Fiction vs. Fiction: Black Sunday (1977)

 Let's celebrate the Big Game (TM?) with a look at possible peril!

I already watched and reviewed Black Sunday years ago, but didn't get the Book until later.

Well, now let's see how the two match up!

This is...

***VS***

What's the Same?

As the Film is based on the Book, the Plot doesn't change.

It is still about a crazy guy being manipulated into attempting to blow up a blimp during the Superbowl.

What's Different?

For starters, the Film was released 2 years after the Book, so the Setting has to change.  The Book is set when the 1975 Game happened and the Film is set when the 1977 Game happened.

In addition, the Book gives you way more backstory on everyone involved, from the villains to the heroes.  The former gets a whole Chapter to set up why he's so crazy and driven.

Curiously, the biggest difference here is just who survives the Story and who doesn't.

The 3 Writers for the Film mixed things up for one reason or another.  So...

Kabakov (Robert Shaw) dies in the Book, but lives in the Film.
Moshevsky (his Partner) lives int the Book but dies in the Film.

(A random Cop is killed in the partner's place in the Book)

Fasil (the planner) survives to be tried in the Book but dies in the Film.

Muzi (the importer of the explosives) is tortured for information in the Film, but this happens to Fasil in the Book.

In addition, Muzi dies in an explosion set by the villains in the Book, but now he's a Japanese Captain in the Film.

The last big change is in the branding involved.

The Book uses the fill-in TV Station name of NBS, but the Film uses CBS and real Broadcasters.
They also got Goodyear to let them use their blimp, but conditions were attached to this.

They had to say that Landers (the Pilot) was not an official Employee and they couldn't blow up the blimp with 'Goodyear' facing the camera.
No, really.

Final Thoughts

Both versions are good- no question.

One is a tense Book Thriller that really explores the Characters.
One is a tense Film Thriller that delivers on all of the big moments.

To be fair, the finale of the Book is rushed.  They only launch the Blimp in the last EIGHT PAGES (of a 318-page book).

There's really no bad option.

What is Better?

A hard choice, but I give the slight edge in execution to...

The Film

I'm glad that I got around to reading the Book and rewatching the Film.  Give them both a look, honestly.