Sexy Palestinian terrorist, Dahlia (Marthe Keller) finds the perfect boyfriend in Vietnam Vet Mike Lander (Bruce Dern) who works once a week as a Goodyear blimp pilot for the National Football League (NFL).
To make a point about America’s support for Israel, she convinces him to fill the blimp up with explosives and blow up the Super Bowl (which the President will be attending).
But badass Israeli intelligence agent David Kabakov (Robert Shaw) is on her tail.
Eventually, the blimp’s attack on a packed stadium – an iconic image from late ’70s cinema – is an exercise in superb editing craftsmanship, using every trick in the book from the pre-CGI era.
Miami Dolphins owner Joe Robbie got the NFL to allow extensive filming at a real Super Bowl game and the use of copyrighted team names and logos. Additional footage of the stampede at the game was shot at the Orange Bowl after the game with thousands of extras.
David Kabakov
Robert Shaw
Lander
Bruce Dern
Dahlia Iyad
Marthe Keller
Corley
Fritz Weaver
Moshevsky
Steven Keats
Fasil
Bekim Fehmiu
Muzi
Michael V. Gazzo
Pugh
William Daniels
Colonel Riat
Walter Gotell
Nageeb
Victor Campos
Joseph Robbie
Himself
Robert Wussler
Himself
Pat Summerall
Himself
Tom Brookshier
Himself
Fowler
Walter Brooke
Director
John Frankenheimer
