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I first saw "Rollercoaster" in the theater when it was first released in the summer of 1977. I was 21 at the time. Well I'm 64 now and I got it on DVD and I appreciate it even more. I wanted to see it because I had been to Ocean View Park where the movie opens. Some family members and me rode the great rollercoaster "The Rocket" a year before it was filmed there. At the time along with "The Cyclone" at Coney Island the oldest coaster in the country.
Some family and friends had me had also visited King's Dominion near Richmond, Virginia the year before the flick was filmed there. King's Dominion had only been open a year then. It's really changed a lot since then. The movies' climax takes place at Six Flags Magic Mountain in southern California which features one of the first steel looping coasters "The Revolution" which I hear is still there. As is the wooden racing coaster at King's Dominion. These coasters are tame compared to the coasters of today. The movie had the not so good timing of opening the same week as "STAR WARS. " Also one of the biggest James Bond films "The Spy Who Loved Me" opened soon after along with "Smokey and the Bandit" with Burt Reynolds and Sally Field another big hit. So, "Rollercoaster" was not a hit at the box-office unfortunately. It was overlooked and under rated. It got pretty good ratings when it was shown on the NBC television network two years later though
The movie features a fine cast with the terrific George Segal in the lead as Civic Inspector Harry Calder along with the great Richard Widmark as the F.B.I. agent, Henry Fonda as Harry's boss, Timothy Bottoms as the bad guy, Harry Guardino as a police detective ,Susan Strasberg as Harry's lady Fran. Also a then 13 year old Helen Hunt in her movie debut as Harry's daughter Tracy who's a doll. It also features fine cinematography by David M. Walsh and a effective score,( mixing equal parts,) Amusement Park fun, Jazz and suspense by the great composer Lalo Schifrin. The screenplay was written by the team of Richard Levinson and William Link who created the television series "Columbo" and "Murder She Wrote" and Director James Goldstone does a fine job. He is noted for directing the first pilot episode of "STAR TREK" the television series on NBC back in 1966.
The DVD extra features are a really good interview with Tommy Cook who wrote the original story and was an associate producer. Also some radio spots, production stills and the original trailer. The flick was originally filmed in "SENSURROUND" as were Universal's previous films;"Earthquake" from 1974 and "Midway" from 1976 which both were mediocre. I had "Rollercoaster" on VHS and the original DVD before and there is a vast improvement now. In High Definition Blu-Ray and with a sub-woofer in the front and back of the living room the DOLBY "rumble." It is known that some stunt men were injured in the coaster crash in the opening and some scenes had to be edited and considerably toned down so as not to receive an "R" rating and get the more marketable "PG" the studio wanted. The theater where some family and friends and me saw it in Virginia Beach ,VA, back in 1977 had the actual red and yellow train used in the film in the lobby and it was kinda smashed up.The plot reminds me of "Dirty Harry" with a mad extortionist terrorizing people,the hero's name being Harry. Harry Guardino playing a detective and Lalo Schifrin doing the music. The tagline for one of the movie posters read... WATCH OUT FOR THE MAN WATCHING THE.... ROLLERCOASTER
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Reviews with images
One of my favorite terrorist movies!
This is by far one of the best terrorist movies of its genre. Not only do you get to see some fun roller coasters, Sparks (yes the band), but you also see Helen Hunt as a kid in her acting debut! How fabulous is that?!?That said, I think this is one of the few movies of the genre where the terrorist is not a POC, but a crazy white guy which is nice to see. Overall the story is ridiculous, but what do you expect about a movie whose supporting characters are legendary roller coasters from around the country? My year is not complete without watching this gem! I highly recommend for a good laugh, and some good Sparks!
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TerryB
70's thrills and drama take on a new definition
Reviewed in Australia on January 23, 2018