Christopher Lee As Count Lorenzo Borgia in Safari 3000
Levy-Gardner-Laven - 1982
Safari 3000 is an obscure 1982 action movie about a long-distance auto race through Africa. Undoubtedly, Safari 3000 was heavily influenced by Death Race 2000.
In Safari 3000, David Carradine (Frankenstein from Death Race 2000) plays the lead role of Eddie Mills. Christopher Lee portrays, his nemesis, Count Lorenzo Borgia. Borgia seems to be a hybrid of Darth Vader and Frankenstein from Death Race 2000. Lorenzo Borgia's heavy black helmet is very similar to Darth Vader's. Borgia's shinny black suit is a bit similar to Frankenstein's racing suit.
Given the timing of this film, about seven years after the release of Death Race 2000 and almost exactly two years after the release of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, we must assume the director of Safari 3000, Harry Hurwitz, was making thinly veiled tributes to Darth Vader and Death Race 2000. Perhaps, Hurwitz was specifically using the look of Count Borgia to play on the glaring similarities between Darth Vader and Death Race 2000's Frankenstein.
Count Lorenzo Borgia is definitely one of Christopher Lee's lesser roles. This respected British actor has a prestigious film career spanning more than sixty years. Many younger movie-goers might know Christopher Lee from his performances as Count Dooku (a.k.a. Darth Tyranus) in the Star Wars saga. When Anakin Skywalker killed Count Dooku in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, he created a job opening for a new Sith apprentice. Anakin Skywalker soon filled this position and became Darth Vader.
Ironically, in 1957, Christopher Lee appeared in The Curse of Frankenstein. In this film, Peter Cushing (Grand Moff Tarkin from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope) portrayed Victor Frankenstein. Of course, Christopher Lee portrayed Frankenstein's Monster (a.k.a. Creature), one of many incarnations of the iconic horror character that would eventually inspire David Carradine's Frankenstein in Death Race 2000.
So there you have it. Christopher Lee, who portrayed Frankenstein's Monster, also portrayed Count Borgia who was a tribute to Darth Vader and Death Race 2000's Frankenstein. Decades later, Christopher Lee went on to portray another count who was Darth Vader's predecessor in the Star Wars saga--a character that died at the hands of the future Darth Vader.
You just can't make this stuff up. If you were trying to make this stuff up, however, you would just have to create a poetic scenario for revenge and have David Carradine as the actor portraying Emperor Palpatine (Darth Sidious), the one who finally brought about the death of Darth Vader. That, however, would probably be taking things too far. Besides, Ian McDiarmid was perfect in that role.
Have you seen Safari 3000? Did you notice other parallels to Star Wars or Death Race 2000?
1 comment:
Many times in movies from this era, the director wants to put in some funny, or dirty, joke but when they can not think of one, they just "imply" that one took place. This is especially common in Italian films (of any era). At the very end of SAFARI 3000 there is a joke between David Carradine and Stockard Channing where he whispers something in here ear and she says "looks like I'm in big trouble".
OK, maybe I am just too thick to get the joke, or too young to recognize the reference, or perhaps this was one of those many times where there actually was no joke, just a spot in the script that said [insert clever joke here] and when they couldn't think of one, the director just punted.
Based on the 1982 release date of this film, I am assuming that what ever was whispered in Stockard Channing's ear was either a drug or sex reference -- or was intended to be received that way --- because, so far, my money is still on the "we can't think of a funny line, so we'll fake it" explanation.
Did I totally miss something? Anybody have any insights, opinions, or ideas about this scene? Was this maybe some "inside joke" reference to some other David Carradine film? Stockard Channing film? Something that happened on the set?
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