6.2/10
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76 user 29 critic

Rollercoaster (1977)

PG | | Action, Crime, Drama | 17 June 1977 (USA)
A blackmailer threatens to sabotage roller-coasters at various American amusement parks if he isn't paid a huge ransom.

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Writers:

(story), (screen story) | 4 more credits »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
Agent Hoyt
...
Young Man
...
Simon Davenport
...
Keefer
...
Fran
...
Tracy Calder
...
Helen
Harry Davis ...
Benny Neilson
Stephen Pearlman ...
Bert Lyons
G.F. Rowe ...
Wayne Moore (as Gerald Rowe)
Wayne Tippit ...
Police Captain Christie
...
Chuck Demerest
Charlie Tuna ...
Rock Concert MC
Lonny Stevens ...
Federal Agent #1
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Storyline

The plot is about a guile young terrorist who is able to blackmail a series of companies by placing home-made radio controlled bombs within the central attraction of amusement parks; roller coasters. The young man played by Timothy Bottoms gives a hard time to the cops after they give him UV marked money. He then wants revenge and places a bomb in a roller coaster at the most important amusement park event of the year. Written by Nebiros <nebiros@informador.com.mx>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

Ride it...in Sensurround See more »


Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

17 June 1977 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Achterbahn  »

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

|

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

About three thousand people including men, women and children acted as extras and background artists on the movie. See more »

Goofs

When the rollercoaster at Magic Mountain goes down for the first time, a shadow of the gear holding the camera is visible for a moment. See more »

Quotes

Young Man: [after the young man tells Harry he is holding the bomb] Do I have your full attention?
Harry Calder: Screw you!
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Daddy-O (1991) See more »

Soundtracks

Hello! Ma Baby
(uncredited)
Written by Joseph E. Howard and Ida Emerson
[Singing Mushrooms in amusement park]
See more »

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User Reviews

 
Wrong psychological profile, Harry. I'm not in this for kicks.
3 October 2011 | by (United Kingdom) – See all my reviews

Roller-coaster is directed by James Goldstone and co-adapted to screenplay by Sanford Sheldon, Richard Levinson and William Link, from a suggested Tommy Cook story. It stars George Segal, Timothy Bottoms, Richard Widmark, Harry Guardino, Susan Strasberg and Helen Hunt. A Panavision/Technicolor production in Sensurround, it features music by Lalo Schifrin and photography by David M. Walsh.

A psychopathic bomber known only as "Young Man" (Bottoms) causes terror at American theme parks. When safety inspector Harry Calder (Segal) is brought in to investigate, it sets off a cat and mouse game as the "Young Man" ups the ante....

Even now Roller-coaster is still wrongly being lumped in with the disaster movie genre that surfaced in the 1970s. Released at a time when that particular genre of film was fading out, Roller-coaster is anything but a disaster movie. What it is is a psychopath based thriller that adheres to procedural values and character involvement. As it runs at nearly two hours in length should notify viewers that it isn't a film chocked full of Roller-coaster sequences and explosive pyrotechnics. Yes, there's some exciting "Coaster" sequences, neatly shown to us in POV, and in spite of the (obvious 1970s) use of dummies for the plot set-up carnage, this thrives on human interest and race against the clock suspense.

The marker is set early on as Bottoms' smirking killer sets up his first murderous act whilst listening to some deathly string arrangement on his cassette player. We then segue into fun fare music as the joys of the amusement park brings a warmth and calm to the viewer, this is soon vanquished as the terror a terrorist can bring comes to the fore. From here on in the Bottoms character remains mysterious but we know just what he is capable of, so does Segal's character, as do the likes of Widmark's Agent Hoyt and the rest of the "suits" frantically scratching around trying to avert further tragedy as the fresh faced bomber demands money with menace. This ensures the bulk of the film is made up of Calder and Young Man interactions and police procedural movements. It has much talk, very much so, but it's well scripted dialogue and heightens the tension as we enter the final third.

One of the few films to feature the Sensurround gimmick, the film perhaps logically loses much impact on the small screen. Prints of the film are only adequate, and the sound mix doesn't shake your lounges in the way it certainly did back in 1970s theatres. Yet this is still a damn fine suspense picture, a film that also carries with it some stoic performances from Segal and Widmark, and a chillingly effective villain turn from the undervalued Bottoms. Henry Fonda is on the credits, but really it's just a cameo appearance, while there's much interest value in watching future Academy Award winner Helen Hunt as the young daughter of Harry Calder.

Expect a taut thriller like Two-Minute Warning that was released the previous year, and you hopefully will not feel let down. Expecting a two hour disaster movie full of Coater Carnage will only lead to disappointment. 8/10


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