Black Sunday (1977)

What exactly is this Super Bowl?

Director John Frankenheimer is most well-known for some of his suspsense thrillers he made, including The Manchurian Candidate and Seven Days in May, but Black Sunday has somehow escaped the spotlight. In late 1975, Mossad agent David Kabakov leads an assault on a terrorist compound of Black September and uncovers evidence that the group is planning an attack somewhere in the U.S. soon after the New Year. Kabakov teams up with the FBI to try and uncover and prevent the plot and soon founds out the intended target, Super Bowl X in Miami where 80,000 fans will be at risk. But Kabakov doesn't know how the attack will hit so he can he stop the attack in time? Frankenheimer filmed many scenes at the actual Super Bowl in the Orange Bowl as the Cowboys and Steelers duked it out which adds a really cool sense of reality to the movie. As a thriller, this movie really works as the tension rises as Kabakov draws nearer while the terrorists get ready for their attack. With a good score by John Williams, this is an excellent if not hugely well-known thriller from the 70s so give it a try!

In a career that had him play a huge variety of different characters, a shark hunter, a Bond villian, Gen. Custer, Robert Shaw adds another unique role to his list as Mossad agent David Kabakov, a veteran of 30 years who's burned out but gets a jolt early in the movie that sparks his emotions again as he hunts down the members of Black September. Bruce Dern gives a great performance as Michael Lander, an unhinged Vietnam vet who holds much resentment for the US because of his treatment following his release from the Viet Cong after six years in captivity. His feelings make him an easy target for the terrorists to manipulate him into helping use the Goodyear blimp and a specialized explosive to attack the Super Bow. Marthe Keller is chilling as Dahlia, a Black September member who more or less is Lander's keeper as she orchestrates the attack. In a small role, Bekim Fehmiu plays Fasil, the determined Black September leader. Also in the cast is Fritz Weaver as Corley, an FBI agent working with Kabakov, and Steven Keats as Robert Moskevsky, Kabakov's long-time partner.

The DVD has no special features, but the widescreen presentation looks great, especially all the scenes filmed at Super Bowl X in the Orange Bowl in Miami. Overall though, it's an exciting, well-made thriller with a good cast, especially the three leads, so check out Black Sunday! October 3, 2008

"Deja Vu All Over Again. . ."

When I read this book in paperback, I was really excited that they were going to make a movie of it. The book was a page-turner. It is a great and exciting movie, even better than the book. It is also very chilling in retrospect, that middle eastern terrorists are planning to blow up the Super Bowl with everyone in it. World events have tarnished the glint on this fine production. If you can overlook the similarities and still enjoy the talent and suspense, you would find it worth your while. September 20, 2008

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.
November 11, 2007

Excellent Frankenheimer thriller

The John Frankenheimer 1977 thriller BLACK SUNDAY, based on the Thomas Harris (SILENCE OF THE LAMBS) novel, is no period piece: it could have been made yesterday. Thirty years down the line, the same factions are still fighting, lending an even stronger poignancy to Robert Shaw's hospital bed ruminations. This is a film about terrorism, and gives us a small insight into what lies behind such hate, within its thriller format. Fine performances from Marthe Keller, Bruce Dern, Fritz Weaver, Michael V. Gazzo, Steven Keats and Klyde Kusatsu and a strong script by NORTH BY NORTHWEST scribe Ernest Lehman give BLACK SUNDAY a solid base upon which to build. The effects are fine for the period, and Frankenheimer uses his patented distorted camera shots and very, very fast cutting to make the most of what he had to work with. Paramount was able to shoot at the Super Bowl, so we are able to get real-time shots of Robert Shaw and cast interacting with the crowd. There is one fantastic tracking shot of Marthe Keller driving with her deadly payload toward its rendezvous. The camera continues to move as she leaves the field of view, drifts across the stadium and its 80,000 fans, and picks up Shaw on the football field anxiously watching for the coming threat. This is all done in one continuous shot, with no cutting. Amazing.

The film to DVD transfer is crisp and bright, sharp and clear, and the remixed 5.1 sound is excellent. John Williams' tension-building score is in full stereo in the 5.1 mix, or, if you wish, you can switch to the original mono theatre mix.

There are no special features, no trailer, no commentary, just the film. August 28, 2007

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. June 24, 2007

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