Rollercoaster Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Rollercoaster Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 15, 2016

James Goldstone's "Rollecoaster" (1977) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Shout Factory. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive new video interview with writer/associate producer Tommy Cook; original radio spots; collection of studio stills; and original trailer. Also included with this release is a reversible cover with original poster art. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Where do I go next?

The camera casually observes a young man (Timothy Bottoms, Operation Daybreak) who derails a rollercoaster with a bomb. A close-up of his face reveals that he is pleased with his work, perhaps even proud of it. But he remains fully composed and then casually walks away. Some men then gather in an office and begin discussing the tragedy. One of them, safety inspector Harry Calder (George Segal, Where's Poppa?), becomes suspicious, but eventually the group declares that there must have been an accident.

For a while life returns to normal, but when a fire starts in a different park Calder quickly concludes that there is a pattern pointing to a very different explanation of the new ‘accident’. Soon after, he discovers that someone is blackmailing the owners of the five companies operating the biggest entertainment parks in the country. The man wants them to pay him one million dollars in untraceable bills. If they do, he will quietly disappear. But if they refuse, he will unleash bigger and more spectacular ‘accidents’ just in time for the Fourth of July. The man then demands that Calder delivers the money in a brand new park in Virginia.

James Goldstone’s Rollercoaster works effectively in two different ways. On one hand, it is structured as a tense thriller in which two very intelligent men try to outsmart each in a relatively short period of time. There is plenty of action, but the focus of attention is actually on their thought processes and the specific decisions they make while under extreme pressure. This infuses the film with a strong sense of authenticity that ultimately gives it its credibility. (Walter Hill’s The Driver, which premiered a year after this film, is as effective as it is for the same reason).

The film also works well as one big show off piece. Indeed, it is based on an original story by Tommy Cook that gradually transforms the rollercoaster into a major character and begins treating it with the respect it gives the terrorist and Calder. So there are large segments where the speed, design(s), and the experience(s) the rollercoaster offers become very important. This isn’t to imply that there is a documentary vibe that emerges right in the middle of the cat-and-mouse game, but there is certainly an obvious desire to give one an authentic sense of what it feels to be on one of these monsters and be entertained (or as it is the case here feel helpless and utterly terrified).

The cast is very impressive. Segal is terrific as the jaded inspector who is running out of time and ideas how to stop his opponent. Bottoms looks calm and confident under pressure, just like a maniac like the one he plays would. Richard Widmark is the veteran agent Hoyt whose methods repeatedly prove ineffective. Henry Fonda has a small cameo as Simon Davenport, a veteran who demands results in a seriously tense environment. A very, very young Helen Hunt also has a small role in the film.

Cinematographer David Walsh’s lensing is fluid and surprisingly modern. There are some excellent panoramic shots from the entertainment parks and the rollercoaster footage is seriously impressive. (Folks already feeling nervous about getting on a rollercoaster with friends or family members should probably avoid this film).

The dynamic soundtrack was created by Oscar-nominated composer Lalo Schifrin (Don Siegel’s Coogan's Bluff, Dirty Harry).

Rollercoaster Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, James Goldstone's Rollercoaster arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Shout Factory.

The film must have been remastered fairly recently because the Blu-ray release is sourced from a master with some very strong organic qualities. Indeed, there are no traces of problematic degraining or sharpening corrections -- and specifically of the type that frequently plague older transfers that emerge from Universal's vaults -- and fluidity is very pleasing. A few very small density fluctuations pop up, but otherwise depth and clarity are excellent. Many of the close-ups during the tense phone conversations, for instance, look terrific (see screencaptures #8 and 9). The color scheme boasts solid and healthy primaries and a good range of nuances. Some of the nuances could be expanded, but I feel that the existing variety and balance are already very good. Image stability is excellent. Lastly, there are a couple of tiny flecks and dirt spots, but there are no large cuts, debris, damage marks, stains, or warped frames to report in our review. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Rollercoaster Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and English Dolby Digital 3.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The release promotes (on the cover and on the main menu) a Dolby True HD Sensurround track, but the second track is indeed a lossy one. I viewed the film with the standard DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track and was quite impressed by it. It has excellent depth, clarity is terrific, and during the rollercoaster action separation is actually very effective. The dialog is also exceptionally clear and easy to follow, never sounding even remotely flat or muddled. It would have been interesting to hear what type of improvements a lossless 3.1 track could have offered, but as it is the viewing experience is indeed terrific.

Rollercoaster Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview with Tommy Cook - in this new video interview, writer/associate producer Tommy Cook recalls how the original story that inspired Rollercoaster came to exist and discusses some the film, some of the changes that were made during the production process, and James Goldstone's direction. The interview was conducted exclusively for Shout Factory. In English, not subtitled. (13 min, 1080p).

• Radio Spots - original radio spots for Rollercoaster. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• Still Gallery - a collection of original studio stills for Rollercoaster. Black-and-white and in color. (5 min, 1080p).

• Trailer - original trailer for Rollercoaster. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

• Reversible Cover - reversible cover with original poster art for Rollercoaster. See screencaptures.

Rollercoaster Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

James Goldstone's Rollercoaster is a tense and wonderfully acted '70s thriller with a fantastic atmosphere. Somehow I missed it when it was released on DVD and I am really glad that Shout Factory added it to their Blu-ray catalog. The technical presentation is very good. In fact, I think that this is one of the best looking Blu-ray releases of a catalog title produced by Shout Factory. Buy with confidence, folks. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.