Rollercoaster (1977)

Director:

James Goldstone

Writers:

Tommy Cook (story)
Sanford Sheldon (screen story) ...

Release Date:

17 June 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

You are in a race against time...and terror. You are pursuing a nameless, faceless man through America's greatest amusement parks...and, for the first time, you are experiencing the most sensational rides of our time, IN SENSURROUND

Plot:

The plot is about a guile young terrorist who is able to blackmail a series of companies by placing...

Plot Keywords:

Amusement Park | Blackmail | Terrorist | Roller Coaster | Bomb Squad

Cast

George Segal	...	Harry Calder
Richard Widmark	...	Agent Hoyt
Timothy Bottoms	...	Young Man
Henry Fonda	...	Simon Davenport
Harry Guardino	...	Keefer
Susan Strasberg	...	Fran
Helen Hunt	...	Tracy Calder
Dorothy Tristan	...	Helen
Harry Davis	...	Benny
Stephen Pearlman	...	Lyons
G.F. Rowe	...	Wayne Moore (as Gerald Rowe)
Wayne Tippit	...	Police Captain Christie
Michael Bell	...	Demerest
Charlie Tuna	...	Rock Concert MC
Lonny Stevens	...	Federal Agent #1

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Sensurround | Mono

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Kings Dominion - 16000 Theme Park Way, Doswell, Virginia, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Most of the actors portraying police officers in the film were actual police officers from the surrounding area. In fact, Charles W. Bennett, Jr., who played Bomb Squad Man, was an actual bomb technician at the time the film was made. He is now (1999) the chief of police in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The Young Man places the remote bomb on the first roller coaster underneath the main guide rail of the track, but allows the ride to run several times before detonating it. In reality, the up-stop wheels or side wheels of the next train to pass through the course would have knocked the bomb out of place or destroyed it.

Quotes:

Fran: Harry?
Harry Calder: Mmh?
Fran: If you're trying to kill us, at least let me put on some lip gloss.

Soundtrack:

Fill 'Er Up

A white knuckle winner.

Roller-coaster is not a disaster movie. Do not cheapen it by labelling it with this tag. It is a suspense thriller. A lunatic is stalking Americas theme parks and sabotaging the coasters. Cue, Harry Calder(George Segal), a burned out safety inspector who is designated to track the maniac.A tense game of cat and mouse follows with the psycho using Harry as his confidant, calling him regularly, with an almost begrudging respect. This nut is so insane, he actually likes Harry!Timothy Bottoms is excellent, giving a super-creepy performance as the saboteur.Roller-coaster boasts great performances, superb photography and some classic dialogue exchanges. And hey, you've got Richard Widmark AND Henry Fonda thrown in there too! Roller-coaster - a seminal 70's thriller.