Black Sunday (1977)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

John Frankenheimer

Writers:

Thomas Harris (novel)
Ernest Lehman (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

11 March 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

There has never been a motion picture adventure like...

Plot:

An Isreali anti-terrorist agent must stop a disgruntled Vietnam vet cooperating in a plot to commit a terrorist plot at the Super Bowl.

Plot Keywords:

Blimp | Miami Beach | Hostage | Murder | Helicopter

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Robert Shaw	...	Maj. David Kabakov
Bruce Dern	...	Capt. Michael J. Lander
Marthe Keller	...	Dahlia Iyad
Bekim Fehmiu	...	Mohammad Fasil
Fritz Weaver	...	FBI Agent Sam Corley
Steven Keats	...	Robert Moshevsky
Michael V. Gazzo	...	E. Muzi
William Daniels	...	Alan Pugh
Walter Gotell	...	Col. Riat
Victor Campos	...	Nageeb
Joseph Robbie	...	Himself
Robert Wussler	...	Himself
Pat Summerall	...	Himself
Tom Brookshier	...	Himself
Walter Brooke	...	Fowler

Runtime:

143 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Movielab)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Stereo

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Canada:18A (Ontario) | West Germany:18 (nf) | Argentina:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | Netherlands:16 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Carson, California, USA

Company:

Gelderse Maatschappij N.V.

Trivia:

The climactic scene in which the blimp descends onto the Orange Bowl was filmed the day before the actual game to avoid setting off a real panic.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Obviously reversed film footage when the blimp is being pulled away from the stadium; the guide ropes on the nose of the blimp, instead of trailing away from the blimp (if it were being pulled backwards), are trailing towards the tail of the blimp, just like they would if the blimp was moving forward. In addition, the helicopter's blades appear to be spinning backwards.

Quotes:

FBI Agent Sam Corley: The President isn't persuaded that attending the Super Bowl will pose a threat to his life. I suppose it's the more important threat on his mind; he's slipping in the polls! Eighty-two thousand, five hundred twenty-eight, to be exact!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

Soundtrack:

The Star Spangled Banner

His suffering makes your heart ache.

Hang on tight for this one, folks! This flick moves so fast sometimes that you might think you missed something along the way. Basic story line holds up well through the years. Good chase scene on the Florida streets! Excellent camera work all the way through. Cast is excellent--especially Mr. Shaw (as usual). He gives David Kabakov a healthy measure of humanity that sprays out of the film and covers you like a heavy wool coat; his suffering makes your heart ache. And boy, is that blimp a pest! This one is worth the view--from beginning to end. A classic!