Produced by Jennings Lang and written by the acclaimed team of Richard Levinson and William Link, Rollercoaster rumbled into movie theaters in the summer of 1977 with Sensurround. Rollercoaster was one of only four films to ever feature the then revolutionary technology—the others were Earthquake (1974), Midway (1977), and the theatrical version of Battlestar Galactica (1978)—special low frequency speakers were used during the rollercoaster sequences.
Timothy Bottoms plays a nameless bomber who is sabotaging amusement park rides using remote control bombs. He plants one of those bombs on the tracks of “The Rocket,” the wooden rollercoaster at Southern California’s Ocean View Amusement Park. When he sets it off later that night, the ride derails, killing several people. California Standards and Safety field inspector Harry Calder (George Segal), who had inspected “The Rocket” just three months earlier, is sent by his cantankerous boss (Henry Fonda) to investigate the accident. The next step for the “mad bomber” is Pittsburgh’s Wonderworld Amusement Park, which he sets on fire.
Rollercoaster isn’t really a disaster film, but rather a clever battle of wits. Bottoms’ character is calmly calculating, seemingly not concerned about getting caught. Meanwhile, doing a little digging, Harry discovers that the heads of the five biggest leisure corporations are gathering in Chicago. He travels to the Windy City and forces his way into the meeting; as it turns out, the “mad bomber” is blackmailing the group for one million dollars. Harry advises calling in the Feds, because the bomber is smart—an assessment the young man, who bugged the room, appreciates. Agent Thomas Hoyt (Richard Widmark) arrives, and dismisses Harry, but the young man has other plans. He wants his new friend Harry to deliver the money to Kings Dominion in Virginia. Harry is now fully caught up in the “mad bombers” web of craziness. Can he stop the young man before he strikes again?
Rollercoaster is helped by a cast filled with recognizable names. Timothy Bottoms’ “masked bomber” is so calm throughout the proceedings, I couldn’t help but wonder if he was popping some valium during filming. George Segal, doing little more than looking terribly concerned and making the occasional wisecrack, is capable, if underused. Richard Widmark’s FBI agent is remarkably similar to several characters he played throughout his career: angry and barking orders at every turn. Henry Fonda turns up in a couple of brief scenes as Harry’s ornery boss. Rollercoaster marks the film debut of Helen Hunt as Tracey Calder, Harry’s daughter. Also, blink and you’ll miss a cameo by frizzy haired Steve Guttenberg.
Rollercoaster isn’t a great film, but it’s still better than it has a right to be. The amount of genuine tension woven into the story makes it a fun way to spend some time on a rainy Saturday afternoon.
For Kino’s 4K and Blu-ray combo release, the film’s theatrical and uncut versions are presented in their original aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The theatrical cut has been given a brand new HDR/Dolby Vision transfer created from a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative. The unrated cut—which runs fifteen minutes longer than the theatrical cut—is available on the second Blu-ray disc in 1080p. The unrated cut looks very good for a nearly fifty-year-old film. Colors look natural, and blacks are inky. Only a few small scratches are visible. Presented on the 4K disc with HDR, the theatrical cut offers a nice level of film grain and improved detail throughout. Colors are wonderfully full, and vibrant. There are just a few small scratches, but nothing that interferes with the overall viewing experience.
We are given three audio options on both the 4K and Blu-ray discs: 2.0 lossless, 5.1 surround and a 2.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track, with the 2.1 featuring the original Sensurround audio effects. On each track, Lalo Schifrin’s music score is well mixed, never interfering with effects or vocals. Dialogue is clean, clear, and concise throughout. Distortion isn’t an issue.
English SDH subtitles are available.
The following extras are included:
DISC 1 (4KUHD):
- NEW!! Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson
- NEW!! Audio Commentary by Writers/Producers/Historians C. Courtney Joyner, David Breckman and Phoef Sutton
DISC 2 (BLU-RAY):
- NEW!! Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson
- NEW!! Audio Commentary by Writers/Producers/Historians C. Courtney Joyner, David Breckman and Phoef Sutton
- Theatrical Trailer (Newly Mastered in 2K)
DISC 3 (UNRATED CUT) BLU-RAY:
- The 1970s: A Rollercoaster of Disasters: 2018 documentary (22:03)
- An Interview with Writer Tommy Cook (12:51)
