Rollerball (2002 film)

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Rollerball

Rollerball promotional poster
Directed by John McTiernan
Produced by John McTiernan
Charles Roven
Beau St. Clair
Written by Larry Ferguson
John Pogue
Starring Chris Klein
Jean Reno
LL Cool J
Rebecca Romijn
Naveen Andrews
Music by Julianne Jordan
Laura Z. Wasserman
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (USA)
Sony Pictures Entertainment (non-USA)
Release date(s) February 8, 2002 (USA)
Running time 98 min.
Language English
Budget $70,000,000
IMDb profile

Rollerball is a 2001 remake of the 1975 science fiction film of the same name. This updated 'remake' of the film was directed by John McTiernan and has a much greater concentration on action and more muted social and political overtones. Unlike the first film, it takes place in the present rather than a seemingly dystopian future.

The film sees former pro wrestling personality Paul Heyman starring as an announcer while Shane McMahon, son of World Wrestling Entertainment owner Vince McMahon, can be seen in one scene. Popular singer Pink can be seen throughout the film on large video screens, as a singer playbacking to several songs. There is also a concert scene in which the Nu Metal band SlipKnoT plays the song "I Am Hated" from their album Iowa.

Upon its release, the film met with harsh critical disdain and poor box-office returns (less than $26M revenue world-wide on a film that cost $70M). As a guest on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, LL Cool J admitted that the film "sucked."

Contents

[edit] Cast

[edit] Plot

It's the year 2005; the new sport of Rollerball is hugely popular in the unstable, ex-Soviet republics of Central Asia. Marcus Ridley (LL Cool J) invites NHL-hopeful Jonathan Cross ( Chris Klein) to join him playing for the Zhambel Horsemen, in Kazahkstan. The highly paid Marcus and Jonathon are teamed with low-paid locals, who are routinely severely injured in the game, which is an extraordinarily violent extension of roller derby involving motorcycles, a metal ball, and many trappings of the World Wrestling Federation. Soon the team's star and the darling of promoter Alexi Petrovich (Jean Reno), Jonathan, is thrilled by the high-octane sport, the hype, the sports cars, and female team mate Aurora (a glowering, scar-faced (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos). But gradually Jonathan discovers that the cynical Alexi and his opportunistic assistant Sanjay (Naveen Andrews) will go to any lengths to manipulate the game in order to provide an evermore gory spectacle and improve the game's television ratings.

[edit] Soundtrack

The score was released, but the soundtrack was not.

  1. "Boom" – P.O.D.
  2. "Told You So" – Drowning Pool
  3. "Ride" – Beautiful Creatures
  4. "Millionaire" – Rappagariya
  5. "I Am Hated" – Slipknot
  6. "Body Go" – Hardknox
  7. "Feel So Numb" – Rob Zombie
  8. "Keep Away" – Godsmack
  9. "Insane in the Brain" - Sen Dog
  10. "Flashpoint" - Fear Factory
  11. "When I Come Around" - Green Day
  12. "Crawling in the Dark" - Hoobastank
  13. "Time To Play" - Pillar
  14. "Never Gonna Stop" - Rob Zombie

[edit] External links

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