homes in Moscow ''and'' Peking?) on top of the Death Race and its use as propaganda (Frankenstein running over nurses to spare some old folks is dismissed as him having a "good old American sense of humor". Why decry the Resistance's attacks as being done by the French sounds weird, although the implication is that it may be used to declare war on them later).

* {{Gorn}}: The gorier bits are only on screen for a brief moment before cutting over to Junior. Somehow, [[NothingIsScarier the brevity of the gorn increases the impact]].

* ArtificialLimbs: Frankenstein has been in so many wrecks, he's [[Film/ReturnOfTheJedi more machine now, than man]]. This is just propaganda however to hide that he's a LegacyCharacter. However his arm ''has'' been replaced, ostensibly by a mechanical arm that can shift gears in less than 1/20th of a second. [[spoiler:Actually there's a bomb implanted in it.]]

** The fallen drivers of the Transcontinental Road Race will not be missed. Especially Nero, who dies when he's killed by the [[ItMakesSenseInContext exploding baby]] [[WouldHurtAChild he tried to run over.]]

** Nero and Cleopatra get killed when they try to run over a [[BabyBoomers baby]].
** Three greasers play chicken by standing out in the road, then jumping down a manhole as Calamity Jane approaches. However they pull the manhole cover over before the third has a chance to jump in. As they peek out at the departing Calamity, Joe races up behind and splatters them.
* AxCrazy: Joe Viterbo, nicknamed "Machine Gun Joe" fires his Thompson submachine gun at the audience for booing him.
* BabyBoomers: A bomb disguised as a baby (with other members of LaResistance pretending to be a family on a picnic for bait) is what kills Nero.
* BadassCape: Frankenstein, along with his full cover black outfit cuts a really intimidating figure.
* BadBoss: Machine Gun Joe demonstrates how deep he's gone down the mental breakdown lane at the final leg of the race by ''running over his own pit crew'' when they bad-mouth him. He also constantly mistreats his navigator, from insulting to attempting to beat the crap out of her (which is stopped by Frankenstein).
* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: As if he wasn't enough of a murderous psycho jerk on screen, at one point Pander mentions that Machine Gun Joe used to kill animals by running them over with his tricycle when he was young.
* BaitAndSwitch: [[spoiler:Frankenstein loses his grenade arm that he was going to use to blow up Mr President. He appears to be going to knife him instead, only to be shot by Thomasina Paine in revenge for (apparently) killing her granddaughter. Only Annie is wearing Frankenstein's outfit (fortunately its OnlyAFleshWound) and Frankenstein is hiding in his car which he then drives into the podium, killing Mr President. AndThereWasMuchRejoicing.]]

* WeWillHaveEuthanasiaInTheFuture: It's Euthanasia Day. Some of those commemorating it get some LaserGuidedKarma.

* WronskiFeint: Frankenstein appears to drive around a rock, but it's only an indent in the cliff. A low-flying Lt. Fury tries to follow and goes straight into the cliff.

* InTheFutureWeWillHaveEuthanasia: It's Euthanasia Day. Some of those commemorating it get some LaserGuidedKarma.

* CardboardBoxes: Averted as running over ''[[SpectatorCasualty people]]'' provides the drama, with only the occasional road sign providing this trope.

* PetTheDog: Even though old people score the highest, Frankenstein spares some crippled old tenants at a retirement home who've been wheeled out onto the road for him to squash. Instead he runs over [[LaserGuidedKarma the caretakers who left them there.]]

* BaitAndSwitch: [[spoiler:Frankenstein loses his grenade arm that he was going to use to blow up Mr President. He appears to be going to knife him instead, only to be shot by Thomasina Paine in revenge for (apparently) killing her granddaughter. Only Susan is wearing Frankenstein's outfit (fortunately its OnlyAFleshWound) and Frankenstein is hiding in his car which he then drives into the podium, killing Mr President. AndThereWasMuchRejoicing.]]

* SlippingAMickey: Frankenstein puts a Sleepex pill in Susan's drink before the final attempt to kidnap him. The Resistance assume that he's killed her and go all out to kill him instead.

* TakingYouWithMe: After the final attempt to kidnap Frankenstein fails, Susan tries to drive them off the road. Frankenstein stops the car and remonstrates her for giving up so easily, and explains what his real mission is.

* EveryCarIsAPinto: When the Resistance car chasing Frankenstein rolls over, it immediately explodes into flames for no apparent reason.

* FauxlosophicNarration: Parodied; when Frankenstein runs over Junior Bruce, his colleague Harold proceeds to solemnly pontificate about Humanity's history of violence.
* FictionalPoliticalParty: Frankenstein runs over "The Deacon of the Bipartisan Party" for 50 points. Apart from both running and sponsoring the titular death race and having religious figures in positions of power in the party, not much is known about this party's platform or political views.

* HairTriggerTemper: Machine Gun Joe [[MeaningfulName machine guns]] the audience at the start, just for booing him. He later kills a man who was hanging up a banner welcoming Frankenstein, and even nails his own pit crew for [[BullyingADragon making fun of his black eye]].

* BaitAndSwitch: [[spoiler:Frankenstein loses his grenade arm that he was going to use to blow up Mr President. He appears to be going to knife him instead, only to be shot by Thomasina Paine in revenge for (apparently) killing her granddaughter. Only Susan is wearing Frankenstein's outfit (fortunately its OnlyAFleshWound) and Frankenstein is hiding in his car which he then drives into the podium, killing Mr President. AndThereWasMuchRejoicing.]]
* BlatantLies: Mr President blames the attacks on the French, whom he also blames for ruining the economy and the [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking telephone system.]] After all, isn't the word ''sabotage'' originally French?
* BMovie: Low budget and shot on a short schedule like all Corman flicks, and using mostly unknowns.

* LaResistance: The Army of the Resistance in this case is trying to kidnap Frankenstein and replace him with a body double to get close to kill the President. A splinter faction run by Lieutenant Fury is trying to get the race shut down with threats and the assassination of racers.

* FauxlosophicNarration: Parodied; when Frankenstein runs over Junior Bruce, his colleague Harold proceeds to solemnly wax lyrical about Humanity's inclination towards violence.

* FullCircleRevolution: When LaResistance take over the government, they're implied to be no better than the ones they replaced.

* {{Trope 2000}}: It is right there on the title.

* LaResistance: The Resistance in this case is trying to kidnap Frankenstein and replace him with a body double to get close to kill the President. A splinter faction run by Lieutenant Fury is trying to get the race shut down with threats and the assassination of racers.

* LaResistance: The Resistance in this case is trying to kidnap Frankenstein and replace him with a body double to get close to kill the President. A splinter faction is trying to get the race shut down with threats and the assassination of racers.

* LaResistance: The Resistance in this case is trying to replace Frankenstein with a body double to get close to kill the President. They are also trying to get the race shut down with threats and the assassination of several racers.

* OneWorldOrder: Implied by the President having a summer house in Moscow and another in Peking.

* FauxlosophicNarration: Parodied; when Frankenstein runs over Junior Bruce, his colleague proceeds to solemnly wax lyrical about Humanity's inclination towards violence.

* HumanSacrifice: A woman approaches Frankenstein during an overnight stop and says she's been selected for him out of a hundred other women from the local Frankenstein fan club. To his surprise she's not offering herself as a lover, but is waiting for him out on the road the next day as a Score. He obliges.

* HumanSacrifice: A female fan of Frankenstein offers herself up as a road victim. He obliges.