Rollercoaster (1977)

“If you’re trying to kill us, at least let me put on some lip gloss.” – Fran

Number of Times Seen – 1 (21 Apr 2020)

Brief Synopsis – An unknown assailant threatens an amusement park conglomerate with a terrorist attack if they don’t pay a hefty ransom.

My Take on it – This is a film that I had never heard of before coming across it but the premsie sounded so good, I knew that I had to watch it.

This is a movie that is a mixture of an action thriller and a typical 70’s disaster movie and it works really well because of the way that they combine these genres.

Just knowing the premise of this film adds so much more suspense and tension since most of us have spent numerous days of our lives at some kind of amusement park and that makes things feel even more personal and relevant to just about anyone.

Riding on a roller coaster itself can add enough tension to someone but the way that this is filmed allows the viewer to feel like they are on such a death defying ride ride there with the characters.

We get to see both sides of this conflict and that helps us understand he motives of both sides much more clearly because we can experience both the perplexing and suspenseful moments that each side faces along the way.

George Segal is great in the lead despite the fact that he is not known for his work in thrillers.

Timothy Bottoms is also great as the devious and intelligent bomber who’s motives are left ambiguous in order for the tensions level to keep rising.

Keep a look out for Helen Hunt and Steve Guttenberg in small roles in a film that was the debut for both of them.

Bottom Line – Great thriller that works on so many levels. The premise alone helps keep things so thrilling and suspenseful because it adds so much to the feeling of being on a death defying amusement park ride. The story plays out really well and we get to see how both sides of this conflict act in various situations that can be quite perplexing and suspenseful. Segal is a great choice for the lead role and manages to hold his own despite the fact that he is usually not the kind of actor one would expect in such a movie. Bottoms is nice and devious as the unnamed assailant and the fact that his motives are somewhat ambiguous actually helps raise the level of suspense along the way. Hunt and Guttenberg had their first onscreen roles in this film and it’s fun trying to spot them. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – The roller coaster crash that kicks off the film was significantly more graphic, with flying bodies and gore as the cars derail and topple over. The sequence was toned down considerably to avoid an “R” rating. (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (8/10)