Movie Review: The Unholy Rollers (1972)
Synopsis: After growing tired of the constant sexual harassment from her boss, Karen Walker quits her job at a cat food factory and tries out for the Avengers roller derby team. She earns a spot and because of her showmanship, quickly becomes the star. However, her quick rise and independent attitude don't sit well with her veteran teammates, and she soon finds herself losing some of the spotlight to a newly signed skater.
Who's in it? The movie stars Claudia Jennings, Betty Anne Rees, Roberta Collins, Louis Quinn and Alan Vint.
Review: I started watching another movie this morning but, while I didn't necessarily hate it and do still want to watch it, just didn't feel it. So, I turned it off and looked for another film and finally decided to watch The Unholy Rollers, which I had saved for some time. The film proved to be better than expected, though also not quite what I thought it would be.
I'll start out by saying, for a movie about the roller derby, there is a surprisingly small amount of skating in it. In fact, I think there may be just as many scenes featuring half-naked women. While that was a bit disappointing, especially since a lot of the roller derby scenes were kind of fun to watch, it was still an entertaining film.
Karen (Jennings) was an intriguing character. There were times in this movie when it was hard to tell if she was supposed to be the protagonist or the antagonist. She was clearly letting the fame and money get to her head but at the same time, there was a bit of a survival element to her attitude as well, especially after the rape-like hazing she received from her teammates, realizing her boyfriend, Nick (Jay Varela) was married and the league owner, Mr. Stern (Quinn) saw her as easily replaceable.
In fact, one thing I wish this movie would have told us a bit more about Karen's past because there seemed to be some sort of trauma that was driving her obsession of being at and staying at the top and, at times, making her seem mentally unstable.
Her rivalry with veteran skater Mickey (Rees) added an element of unpredictability because it was clear her teammates had Mickey's back and not hers. It also gave a good glimpse at Karen's future if/when she wasn't drawing in the crowds anymore.
Another thing I liked was the behind-the-scenes glimpse the movie gave of a sport that is about as scripted as professional wrestling is, albeit a lot sketchier. This included a lesson on how to simulate violence to keep the fans interested and entertaining and one of the cringiest medical exams I've ever seen, given by the rink's "doctor" (John Harmon).
The over-the-top ending to the film does reach a point of absurdity but still proved to be entertaining. Also, while this isn't usually the case, I did find I liked how it left the audience on a bit of a cliffhanger about what was going to happen to Karen next. It's not a strategy that works for every film, but it does for this one.
Final Opinion: It could have used a bit more skating and maybe a bit less gratuitous nudity, but I thought it was an entertaining film with an intriguing main character and unpredictable plot. I honestly didn't think I'd say it was worth watching, but it was.
My Grade: B
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Here are some reviews of other movies from the 1970s:
Movie Review: Horror Express (1972)
Movie Review: Gas Pump Girls (1979)
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