Hunger Games is a remake of Death Race 2000.

I'm quite serious.

Bear with me now.

For some reason, neither Linda or I had ever seen the sublimely silly Death Race 2000, starring David Carradine. We intended to watch the first five minutes but got caught by it.

Anyway, about a third of the way through Linda turns to me and says, "I know this sounds ridiculous, but you know what this reminds me of?"

"Hunger Games," I said, immediately. I'd had the exact same thought a few minutes before.

SPOILERS.

The biggest similarity is the blowsy blond mouthpiece for the totalitarian regime, a "close personal friend," of all the competitors. She dresses kind of flamboyantly, and her make up
makes her look a bit like a Kewpie doll.

But the more I watched it and thought about it, the more similarities there were. The futuristic populous dresses colorfully (you know, the year 2000. It was made in 1974.) The thugs from the government wear purple suits and purple ties.

There is a distant and pompous dictatorial 'president' who uses the races as a way to the distract the populous. Breads and circuses.

The competitors are wined and dined luxuriously while the games are going on. (In Hunger Games, it's just before the games start.) The crowds are taking sides, like football teams. (As an aside, I'd forgotten how much nudity there was in mid-70's movies. More than today.)

There are the weasel commentators who play up the drama, and play down the rebellion. (One of them does a really bad imitation of Howard Cosell...)

There is an underground discontent and rebellion. To the point where they rise up to support the winning competitor. While the discontent is rising, there is an attempt by the government to blame other factors. (Hilariously, in Tea Party fashion, they blame the dastardly "French.")

The main competitor has a secret agenda to bring down the government.

The race itself seems to have arbitrary rules, with rulings that help some and hinder others, but is mostly used to hide what's really going on.

I'm sure there are some other corresponding features.

I know you all probably think I'm just trying to be clever, but really, the similarities are there.

Really, really.

You have to watch it, to believe it.