I'm not doing this for thrills. Rollercoaster was directed by James Goldstone and the screenplay was co-adapted by Sanford Sheldon, Richard Levinson and William Link from a story suggested by Tommy Cook. The film stars George Segal, Timothy Bottoms, Richard Widmark, Harry Guardino, Susan Strasberg and Helen Hunt. A Panavision/Technicolor production utilizing Sensurround technology, it includes music by Lalo Schifrin and photography by David M. Walsh. The movie centers on "Young Man" (Bottoms), a psychopathic bomber who is creating fear at American theme parks. When safety inspector Harry Calder (Segal) gets involved to investigate, it initiates a game of cat and mouse as the “Young Man” raises the stakes... Even now, Rollercoaster continues to be incorrectly grouped with the disaster movie trend that emerged in the 1970s. Released during a period when that genre was declining, Rollercoaster is anything but a disaster film. It’s actually a thriller focused on a psychopath, following procedural elements and emphasizing character development. Its nearly two-hour runtime should signal to viewers that it's not packed with rollercoaster sequences or explosions. While there are some exciting “Coaster” scenes presented from a point-of-view perspective, the movie thrives on human interest and suspense as time runs out, despite the (obvious 1970s) use of dummies for plot-related destruction. The tone is established early when Bottoms’ killer sets up his first murder while listening to unsettling music on a cassette player. The film then shifts to funfair music, creating a sense of warmth and calm before the terror of a terrorist attack becomes apparent. From that point on, the character of Bottoms remains enigmatic, but it's clear what he is capable of. Segal’s character, along with Agent Hoyt (Widmark) and other officials desperately trying to prevent further tragedy as the young bomber demands money, also develops. This means most of the film consists of interactions between Calder and Young Man, alongside police procedural actions. There’s a lot of dialogue, but it's well-written and increases the tension as the final third unfolds. As one of the few films to use the Sensurround effect, the impact is likely lessened when viewed on television. The film prints are only passable, and the sound mix doesn't create the same immersive experience it did in 1970s theaters. Nevertheless, this remains a very good suspense film with strong performances from Segal and Widmark – and a chillingly effective portrayal of a villain by the underrated Bottoms. Henry Fonda appears in the credits, but his role is essentially an early cameo, while it's interesting to see a then-young Helen Hunt as Harry Calder’s daughter. If you anticipate a thriller similar to "Two-Minute Warning," released the previous year, you likely won't be disappointed. However, expecting a two-hour disaster movie filled with rollercoaster carnage will only lead to disappointment. 8/10

Source on TMDB