Rollerball 1975 todays film is an unloved gem from 1975 called rollerball. Jun 03, 2015 impressive av and abundant extras ensure that this uk bd thrashes the opposition in the not too distant future of 2018 the world is ruled over by giant corporations and the population is gripped by a popular and bloodthirsty new mix of roller derby and gladiatorial combat called rollerball. Sep 03, 2014 rollerball norman jewison, 1975originally posted 19feb2002one of the facts hollywood managed to establish during the sixties and seventies was that norman jewison knows how to make a good movie. Rollerball is a 1975 britishamerican dystopian science fiction sports action film, produced and directed by norman jewison, that. Corporations run the world and the global pasttime is a violent sport reminisent of. In 2018 corporations have replaced countries and rollerball, a ultra violent game is used to placate the people. The 1975 movie, rollerball, precisely predicts the world of.
A violent futuristic game known as rollerball is now the recreational sport of the world, with teams representing various areas competing for the title of champion. The 1975 movie, rollerball, precisely predicts the world. Jun 26, 1975 the romans threw christians to the lions, but that didnt keep the lower orders quiet for long. Rollerball teams, named after the cities in which they are based, are owned by the various global corporations.
Rollerball is a film directed by norman jewison with james caan, john houseman, ralph richardson, maud adams, year. Monkeykingma in a futuristic society where corporations have replaced countries, the violent game of rollerball is used to control the populace by demonstrating the futility of individuality. In the not so distant future where no governments or countries exist and corporations control everything a new type of game becomes the rage. In a corporatecontrolled future, an ultraviolent sport known as rollerball represents the world, and one of its powerful athletes is out to defy those who want him out of the game. While its ostensible purpose is entertainment a highlevel executive of the. Rollerball 1975 movie clip for the common good following a big win, houston rollerball team star jonathane james caan is received by superexecutive bartholomew john houseman of energy, the division of corporate society he oversees, who offers some history and a proposal, in norman jewisons rollerball, 1975. Rollerball 1975 contains a dozen short stories by william harrison. The year is 2018 in a futuristic society where corporations have replaced countries. The screenplay, written by william harrison, adapted his own short story, roller ball murder, which had first appeared in the september 1973 issue of esquire. By their very nature, corporations favor a group identity, which is why todays society is constantly searching for who to blame for corporate. It has strong characters, a good plot, and lots of action. Rollerball is a 1975 science fiction movie based on the future career of nfl legend tom brady. The cheap one, death race 2000 1975, was made to cashin on the publicity for the expensive one, rollerball 1975.
The signs are still there, and if anything, theyre more pronounced than they were in 1975. Rollerball is a 1975 science fiction film directed by norman jewison and starring james caan. Oct 05, 2012 rollerball trailer directed by norman jewison and starring james caan, john houseman, john beck, moses gunn, john normington. Rollerball may not have been one of the great ones, but it teeters on. In 2018 corporations have replaced countries and rollerball, a ultra. The film has rollerball is a cool and interesting 1970s sci fi action thriller. Film locations for norman jewisons rollerball 1975, with james caan.
Find out where rollerball 1975 is streaming, if rollerball 1975 is on netflix, and get news and updates, on decider. Set in 2018, which is just a few months away now, the movie mixed elements of the 70s, with a roller derby type of game, with ideas that are usually reserved for some sort of postapocalyptic or dystopian future as the game is more violent and gladiatorial than even the rough and. Feb 06, 2002 the sport of rollerball is a cross between hockey, roller derby, football, motocross and gladatorial combat played against a social backdrop of monopolistic mega corporations that control entire. He finds that all books have been digitized and edited to suit the corporations, and are now stored on supercomputers at large protected corporate locations. The 1975 movie, rollerball, precisely predicts the world of the immedicate future where corporations will rule the world submitted by dave hodges on thursday, april 30, 2020 11. Corporate society, in the words of energy executive bartholemew, was an. This week we watch classic arrow release rollerball. He is the greatest rollerball player in the world, a game that is played exactly like the sportsball of today except that they use roller skates and motorcycles and a giant. The movie portrays a cold, sterile society where humanity is generally absent. The entire movie will stun you as to how far we have come to a total corporate dictatorship.
In the year 2018, in the cultclassic film rollerball 1975, nations have gone bankrupt. Rollerballs action takes place after the worlds nations have gone bankrupt, and after the destructive corporate wars have come and gone now, corporations take care of everyone, and the violent, team sport of rollerball has been created by big business to remind people of the futility of individual effort. The 1975 moive, rollerball, precisely predicts the world of the immedicate future where corporations will rule the world here is the trailer for the movie, rollerball. In the year 2018, violence and crime have been totally eliminated from society and given outlet in the brutal blood sport of rollerball, a highvelocity blend of football, hockey, and motorcross racing sponsored by the multinational corporations that now control the world following the collapse of traditional politics. Actually, the lowbudget shocker from new world pictures, produced by the shrewd old king of exploitation, roger corman, is considered by many to be the better film. Rollerball is a hybrid of roller derby, football, and basketball, with some of the participants riding motorcycles. Rollerball is almost an antigrindhouse grindhouse film. In the original movie rollerball 1975 jonathan had many reasons to quit the game. The sport of rollerball is a cross between hockey, roller derby, football, motocross and gladatorial combat played against a social backdrop of monopolistic mega corporations.
Rollerball is a 1975 science fiction sports film directed and produced by norman jewison. Sep 08, 2017 that leads us to this weeks feature, 1975s rollerball. Every once in a while, he came up with a great one. In its place the corporations sponsor a continuous world series of a. In a futuristic society where corporations have replaced countries, the violent game of rollerball is used to control the populace by demonstrating the futility of individuality.
Ces corporations dirigent des formations sportives. The champion team, houston, is sponsored by energy corporation. Rollerball, as demonstrated in the movie, looks nowhere near as brutal as lionfeeding, or even the. It grows more violent with each session as the corporations agree to strip rules away in an attempt to force houstons star player and the storys hero, jonathan e james caan, to retire. In the movie rollerball 1975, why didnt jonathan quit. The corporations warred against each other, but have come to a modus vivendi, substituting corporate teams for armies. The 1975 moive, rollerball, precisely predicts the world of the immedicate future where corporations will rule the world. Rollerball 1975 fantastic movie musings and ramblings. James caan plays tom who inexplicably is called jonathan throughout the movie. Rollerball is the name, both of a film by norman jewison, and of a kind of sports. It stars james caan, john houseman, maud adams, john beck, moses gunn and ralph richardson. Corporations rule a world of docile, vapid customer. Rollerball matches begin with the announcement, ladies and gentlemen, our corporate anthem. The handful of people who have picked up this book over the years probably did it for the same reason i did, because of the nowinfamous roller ball murder story which was the inspiration for the original movie rollerball 1975 and a sequel rollerball 2002.
It feels very grindhouse, but it also has a high production quality that is not normally associated with grindhouse films. Before you dash for the exits, let me tell you that rollerball is not, as liberal film critics like to dismiss it, a meaningless bit of 1970s schlock about the american penchant for violent sports. He had reached every success in the sport, was getting old, the upper crust wanted him to quit and threatend him if he did not, the game was getting more violent every day with many injuries, his. In the year 2018, all world problems have been quelled by the establishment of huge corporations that control resources. Starring james caan, maud adams, john houseman, john beck, moses gunn, burt kwouk, pamela hensley and ralph richardson. With the absence of war or conflict, a forcibly passive populations bloodlust is satisfied by a brutal new sport known as rollerball. The corporations hold an emergency meeting to discuss jonathans obstinate refusal to retire, and decide that the championship game against the new york team. James caan threatens to become too popular and powerful. In the year 2018 violence has been outlawed and corporations have replaced government as the ruling party following the demise of politics. Staring john beck, john houseman, maud adams and david gunn. It has a good cast, a strong director, and some great imagery.