Unholy Rollers

R

Released Nov 10, 1972

1h 28m

Action

LGBTQ+

List

71%

Tomatometer

7 Reviews

16%

Audience Score

100+ Ratings

A roller-derby newcomer (Claudia Jennings) soon makes enemies for refusing to play by the unwritten rules.

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Variety Staff

Variety

While script by Howard R. Cohen concentrates more on the violence of the track than straight story-line, there's sufficient propelling narrative to keep audience amply rewarded.

Feb 23, 2012

Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

The movie was directed by Vernon Zimmerman and written by Howard R. Cohen... Unholy Rollers does not represent the high point of their careers, as I'm sure they would be the first to point out... But the movie does have a tough sleazy vulgar vitality.

Rated: 2.5/4

Oct 23, 2004

Full Review

Don Druker

Chicago Reader

A masterpiece of calculated bad taste, this is an exuberant, preposterously exaggerated celebration of the roller derby lifestyle.

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Paul Schrader

Film Quarterly

It's hard, fast, and vulgar, full of life and personality.

Jun 30, 2020

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Dick Lochte

Los Angeles Free Press

Unholy Rollers is a more entertaining movie than the Raquel Welch vehicle, Kansas City Bomber. It's no less trashy, just more fun.

Jan 3, 2020

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

A campy cult classic.

Rated: B+

Jan 16, 2018

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hayley b

as someone who is in love with film history and rollerskating, i was so pleased to watch a film about rollerskating.. sadly this was a film that just portrays perverted mens history instead, this is just an old film with naked women and any reason for an old man to touch them, discusting and pitiful direction and a good example of hollywoods history instead when it comes to film making

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

"A locker room look at the toughest broads in the world!" That's the poster tag line for "The Unholy Rollers" and it pretty much sums up what the makers of this film were aiming for, a leering behind-the-scenes action/comedy about roller derby. Claudia Jennings ("Death Sport" "Gator Bait") gets fed up with her job at a cannery after brazen 1970s sexual harassment and decides to join the roller derby. This results in comedy, romance, and ladies in various states of undresss, as you might expect from a Roger Corman produced film of this era. Corman's New World Pictures were having great success with their cycle of women-in-prison films and their nurse and co-ed films, so why not branch out into sports comedy films? And believe it or not, this wasn't the first roller derby film of the time. "Derby" came out the year before and Raquel Well appeared in "Kansas City Bomber" the same year. Roller derby even found it's way into the plot of of Disney's "The Shaggy D.A." so derby was HOT during this time. As for this film, it's a typical Corman raunchy sex comedy and the quality is about what you'd expect, which is it's not terrible, but nothing all that great either. Still, I will say I was entertained and I did enjoy seeing an oddly young Victor Argo as the team trainer. FUN FACT! Martin Scorsese was a supervising editor on this film, the year before "Mean Streets" was released.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A deranged girl joins a roller derby team. That's about all the plot this movie has. It's one of those low budget Roger Corman movies where he gave like $1000 to someone to go shoot some footage that they can throw together in editing and sell. There is some basic story development about an hour into the movie, but it's too little too late. Not to mention the main character is deplorable and there is nothing that holds your interest from beginning to end other than possible nudity. But who cares? Skip this.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

another roller derby knock off

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Claudia Jennings is a real cutie in this one, playing a feisty factory worker who joins a roller derby squad and becomes something of a fan favorite, in spite of what success does to her personal relationships and how her teammates relate to her. Fun breezy look at a sport that I had never really given much thought. Give it a look if you have the chance.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

a funny, sexy, entertaining corman romp, perhaps best known for being martin scorsese's first job as an editor. with roller derby so hip amongst tattooed girls nowadays, this film NEEDS a dvd release.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

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Vernon Zimmerman

Director

Claudia Jennings

Karen Walker

Louis Quinn

Mr. Stern

Betty Anne Rees

Mickey

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Synopsis

A roller-derby newcomer (Claudia Jennings) soon makes enemies for refusing to play by the unwritten rules.

Director: Vernon Zimmerman
Production Co: American International Pictures (AIP)
Rating: R
Genre: Action, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 10, 1972, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 1, 2016
Runtime: 1h 28m

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