ROLLERCOASTER (1977)

• Director: James Goldstone
• Featured gimmick: Sensurround!
• Cast: George Segal, Timothy Bottoms, Richard Widmark
• Film: 111mins | USA | Subtitles | Intermission
• Event: 18:30 – 21:00 / Doors 18:00 [18+]

Cult film night BAR TRASH continues our 13th sensational season — SCREAM FOR YOUR LIVES! — with ROLLERCOASTER (1977), a 1970s disaster movie unlike any other.

An unforgettable trip filled with sense-shattering twists and hairpin turns, ROLLERCOASTER fulfils two of the disaster sub-genre’s prerequisites, a starry cast — featuring Timothy Bottoms, George Segal, Richard Widmark, and Henry Fonda — and scenes of mass destruction. All of this is warped into a suspense thriller about a terrorist hell-bent on turning America’s amusement parks into battlefields (think DIE HARD with hot dogs, height restrictions, and long load times…). 

ROLLERCOASTER was originally shown in ‘Sensurround’, a short-lived system using extended-range bass frequencies that are felt rather than heard, giving a sense of vibration during the film’s immersive rollercoaster ride sequences. Originally deployed for the film EARTHQUAKE (1974), Sensurround disrupted screenings in adjacent theatres and rattled plaster from ceilings but did have a lasting legacy in promoting the subwoofer as an integral component of cinema sound. Get ready to rumble!*

Polite notice: We are showing ROLLERCOASTER with subtitles from the best available digital source. *Whilst we can’t recreate Sensurround in the Club Room, we will be playing the film LOUD!

/// BAR TRASH is a celebration of cult and curious cinema, hosted by queer film fanatic Token Homo and friends. Films are served with introductions, intermissions, prize giveaways, and subtitles / captions where possible. Tickets from £3.50 + fees. Adults 18+ only. Follow @tokenhomo on Instagram for updates. ///