The Cult Movie Museum: ROBOT JOX: THE ORIGINAL PACIFIC RIM ROLLERBALL: THE ORIGINAL HUNGER GAMES

The CULT MOVIE MUSEUM is back with an overlooked science fiction gem: 1989’s ROBOT JOX. ROBOT JOX was produced decades before the PACIFIC RIM and TRANSFORMERS franchises.

In a post nuclear holocaust world war is outlawed. Conflicts between governments are settled by giant fighting robots piloted by heroic ROBOT JOX (hey, that’s the title of the movie!).
REANIMATOR director STUART GORDON and producer CHARLES BAND create a fun, believable future society on a lean budget.

If you like pre-CGI practical effects you’re going to love this movie. It’s packed with stop motion, puppetry and large scale miniatures, all shot under the blazing hot desert sun.

Stars Gary Graham of ALIEN NATION and ANNE-MARIE JOHNSON of IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT are terrific, though it’s hard not to be upstaged by giant flame throwing robots!

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THE CULT MOVIE MUSEUM brings you a double feature critique of 1975’s ROLLERBALL and DEATH RACE 2000. Both of these dystopian science fiction films depict futuristic blood sports designed to appease the masses… but the films are as different as night and day.

ROLLERBALL is a grim, brutal tale of one man battling against an oppressive society, while the ROGER CORMAN produced, DEATH RACE 2000 is a gory black comedy. It stars DAVID CARRADINE and SYLVESTER STALLONE, only a year before writing and starring in ROCKY.

ROLLERBALL became a huge hit, fueled mostly by its amazing action scenes. Director Norman Jewison was horrified when sports promoters actually tried to license the fictional game.
Though designed as a knock-off of ROLLERBALL, DEATH RACE 2000 actually beat its big budget inspiration into theaters, becoming a surprise hit.

THE CULT MOVIE MUSEUM will continue to unearth great films for you to discover.