DEATH SPORT

US, 1978, 83 minutes, Colour.
David Carradine, Richard Lynch, Claudia Jennings.
Directed by Henry Suso, Alan Arkush.

Death Sport takes Star Wars, Logan's Run, Rollerball, Planet of the Apes and the 70s trends in science-fiction, fables of violent sport and heroes in white sword fighting villains in black and makes this eighty minute comic-book futuristic film. Though obviously derivative, it has quite some verve in exploiting the conventions. David Carradine reprises his 'Kung Fu' style against scarred, snarling Richard Lynch. The ever-popular motor bikes chase humans on foot and challenge horseback heroes. There are plenty of special effects, especially a ray gun for instant vaporising. It is amazing how much entertainment action and how many licit elements are crammed into the short running time.

1. The focus of the title? Its relationship to the violent sport genres of the 70s? Its use of the road film, the bikie film, the space fighting films, the hero and villain mythology films? How satisfactory a blend of these conventions? For interest, entertainment?

2. The small budget, the experimental nature of the film, its brevity? Its qualities of production with this experimental background? The directors in training for further features?

3. The use of the 70s genres and the imaginative presentation of the conventions: - Star Wars and the galactic battles, the mythology of the knightly hero and villain? The nature of heroism, future societies, wars in the universe, devastation, the need for survival, mutants, the hero in white and the villain in black? - Rollerball, Death Race 2000 and the deathly sports competitiveness. the echoes of the Roman Empire, the presentation of violence for popular entertainment? - The Planet of the Apes and the future world films: the passing of the centuries, the change in the human race, in the structures of world society, the aftermath of nuclear wars, the elites, the mutants, the fascist control?
- The road movies and the bikie films, their picaresque structure, the heroes on the road, the women followers, the violence inherent in this way life, the individualism?
- The gangster films and action melodramas, the police stories, the tough clashes and fights?
- The Kung Fu and martial arts tradition, David Carradine and his prestige?

4. The contribution of colour, the imaginative sets and decor, the importance of the special effects for the atmosphere, themes?

5. The mind behind the creation of this future world vision? The understanding of the human race, society, survival, progress? The various groups in society and what they stood for - elites, subjects, outlaws? Police? The differing appearances of the members of each group, their behaviour, standards?

6. David Carradine as the hero? A ranger? The old codes of the individual hero in action? His code? His antagonism towards Ankar Moor? The avenging of the traitor? The clashes because of greed? Kaz Oshay and his behaviour, motives, relationships? Vehicle, weapons, skill and fighting? Relation to women and children? Defender of the oppressed? The battle hero? A hero of mythology?

7. The presentation of Death Sport and the vitality of the sequences? Lord Zirpola and his rule, cruelty? The press gangs? The evocation of ancient Row and the audience's judgment on Death Sport? The bloodthirstiness? The audience invited to participate in bloodthirstiness? What kind of world would have Death Sport?

8. Deneer as the tough heroine? Women surviving in this future world? Her prowess, skill, survival? Her relationship to the child? To Kaz Oshay?

9. The prison sequences and the significance of the prisons, the systems, the details of the escape, foiling the pursuers?

10. The presentation of the cycles and the fighting? The myths of the noble savage in the future?

11. The importance of having the child in the screenplay, the response of the audience to the child, the characters helping the child to survive? The future of the world?

12. Ankarwor and his villainy, in black, serving Zirpola? Drawing on his range of skills for the final confrontation with Kaz Oshay? The build-up to the battle, its choreography?

13. How well does this kind of comic-strip feature work on a popular level? As a vehicle embodying the more serious elements of serious presentations of such mythologies? Their popularity in the 70s?