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Review of Black Sunday

A good detailed and well done thriller that could have been a warning of the destruction of the World Trade Center. Will Americans never learn that truth is stranger than fiction?

A good movie for it's time, Bruce Dern is an animal!

A solid movie. I enjoyed it because it was 5.00 at Wal-Mart. Notice the cameos by John Madden and Pat Summerall. Classic cheese in the final 10 minutes. The ending is very James Bond. I won't give away the plot. Everyone knows about the Blimp, it's on the cover. Great football highlights. In the fictional Superbowl, the Cowboys play the Steelers. If this happened in real life it would be the biggest story in history, next to a major war. How dare he mess with our national holiday, the Super Bowl.

Palestinian terrorist teams up with Vietnam vet in a blimp to fire darts at the Superbowl.

If you want to see Robert Shaw, watch "The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three." If you want a good nutcase, watch "The Caine Mutiny." If you want a Frankenheimer conspiracy film, look for "The Manchurian Candidate." But if want you want is a thriller with an absurd premise, a limping and at times inexplicable plot, and a by-the-numbers John Williams score, watch "Black Sunday." "Black Sunday" is interesting in its early appreciation (for America) of the justness of the Palestinian cause, but that political savvy is undercut by a terrorist plan that reminds me of Steve Martin's joke about cat juggling: attack the Superbowl with a Blimp that fires DARTS? What? Imagine a chase scene between a helicopter and a blimp and take a wild guess who wins. Imagine dialogue with all the personality of particleboard. The editing of the climax is good, sure, but it could have been vastly improved by letting the terrorists do more than just disrupt a football game. If this is re-made, I say follow the lead of 90's disaster flicks, and let the terrorists kill a few thousand people.

Terriorism

I only wanted to purchase this because of the GoodYear Blimp,and the fact that this has to do with lighter than air aircraft.I'm a private pilot and appreciate all forms of aircraft.If you are interested in aircraft,then this is another one of those action movies with flying.I really do not like the terroist plot,but in this movie the bad guys loose,so just be awhare that their is violence.

Gripping.

An Israeli commando has to stop a nutsy Vietnam Vet from killing the entire crowd at the Superbowl.Taut and exciting, with terrific acting from Robert Shaw & Bruce Dern.The big finale with a blimp is guaranteed to keep your attention.Rating:**** (out of five)

Before their was Al Qaeda, there was

Black September
A chillingly precise invocation of the darkest mid-70's paranoia, Frankenheimer's brilliant movie recreates both Israel's dark struggle against the palenstinion terror elite in Lebanon and the touching naivte of the US security apparatus--as yet untouched by savage anarchy. With the incomparable Robert Shaw as David Kabakov, the weary war horse, who threatens the Eygptian ambassador (pre-Camp David remember): "I wasn't going to say this . . . but now I think I will. Before you had a choice. Now: you have no choice. If you do not help me, you will have on your hands the blood of many thousand innocent Americans. And --if you do not help me--I am goingt o make this conversation very widely known."
"Good day Kabakov" says the Ambassador.
Later, after a highly dnagerous Balck September operative notices his surveillance in a Miami hotel and proceeds to lead the FBI in a devastating fire fight through downtown Miami that ends with Kabakov executing the man in the surf before he can kill the FBI directo Corelty (played by Dennis Weaver), Kabakov squints angirly and says: "I warned you about that man, Mr Corely. I should have let him shoot you"
Not to mention the brilliant performance by Bruce Dern as the psycho Vietnam vet who dreams of revenge on the America that betrayed him: "I see them every Sunday with their little weenies and a coke. ALl those upsturned faces, loving the bif game, cheering the big game like they cheer for all the good things . . . I just wanted to give them something to remember me by!"

Still my favorite thriller!

It's great political action and thrills from director John Frankenheimer, who also gave us the original MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE and RONIN. But because it's about a terrorist attack on American soil, it takes on a whole new meaning and relevance since the horrible events of September 11, 2001.

Love and Hate

This prescient thriller has won new respect since 9/11, but the film was quite popular when it was originally released. The film has many things to recommend it. In addition to the NFL and special effects eye-candy, there is the ironic scene where a terrorist flees to a Miami beach and is 'driven into the sea' by the pursuing authorities.

But I think the main reason for the film's popularity is the way that Kabakov and Dahlia interact. Bruce Dern's Lander is spectacularly overdone. Most of his histrionics would have been unnecessary, if he'd simply sent his ex and her new hubby tickets to the Superbowl, as Lander did in the book.


The story's main attraction has to be the peculiar love-hate relationship between Dahlia and Kabakov.

Kabakov spares Dahlia's life in the Beirut attack. While he disparages the 'naive' Americans, Kabakov's act of mercy shows his own growing disenchantment with a lifetime of war. He takes comfort in the thought that, after the battle deaths of his sons, he still has "a daughter who lives in Jerusalem, Israel," but this is no longer enough to silence his doubts.

In Miami, Dahlia inexplicably risks everything in the attempt to reach Kabakov in the hospital. This attack makes little sense for someone seeking to avoid the attention of the authorities, but by now Dahlia clearly has some growing doubts of her own. Something about this particular enemy, Kabakov, threatens her personally.

The anarchy of Black September leaves Dahlia no reason to expect that a Palestinian state will be anything better. Up until Beirut, she'd been able to put those doubts aside in the interest of the cause, but Kabakov's unexpected mercy has changed all that.

In the movie's climactic scene, Dahlia and Kabakov face off once again. This time, Dahlia hesitates and Kabakov doesn't. The conflict seems to have been resolved. But "Black Sunday" shows us that human conflicts are rarely as simple as governments and causes would have us believe.

Action Movie that is still Timely

Some movies show their age shortly after they were made. This is one that was written by Thomas Harris that is still timely. At the time it was fresh to the terrorist taking over the Olympics, but now it seems timely because of the activities in the Middle East. Robert Shaw and Bruce Dern especially turn in fine performances. The support cast is good as well. The music by John Williams is good as always. The addition of shots of the real Goodyear blimp and the Superbowl X game add to the believability. We even see Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staughbach, and the other real players for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys. During the scene where the people stampede, you may find yourself mooing. Fans of "Two Minute Warning" should love it. I bought this since it is still a good movie and the price is great. Not much in the way of extras, but excellent picture and sound quality.

Terrific Action/Suspense Film -- Message Right On Target

This movie, based on a book by Thomas Harris ("Silence of the Lambs" and "Red Dragon") is a terrific action-thriller about a terrorist plot to inflict mass casualties upon attendees at a Super Bowl game (which the Cowboys just BARELY lost, by the way).

Robert Shaw portrayed the operative determined to stop the plot. His methods were extremely direct and effective -- he simply eliminated terrorists wherever he encountered them (except during a moment of weakness, when he came upon Marthe in the shower, at the first of the film, which proved to be a costly mistake). Shaw's character acted in a totally unilateral fashion, never halting to form a coalition or obtain United Nations approval. He never whined, "Why do they hate us?" He did not reach out to the terrorists with a friendly hand bearing tolerance, inclusion, diversity or compassion. His intent was to protect people from being attacked by terrorists, and he knew that the only way to do that is to kill them first -- he knew that NOTHING else works, against terrorists determined to kill you. He was absolutely right, and that's why everyone liked his character so much.

just awesome

Black Sunday? Where do I begin? Until The lord of the Rings series, nothing could dethrone what should have been a classic as my all time favorite film. It is the film that made me want to write movies.This is a movie that has a sad history. One of the reasons attributed to BS not making a lot more money was because Two Minute Warning which was a horrible film from Universal came out three months before it.Black Sunday was a perfect child of seventies movie-making - believable characters thrown into an unbelievable situation. Frankenheimer allowed the audience to see what was motivating each of the main characters, so that when the conclusion happened we cared. Not to mention, the action and stunts at the end combine to make one of the best chase sequences today.Yes the blimp crashing could have been done better, but they probably didn't have the fx or the budget. But still, it is amazing film-making.Having just looked at it again on my new DVD I have new appreciation for it. Robert Shaw comes across as having seen it all. He's tired. Bruce Dern isn't just crazy. We learn why he is crazy. In a weird way, although he is a murderer I still feel sorry for him when he pleads with Marthe Keller to help him. And even Fritz Weaver doesn't come across as an idiot FBI agent which is what we are spoon-fed in almost every movie. John William's score is one of his best.This is definitely a classic. And a tension-building movie that would be hard to make today. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a thriller that starts off small and ends with a bang. Literally.Way ahead of its time considering the horror of 9/11.

Prophetic terrorist story

Whatever you may say about the film `Black Sunday,' I don't think it can be called far-fetched or unbelievable anymore -- certainly not after the events of last month. I had long been peripherally aware of this film as something that I didn't really care to see, sort of an early harbinger of today's by-the-pattern action thrillers. Seeing lots of stuff blow up on film had long ago lost its attraction for me. Maybe it has for a lot of people in this country now. Some earlier remarks on this page may seem crass and stupid in retrospect (at least here in America), but remember that they were posted quite a while ago, when `Black Sunday' seemed an unlikely scenario.
Neither Thomas Harris nor John Frankenheimer is Nostradamus reincarnated, though. People who knew about such matters have long been issuing warnings, but few cared to take heed.Anyway, coming down from the sadness and anger of last month, I remembered this film, and was finally curious enough to see it. Not yet afflicted by the FX excesses of the 1980s and 1990s, I feel it strikes a nice balance of action and suspense, with a quality of character development that many modern films of this genre don't bother with. To me, it seems a transitional type of film, between the character-driven cold war espionage films of an earlier time, and the action thrillers of today. For some people (me, for one), it strikes just the right balance. Not having read Harris's original novel, I was not burdened with expectations of what the characters should look or sound like. Reading a novel is an admirable exercise, but I feel it's always a better experience to see a movie adaptation before reading the original novel, if possible. You stand a better chance of appreciating them both for what they are.All in all, I liked this film. For many of us, though, it's hard to look at it objectively as entertainment anymore. Too many associations.

Absurd action flick

Black Sunday is a film with a plethora of logical gaps, not too mention the improbable seizure of the Goodyear blimp and Robert Shaw's Die Hard-esque acrobatics in the final reel. Shaw is also badly miscast as an Israeli intelligence operative. Bruce Dern does his usual man on the edge of a nervous breakdown thing, and it's all way too long. Set the standard for ridiculous action heroics for many years too come.

Sneak Attack on Sunday

The film shows Beirut before the later troubles. A woman takes a taxi to the native quarter. Another car takes her to a private compound. A film shows a captured POW making a speech. These terrorists are planning to attack America in January. But another group of counter-terrorists are planning an attack that succeeds. Two escape this destruction. Then we see a football game. A blimp flies overhead for television cameras; high winds affect it. A tape with threats has been captured. Federal agents are warned about this plan. They will search for this woman. But she has already arrived in America. We learn about Captain Landers' past. There is a speed boat chase in Long Beach harbor.

Federal officials investigate the ship and its captain; little is learned. Then the captain gets a telephone call. There are no clues. There is drama in the hospital. Was it secure? The terrorists test their device in a deserted area. They hope to kill 80,000 people! The Israeli agent gets help from an unexpected source to identify the woman. Dalia refuses to leave for her safety. She is located in Miami and they go to arrest her. There is a chase and a running gun battle (for viewer interest?). There is an unexpected glitch in the plans. Landers gets to show his acting ability in a dramatic speech. Dalia shows her talents as an agent who makes things happen.

The day of the Super Bowl arrives. The security agents will search the stadium for explosives. It will be as secure as possible. [Can they plan for the unexpected?] The blimp takes off to provide overhead television coverage as usual. The game begins. Security forces watch over the crowd. Then there is a break in the case. We see the trick that will be used to arm the blimp. Will the Federal agents be able to stop them in time to prevent the slaughter of 80,000 people and the President? We know a film must have a happy ending to be successful; there's no surprise here.

It is interesting to see those old automobiles, styles, and attitudes from the past. The idea of a terrorist attack upon America must have seemed far-fetched then. This film is mostly fast paced after the beginning, which tells us about the people in this drama. The style of this film seems European in outlook. The flaw in this film is making a Navy flier the villain; it is unbelievable. Besides state and private investigators might have picked up on his unusual girl friend from local gossip.

Cancel the Super Bowl? That's like canceling Christmas!

I never could figure out why Osama bin Laden would attack the twin towers when he could make a much bigger statement by following this movie and attacking the Super Bowl.John Frankenheimer, who gave us Seven Days in May and The Manchurian Candidate, knows how to put thrillers together. he did a great job here with Robert Shaw, in one of his last films, as the Israeli agent trying to catch the terrorists, American Bruce Dern and Palestinian Marthe Keller.Dern is always fun to watch as the heavy, and he plays a crazy ex-Navy pilot to the max. Of course Shaw had a chance to kill Keller early, but he caught her in the shower and was too stunned to do anything. :-) Of course, we all know how it ends as Miami was creamed in the last game in the Orange Bowl this past Saturday.

one of the most suspensful movies, well acted by all

Bruce Dern is superb as the troubled vietnam p.o.w.. Robert Shaw is playing his role as an agent fighting terrorist to a fine edge.The way that they set up the test site for the darts and the pattern of them is fantastic. The use of the airship as a delivery vehicle is outstanding. One of the best suspense movies ever.

A film with tension & suspense building every moment

Bruce Dern at his unhinged psychotic best as a vietinam vet who takes part in a insane plot with palestian terroists to murder 80,000 innocent people during the super bowl. Robert Shaw plays David Kabokov, an isreail commando out to foil the plot. Dern`s killer smile and outright dangerous mind is very memorable especally in one scene where he kills an innocent man while testing his bomb which is compiled of 120,000 lethal darts he plans to use during the super bowl. The only flaw in the film i saw was the editing, if the producers would of shortend the film`s length about twenty minutes or so it would of not been so prolonging. But this film certainley ranks high up there with other terroirst films. And Robert Shaw`s performance here outmatches his hideous performence in `Jaws`

Perceptions Change

Despite being set in the 1970s I couldn`t help noticing that Robert Shaw`s Mossad agent Kabakov is shown as being a violent ruthless cold blooded killer who`s almost as bad as the terrorists he`s hunting . This goes slightly against the common perception in much of the world at the time of Israelis being heroic and plucky freedom fighters striving to defeat terrorism and it should be remembered Israel carried out the legendary raid on Entebbe the year before . It wasn`t untill Israel`s invasion of Lebanon in 1982 that this perception changed towards the state of Israel somewhat . Well I suppose the producers should be congratulated on bringing ambiguity to the story . Likewise the " villain " Lander is a terrorist motivated by the fact that his country has turned his back on him . Sent to fight people in South East Asia he was shot down and left to rot in a North Vietnamese POW camp and on returning home from the most dirty and needless war of the 20th century he finds that even his own wife has forgotten about him . The point being that terrorists are never born but made .BLACK SUNDAY is a very good political thriller full of good but often violent action scenes which means it`s not a film for everyone . Likewise watching this film in the 21st century which involves a plot to kill tens of thousands of innocent people at a public event means many viewers will be uneasy watching this . Sometimes you can take a plot and make it a little too realistic

Classic Edge Of Your Seat!

While Black Sunday may not be considered an actual classic, it's still the most edge of your seat movie I've ever seen! I was definetly glued to the TV the first time that I saw this film. It's a shame this movie didn't turn out to be a huge success, because I think it's very underrated. Next to Jaws and From Russia With Love, this is one of Robert Shaw's finest performances. It's too bad he passed away while he was probably in the heyday of his film career. Bruce Dern also gives a great performance as a disturbed Vietnam Vet turned blimp pilot who becomes an aid for the terrorist plot on the Super Bowl. The film should be considered very well-maid for it's time when they didn't have the special effects like they do today. The aerial shots were fantastic as was the ability to combine the football scenes in the movie. I recommend this thriller even though the first hour had it's share of dull moments, but you can't deny that the climax was a nailbiter.

Fine Film, Excellent Quality - No Extras!

The film by the late John Frankenheimer wasn`t the success it was hoped for. Too bad, because "Black Sunday" would have been worth it. Although a big-budget film (a Robert Evans production) it is not superficial at all. It cares for its plot, which is not the cliché you can expect from actual productions of a similar theme. The 70`s were different, and Frankenheimer was a perfect director to create dramatic tension and believable characters. He is helped by excellent (though underrated) actors: the great Robert Shaw (maybe in his last fine film)plays the lead against Bruce Dern and Marthe Keller. The soundtrack by John Williams is equally fine (and develops the thrilling aspects of the movie). All in all this is a film which is impossible to make in the same way today. Just imagine a terrorist thriller nowadays: Produced by Michael Bay, starring Bruce Willis instead of Shaw and bad guys that are presented like the one from "Bad Boys 2"- pure horror...
The DVD by Paramount has a very good picture and the sound is available in restored mono and in perfect 5.1 surround. As Shaw and Frankenheimer are dead, I didn`t expect a making of or deleted scenes but I think a theatrical trailer should be the minimum for a DVD from such a big studio. Still, this is worth buying!