Product Description

The year is 2018. There are no wars. There is no crime. There is only...the Game. In a world where ruthless corporations reign supreme, this vicious and barbaric 'sport is the only outlet for the pent-up anger and frustrations of the masses.Tuned to their televisions, the people watch Rollerball : a brutal mutation of football, motocross and hockey. Jonathan E. (James Caan, Misery) is the champion playera man too talented for his own good. The Corporation has taken away the woman Jonathan loves (Maud Adams, Octopussy) but it can't take away his souleven if diabolical corporate head (John Houseman, The Paper Chase) tells him he d better retire...or sufferthe old-fashioned way.With its surrealistic imagery and tense action sequences, Rollerball grips you by the heartand never lets you go!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15913 in DVD
• Released on: 1998-03-10
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 125 minutes

Amazon.com
In the year 2018, violence and crime have been totally eliminated from society and given outlet in the brutal blood sport of rollerball, a high-velocity blend of football, hockey, and motor-cross racing sponsored by the multinational corporations that now control the world following the collapse of traditional politics. James Caan plays Jonathan E., the reigning superstar of rollerball, whose corporate controllers fear that Jonathan's popularity has endowed him with too much power. They begin to pressure him according to their own ruthless set of rules, but Jonathan has rules of his own--the rules of a man determined to retain his soul in a world gone mad. As directed by Norman Jewison (who was enjoying a peak of success during the early and mid-1970s), Rollerball creates a believable society that's been rendered passive and compliant by the homogenization of corporate dictatorships, where the control and flow of information is the only currency of any importance. It's a world in which natural human aggressions have been sublimated and vented through the religious fervor toward rollerball and its players. Rollerball now looks like one of those 1970s science fiction films (another example being Logan's Run) that seems a bit dated and quaint, but its ideas are still provocative and fascinating, and the production is visually impressive. The DVD includes full-screen and widescreen versions of the film, audio commentary by director Norman Jewison, a behind-the-scenes featurette, an interactive "rollergame," trivia, and production notes. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

"This was never meant to be a game! Never!"
The rollerball game of the future was created for a special reason. "To show the futility of individual effort." To make anyone that wants to go his own way, bow dowm to the powers that be. James Cann, in one of his best roles, is Johnathan E, rollerball's super star. He's relaxed and friendly off the track, and a determined gladiator on.

The action is great and strangly hypnotizing as skaters and motorcyclists race around a large circular track, trying to throw a steel metal ball into a basket.

John Housman makes one of the best establishment heavys as he hints, demands, and threatens Johnathan to retire. For people that like gladiator movies, sports action, or the lone man trying to survive, Rollerball will excite you. You'll be shouting Johnathan's name along with the crowd. And after it's over, you'll feel like taking on the world. Yes, a great motivational movie as well.

Pay no attention to remake. This is the one and only "Rollerball".

Highly Underrated, Highly Accurate Look Forward
A friend came over the other night and poped the "Rollerball" DVD into the player - for a moment or two I grimaced, imagining some sort of .. poor 1970s version of "The Running Man" - little did I know it would be MUCH BETTER!

Was I surprised when the movie that unfolded was more like a cross between the stories of "1984", the computer game "Syndicate", and the court case against Bill Gates.

The story is about the fact that the world has evolved into a place where six major companies run everything, with very basic names: "Energy Corporation", "Leisure Corporation", "Food Corporation" etc., where each company has its own anthem and logo/colour scheme.

The corporations control EVERYTHING, including the main pastime for the people of Earth, "The Game", Rollerball.

Are you still with me? While it sounds very totalitarian, it is very realistic, with much of what goes on today reflected into this film...

Anyway, the plot revolves around a champion of "The Game", Jonothan E., who is so great, so popular that the Corporations Committee becomes scared and decides to force him to quit. But Jonothan has other ideas - the Committee has already taken his wife away, now his career... It is all too much for him, and the film develops into a battle (both violent and covert) against the Committee of Corporations.

A brilliant film which is about to be remade - directed by John McTiernan, the guy who did Die Hard, Predator, Hunt for Red October, 13th Warrior etc... But watch the original and be able to see what maes it a great film.

The story is truly imaginative and clever, James Caan is brilliant, the art direction is great (winning a BAFTA). Watch this film, BUY IT!

A breath taking look into a grim future.
This film is exactly what the world of sci-fi needed. It is a painstakingly detailed, highly tear-inducing, look into a future wherein everything is run by huge corporations. The world is a thriving marketplace. But this apparent happiness by many is shadowed by the game on which the entire world places their money. The game is rollerball; a strange mix of basketball, roller derby, rugby and ice hockey. The wounds some players endure are enough to take a life. There is a time when the games has no time limit, and the last player left standing wins for the team. It is at this game that we realize the brutality of the world in which we might live. The acting is marvelous; James Caan's fine performance is just as potent and unwaveable as was his Sonny Corleone performance in "The Godfather". The action is harrowingly realistic and the overall edge-of-your-seat suspense is easily provided. The camera work is often incredible as we can see the expressions on the players' faces. A widescreen version would very much help in exhibiting the grandeurof this movie. I thought the slow-motion sequences, though a vey old trick, were used most effectively, particularly during the game scenes. This picture is often called one of Norman Jewison's best films. If it's not the best, it is certainly the most underappreciated.