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| Rollercoaster
Year: 1977
Directed:
- James Goldstone
Actors/Actresses:
- George Segal
- Richard Widmark
- Timothy Bottoms
Terror in the amusement park
Think you're safe from terror when you enter an amusement park? This underrated 1977 thriller will make you think twice about that assumption. What JAWS did for the beaches, DUEL for the highways, and PSYCHO for motel showers, ROLLERCOASTER does for amusement parks--turns them into places where absolutely no one is safe.
George Segal is quite good as a cynical civic inspector looking into two very suspicious amusement park ride "accidents." He soon comes into phone contact with a young man (Timothy Bottoms), who is actually perpetrating these accidents to extort one million dollars from the owners of these parks. The result is slowly escalating suspense leading to a very tense conflict between Bottoms, Segal, and an FBI team headed by a very cynical agent (Richard Widmark).
Boosted by Lalo Schifrin's often sinister Herrmann/Stravinsky-like score and James Goldstone's efficient direction, ROLLERCOASTER isn't the disaster movie it is often pegged as. Rather, it is an unjustifiably overlooked movie that deserves a revival. Look for a very young Helen Hunt as Segal's daughter.
Underrated Suspense
If you're looking for a campy, over-produced, disaster film of the seventies, you're gonna be disappointed. If you can get over the title of this film and actually watch it, you're gonna be plesently surprised. The premise may seem silly, but it actually works. Great acting, a smart script, even smarter dialogue, and excellent editing make this a real thriller. The suspense is almost on the same line as "Jaws". Sure the gaudy setting may be a turn-off, but just pay attention to the story and action and you'll become engaged. What makes this film so unique is the fact that people go to amusement parks everyday without the notion of anything going wrong. You can feel for this film because we've all been in the situation where we know something bad can happen, but our own enjoyment can distract us. What "Poltergeist" does to the suburbs and "Speed" does to public transportation, "Rollercoaster" does the same thing to the least likeliest place of terror- family amusements parks. Also, if you're planning a trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain in Los Angeles, you'll DEFINITELY want to check this movie out!
Read my lips: this is NOT a disaster movie
The fact that this movie has been long classified as a disaster flick is utterly ridiculous. There is a horrific "accident" on a roller coaster at the beginning of the film, but that's it as far as disasters go. The incident provides us with some insight into the mindset of a psychotic, nameless character played by Timothy Bottoms. Rollercoaster is an above average cat-and-mouse thriller that provides a lot of suspense, and an entertaining performance by George Segal.
The later part of the movie takes place at Magic Mountain amusement park near Los Angeles--well before Six Flags bought it and then ruined the Revolution roller coaster that is heavily featured in the film. Seeing Revolution as it was when it first opened (at the time the only modern coaster to incorporate a 360 degree vertical loop) was both interesting and a little sad. Revolution is barley recognizable today since the surrounding foliage has all but completely hidden the ride. Six Flags has also added numerous brakes that almost completely stop the train several times, and the most uncomfortable shoulder harnesses imaginable. Many similar rides built around the same time (and by the same manufacturer) are currently in operation without all this added hardware. Enough said about that.
Rollercoaster is a fine suspense thriller. Just prepare yourself for a serious time-warp back to the mid 70's. The twangy electric guitar music, clothes and hairstyles date this movie quite a bit. Remember lip gloss? However I truly enjoyed Rollercoaster, and it also provided me with a nice, long forgotten ride on the once proud and famed Revolution. Shame on you Six Flags.
Buy Rollercoaster at Amazon.com
Buy posters at Allposters.com
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