Death Racers
Encyclopedia
Death Racers is an American
B movie
directed by Roy Knyrim. Released direct-to-video
on September 16, 2008, the film stars the hip hop
group Insane Clown Posse
and wrestler Scott "Raven" Levy.
breaks out in the United States
. In a final attempt to restore order, the president declares martial law. In 2033, a massive prison camp known as "the Red Zone" is built in a desolate city that soon holds over one million insane, violent felons. The United States
is declared safe.
A dangerous criminal known as the Reaper (Scott "Raven" Levy) has been extracting sarin
, which he plans to spill into the nation's water supply. One of the prisoners, FX (Dustin Fitzsimons) secretly films the Reaper with a Wi-Fi
digital camera
as he discusses these plans, and the state's governor, Reagan Black (Robert Pike Daniel) finds out about them. Black develops a plan to hold a "death race" within the prison system, assembling four teams of racers:
The race is televised live, hosted by anchors Harvey Winkler (Stephen Blackehart
) and Jennifer Ramirez (Caroline Attwood). Black offers the teams gathering points for killing loose prisoners, promising freedom to the team that brings back the Reaper—dead or alive. When Danny Satanico suggests that the four teams escape, Black reveals that each team member has a chip implanted in their bodies which would kill any member that breaks the rules, using Satanico to demonstrate.
When Insane Clown Posse's truck gets a flat tire
, a fight ensues between the teams and loose criminals. In the distance, Violent J witnesses an explosion. The teams investigate, finding the burning Homeland Security jeep with two corpses inside. Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope find FX filming the race. He tells them that there will be an ambush at their first destination, and they let him ride in their van. Each of the teams work together to surprise and kill the ambushers. Metal Machine Man (Damien Puckler), under the order of the Reaper, kills FX and attacks the racers before being hit by missiles fired by a pair of mysterious men.
The teams fix their cars before dispatching. Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope arrive at the Reaper's lair, and successfully infiltrate the fortress, preventing the Reaper and his henchmen from releasing the sarin into the water. The mysterious men arrive, firing a rocket into the room, and reveal themselves to be Colonel Bob and Captain Rudy, who were hired by Governor Black as inside men, and faked their deaths to convince the other teams that they had a chance of winning.
Believing the Reaper died in the explosion, Bob and Rudy retrieve his severed hand and leave in Insane Clown Posse's truck. Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope emerge from the rubble. Because Violent J is injured, Shaggy 2 Dope goes after Bob and Rudy alone. The Reaper appears and attempts to release the sarin as Violent J attempts to stop him. The Homeland Security team members arrive at the finish line, presenting the Reapers hand to Governor Black. Shaggy 2 Dope rises from the back of the truck, shooting at Bob, Rudy and the governor. Black presses the button to activate the explosives in the bodies of the Insane Clown Posse team members. The sarin explodes, causing a chain reaction which destroys the country.
and Twiztid
had received a treatment
for a low-budget horror film
titled Road Rage, to be directed by Roy Knyrim of Sota Productions, who had previously directed Bruce and Utsler in The Chronicles of the Dark Carnival
. It was stated that filming would take place over a two week period in Los Angeles, California
during the Spring of that year.
In March, a second announcement was made, stating that Insane Clown Posse would star in a film scheduled to begin production in the first week of May. Bruce and Utsler would portray their stage personas of Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope, and the characters would drive around in an ice cream truck, killing pedestrians for points. It was stated that the film would be aired by the Sci Fi Channel
in the summer.
Insane Clown Posse members Joseph Bruce
and Joseph Utsler
agreed to appear in the film because the director was a personal friend, and they wanted to warm up their acting skills for Big Money Rustlas
, the prequel to the Psychopathic Records
film Big Money Hustlas
. Psychopathic was not involved with the production of Death Racers in any way. According to Bruce, "We just did it for fun. We knew it was gonna be basically garbage."
In September 2008, Death Racers was released direct-to-video by The Asylum
. The film's soundtrack featured original music by Joseph Kamiya, in addition to previously-released music performed by Insane Clown Posse.
s, Bruce referred to the film as "the bootleg
ripoff
fake version" of Death Race
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
B movie
B movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
directed by Roy Knyrim. Released direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
on September 16, 2008, the film stars the hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
group Insane Clown Posse
Insane Clown Posse
Insane Clown Posse is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan. The group is composed of Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler, who perform under the respective personas of the "wicked clowns" Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore...
and wrestler Scott "Raven" Levy.
Plot
In the year 2030, a civil warCivil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
breaks out in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In a final attempt to restore order, the president declares martial law. In 2033, a massive prison camp known as "the Red Zone" is built in a desolate city that soon holds over one million insane, violent felons. The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
is declared safe.
A dangerous criminal known as the Reaper (Scott "Raven" Levy) has been extracting sarin
Sarin
Sarin, or GB, is an organophosphorus compound with the formula [2CHO]CH3PF. It is a colorless, odorless liquid, which is used as a chemical weapon. It has been classified as a weapon of mass destruction in UN Resolution 687...
, which he plans to spill into the nation's water supply. One of the prisoners, FX (Dustin Fitzsimons) secretly films the Reaper with a Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
digital camera
Digital camera
A digital camera is a camera that takes video or still photographs, or both, digitally by recording images via an electronic image sensor. It is the main device used in the field of digital photography...
as he discusses these plans, and the state's governor, Reagan Black (Robert Pike Daniel) finds out about them. Black develops a plan to hold a "death race" within the prison system, assembling four teams of racers:
- The Severed Head Gang, consisting of Danny Satanico (Koco Limbevski) and Fred "The Hammer" (Jason Ellefson), two members of the largest gangGangA gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
in the United States, known for decapitatingDecapitationDecapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
their enemies. The team is given a customizedCustom carA custom car is a passenger vehicle that has been modified in either of the following two ways. First, a custom car may be altered to improve its performance, often by altering or replacing the engine and transmission. Second, a custom car may be a personal "styling" statement, making the car look...
1995 town carTown carA town car is a historical automobile body style in which the front seats were open and the rear compartment closed, normally with a removable top to cover the front chauffeur's compartment...
.
- Homeland Security, consisting of Colonel Bob (Paolo Carascon) and Captain Rudy Jackson (Rick Benedetto), formerly honored, but now disgraced members of the United States ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. The team is given a vintage 1943 Willys MBWillys MBThe Willys MB US Army Jeep and the Ford GPW, were manufactured from 1941 to 1945. These small four-wheel drive utility vehicles are considered the iconic World War II Jeep, and inspired many similar light utility vehicles. Over the years, the World War II Jeep later evolved into the "CJ" civilian...
.
- Vaginamyte, consisting of Double-Dee Destruction (Jennifer Elizabeth Keith) and Queen B (Thereese), two serial killerSerial killerA serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
s who seduced and murdered over 72 male and female victims. The team is given a yellow LotusLotus CarsLotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports and racing cars based at the former site of RAF Hethel, a World War II airfield in Norfolk. The company designs and builds race and production automobiles of light weight and fine handling characteristics...
with a black widow spider design.
- Insane Clown Posse (Bruce and Utsler), whose violent form of hip hopHip hop musicHip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
was attributed as indirectly influencing multiple murders, acts of terrorismTerrorismTerrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
and a school massacre which resulted in the rappersRappingRapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
being convicted for these murders and being dubbed as "the Charles MansonCharles MansonCharles Milles Manson is an American criminal who led what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune that arose in California in the late 1960s. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the Tate/LaBianca murders carried out by members of the group at his instruction...
of their time". Although the group's music has been banned, it continues to retain a strong fanbase. Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope are given an ice cream truckIce cream vanAn ice cream van or ice cream truck is a commercial vehicle which serves as a travelling retail outlet for ice cream, usually during the summer. Ice cream vans are often seen parked at public events, or near parks, beaches, or other areas where people congregate...
customized with a meat grinder, machine gunMachine gunA machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s and "all the bling-blingBling-blingBling is a slang term popularized in hip hop culture, referring to flashy, ostentatious or elaborate jewelry and ornamented accessories that are carried, worn or installed, such as cell phones or tooth caps....
these two Detroit locals could find".
The race is televised live, hosted by anchors Harvey Winkler (Stephen Blackehart
Stephen Blackehart
Stephen Blackehart is an American actor and producer from Hell's Kitchen, New York. It has been reported that Blackehart was born Stefano Brando and is the son of actor Marlon Brando...
) and Jennifer Ramirez (Caroline Attwood). Black offers the teams gathering points for killing loose prisoners, promising freedom to the team that brings back the Reaper—dead or alive. When Danny Satanico suggests that the four teams escape, Black reveals that each team member has a chip implanted in their bodies which would kill any member that breaks the rules, using Satanico to demonstrate.
When Insane Clown Posse's truck gets a flat tire
Flat tire
A flat tire is a deflated pneumatic tire, which can cause the rim of the wheel to ride on the tire tread or the ground potentially resulting in loss of control of the vehicle or irreparable damage to the tire and wheel....
, a fight ensues between the teams and loose criminals. In the distance, Violent J witnesses an explosion. The teams investigate, finding the burning Homeland Security jeep with two corpses inside. Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope find FX filming the race. He tells them that there will be an ambush at their first destination, and they let him ride in their van. Each of the teams work together to surprise and kill the ambushers. Metal Machine Man (Damien Puckler), under the order of the Reaper, kills FX and attacks the racers before being hit by missiles fired by a pair of mysterious men.
The teams fix their cars before dispatching. Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope arrive at the Reaper's lair, and successfully infiltrate the fortress, preventing the Reaper and his henchmen from releasing the sarin into the water. The mysterious men arrive, firing a rocket into the room, and reveal themselves to be Colonel Bob and Captain Rudy, who were hired by Governor Black as inside men, and faked their deaths to convince the other teams that they had a chance of winning.
Believing the Reaper died in the explosion, Bob and Rudy retrieve his severed hand and leave in Insane Clown Posse's truck. Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope emerge from the rubble. Because Violent J is injured, Shaggy 2 Dope goes after Bob and Rudy alone. The Reaper appears and attempts to release the sarin as Violent J attempts to stop him. The Homeland Security team members arrive at the finish line, presenting the Reapers hand to Governor Black. Shaggy 2 Dope rises from the back of the truck, shooting at Bob, Rudy and the governor. Black presses the button to activate the explosives in the bodies of the Insane Clown Posse team members. The sarin explodes, causing a chain reaction which destroys the country.
Cast
- Joseph BruceJoseph BruceJoseph Frank "Joe" Bruce is an American rapper, record producer, professional wrestler and actor. Bruce is most commonly known as Violent J of the Insane Clown Posse . He is the co-founder of the record label Psychopathic Records, with fellow ICP rapper Joseph Utsler and their former manager,...
- Violent J - Joseph UtslerJoseph UtslerJoseph William "Joey" Utsler is an American rapper, record producer, DJ, professional wrestler and actor. Utsler is known as Shaggy 2 Dope of the hip hop group Insane Clown Posse. He is the co-founder of the record label Psychopathic Records, with fellow Insane Clown Posse rapper Joseph Bruce and...
- Shaggy 2 Dope - Scott Levy. - The Reaper
- Jason Ellefson - Fred "The Hammer"
- Jennifer Elizabeth Keith - Double-Dee Destruction
- Thereese - Queen B
- Dean Kreyling - Dr. Shank
- Robert Pike Daniel - Governor Reagan Black
- Stephen BlackehartStephen BlackehartStephen Blackehart is an American actor and producer from Hell's Kitchen, New York. It has been reported that Blackehart was born Stefano Brando and is the son of actor Marlon Brando...
- Harvey Winkler - Damien Puckler - Metal Machine Man
- Dustin FitzsimonsDustin FitzsimonsDustin Fitzsimons is an American actor who has starred and appeared in several films, television shows, and commercials....
- FX - Jesse Pate - Dr. Samualson
- Caroline Attwood - Jennifer Ramirez
- Rick Benedetto - Rudy Jackson
- Koco Limbevski - Danny Satanico
- Paolo Carascon - Colonel Bob
- Anya Benton - Babylonian Temptress
Production
In January 2008, it was announced that Insane Clown PosseInsane Clown Posse
Insane Clown Posse is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan. The group is composed of Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler, who perform under the respective personas of the "wicked clowns" Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore...
and Twiztid
Twiztid
Twiztid is an American hip hop duo from Warren, Michigan. The group is composed of Jamie Spaniolo and Paul Methric, who perform under the respective personas of Jamie Madrox and Monoxide Child...
had received a treatment
Film treatment
A film treatment is a piece of prose, typically the step between scene cards and the first draft of a screenplay for a motion picture, television program, or radio play. It is generally longer and more detailed than an outline , and it may include details of directorial style that an outline omits...
for a low-budget horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
titled Road Rage, to be directed by Roy Knyrim of Sota Productions, who had previously directed Bruce and Utsler in The Chronicles of the Dark Carnival
Dark Carnival (Insane Clown Posse)
The Dark Carnival is the mythology of the concept album series used in much of Insane Clown Posse's discography. It is a concept of the afterlife in which souls are sent to a form of limbo while waiting to be sent to Heaven or Hell based on their individual actions. These concepts are related by...
. It was stated that filming would take place over a two week period in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
during the Spring of that year.
In March, a second announcement was made, stating that Insane Clown Posse would star in a film scheduled to begin production in the first week of May. Bruce and Utsler would portray their stage personas of Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope, and the characters would drive around in an ice cream truck, killing pedestrians for points. It was stated that the film would be aired by the Sci Fi Channel
Sci Fi Channel (United States)
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
in the summer.
Insane Clown Posse members Joseph Bruce
Joseph Bruce
Joseph Frank "Joe" Bruce is an American rapper, record producer, professional wrestler and actor. Bruce is most commonly known as Violent J of the Insane Clown Posse . He is the co-founder of the record label Psychopathic Records, with fellow ICP rapper Joseph Utsler and their former manager,...
and Joseph Utsler
Joseph Utsler
Joseph William "Joey" Utsler is an American rapper, record producer, DJ, professional wrestler and actor. Utsler is known as Shaggy 2 Dope of the hip hop group Insane Clown Posse. He is the co-founder of the record label Psychopathic Records, with fellow Insane Clown Posse rapper Joseph Bruce and...
agreed to appear in the film because the director was a personal friend, and they wanted to warm up their acting skills for Big Money Rustlas
Big Money Rustlas
Big Money Rustlas is an American Western comedy film directed by Paul Andresen. The film is the prequel to the 2000 film Big Money Hustlas. Joseph Bruce wrote the story, and he, Andresen, and Studebaker Duchamp adapted the story into a screenplay. Their writing was influenced by classic Western...
, the prequel to the Psychopathic Records
Psychopathic Records
Psychopathic Records, also known as "The Hatchet", is an American independent record label based in Farmington Hills, Michigan that specializes in hip hop music. The label was founded in 1991 by Alex Abbiss and hip hop group Insane Clown Posse....
film Big Money Hustlas
Big Money Hustlas
The film's music was written by Psychopathic Records producer Mike E. Clark. A soundtrack album was released in 2001, and featured new music from the film, in addition to previously released tracks by Insane Clown Posse and Twiztid, and the theme to the 1976 film The Human Tornado, performed by...
. Psychopathic was not involved with the production of Death Racers in any way. According to Bruce, "We just did it for fun. We knew it was gonna be basically garbage."
In September 2008, Death Racers was released direct-to-video by The Asylum
The Asylum
The Asylum is an American film studio and distributor which focuses on producing low-budget, usually direct-to-video productions. The studio has produced titles that capitalize on productions by major studios; these titles have been dubbed "mockbusters" by the press.-History:The Asylum was founded...
. The film's soundtrack featured original music by Joseph Kamiya, in addition to previously-released music performed by Insane Clown Posse.
Legacy
Joseph Bruce referred to Death Racers as "a terribly shitty movie", but states that he does not regret making the film, because it inspired him to continue with the production of Big Money Rustlas, because he felt that Psychopathic could make a better film than Death Racers. At the 2008 Gathering of the JuggaloJuggalo
Juggalo or Juggalette is a name given to fans of Insane Clown Posse or any other Psychopathic Records hip hop group. Juggalos have developed their own idioms, slang, and characteristics.-History:...
s, Bruce referred to the film as "the bootleg
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
ripoff
Ripoff
A ripoff is a bad financial transaction. Usually it refers to an incident in which a person overpays for something. A ripoff is distinguished from a scam in that a scam involves wrongdoing such as fraud; whether or not something is a ripoff, on the other hand, is a matter of opinion.In a related...
fake version" of Death Race
Death Race (film)
Death Race is a 2008 action film produced, written and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson and starring Jason Statham. Though referred to as a remake of the 1975 film Death Race 2000 in reviews and marketing materials, director Paul W.S. Anderson stated in an interview and the DVD commentary that he...
.