Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Rollerball 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

1975’s “Rollerball” presents a future where corporations control the world, using their power to keep the public subservient through the use of propaganda and violent entertainment, often going to extremes to maintain authority. The feature is set in the year 2018, and it’s really not far off from the real 2018, with screenwriter William Harrison (adapting his own short story) managing quite an impressive feat of prescient thinking, providing a vision of horror that’s been somewhat realized in the decades since the picture’s initial release. That’s part of the appeal of “Rollerball,” which digs into the terror of conformity and the liberation of awareness, tracking the lead character’s awakening as a life of fame and fortune provided by corporate overlords is gradually revealed to be a prison, and one he’s looking to escape. Harrison has a vivid imagination to offer, and director Norman Jewison provides passionate leadership with this Kubrick-ian take on a strange dystopia, generating an intriguing sense of intimidation and frustration as he carefully realizes a mental breakthrough.

Rollerball 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Screenshots are taken from the Scorpion Blu-ray release.

"Rollerball" has been released on Blu-ray multiple times, most recently via Scorpion Releasing, who reissued their Blu-ray just two months ago. Shout Factory offers a UHD of "Rollerball," with the Dolby Vision viewing experience labeled as a "2022 restoration and color grade." The Scorpion release was solid, but had trouble with redness. Colors are now more natural on the 4K disc, returning natural skin tones to the characters while bringing more power to primaries, as viewed on team uniforms and period decoration. Hues are richer all around, providing a more vivid view of this futureworld, including sharp blues skies and greenery. Blacks are heavier on the UHD, at times supplying a deeper feel for limited lighting and evening activities, but there are moments where delineation struggles compared to the Scorpion release. Detail carries a bit more crispness, getting into bodily particulars and decorative views, but it's no giant leap in resolution. Grain has a slightly "frozen" quality at times. Source is in good condition.

Rollerball 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix for "Rollerball" remains most active during game sequences, which offer a sense of channel movement and power with violent events. Sound effects are amplified, prioritizing hard hits and motorcycle activity, creating nicely defined chaos on the track. Dialogue exchanges are sharp, with crisp performance choices and intelligibility with some mumbled lines. Scoring is authoritative, leading with heavy organ presence, also providing some low-end heft. Surrounds aren't sustained, but music pushes out, and atmospherics are appreciable.

Rollerball 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features director Norman Jewison.

• Commentary #2 features writer William Harrison.

• "Return to the Arena" (25:07, SD) is a 2001 making-of for "Rollerball," featuring interviews with director Norman Jewison, editor Antony Gibbs, writer William Harrison, stunt coordinator Max Kleven, actor John Beck, and stuntperson Walt Scott.

• "The Bike Work" (17:33, HD) is a 2015 interview with stuntperson Craig R. Baxley, who delves into the physical contributions for "Rollerball" and its lasting message.

• "From Rome to Rollerball: The Full Circle" (7:54, HD) is a 1975 featurette on the making of the movie, featuring interviews with director Norman Jewison and actor James Caan. The helmer discusses his vision of the future, using inspiration from Roman days of gladiatorial combat and the freewheeling spectacle of the 1970s (including Evel Knievel) to help shape the world of "Rollerball." The nature and potency of violence is explored, with Jewison hoping to repulse his audience with such savagery, and characterization is analyzed. Power plays are dissected, along with the game itself, with the rules briefly detailed. Most interesting is BTS footage from the shoot, getting a sense of the work day and the Rollerball set.

• "Blood Sports" (10:58, HD) is a 2014 interview with actor James Caan, who examines his take on the main character, noting a negative film review that precisely described his intended performance. The shoot required ten weeks of roller skating, demanding specialized training that still wasn't enough for the banked track set. Caan details his work with stuntmen and his time in Munich, which provided the futureworld for the picture. The interviewee explores the themes of "Rollerball" and its prescient ways, also briefly recalling plans for a sequel that didn't make it far in development.

• T.V. Spots (2:28, SD) provide commercials for "Rollerball."

• An assortment of Trailers (9:22, HD) are included.

Rollerball 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Rollerball" has a few issues, including length, with Jewison so caught up in generating a steely mood for the picture, he becomes unwilling to trim superfluous scenes, leading to some sluggish areas of storytelling and atmosphere. Some pacing problems are encountered, but the forcefulness of the material isn't diluted, hitting hard with Rollerball matches and strange games of manipulation with the Energy Corporation, who work to threaten Jonathan without confrontation. As with a majority of movies from the 1970s, "Rollerball" deals with paranoia and regulation, and it delivers an unnerving view of the "future," which is ruled by the few, maintaining control through chemical distortion and entertainment distractions. In terms of understanding where society is heading, Jewison and Harrison display remarkable accuracy.