The Unholy Rollers (1972)

Very disappointing...

Captivating movie !

As Good As It Gets

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Taking a look at a Shout Factory boxset that a family friend had picked up,I was happy to spot a title with Claudia Jennings,which led to me getting set to put on his skates and catch a glimpse of Jennings for the first time.The plot:Leaving her job behind, Karen Walker goes to join a roller-derby team.Displaying a dazzling charisma from her debut match,the manager decides to make Walker the star player.Due to roller-derby being a pre-determined sport,Walker is told that she must talk to her fellow teammates and the rival players about all the moves that she has planned.Enjoying the attention that she is getting from the fans,Walker begins improvising moves and attacks on the track,which leads to the team starting to roll away from Walker.View on the film:Rolling across the screen,the gorgeous Claudia Jennings gives a very good performance as Walker,who Jennings crosses a mix of sexy frolics (which gives her the chance to appear naked)with a joyfully rebellious streak,as a wide smile is cast across Jennings face every time she ignores her teammates wishes.Offering Martin Scorsese an early credit as a supervising editor,co-writer/(along with Howard R. Cohen) director Vernon Zimmerman & cinematographer Michael Shea push the viewer into the middle of the matches,as first person tracking shots allow the viewer to feel every roll and shove on the track,as Walker reveals herself to be an unholy roller.

Despite the presence of the electrifying Claudia Jennings, director Vernon Zimmerman's roller derby movie is as dull as they come. There's very little wit or even excitement in this film. Jennings is a factory worker who chucks her job and joins the derby circuit. She becomes a star and has to ward off the advances of creepy team-mates (both male and female) and deal with her white trash mother (Kathleen Freeman). There's no more to the plot than that. The editing was supervised by Martin Scorsese and the supporting cast includes Roberta Collins and Alan Vint. Vint brings some empty headed swagger to his role. The music is by bubble gum pop king Bobby Hart. This is one of only a handful of starring roles for Jennings, who died much too young in 1979.

I love everything about this film, from Roberta Collins (in general) to Claudia's go-go boots to her Avengers tattoo (which she obtains at a 'Tattoo While You Wait' parlor???!?) to the enormous chrome horse which becomes the focal point in any Claudia driving/anywhere near the vicinity of her car scene. Do have one question for the experts... Is that Princess Livingston (Beyond the Valley Of The Dolls/Mudhoney) shouting in the crowd scenes??? she appears to be uncredited and I can't find any reference to her anywhere but I am convinced...Great early rock-n-roll soundtrack...surprised Corman forked out for it!Also notable as Candice Roman's final film...where did she go??Pray for a DVD reissue, it's great fun, and has a classic girl-gone-crazy ending! Vale Claudia!

It's a shame that Claudia Jennings, Playboy playmate of the year, died at age 29 from a traffic accident, and made a series of low budget, forgettable films. Many of these films still appear on TV from time to time, but not Unholy Rollers, her best film. Another shame. Unholy Rollers is about Claudia joining a roller derby troupe and because of her personality and strikingly good looks, never being accepted into the group. The film is low budget all the way. Probably did well at drive-ins and rural markets, but got swamped by Kansas City Bomber released the same year. I never cared for the roller derby, it's quite stupid, but this "inside story" is quite decent. Just don't expect to find it.