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Adventure thriller

Black Sunday (1977): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot

Black Sunday (1977) movie poster

Black Sunday is a 1977 adventure thriller directed by John Frankenheimer, starring Bruce Dern, Walter Gotell and Marthe Keller. It is based on Black Sunday by Thomas Harris. It runs 2 hours 23 minutes and earned $15.8 million worldwide. Critics gave it 75% on Rotten Tomatoes and 57 on Metacritic.

Rotten Tomatoes
75%
worldwide gross
$15.8M
Metascore
57
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Black Sunday (1977) movie poster
Released
Runtime
2h 23m (143 min)
Genres
Adventure , Drama , Thriller , Crime
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Black Sunday About?

The premise of Black Sunday without spoilers, adapted from Black Sunday by Thomas Harris. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Haunted by his experiences in Vietnam, Michael Lander descends into instability and joins forces with Palestinian terrorist Dahlia. Together, they plot a devastating attack at the Super Bowl, threatening thousands of lives. As Lander's sanity deteriorates, Israeli agent Kabakov and the FBI race against time to uncover the conspiracy and prevent a catastrophic event.

Black Sunday Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • goodyear blimp
  • vietnam war veteran
  • terrorist
  • stadium
  • blimp
  • killer
  • assassin
  • betrayal
  • tragedy
  • criminal mastermind
  • paranoid schizophrenia
  • mystery killer
+38 more
  • body count
  • psycho killer
  • graphic violence
  • terror
  • panic
  • crowd
  • female psychopath
  • political intrigue
  • homicidal maniac
  • ruthlessness
  • blimp explosion
  • lighting a fuse
  • rappelling from a helicopter
  • cheering crowd
  • pittsburgh steelers
  • nervous
  • black september organization
  • building a bomb
  • blimp pilot
  • israeli commando
  • garrote
  • time bomb
  • war crime confession
  • caught naked
  • football
  • walkie talkie
  • anger
  • media coverage
  • suicide
  • war medal
  • war hero
  • cult film
  • poetic justice
  • doctor
  • politics
  • torture
  • attempted murder
  • binoculars
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Cast & crew

Black Sunday Cast

Bruce Dern leads the cast, with Walter Gotell and Marthe Keller. Directed by John Frankenheimer; 10 actors are credited in all.

From the director

More from John Frankenheimer

More films directed by John Frankenheimer, best-rated first: The Manchurian Candidate, The Train, Birdman of Alcatraz and Seven Days in May.

Full filmography
Ratings

Black Sunday Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave Black Sunday 75% on Rotten Tomatoes and 57 on Metacritic.

Plot

Black Sunday Plot Summary

What happens in Black Sunday from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

On November 12, 1975, a pivotal moment unfolds as Dahlia Iyad arrives at the bustling airport of Beirut, Lebanon. As she navigates through the maze of narrow alleys and vibrant bazaars, Dahlia finds herself slipping quietly into the back seat of a waiting car, which whisks her away to a fortified compound. It is here that she meets Nageeb, a Palestinian co-conspirator who introduces her to a critical piece of evidence: a clandestine film showcasing an American prisoner of war named Mike Lander admitting to his war crimes before his North Vietnamese captors. While Nageeb expresses concern over Lander’s unstable demeanor, warning Dahlia against relying on him for her impending mission, she remains steadfast, believing she can manipulate the situation to her advantage.

Full summary

The whole story of Black Sunday, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

Black Sunday Box Office

Black Sunday grossed $15.8 million worldwide.

1977 box office

Worldwide gross

$15.8M

US & Canada
$15.8M
Videos

Black Sunday Trailers & Videos

The trailer of Black Sunday.

Black Sunday - Trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Black Sunday?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What was the main mission of Dahlia Iyad in Black Sunday?

Cars

Cars in Black Sunday

55 cars on screen, including the 1975 Ford Torino and the 1970 Oldsmobile Delta 88.

All 55 cars
  • 1975 Ford Torino in Black Sunday 1975 Ford Torino Important role
  • 1970 Oldsmobile Delta 88 in Black Sunday 1970 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Important role
  • 1964 Volkswagen Camionnette T1 Typ 2 in Black Sunday 1964 Volkswagen Camionnette T1 Typ 2 Important role
  • 1972 Checker Taxicab in Black Sunday 1972 Checker Taxicab Minor role
Details

Black Sunday Also Known As

16 alternative titles, including “Schwarzer Sonntag” and “Dimanche noir”.

Also known as
  • Schwarzer Sonntag
  • Dimanche noir
  • ブラック・サンデー:1977
  • ブラック・サンデー(Black Sunday 1977)
  • Domingo negro
  • Чорна неділя
  • Fekete vasárnap
  • Sort søndag
  • Черное воскресенье
  • 블랙 선데이
  • 黑色星期天
  • Kara Pazar
+4 more
  • ブラック・サンデー
  • Černá neděle
  • Svart söndag
  • یکشنبه سیاه

Seen Black Sunday?

FAQ

Black Sunday FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, the book behind it and post-credit scenes of Black Sunday, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Black Sunday?

Black Sunday runs 2 hours 23 minutes (143 minutes).

When was Black Sunday released?

Black Sunday was released on March 11, 1977.

Who directed Black Sunday?

Black Sunday was directed by John Frankenheimer.

More films by John Frankenheimer

Who is in the cast of Black Sunday?

Black Sunday stars Bruce Dern, Walter Gotell and Marthe Keller, among 10 credited actors.

How much did Black Sunday make at the box office?

Black Sunday grossed $15.8 million worldwide.

How is Black Sunday rated?

Black Sunday has 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, 57 on Metacritic and 67% on TMDB.

Is Black Sunday based on a book?

Yes. Black Sunday is adapted from Black Sunday by Thomas Harris.

Does Black Sunday have a post-credit scene?

No. Black Sunday has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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