When James Caan passed away in July, a lot of us lost a great twitter pal. Caan would tweet out pictures from his career or odd statements followed by “End of Tweet.” In the ’70s Caan made the ultimate film about sports, society and corporate interests. Rollerball was about a brutal competition that turned roller derby into an apocalyptic loop. The movie takes place in a future where corporations control so much. The companies aren’t too pleases that Caan’s Jonathan has become a superstar. They want a sport where the players are replaceable. All that matters is the teams and the companies that own them. Does that sound like the NFL nowadays? Rollerball is being brought to the future with Scream Factory upgrading the film to 4K UHD. You’ll see the hits with a greater resolution. Here is the press release from Scream Factory with all the bonus feature details:
 |
| ROLLERBALLARRIVES IN 4K UHD NOVEMBER 22FROM SCREAM FACTORY |
 Los Angeles, CA – It’s game on for Rollerball as the action sci-fi heads to 4K UHD for the first time in North America from Scream Factory™ on November 22. Fans of the dystopian sports thriller will be treated to a new transfer of the film from the original camera negative and can pre-order their copies on ShoutFactory.com. The 1975 cult classic was directed by Norman Jewison (Jesus Christ Superstar, Moonstruck) and features a star-studded cast including James Caan (Misery), John Houseman (The Fog, Ghost Story), Maud Adams (Octopussy), John Beck (Dallas) and Moses Gunn (Shaft, Firestarter). SYNOPSIS 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. (the great James Caan, The Godfather, Thief) is the champion player – a man too talented for his own good. The Corporation has taken away the woman, Ella (Maud Adams, Octopussy) Jonathan loves but they can’t take away his soul – even if the diabolical corporate head (John Houseman, The Fog) tells him he better retire … or suffer the old-fashioned way. With its surrealistic imagery and tense action sequences, Rollerball grips you by the heart – and never lets you go! SPECIAL FEATURES NEW 2022 restoration and color grade, for this UHD release, using an existing 4K scan of the original camera negative done by MGMIn Dolby Vision (HDR 10 Compatible) Audio Commentary with director Norman Jewison Audio Commentary with writer William Harrison From Rome to Rollerball: The Full Circle – vintage featurette Blood Sports – an interview with actor James Caan The Bike Work – Craig R. Baxley on the Motorcycle stunts The Fourth City – Shooting Rollerball in Munich Theatrical Trailers TV Spots Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, 2.0 About Shout! Factory Shout! Factory, LLC is a leading multi-platform media company devoted to film and TV distribution, development, and production, as well as the preservation and revitalization of the very best in pop-culture entertainment. Founded by Richard Foos, Bob Emmer, and Garson Foos in 2003, Shout! owns and manages a large portfolio of films, contemporary and classic TV series, animation, and documentaries. The company’s creative acquisition mandate has established it as a leading independent distributor, with partners and properties including GKIDS, Sesame Street, The Carol Burnett Show, The Johnny Carson Show, IFC Films, Stephen J. Cannell Productions, ITV Studios, Major League Baseball Productions, and many others. Shout! Factory Kids focuses on live-action and animated kids and family properties, and the company releases films and television shows in other genres under the Scream Factory and Shout Select imprints. Shout! develops, acquires and distributes new films via Shout! Studios, owns and operates libraries including Mystery Science Theater 3000 (in partnership with creator Joel Hodgson) and the Roger Corman New Horizon Pictures Library, and operates the acclaimed streaming service Shout! Factory TV. Shout! Factory is based in Los Angeles, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit shoutfactory.com. |
