Le Toboggan de la mort

Rollercoaster is directed by James Goldstone and co-adapted to screenplay by Sanford Sheldon, Richard Levinson and William Link from a suggested Tommy Cook story. It stars George Segal, Timothy Bottoms, Richard Widmark, Harry Guardino, Susan Strasberg and Helen Hunt. A Panavision/Technicolor production in Sensurround, it features music by Lalo Schifrin and photography by David M. Walsh.

A psychopathic bomber known only as "Young Man" (Bottoms) is causing terror at American theme parks. When safety inspector Harry Calder (Segal) is brought in to investigate, it sets off a cat and mouse game as the "Young Man" ups the ante...

Even now Rollercoaster is still wrongly being lumped in with the disaster movie genre that surfaced in the 1970s. Released at a time when that particular genre of film was fading out, Rollercoaster is anything but a disaster movie. What it is, in fact, is a psychopath character based thriller that adheres to procedural values and character involvement. As it runs at nearly two hours in length should notify viewers that it isn't a film chocked full of Rollercoaster sequences and explosive pyrotechnics. Yes, there's some exciting "Coaster" sequences, neatly shown to us in POV, and in spite of the (obvious 1970s) use of dummies for the plot set up carnage, this thrives on human interest and race against the clock suspense.

The marker is set early on as Bottoms' smirking killer sets up his first murderous act whilst listening to some deathly string arrangement on his cassette player. We then segue into funfair music as the joys of the amusement park brings a warmth and calm to the viewer, this however is soon vanquished as the terror that a terrorist can bring comes right to the fore. From here on in the Bottoms character remains mysterious, but we now know just what he is capable of. Likewise does Segal's character, as do the likes of Widmark's Agent Hoyt and the rest of the "suits" frantically scratching around trying to avert further tragedy as the fresh faced bomber demands money with menaces. This ensures the bulk of the film is made up of Calder and Young Man interactions and police procedural movements. It has much talk, very much so, but it's well scripted dialogue and heightens the tension as we enter the final third.

One of the few films to feature the Sensurround gimmick, the film perhaps logically loses much impact on the small screen. Prints of the film are only adequate, and the sound mix doesn't shake your lounges in the way it certainly did back in 1970s theatres. Yet this is still a damn fine suspense picture, a pic that also carries with it some stoic performances from Segal and Widmark - and a chillingly effective villainous turn from the undervalued Bottoms. Henry Fonda is on the credits, but really it's just an early cameo appearance, while there's much interest value in watching future Academy Award winner Helen Hunt as the young daughter of Harry Calder.

Expect a taut thriller like "Two-Minute Warning", which was released the previous year, and you hopefully will not feel at all let down. Expecting a two hour disaster movie full of Coaster Carnage, however, will only lead to a crushing disappointment. 8/10

I recently watched Rollercoaster 🎢 (1977) on YouTube. The storyline follows a terrorist planting bombs in an amusement park, demanding a ransom or he'll continue the destruction. The tension builds as authorities race to outsmart him-can they stop him before he brings down the park and everyone in it?

Directed by James Goldstone (Jigsaw) the film stars George Segal (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), Timothy Bottoms (The Last Picture Show(, Richard Widmark (Kiss of Death), Henry Fonda (12 Angry Men), and Helen Hunt (Twister).

As a '70s thriller, Rollercoaster is undeniably dated, but the amusement park setting creates a fun and engaging atmosphere. The backdrop adds to the suspense, and while the storyline is straightforward, it's enjoyable, especially with a mysterious and unpredictable villain. The film has a whodunit element that keeps you guessing throughout. The opening rollercoaster crash is spectacular and sets the tone for the movie, but I found myself waiting for another equally impactful moment that never quite came.

I've always wondered what Henry Fonda is doing in this film, but it's also cool to note this was the first movie for both Helen Hunt and Steve Guttenberg. The final rollercoaster sequence is a highlight, especially when you realize it's the same one from the ending of National Lampoon's Vacation.

In conclusion, Rollercoaster is a fairly straightforward thriller with some redeeming qualities. I'd give it a 5.5-6/10 and recommend it only if you have the right expectations.

Timothy Bottoms plays a disturbed young man who plants radio controlled bombs in amusement parks, centered on the rollercoasters. After demonstrating his skill and determination, he contacts the park owners with ransom demands of large cash payments, or he will destroy more parks, putting them out of business. The FBI gets involved, and investigator Harry Calder(played by George Segal) gets involved as a go-between with the bomber, as he also tries to track him down to stop his madness.

Highly entertaining yarn has a good cast of characters, and direction by James Goldstone is taut and exciting, with good model effects and an interesting(if vague) story. Watch out for a young Helen Hunt, cast as Harry's teenage daughter.

A mysterious young man (Bottoms) derails a Roller-coaster with a bomb, killing or injuring passengers, then attacks more amusement parks across the US in order to extort $1m from the companies running them. It is not immediately obvious that these attacks were deliberate, as opposed to being accidents (e.g. through metal fatigue), so the Amusement Park owners can keep what is happening quiet. It also makes it easier for the extortionist as he has public hysteria to threaten the owners with if they don't pay him off.

Harry Calder (Segal) works for Standards and Safety. He had inspected the derailed Roller-coaster, realises other amusement parks have suffered similar problems and finds out about the plot. Calder gets involved more deeply than he envisaged, as he becomes a reluctant 'bag man' for the $1m, whilst the FBI try to catch the mystery man, just as the US heads towards 4th July and a wealth of potential targets.

This movie is a decent suspense thriller and I have seen it several times. I have never regarded it as part of the 'disaster' movie genre and feel such a description is both lazy and inappropriate. Whilst the Roller-coaster crash scenes were fairly horrible for the time, they seem pale today. The horror is in the mind, and there are only a couple of such scenes in the movie. It is not therefore a bloody horror flick, either.

I don't know if this misconception comes from bad marketing, suggesting that this is a disaster movie, or if there were suggested scenes of gore and blood for the horror fans, in order to con people into the cinema, or if this is down to the critics of the time being lazy and perhaps even reviewing a movie they didn't see. I am a little too young to have seen or read anything at the time.

This is a suspense thriller, even though there is no suspense about 'whodunit', but the movie's style is familiar and it is no surprise to see 'Columbo' creators Levinson and Link in the credits.

The strength of this movie is the cynical, maverick, but quick-witted Calder character that is played so well by Segal. He also has the often-amusing story thread to play with of trying to quit smoking (you wonder if 'Airplane' got the "picked a hell-of-a-day to quit smoking" from Roller-coaster). Calder, we also find, is divorced from his wife, amicably, and has a daughter called Tracy (Helen Hunt, in a child role that hints of the actress to come), and he has a lover, Fran (Strasberg).

Widmark gives FBI Agent Hoyt authority and a little added depth as the film progresses and he spars nicely, if not quite equally, with Segal's Calder. Henry Fonda, in his 70s, essentially has a cameo as Calder's boss, and Strasberg is underused as Calder's girlfriend, in a role that you suspect may have had a little more to it in the script than there was in the movie's final cut. I smell a plot twist that was cut for some reason, perhaps time.

Bottoms is suitably chilling as the amoral, perhaps sociopathic extortionist, because he is young, good-looking, quiet, polite, intelligent, clean-cut, and, as he corrects Calder about his "psychological profile", this is for him a business transaction; he is only interested in the money.

Some may feel that this character is a bit thin, and this may (again) be down to a cut from the original script, but he might simply have been written that way. You don't really need to know more than you ever find out about this character, but because he is a cool, calm sort of a madman, as opposed to the more traditional 'raving lunatic', you may be left wanting at the lack of an obvious answer or explanation for his actions.

There are hints, however. As well as the sociopathic traits, he is an explosives expert, electronics expert, about 30 and, in an early scene, a decent marksman. In mid-1970s USA, what does that suggest? Perhaps the guy running the amusement park duck shoot has him correctly pegged; perhaps not. The Bottoms character simply smiles and walks away, staying mysterious.

There are also bit parts for Harry Guardino, Craig Wasson and Steve Guttenberg, and it features real life band, Sparks.

I recommend this movie. It is a suspense movie that appeals to the brain rather than a horror or disaster movie that appeals more to the senses. It has become a bit dated, as, for example, a $1m extortion fee seems small these days, and Roller-coaster rides were really at their height then, so the enthusiasm for the rides by adults indicates a bygone era, and a 70s movie in setting and style is too distinctive to be anything else, but that now becomes part of its latter-day charm.

Roller-coaster is also a duel of wits, with Segal perfectly cast, and Bottoms, as I say, suitably chilling. With both characters being intelligent and quick-witted, able to plan and to improvise, this adds to the plot, the tension and therefore the overall enjoyment.

You might also recall and bear in mind that this movie was made at the time of "Son of Sam", "The Hillside Stranglers" and Ted Bundy.

Rollercoaster was released at a time when disaster movies were very popular. I guess that's why it's been labeled by many critics as exactly that. But it's not. It's a very clever thriller with some great dialogue. I wasn't too surprised that Columbo creators Richard Levinson and William Link co-developed the story and wrote the screenplay. Especially the conversations between George Segal and Timothy Bottoms are just as good as anything you've ever seen on Columbo. This is a very underrated movie and during all the Sensurround hype the finer qualities of it got overlooked. So maybe next time you get a chance watch it again. Perhaps you'll be surprised.