Black Sunday

Arrow Video releases on Blu-ray this political/action thriller from 1977 based on the Thomas Harris novel directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Bruce Dern as a deeply troubled Vietnan veteran and former POW who plots with his girlfriend, a Palestinian terrorist (played by Marthe Keller) to pilot a Goodyear blimp laden with explosives, and crashing it over the upcoming Super Bowl, killing an estimated 80,000 spectators, and the efforts of an Israeli agent (played by Robert Shaw) to stop them, and both sides are equally ruthless in accomplishing their goals..Looking quite good in HD, a fine upgrade over the barebones 2003 Paramount studios DVD, now including an audio commentary from film scholar Josh Nelson, a visual essay documenting the production, vintage featurette about the director, and a photo gallery. Comes with a booklet insert, reversable original poster sleeve art, and a slipcover.Good film is taut, well-acted and directed (on real locations at the film's climax using actual footage from Super Bowl X between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys) A bit protracted at times, though its central premise remains alarmingly relevant in our troubled world.

I got this as a gift for my Dad, since he really likes this film. The DVD quality is excellent, and it was delivered right on time.

Had family members who were actually at the game and they came home with stories of watching Robert Shaw running all around the stadium. They saw him and recognized him well before the game and then again and again and it became obvious early on that it was in connection with shooting a film. They and had more fun trying to spot him than watching the game!Dern and Keller are brilliant. There were some super nominees for Best Supporting that year but Dern should have been among them.

When will there be another actor like Robert Shaw?Probably never. But in "Black Sunday" he comes back to life with a vengeance.The transfer on DVD is acceptable, although not to be compared with the recent transfer of another movie in which Shaw appeared. I am talking of "A Man For All Seasons".The sound too is not too bad, although I cannot help wondering whether or not they used the same copy they used for the LaserDisc release of some years back.In this day and age of terrorism pervading all the news channels, this film is an eery reminder, that sometimes terrorists do not need to be foreigners to accomplish their terrible acts.So many times, although they claim to be religiously motivated, they don't even believe it themselves. They are just well oiled killing machines, with brainwashed minds whi tend to aggregate to feel a kind of belonging, a certain togetherness.Alone, they are just pathetic and little insecure things, not even being sure whether they are still alive or not. Yet, if triggered the right way, these tiny beings can cause more damage than a battle tank."Black Sunday" was filmed still during the Vietnam War, hence the many references to that war. But there is an omnipresent component, and that component is the Palestinian/Israeli war.The three main characters are:Robert Shaw playing an Israeli Mossad agent, out to prevent a terrorist act performed in the United States during the Super Bowl;Marthe Keller, a Swiss German actress, also known for her role together with George C. Scott in "The Formula", plays a Palestinian born terrorist, tasked to convince an American, former fighter pilot, turned to blimp pilot, to help her out in the plan to "carry" a special "cluster bomb" on board of the Goodyear blimp;Bruce Dern is the disgruntled pilot who, after a traumatic experience with Vietnamese prisons, and not feeling appropriately considered or rewarded by the U.S. Government, decides, partly out for love for Marthe Keller's character, and partly as a kind of revenge, to carry out this folly.Besides the three mentioned we get also Fritz Weaver (Demon Seed) and Walter Gotell (of James Bond memory, as General Gogol and as the SPECTRE agent in "From Russia with Love") to support this complicated and highly suspenseful picture.Perhaps certain themes may be a bit outdated, but if one turns the names and places a bit around, you could find yourself confronted with a very modern and still actual picture.This is a picture that has survived the years almost intact.What is rather shocking is the awareness, that certain realities, dealt in this work of fiction, are still among us nowadays.Moreover, this is one of those movies that foresaw, in one way or another, the happenings that would later become reality on 9/11.Some movies simply are eerily closer to reality than one might think or wish them to be.The acting by all is impeccable and very believable. The story grips you and never allows you to truly relax.But be warned. This is a very uncomfortable movie to watch, especially for the reasons I have exposed above, but it also has the advantage to explain some facts behind those, otherwise so obscure worlds of terrorism and secret agencies.I can only recommend it to a mature audience. This is no "kiddies" movie. To minors, this can still be a too shocking and pitiless depiction of fanatism and its consequences.

Thomas Harris who wrote the Hannibal Lecter books penned this story (his first book)about Israeli agents discovering a conspiracy to perpetrate a horrendous terrorist act in the US.They choose the superbowl as their target especially as the US president will be attending.Its a very tense,suspenseful film as the Israeli agents operate within America stepping on the toes of the FBI as the clock ticks on.The finale where they fight it out and involves the Goodyear blimp is great(not a spoiler as the cover shows the action towards the end).The film tries to show both sides of the Palestinian conflict but the sympathy lies with the good guys, as no one condones terrorism.Great action movie worth watching.

Bruce dern is very good as the mentaly unstable vietnam vet.solid performances all round except marthe keller who cannot act.Love Robert shaw even his crappiest films are always worth a watch.Now to the film plot to set off a massive bomb over the super bowl using a blimp.FBI and israeli int rushing to stop it happening and always one step behind.Fair 2.35.1 picture and a mono soundtrack.Good solid thriller from john frankeheimer.This is not a classic in The bird man of alcatraz,or ronin vain but has some good tuff action sequences.Also one more thing it was nice to see Fritz weaver as something of a tough FBI agent slightly out of his depth as he always seemed type cast as the softly spoken slightly weak character ie Holocaust

sound and picture quality on this BLURAY release are both top quality and you will not be disappointed .

a real thriller

Classic 1970's thriller, excellent. The disc plays a treat on a UK player.