Scanialara You won't be disappointed!

Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever

Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.

Cristal The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Tweetienator The 70s got some of the best sci-fi movies ever done: Soylent Green, Colossus, Silent Running, Solaris, The Omega Man, Logan's Run, Westworld, Dark Star, Star Wars, The Black Hole, Alien, Mad Max, Stalker and and and.One of those classics is Rollerball with James Caan as the superplayer of a deadly game, made by the corporations who rule now the world to entertain the masses. Jonathan (James Caan) the hero of the masses got so famous and popular that the bosses get afraid of him.Many of those mentioned movies may look now a little old-fashioned or vintage compared to the modern sci-fi CGI galore productions but despite the very reduced special effects compared to the contemporary movies they got innovative ideas, good to superb directing and - imo the far better actors. Nowadays Hollywood darlings are imo really shallow to watch if I compare them with such titans like Heston and Cann and the many nameless good sidekick- actors.This one is the mother of all Gladiator movies in a sci-fi/dystopian context. Watch.

Red-Barracuda Set a few decades in the future, we find a world where violence has been outlawed and corporations are the new governments. The pacified population's primal blood-lust is serviced by viewing the ultra-violent and massively popular game Rollerball. Contestants regularly die during games and the longest surviving veteran of the sport has only lasted ten years; he is Jonathan E and he is the acknowledged superstar of the sport but his fame has reached levels that concern the leaders. They believe his popularity has put him on a pedestal and this hero worship goes against the intended message of the sport that individualism is doomed and collective effort is all. Because of this, the rulers insist he retires but he refuses and so new rules are implemented to make the game ever more nihilistic and deadly with the hope it results in Jonathan E's death.Rollerball is yet another movie which follows the 70's trend for dystopian sci-fi, or perhaps more accurately utopian sci-fi. Quite a few films of the period depicted utopian societies where many of the negatives of life have been eradicated but at a cost to individual freedoms. In fact, these films suggest that utopias and dystopias are just two sides of the same coin. In the future world of Rollerball illness, violence and poverty have been eradicated but so too are individualism and true freedom. There is no unrestricted access to knowledge and the people live strange soulless hedonistic lives. In one stand-out scene we see a group of affluent young people venture out into the grounds of a large estate during a party to fire an extremely powerful handgun at large trees, setting them ablaze. This is the kind of activity that the people indulge in for kicks in this brave new world.The social commentary is always welcome in sci-fi films like these and this one is no different but it's probably the Rollerball sequences themselves that offer up the true highlights of the movie. The game is set in an arena with combatants kitted out in helmets and heavy protective gear, with some on motorbikes. A steel ball is fired into play and it is them a case of anything goes with all manner of violence actively encouraged. These scenes are very well shot and edited together and make for dynamic and exciting stuff. The acting overall is nothing especially too memorable it must be said. This is mainly because the underplayed nature of performances which underline the downbeat nature of the world that they exist in. James Caan does what he can with his role but his character is limited really. Overall, Rollerball's combination of dystopian pensive sci-fi with high octane action is its secret weapon. Both threads complement each other and feed off one another, resulting in a very distinctive bit of 70's sci-fi that gets you fired up while simultaneously makes you think. It was remade in 2002 in a hilariously misguided fashion; needless to say, the original towers over that one.

Leofwine_draca ROLLERBALL is many things, but a simple action movie it is not. It's a condemnation of society's appetite for violence. It's the story of one man's rise and fall against the system. It also happens to be a lot more complex and intelligent than you might give it credit for, with the premise. The '70s vision of the future may be quite laughable these days - this is a future with flares and punch-card computers - yet it displays a society who really have no moral regard for their own actions. For fun, people shoot down trees with flare guns, not worrying about the consequences. The game of Rollerball itself starts off as a game with violence in it, but the violence is really the reason everybody watches. By the end of the film, all of the rules have been dropped and only the violence remains.While flawed, ROLLERBALL is still one to watch. Running at two hours, half an hour of extraneous dialogue could have been cut with little damage. A lot of expository scenes drag on to seemingly pad the film out, and the inclusion of Caan's wife holds the film up even further. Her story could have been told in the space of ten minutes instead of half an hour. On the plus side, we have great use of music (my favourite horror theme, Bach's Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor is used at the beginning and end), some good acting from a bunch of seasoned performers and an intelligent script.James Caan is the stubborn hero of the film, refusing to go down even when he's pushed. His dominating screen presence anchors the film and he seems to have been cast well. John Houseman is his nemesis, the corporate man who will stop at nothing to see him go. Loads of familiar faces pad out the rest of the cast, including Maud Adams, Moses Gunn, Shane Rimmer, Burt Kwouk, and even an amusing cameo from Ralph Richardson.Although there are only three Rollerball sequences in the film, each are lengthy and exciting. The first introduces us to the game, a tough game where people get hurt but are bound by the rules. By the time the second game comes around, penalties have been dropped, and violence reigns. People are hit, beaten, die, have their necks broken and are burnt alive. When the end comes, it is a release from the carnage. By the time the third game arrives, rules have been dropped completely. It's not even about the game anymore but more a case of "last man standing". There are no penalties and, crucially, no time limit. The final survivor will naturally be the victor. The excellent ending sees Caan, the inevitable winner, skating round the rink while the audience chants. The camera freeze-frames on his face and the Tocatta music plays. The ambiguity of his future will stay with the viewer and make him think. This makes ROLLERBALL something of a minor classic...

John Brown I've just watched this film for the first time in many years, probably over 25. I remember it as being violent but compulsive viewing and it remains the same.The film is futuristic but clearly reflects the world of its time, the mid-1970s. No doubt many will be able to draw a range of pseudo-philosophical meanings from it but I prefer to be a little more simplistic. One man stands out against the corporation which aims to control both the game and the people who watch it; he threatens to become bigger than the game and the bosses want rid of him. Yes, this can be seen as an allegory for the Vietnam War and in general for the feelings of a significant part of the population of the USA at the time. In the end, the 'hero' wins, for the moment at least.The film is undoubtedly powerful and, despite a few slow moments, it is exciting; it's also quite brutal. However, by the standards of the 'cgi' world of 2015 it's actually pretty tame and there isn't really that much blood and gore. I have no idea what a modern youngish audience makes of it, but I still find it an interesting and oddly enjoyable offering.