Rollerball
1975, Norman Jewison
Regarded by many as a landmark film for its day, Rollerball doesn't hold up as well as some of its contemporaries. James Caan, suffering from a case of lockjaw, sleepwalks through the whole picture, while a snarling John Houseman gnaws on the scenery. It does have a few flashes of brilliant, subtle social commentary—the partygoers shooting at trees comes to mind—but its focus on the ultra-violent, titular sport, while on-the-nose, is too in-your-face.
DKS 12/17/17
GRUMPY OLD FART-O-METER® Rating:
Rollerball
2002, Atlas Entertainment et al
Entirely missing the point of the 1975 film, John McTiernan's remake only managed to crash and burn. The first draft of the script was reportedly superior to the original film, but McTiernan rejected it because it had too much social commentary and not enough action. What a dick.
DKS 12/17/17
GRUMPY OLD FART-O-METER® Rating:
