Thoughts On the 1975 science fiction Film Rollerball ?

[BAYLOR]

Yes, I think this is deliberate, so we are left just as much in the dark as Jonathan. Unlike in 1984, the computers don't change the past, they deny it. It's likely that major corporations have purposely bankrupted the governments of the world, before in-fighting left the biggest controlling everything. Now, rather than compete against each other financially or on the battlefield, they do it through team sports. Nations no longer exist, the people 'belong' to bi business companies and are governed not by governments but by executives of those companies. Imagine the company you work for control your life, constantly surveil you and can take anything from you at any time - even your wife.

It seems to me that Rollerball is very much in the world of Robocop. But it seems that either the world itself is coming to an end, or civilisation is on the verge of collapse, which is why I also consider it to be in a world that will soon be that of Soylent Green.

Interesting take and very plausible . I hadn't through of any of that.

Collapse? It could be that is what happened after Johnathan's victory lap around the ring . You see Corporate guy running from the building , running for his life , that scene could be saying and conveying that world order has just collapsed , to replaced by the mob and the cult of Johnathan.

 

[KGeo777]

I haven't seen the remake.
I can't remember it well compared to Death Race 2000 which was so colorful with the sports commentators "a very good friend of mine" and the jokey characters (that was influenced by Mario Bava's Danger: Diabolik for sure). And Death Race 2000 definitely influenced the media presentation in Robocop.

There are a few Italian films which touch on the idea of corporations taking over in the future. I think the 10th Victim might have had something about that and it also featured the idea that comic books would become the ubiquitous culture.
The Gamma One movies also had the concept of corporations being in charge from what I can remember. They weren't as sinister as the 1970s ones.
These older dystopian films are scaremongering about the future to a great extent. SOYLENT GREEN especially.
THEY'VE CHANGED FACES 1971 has the idea that corporations are run by vampires.

A CLOCKWORK ORANGE would have been incredibly prescient if someone like Ben Kingsley had portrayed Alex. It would have been so prophetic-- especially the ending since it suggests Alex and criminal types were being used by a corrupt government for political schemes.

Who could have predicted that corporations would put esoteric under 1% demographic political and lifestyle messages ahead of profits?
Sodom and Gomorrah scripture maybe. It would have seemed too preposterous.

WILD WILD PLANET comes pretty close though.
There's a tv segment playing on a public screen of an ad for a "computer doll" and how lifelike it is (not in the movie--it looks like any standard baby doll)--basically the AI artificial friend concept.
And WILD WILD PLANET did predict transhumanism and gender fluidity. It gets the big award from me for predictions.

 

[BAYLOR]

I haven't seen the remake.
I can't remember it well compared to Death Race 2000 which was so colorful with the sports commentators "a very good friend of mine" and the jokey characters (that was influenced by Mario Bava's Danger: Diabolik for sure). And Death Race 2000 definitely influenced the media presentation in Robocop.

There are a few Italian films which touch on the idea of corporations taking over in the future. I think the 10th Victim might have had something about that and it also featured the idea that comic books would become the ubiquitous culture.
The Gamma One movies also had the concept of corporations being in charge from what I can remember. They weren't as sinister as the 1970s ones.
These older dystopian films are scaremongering about the future to a great extent. SOYLENT GREEN especially.
THEY'VE CHANGED FACES 1971 has the idea that corporations are run by vampires.

A CLOCKWORK ORANGE would have been incredibly prescient if someone like Ben Kingsley had portrayed Alex. It would have been so prophetic-- especially the ending since it suggests Alex and criminal types were being used by a corrupt government for political schemes.

Who could have predicted that corporations would put esoteric under 1% demographic political and lifestyle messages ahead of profits?
Sodom and Gomorrah scripture maybe. It would have seemed too preposterous.

WILD WILD PLANET comes pretty close though.
There's a tv segment playing on a public screen of an ad for a "computer doll" and how lifelike it is (not in the movie--it looks like any standard baby doll)--basically the AI artificial friend concept.
And WILD WILD PLANET did predict transhumanism and gender fluidity. It gets the big award from me for predictions.

So you see RollerBall one in long line of the films of Corporations taking over the world.


And for the record I do remember the Computer Doll bit on Wild Wild Planet. That segment would have fit in perfectly in a film like Blade Runner

 

[KGeo777]

Yes it would--and it was an asian woman advertising it too so it does remind one of Bladerunner and the idea of non-stop public advertising.

Doesn't even Metropolis have some aspect of the idea of a corporation being so big and totally indifferent to the worker.
Obviously there is the "proletariat" thing in there but maybe it is not surprising because big companies existed by the 1920s and 40s and 60s. Is it really that different from "Scrooge and Marley co." just taken to the next level in terms of scale.

 

[BAYLOR]

Yes it would--and it was an asian woman advertising it too so it does remind one of Bladerunner and the idea of non-stop public advertising.

Doesn't even Metropolis have some aspect of the idea of a corporation being so big and totally indifferent to the worker.
Obviously there is the "proletariat" thing in there but maybe it is not surprising because big companies existed by the 1920s and 40s and 60s. Is it really that different from "Scrooge and Marley co." just taken to the next level in terms of scale.

The all powerful company , Yes . I can never forget the scene where the owner son goes to main floor of factory where the workers are working the big machine and then sion sudden has vision in which the great machine turned into Moloch and all the workers fell into his mouth and were devoured.

 

[Danny McG]

It might have actual caught on as a sport.

I remember watching an episode of Charlie's Angels back in the day and thinking "But this is Rollerball!"
YouTube clip:-

 

[BAYLOR]

I remember watching an episode of Charlie's Angels back in the day and thinking "But this is Rollerball!"
YouTube clip:-

I remember that episode . Actually, thats just Roller Derby which was popular back in the 1970's . I used to watch it.

You might find Raquel Welch's 1972 Roller derby film to be of interest.

 

[Rodders]

Rollerball is another classic movie that I haven't seen. I will try and watch it at some point.

In the 80's we video taped it and forgot about it. When my parents moved to the Isle of Wight, we went to help them clear out. Clearing out the old videos, my mum had labled it "Roll-A-Ball". Me and my dad found this hilarious.

 

[BAYLOR]

Rollerball is another classic movie that I haven't seen. I will try and watch it at some point.

In the 80's we video taped it and forgot about it. When my parents moved to the Isle of Wight, we went to help them clear out. Clearing out the old videos, my mum had labled it "Roll-A-Ball". Me and my dad found this hilarious.

It's one of my favorer James Caan films.

 

[Rodders]

I'll see if it's on Netflix or Prime and i might watch it this weekend as i'm intrigued after reading your summary.

I'd also like to see Alien Nation, too. Another James Caan SF movie i have yet to see.

 

[BAYLOR]

I'll see if it's on Netflix or Prime and i might watch it this weekend as i'm intrigued after reading your summary.

I'd also like to see Alien Nation, too. Another James Caan SF movie i have yet to see.

I liked Alien Nation too. It later also became a tv series ran for one seasoned series to tv movies afterwards on fox the late 1980's and 1990's . It also spawned a number comic books including Ape Nation crossover come with Planet of the Apes.

 

[Vince W]

I'll see if it's on Netflix or Prime and i might watch it this weekend as i'm intrigued after reading your summary.

I'd also like to see Alien Nation, too. Another James Caan SF movie i have yet to see.

Alien Nation is a great film. James Caan and Mandy Patinkin work so well together.

 

[KiraAnn]

Back to Rollerball, it is a dystopian story. Both the author of the inspirational short story, William Harrison, and the producer/director, Norman Jewison, were fond of social commentary in their work. The movie was filmed (in 1974 before release) when the US government and corporations were the "establishment" and not to be trusted. The war in Vietnam was still on, Nixon was pardoned by Ford, Jane Fonda had visited North Vietnam. Other films of that era - Westworld, Soylent Green, Logan's Run, and several others - carried on the same themes, really.

 

[paranoid marvin]

Back to Rollerball, it is a dystopian story. Both the author of the inspirational short story, William Harrison, and the producer/director, Norman Jewison, were fond of social commentary in their work. The movie was filmed (in 1974 before release) when the US government and corporations were the "establishment" and not to be trusted. The war in Vietnam was still on, Nixon was pardoned by Ford, Jane Fonda had visited North Vietnam. Other films of that era - Westworld, Soylent Green, Logan's Run, and several others - carried on the same themes, really.

Dystopian movies always seem to be popular. Partly as a warning for how things might turn out, mostly because audiences could think that no matter how bad things are now, at least they aren't as bad as people living in the era of Soylent Green/Rollerball/Mad Max/Logan's Run/Omega Man etc.

Demolition Man is an interesting one, because many people would consider somewhere with no swearing, no unhealthy food or drink and little crime to be an ideal, rather than a dystopian, world.

 

[Vince W]

Dystopian movies always seem to be popular. Partly as a warning for how things might turn out, mostly because audiences could think that no matter how bad things are now, at least they aren't as bad as people living in the era of Soylent Green/Rollerball/Mad Max/Logan's Run/Omega Man etc.

Demolition Man is an interesting one, because many people would consider somewhere with no swearing, no unhealthy food or drink and little crime to be an ideal, rather than a dystopian, world.

That’s the thing. Demolition Man portrays a world that is utopian on the surface, but for a very few people. Scratch at the veneer and you see how fascist and dystopian the world is for the majority of people.

 

[BAYLOR]

Back to Rollerball, it is a dystopian story. Both the author of the inspirational short story, William Harrison, and the producer/director, Norman Jewison, were fond of social commentary in their work. The movie was filmed (in 1974 before release) when the US government and corporations were the "establishment" and not to be trusted. The war in Vietnam was still on, Nixon was pardoned by Ford, Jane Fonda had visited North Vietnam. Other films of that era - Westworld, Soylent Green, Logan's Run, and several others - carried on the same themes, really.

Given its themes and ideas , this film made in the 1970's, is still very much relevant.

 

[Guttersnipe]

I enjoyed it. I understand it was based on a story in a collection by William Harrison, which I plan on getting some day. I didn't think the 2002 movie was too great, though.

 

[BAYLOR]

I enjoyed it. I understand it was based on a story in a collection by William Harrison, which I plan on getting some day. I didn't think the 2002 movie was too great, though.

It was actually based on a written story ? Interesting.

 

[BAYLOR]

Dystopian movies always seem to be popular. Partly as a warning for how things might turn out, mostly because audiences could think that no matter how bad things are now, at least they aren't as bad as people living in the era of Soylent Green/Rollerball/Mad Max/Logan's Run/Omega Man etc.

It's just a thought but , It could well be that Dystopian films are popular because audiences simply want to be scared of the many ways society could turn out badly.

Demolition Man is an interesting one, because many people would consider somewhere with no swearing, no unhealthy food or drink and little crime to be an ideal, rather than a dystopian, world.

This one had shades of Brave New World and Fahrenheit 451 In that they had social engineered happiness and they banned anything that they deemed problematic. This one defiantly belongs to the Dystopian category .

 

[BAYLOR]

This might have made a good limited tv series.