Good evening. Welcome to Houston, the Energy City,
home ofthe defending rollerball world champions.
This key international battle pits divisional champions Madrid
against powerful Houston.
Here they come for a standing ovation. On the track comes Houston!
Houston, led by captain Jonathan E,
again their leading scorer this year.
OK. Let's go.
The controller indicates he is ready.
Our 30 Multivision cameras will bring you all the thrills and excitement ofthis game.
Ladies and gentlemen, our corporate anthem.
The controller tests his equipment, readies for the start.
The firing ofthe test ball will signal we're about set to go.
The controller for tonight's game - DA Niehaus.
The officials approve play. Each team concludes its huddle,
and the crowd cheers once again as this Houston audience greets its team,
Ied by the stalwart athlete Jonathan E.
Break off. That's it, boys.
Hook it!
Now the play-by-play. Here's RD.
The computer counts down. The ball is fired.
First period is under way here at Houston tonight.
The first team to pick up the ball will be on offence
and it's a pick-up by Houston! It's picked up by BJ.
BJ moves around, manoeuvring it in to the leading scorer Jonathan E.
Go on! Go on!
Watch him!
Jonathan E holds the ball aloft. You must hold it in view at all times.
- Pick 'em up, pick 'em up! - I got him, I got him.
On your right!
Jonathan moves in, then out in front ofBlue's bike.
Jonathan moves up the track and up onto the side.
Here comes Sanchez. Sanchez grabs Jonathan,
but offthe rail comes Moonpie and takes out four Madrid men.
The old swooper Moonpie
came right offthe top ofthe rail and took out four Madrid men.
The remaining Madrid skaters defend the goal.
Jonathan still has the ball. Moving in, he'll try to shoot.
He does! Jonathan! He shoots and it'sjust wide.
- Regroup! - The Houston team will have to regroup.
Injured on the play is Belmonte and he's helped offthe track for Madrid.
First period, no score, as we get set for the firing ofthe second ball.
Oh, and he misses and it hits the bike ofCarter. Knocks Carter down.
Gimme a hand. Move out!
Jonathan is there. It is handed off. The pass is complete to Jonathan.
- He knocks him down dead! - Did you see that?
That should be a penalty. The official looking over.
Keep up!
- Moon, on your left. - Right, right!
I got him!
Break it up, break it up!
Go, Jonathan, go!
Can he give Houston the first goal? He scores!
Yeah!
And at the end ofthe first period Jonathan's goal gives Houston a 1-0 lead.
Scored by Jonathan E! The time - first period, 12 minutes.
The ball is fired for the second period.
Madrid, trailing by one goal, try to go on offence to tie the score.
Go, Madrid!
- Here, latch on, latch on. - I'm with you.
Come on, Madrid, come on!
He skates up in front. Gonzales has it for Madrid. Hands offagain to Bodeus.
Bodeus, on offence for the Madrid team.
Here's the Houston defence.
It's a shot. It's low! And down on the track goes Bodeus.
He's not injured, but his scoring attempt failed.
And the score is still 1-0 in favour ofHouston.
The ball is fired again. Madrid is putting the pressure on.
Move it! Come on, move!
Hold on. Come on, let's move it!
- We got it now. - Hold on, hold on.
Watch it. Keep an eye out!
Coming in now, Sanchez. Moving to his left and right.
Has a full head ofsteam, trying to tie the score.
Sanchez moves around the bike, takes a long looping shot. He scores!
Sanchez scores for Madrid and ties the game 1-1.
Second period.
The ball is in play again and scooped up this time byAston!
Three minutes. Get off!
Madrid penalty. Three minutes.
Biking misconduct on No. 1 biker.
Are you satisfied, Madrid? What game are you guys playing?
Take it easy. Relax, you'll be all right.
The crowd's going wild, loving this wide-open action in this game.
Skate! Skate! Come on, goddammit, skate!
A pile-up on the track. The ball rolls free and into the gutter. It's a dead ball.
Here, here! Come on, come on! Off the track, off the track!
Come on, move out!
How is it, Jonathan?
- Gimme a towel, will you, Bull? - Sure.
Come on, Dune!
Moonpie drop-kicks him!
Three-minute penalty!
Off the track! Off the track!
Group up.
Jumping over the Madrid defence, gets up and hejams it in for the score!
Jonathan jams it in and scores
to give Houston a 2-1 lead over Madrid.
- Houston with the ball again. - It's a bike!
Stop him!
Jonathan E has it. Jonathan coming in low with a great manoeuvre.
He shoots, he scores!
- I love this game, Moonpie! I love it. - Yeah!
We got two games left. Guess who we're playing first.
Tokyo! Who'd have thought they'd make it to the play-off?
They're good. They got the old samurai spirit.
Yeah, but they're all about this tall.
Two or three little things make one big one.
They're liable to climb all over you and eat your lunch!
I can't get on a man-to-man basis with a Pygmy or an Oriental.
I don't know what it is.
You were fine tonight, all of you.
Mean! Sharp!
- You boys did well again. - Thank you, Mr Bartholomew.
- And you, you rolled, you really rolled. - Yeah.
You play like our champion here. You take lessons from him?
No, we just give lessons to the other team!
- How are you, Jonathan? - I'm feelin' mean, Mr Bartholomew.
- It's good to see you. - Jonathan E, that's the name.
Houston players come and go, but the champion plays on.
The Energy Corporation has a hard time figuring out ways to pay the champion.
We can't think up more rewards. You'd like us to have that problem with you?
Yes, sir!
Like Jonathan, you play with abandon.
But this is Jonathan's season.
Every season seems to be Jonathan's season.
But this year we've got you on Multivision. A special show all about you.
No player ever had that before.
The whole world will be watching because this is your year.
Howdy, babe!
- So, two games left. - That's right, Mr Bartholomew.
New York in the final!
The team seems healthy. The champion says he feels mean.
No problems here.
- What is this? Fruit juice? - Very healthy, Mr Bartholomew!
Sweet dreams, Moonpie.
It's a bad habit you got there.
You know what that habit will make you dream, Moonpie?
You'll dream you're an executive.
You'll have your hands on all the controls
and you'll wear a grey suit and you'll make decisions.
But you know what, Moonpie?
You know what those executives dream about, out there behind their desks?
They dream they're great rollerballers.
They dream they're Jonathan. They have muscles.
- They bash in faces. - Yeah!
Ready to go. Can't keep these boys here all night.
Jonathan, come and see me tomorrow.
Good night, Mr Bartholomew.
Ssh! Quiet, quiet.
This is a great team. A great city.
Great stuff out there tonight.
- Good morning. Brutal game last night. - Thank you.
- So it's Tokyo in the semifinals? - That's right.
Continue to hold the calls, all right?
Come in, Jonathan. Keep silence with me for a minute, won't you?
It's important to have a place to think things out.
You have your ranch. I know you take a lot of pleasure in it.
I cut my finger.
Sorry. Here.
You've had an amazing career, Jonathan.
You know how proud we are of the Houston team,
and what we think of you at Energy.
But now there are executives who want you out.
Sir?
You've had 10 years in this game, Jonathan.
Longer than anyone ever.
- Retire... How can I do that? - On your special programme.
Some people feel this programme should be used to announce your retirement.
Who wants that?
When this special was first planned by us here at Energy, we saw it as a good thing.
Now the Executive Directorate wants a change.
The programme is scheduled, the world is waiting,
so this does seem the perfect time.
The team, they depend on me.
Jonathan, let's think this through together.
You know how the game serves us.
It has a definite social purpose.
Nations are bankrupt, gone.
None of that tribal warfare any more.
Even the corporate wars are a thing of the past.
I know that...
So now we have the majors and their executives.
Transport, food, communication,
housing, luxury, energy.
A few of us making decisions on a global basis for the common good.
The team is a unit. It plays with certain rhythms.
So does an executive team, Jonathan.
Now everyone has all the comforts, you know that.
No poverty, no sickness.
No needs and many luxuries,
which you enjoy just as if you were in the executive class.
Corporate society takes care of everything.
And all it asks of anyone, all it has ever asked of anyone ever,
is not to interfere with management decisions.
I don't mean to resist. I'm just tryin' to understand.
This is for your own benefit. You must know that, Jonathan.
All decisions concerning you are.
Well, I lost Ella.
They took my wife because an executive wanted her.
I won't review all that again.
That was before I took over. I had nothing to do with it.
From what I hear your wife wanted to leave herself.
So, now you're going to retire.
That shouldn't be too hard for you.
Stupid game, after all. Awful game.
You ought to be glad to be out of it.
I don't...
I don't know, Mr Bartholomew. I just don't know.
I realise you had nothing to do with Ella.
- Jonathan, l... - But...
You're right.
I mean, I oughta do...
- I oughta be happy to do what you say. - Take your time.
Take a few days.
You've just come through a game. You're tired.
Go to your ranch, but think about it.
And understand it.
Do understand it.
Because I don't understand your resistance.
And I don't think anyone else will either.
- Is Clete here? - In the training room.
I'll go say hello.
Jonathan?
Look what I got for breakfast.
It's a notice from the Corporation.
What's it say?
Oh, that I should get out of here. You know, go away, vanish.
That kind of thing. You know anything about that?
Yeah, I kinda heard something about it.
You knew it was comin'.
We've been together six months.
Didn't you even wanna say goodbye?
- We'll talk about it later, OK? - You didn't, did you?
You didn't even want me here when you got back.
I gotta go see Cletus.
- What do you want me to do now? - I want you to take it easy.
I want you to go in and fix us something to eat.
Clete's come a long way and I'm hungry. All right?
Jonathan?
I'm glad you're all right.
Come on. All right, come on.
- I ain't tired enough. - Yeah!
It caught you, didn't it, baby? Two games running.
- What? - You did that in the last two games.
Shoulder forward left. You're standing on your left skate.
You do that in Tokyo, they'll take your arm home for lunch. You with me?
OK. You practise that for me a little, huh?
Hell, I forget which corporation is which.
Any ass knows that fire's energy.
Who wrote the music? Where does the music come from?
- OK if I have one of these? - Go on, have a holiday.
I forget what corporation's running what city.
Chicago's still the Food City,
but what about lndianapolis? Whatever happened to that town?
Whatever happened to Mackie?
Everything was much simpler when I was a kid. We still had three nations.
That was before the corporate wars, even before rollerball. Before everything.
Do you believe in kids?
I remember hearing about the National Football League and the World Cup.
- Where are you going? - Indianapolis.
What do you know about that stuff, Clete?
You know, how the corporations got started, about the corporate wars.
They were nasty!
- Well, nobody talks about that. - Well, except for friends.
Yeah.
I remember your rookie year.
You were mean and tight. The best player I ever coached.
Nobody could lay a hand on you that year. Remember?
Yeah.
Look, I gotta ask you something.
That figures. Go ahead, I'm listening.
Well, there's something goin' on with the game.
I don't know what it is. I don't think I'm supposed to know.
- What's that? - They want me to quit.
Why would they want you to do that?
I don't know. That's what I'd like you to find out.
I can try.
I hear just about everything going on in the game, one way or another.
That's what I mean. I can't think of another executive who'd tell me a thing.
Like I say,
I'll try.
- But I don't think there's much... - Look, no troubles for either of us, Clete.
Just find out what you can.
Trust me, Jonathan. You know you can.
Sure.
Well, sit down.
Oh, yeah!
Thanks, boys.
Good show, Johnny.
That's the Houston stride.
You boys wanna play for Houston, you'll have to learn it.
We pride ourselves on bein' a power team.
- That's right. - We're power, we're mean.
And that doesn't mean to say we like to have you hangin' back there on a rail,
just fightin' somebody in section A, when you should be in section B.
I'm comin' up to score and you ain't in the section,
- it won't do us no good. - That's right.
Who's the two new catchers here?
Right. Gimme that ball.
Don't stick your hand in that gutter too quick.
Wait till this ball comes down on the track.
Don't get too anxious. That thing'll take your arm off.
Now the bikers.
A biker might sacrifice a little three-minute penalty,
run over the top of a skater, if he feels he's skating a little too good.
So we have a few methods here in Houston. There's hundreds.
One, of course, is to use this shield. use your pads. use what you got.
Drive that arm in there.
Keep your feet forward. Hit, move, you get away from the wreck.
Don't come across in here. You get all twisted.
Or if a biker's sittin' up nice and high - a lot of guys like to ride high -
drag one off in midair. I hurt you, Blue?
I wouldn't hurt him for the world.
Now a third method, and the one perfected by a little friend of mine,
the swoop.
The swooper, that's me!
Hang up on the rail, use the speed of the track,
come down and drop-kick a biker.
Say, excuse me.
You're not paying a whole lot of attention, are you?
- What's this dude's name? - That's our new speedball from Manila.
Yeah, you know. That's Toughie.
Come on up, Tough.
Oh, he's a big honker.
Say, why don't you do me and the boys a favour?
Since you know all there is to know, we'd appreciate it.
Why not give us a demonstration? Show us how you made that big rep.
Just skate around and just take me out, huh?
Go get him, Toughie.
Now, eyes. use 'em.
Don't lock your eyes in one spot. This game isn't all muscle. use your head.
Lock your eyes on the target and keep...
Ears. Now, they're real important, too.
If there's anything I love, it's luxury centres.
When I get my privilege card, I know what I'm gonna get me, too.
- A secretary. - What for?
You planning on becoming an executive?
I just need one. About this tall.
Yeah? Why don't you give it a rest?
- Can I help you, please? - Yeah. I tried to order some books
and they said I had to appear at the centre personally.
That's right, this is our circulation unit. Make your choice here or by catalogue.
There must be a mistake. These books are classified.
They have been transcribed and summarised.
- Who summarises them? - I suppose the computers do.
- What do you need books for? - I wanna study up on some things.
You could go to the computer centre where the real librarians are.
But we have all the edited versions here. Anything I think you'd want.
Let's see, then. This is not a library and you're really not a librarian.
I'm only a clerk, that's right. I'm sorry, really.
The books are really in computer banks being summarised? Where is that?
There's a computer bank in Washington.
The biggest is in Geneva. That's a nice place to visit.
- I guess that's where the books are now. - Thank you.
It's not that exactly.
Yeah, but books, Jonathan?
Anything you wanna know, you could hire a corporate teacher.
You could call somebody up, use your privilege card.
I can't. That's just it.
I think there's something goin' on. Somebody's pushin' me.
Who? Bartholomew?
But you're Jonathan E. Everybody knows you. You've got everything!
You know you'll be treated right. You always have been.
Yeah. I don't know.
Well, I do know. We're livin' good. You know we are.
I found this to wear.
Is it all right?
That's the uniform of the house.
I'm Daphne.
Yeah. That figures.
It's all right.
Here. Wear these, too.
That's right. No penalties. Limited substitutions.
You can handle it! You can beat Tokyo!
All we gotta do is change our tactics.
There's always been rule changes. You know that!
It gets more people to watch the game, that's all there is to it.
You all signed contracts to finish the season, no matter what the alterations.
- Every last one of you signed. - See, now we all signed a contract.
It doesn't matter! We're not gonna lose, no matter how they change the game.
That's right. That's right.
All it means is a change of strategy.
We knock out their bikers early, then their skaters.
Don't try to score yourselves and the game's yours.
Watch yourselves out there! They're playing the same rules we are.
It's gonna be rough. But it's still basically the same game.
And the team with the power wins.
That's easy to say, man!
Hey, Rusty.
Hey! Wait a minute.
Hey, Rusty, come on.
Listen, you were talking about them contracts.
How come everyone else has got to play with the no-penalty rule
and they're pressuring me to quit?
I don't know.
But can't you do what you're told? For your own good, get out!
I don't wanna leave the guys to play Tokyo with the rules breakin' down.
Jonathan, it doesn't matter what you want!
You think about that.
These are in slow motion to show the impact ofyour blows on opponents.
- Yeah, fine. - We want you to approve the sequences.
It's...
It's all fine with me. Anything.
I really don't see why I'm needed here.
Well, the Energy people want you to be satisfied.
There, now. Isn't that a marvellous shot?
Sure.
I'm a stat freak myself. Isn't that perverse?
Have you got anything I can take?
Just take one.
Statistics, huh?
Yes. The greatest number ofpoints scored in a single game - 18.
The highest velocity ofa ball when actually fielded by a skater - 120mph.
Most deaths...
Please.
Don't do that.
Most deaths - 9. Rome versus Pittsburgh, December last year.
The greatest number of players put out of action by a single player in a game - 1 3.
A world record, courtesy ofyour dear self.
There have been studies of stat freaks in rollerball.
Some go to the track, but they never take their eyes offthe big board.
What's this?
I always wonder ifa rollerball player sees himselfas a class apart.
"Hello... pause."
"I'm Jonathan E... smile."
"I would like..." This for me?
Very astute. Yes. It's your retirement announcement.
Your special is already scheduled all over the world.
You're supposed to read this as part ofthe programme.
- What sort of pill did you give me? - Pure aphrodisiac, Daph. Enjoy yourself.
Can't we finish up here and go home?
You are being recorded.
- Feelin' woozy? - Try to read the announcement.
I'm all right.
Why don't you read the...?
- Oh, yeah. You want that, do you? - You are making things very...
How many assignments you been on, Daph?
You're good at what you're good at, so you must have been around some.
A lot of girls have stayed with me, but you know that. Never seemed to mind.
But odd thoughts I've had about you, Daph. Odd thoughts.
- Wondered if you'd been briefed on me. - I'll ask you to read...
Yeah, a lot of things occur to me, Daph. A lot of things occur to you?
You look terrible.
You do look terrible.
Come on.
You shouldn't take anything offered to you just like that.
- What was in it? - Nothin' to hurt you.
You're too trustin'. Ever think of that?
Hook 'em deep now!
They're good boys, but they're a bit rough.
As you know, the Tokyo game is coming up.
You will remember that the Tokyo team uses karate and hapkido techniques.
We will review these techniques with special attention to deathblows.
Same lecture every year!
There are certain body areas that skilled opponents will endeavour to strike.
What we got for our skilled opponents is the Houston fist-in-the-face technique!
Especially in a game with no penalties...
You gotta get mad, all right? Play hard. It don't matter if they're all tiny little men.
Especially in a game with no penalties and limited substitutions.
Get mad and fly!
Please...
I know about certain body areas, too. We gotta hit those guys in the ganglia.
- Where? - In the ganglia.
That's a mess of nerves under the ear.
You gotta drive the jawbone up in that mess of nerves and it rings a bell.
You must understand.
The Tokyo team has a very eccentric playing style.
And no penalties! lf I go down, I know my team is with me, right?
- Please... - Brute speed!
Familiarise yourself with the basic fighting-art techniques.
Nobody's gonna take us, rules or no rules!
- Go on. - This is the Houston team!
- Rules or no rules. - We fight for each other.
They're really quite beautiful, in a wild kind of way.
- I can almost smell the lions. - Don't be silly. They're made in Detroit.
They're android. They're all programmed.
That's right. The game is played by robots.
They look like men and they bleed!
Not so loud. They'll hear you.
It'll ensure stability, expansion and profits for the planetary enterprise.
- What do you think about that? - You make it sound absolutely romantic.
He's gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous.
I know, but he's so intelligent. I'm practically living on bright pills.
Hey, here he is.
Hey, Johnny boy! Hey, kid!
Come on, let's hear it. Come on!
- Gimme a hand. I got too much here. - Behave yourself.
Hello, Mackie.
Well, how you been?
It's your night tonight, Jonathan.
You having a good time?
I'm glad you're here.
I'm here with an executive.
He asked all about you.
Wanted to know if I enjoyed you.
Hey, Rockie! Give her your hand.
It's too much!
- What about the new game? - I haven't heard much about it.
The rule changes were announced a week ago.
- Who changed them? - I've been tryin' to find out.
Rules or no rules, it's still the same game.
- I'm looking forward to the programme. - When you see that screen replay...
- Did you hear about Evans? - What?
- He's out. Gone. - No kidding!
The old man? Who got him?
- What? - I said who got him?
The crocodile.
Do you like poetry?
Why don't you come upstairs? I got a poem for you.
Welcome, sports enthusiasts everywhere.
Tonight Multivision trains its cameras on the amazing career ofJonathan E.
As Houston began to mould itself into a world championship team,
- the attacking style ofJonathan E... - Jonathan, you're on!
..has always been the team's strongest asset.
Yes, the game seems invented for him.
Look, I talked to everybody I could.
There is something going on. You're right about that.
Nobody will talk about it, I mean nobody!
It's hard finding anything out, Jonathan. You know that.
Hell, nobody even knows the names of the men on the directorate any more.
Look, I'm sorry.
- They want you out, you know that. - Yeah.
But do you know who they are?
Bartholomew, I guess.
Above Bartholomew. It's the Executive Directorate.
- Why would they worry about me? - Well, they do.
They're even after the old man because he didn't get your retirement announced.
- Why put the programme on without it? - I think they had to.
They didn't want to. It's very tricky.
Jonathan, there's one thing you ought to know.
Look, nobody's said it, but I'm sure of it.
They're afraid of you, Jonathan.
All the way to the top, they are.
What are they afraid of me for?
Don't go yet. We're showing some replays.
Let's see 'em then!
Mr Bartholomew would like to see you now. He's in the study.
Come on, hurry up!
You know I've always considered your situation, Jonathan,
and your needs.
Now you have to consider mine
- and ours. - I'm considering it, Mr Bartholomew.
No player is greater than the game itself.
It's a significant game in a number of ways.
The velocities of the ball, the awful physics of the track.
And in the middle of it all, men playing by an odd set of rules.
It's not a game a man is supposed to grow strong in, Jonathan.
- You appreciate that, don't you? - More and more, Mr Bartholomew.
Shoot that statue! That's the one! Shoot that!
Hey, the tree!
You must take good advice.
You're not to play against Tokyo. You're not to play again.
- I want some concessions. - Concessions?
Believe me, I'd be happy to talk a deal, Jonathan. I love deals.
But this situation is much, much simpler.
This Multivision event tonight was very embarrassing.
For me and for others.
It might be I won't ever find out why I've been asked to leave the game,
but I do know I can get some concessions and I want 'em.
You missed!
I wanna see Ella - my wife. Arrange it so I can see her again.
That's not easy, Jonathan.
I want other concessions, too, Mr Bartholomew.
Look at that!
I've never seen anything like that in my life! That's incredible!
That's terrific.