What to know about ROLLERBALL

In early Fall of 1973 director Norman Jewison during the Jesus Christ Superstar promotional tour read the short novel "Roller Ball murder" by William Harrison, published on Esquire in September of that year.
He liked the idea of a futuristic sport and world Corporations domination very much and talked about it with fellow JCS producer Patrick Palmer who got the rights.
They weren't able to find location in US, until they got a BMW booklet showing the new HQ near Munchen...when in Munchen they found the Basketball Olympia Halle, yes the same where USA-URSS misdeed, totally unused, Munchen didn't have strong basketball team at the time...today they play in there if they renamed AUDI Dome.

The designated leading actor for Jonathan E. role was James Caan, he was a superb athlete and excellent skater, Jewison saw Caan play Brian Piccolo, Chicago Bears RB in Brian's Song (1971) and thought he was the right actor, strangely Caan didn't like the script, in the very first interview about Rollerball Caan answered : It's about 90 minutes...

What is :


Rollerball is a planetarian league, where corporate cities own a team, the team cities depicted are Tokyo, Madrid, Rome, Paris, New York and obviously Houston, where Janathan E., the greatest player of ever still lead the team to another Championship.



We know that Pittsburgh also has a team...imagine !



But I don't think they are about steel...
Weird...London NO team...Berlin NO team...
Roma...probably the Corporation of FOOD...



And another town 300km south of Boston...



The bloodest game, easy : Rome @ Pittsburgh : 9 deceased...

Pictogram ? Com'on dudes, we're in Munchen in mid 70's...

The Team roster :



as shown Houston full roster, 6 biker and 20 skaters and catchers, eligible from a practice squad.

Game day team :



Ten players on field, number #1,2,3 bikers only, 5 skaters, 2 catchers.

The field :



Round shape track, aprox 50y-45m diameters, with two opposite horizontal magnetic baskets.



Time to play :



3 periods, 20 minutes each, 2 minutes of rest, no effective time, no time outs, no ties, OT sudden death (supposed).

Purpose of the game :



Put the massive (3 pounds/1,4kg) chrome steel ball in the opposite basket :



Why bikers, skaters and catchers :



The ball is kicked off by a retractable cannon, it runs around 120mph/195 kmh ...



So catcher wears a long and heavy glove on the receiving hand.



Then the ball is pass to best skater, usually team captain, who must declare the possession of the ball raising the arm to field judges.



Different tactics can be used to approach the opponents basket



When you are in offense position...



Or you're defending the end zone...



FUMBLE !!! Another kick off is coming



Moonpie, Jonathan trusted pal and best blocker of the League.

What went wrong in the golden life of Jonathan E. ?



The number 6 is the greatest player of ever, the G.O.A.T., but spent most of his spare time in his Texas ranch watching old videos of his then wife (the usual swedish chick)...



...and having little conversation with new surrogate wife,



who is a drug addicted as many does, during the whole movie we see any kind of people taking drugs...



...but she's a loyal figure in Jonathan's life

The CEO of Energy Corporation asks Jonathan to quit playing...



...the answer of Jonathan : where's my wife ? (the usual swedish chick obviuosly)



Pardon ?



It's time to a trip to Geneva...home of the biggest calculator ever built...



and it reveals the shocking truth

Change of chicks :



and an after party incendiary



with this gadget, for Corporation Presidents only...



The President want to fire Jonathan without pistol...



...so NO SAFETY RULES against TOKYO killers...



and Jonathan faces the consequences, Moonpie killed in action

Swedish chick...back with a warning...



I will give something to you IF...



but Jonathan doesn't trust in Sweden, and fight back for victory



The battle rages on



I'm not a number...



I'm a free man...

and the crowd screaming...JONATHAN...JONATHAN...



...JONATHAN...JONATHAN...JONATHAN...



Slamming the ball into the hole



GAME OVER