The film was perfectly executed, despite its problems. It is the perfect comic book movie. I saw this when first released, and still have the cassette of the first release to VHS, and look forward to the 40th anniversary release. I hope the original isn't ruined by a sequel that cannot hold up to it, I don't believe it can be done. This is an example of something that only works once.
Just to get it rectified here, Star Wars actually had NOTHING - or very little at any rate - to do with why THIS movie was made. No, THIS movie WAS ORIGINALLY supposed to be Dune. The producers were attempting to make a version of Dune in the early to mid 70s which got CANCELLED. They THEN made THIS flick instead, which happens to recycle and incorporate a lot of stuff from THAT aborted project (including things like set, costumes, and spacecraft designs and character concepts). There's even a documentary film called Alexandro Jodorowsky's Dune which tells you all about it.
The visuals of this movie is incredibly stunning. So shiny,and original. It looks like a 1940s comic book. It's incredible. It deserved an Oscar for set and costume design
I made a cassette recording of the Queen soundtrack and took it with me every time we went to LaserLand to play Laser-Tag with my friends from school in the 1990s. They used to let us play our own music during our combat rounds. I usually used Flash Gordon soundtrack or the one from Highlander (also Queen).
The worst thing to ever happen to me was growing up and becoming an armchair critic instead of enjoying a movie with the mind of a child who cared about nothing else but adventure, discovery, and creation. THIS was why Flash Gordon, along with everything else from yesteryear, made my childhood unforgettable. Realizing that I watched movies nowadays trying to find a flaw in character or story or whatever...was when I knew my childhood was gone. Back then I didn't give a damn...and this is why these flicks were perfect.
dont look for flaws, look for respect and sincerity in the work.. or maybe just sincerity, digital effects artists tend to have all the respect for their work, its the some/many directors, producers, writers, cast that just dont do their work justice.
When i see the movie as a grown up the story is relatable. You have a narcissistic /psycho power mad emperor ming wanting it all and causing destruction and you have a regular earth man American football player flash with no super powers squaring up to him sorting out the rights and wrongs and ming seen flash as a threat as he was a smart young fit man and narcissistic psychos like ming don't like anyone getting in there way for seeing what they really are the inhabitants of mongo were frightened of ming as he was a frightening villain and Flash did not fear him that's why we see flash as a hero it's like todays crazy world we live in the regular guy like Flash standing up to the power crazy people who only care about themselves it's parallel with the James Bond character pitting his wits against the main villains who wanted power and domination.
Flash Ah-ah Savior of the universe Flash Ah-ah He'll save every one of us Flash Ah-ah He's a miracle (This mornings unprecedented solar eclipse is no cause for alarm) Flash Ah-ah King of the impossible He's for every one of us Stand for every one of us He'll save with a mighty hand Every man, every woman, every child with a mighty Flash Flash Ah-ah (Gordon's alive) Flash Ah-ah He'll save every one of us *_Just a man, with a man's courage_* *_He knows nothing but a man_* *_But he can never fail_* *_No one but the pure in heart may find the golden grail_* Oh-oh-oh Oh-oh-oh-oh Flash, Flash, I love you But we only have 14 hours to save the Earth
it was amazing, beautiful women, fighting, flying warriors, great music. Like everyone said, an amazing movie for the time and will always be a great classic.
This film is one of my all time favourite movies. The look, the sets, the costumes, the music, all absolutely exquisite. And Von Sydow is one of the greatest villains in sci-fi movie history. Also the high camp vibe running through it gives it a huge sense of fun that's lacking from a lot of over serious sci-fi movies that came after. Love every minute of it.
I've got *_Flash Gordon_* on VHS, DVD, Blu-Ray & Digital Download. 🥰 (& I have Queen's "Flash" theme MP3 & .WAV) I also have Queen's *_Flash Gordon&_* vinyl record, but it's 42 years old & has too many scratch to play. Needless to say, I love the move!
I love Flash Gordon. For a flick with so many obvious problems, it's REALLY fun to watch. I have to give Queen a lot of credit. The music was amazing. I liked a lot of the supporting cast, too.
80s were the best for an anything goes wherever your mind takes you creativity. Not only that there was still a wholesomeness to it all. We were still trying to create art and uplift society rather than denigrate and destroy as Hollywood is now doing.
I read the second line as if it were a blood curdling scream. Then I read the third line and everything was all right. But now I'm thinking of some creepy dude in a trenchcoat yelling "FLASH" and making some poor woman scream.
Also lets not forget this: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_Jtpf8N5IDE.html By the way have you seen this: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-WJCDbxGNMkk.html
Do NOT discount the Orchestral Underscore by Composer Howard Blake because he skillfully picked up the cues left by Queen and brought them to a musical and logical conclusion.
I was a young teen when this came out and ALL sci fi films were “corny” back then. Star Wars was corny. “Battle Beyond The Stars” was corny, based on “The Seven Samurai, but still corny. I saw “Flash Gordon “ because I was a fan, the independent station in my town played Commando Cody, and Flash Gordon shorts between monster movies on Saturday nights. 3:45
Considering we launched for space on mushrooms a hour before the movie begin, this is still one of the best movies I've ever seen. For two months after watching that flick, my girlfriend would shout "Not the bore worms", every time I made a pass at her.
@@jasonblalock4429 Sorry but that's just not accurate. You do not interview Brian Blessed. You introduce him to the stage and then he talks until you stop him. Let us look at Richard Herrings' ''interview' as a sobering example.
The story is dicey the FX dated. The costumes eyebrow raising but regardless of its flaws it's a brilliant film with Queens score and beautiful colours very rich. And then there's the women Mings daughter is smoking hot. It's aged like wine and it's one of those films you will sit and watch at any point if it's on TV. Gordon's still Alive!
Klytus, I'm bored. What play thing can you offer me today? An obscure body in the S-K System, Your Majesty. The inhabitants refer to it as the planet... Earth. I love the way he pronounces Earth, like he's never heard of it before. Meanwhile the machine Ming uses to attack Earth has a great big Earthquake button on it! rofl
I was 9 when I saw this in the theater. Made a HUGE impression on me in so many ways. Still a beloved movie. It wasn't until around the year 2000 that I was able to find a copy on DVD that I had to import from the UK that I was able to see it again.
This movie was so damn fun. One of the most watched films of my childhood just for the sheer craziness and spectacle and that hot italian actress. OMG. The Fight Scene on the Disc is still pretty awesome to this day and worth whatever time it took to shoot.
What a film. Ornella Muti, phwoar. Melody Anderson, phwoar. Brian Blessed, Gordon's alive! Queen tunes, yeah! Sam J Jones, Hell yeah! Max Von Sydow, best baddy ever. Timothy Dalton, legend.
Dino DeLaurentis is responsible for some of the most outrageous cinematic follies ever committed to celluloid; the willingness to combine blockbuster budgets with art-house talent and give creative control to avowed counter-culture thugs helped to produce some of the most unique and influential pictures of his era. Never made money, never had a successful franchise, but without him it's likely Western popular cinema would be a much drabber, more aesthetically conservative place.
I freaking love this movie soooo much. A big draw for me are set design, costumes, main actor and Max von Sydow but also the incredible soundtrack. Watch it every year. I don't understand how some of these Laurentiis mega productions were box office fails. He produced many of my all time fave movies. If I hadn't been a toddler back then would have loved to watch them on the big screen.
I watched Flash Gordon on TV in the late seventies and as a Queen fan bought the soundtrack and rented the movie on VHS in the early eighties. I particularly enjoyed Brian May's battle theme. The film was quite good too. I never imagined all the problems that existed before the film was finally ready.
@Jeff Harden re:"they couldn't pull this off ever again" The truth of that comment is painful because I now fear they might try! There is no "Heart" in the producers, writers of move craft today! We've all seen the rubbish created today. Remakes literally ruin legacy film! I need to add this movie to my digital library before the WOKE police bring out the BORE WORMS!
@@markg.7865 And may you enjoy Cali-Vax-ifornia. Don't forget your mRNA Booster passport or you might be denied access to your kindergarteners Drag queen festival on campus! Watch your step, I hear the people poop pickup doesn't come until Thursday!
Humble brag of the day: My cousin, Betty Glasow was the hairdresser on this film. Her career was incredible (incl looking after the Beatles famous hair in A Hard Day's Night and Help! as well as films like Alfie and Titanic) but Flash Gordon is still the one I wanted to talk to her about.
I saw this when I was five. My mother was in the hospital giving birth to my younger twin sisters and my grandmother was watching me and my brother. I remember watching this while laying my head on her lap. This movie will always hold a special place in my heart.
Wow! I literally JUST randomly watched this movie again last night!! Being older now, Its loaded chock full of cheese and hokey dialogue! Add the hair and the back drop synth score and QUEEN and you have the epitome of movie madness that was the 80s!! Actress Melody Anderson is one of the most beautiful women I have ever laid eyes on! Ever! She harkens back to the days of Silver Screen beauties of Hollywood before women resorted to surgery to become unnatural science projects. Fuck I miss those days!
Still one of my ALL time favs. I remember watching this on HBO as a kid at my buddies house. We were both huge Queen fans and the soundtrack along with the sci-fi special effects, as cheesey as they are, was just pure eye candy to me. I didn't pick up on all the sexual undertones until some years later, but this will ALWAYS be up there in my top films and a must see for anyone who hasn't yet.
Literally my favorite movie of all-time. I saw it in the theater with my dad when I was a kid. I'm a bit older now, but can honestly say I've seen this film (credit-to-credit) well over 200 times. A true classic. So over-the-top cheesy, it became good lol! :)
Loved this episode. Found your site by accident. But you have become my go to for stories about movies. Thank you for your efforts and i will keep watching.✌
I made a cassette recording of the Queen soundtrack and took it with me every time we went to LaserLand to play Laser-Tag with my friends from school in the 1990s. They used to let us play our own music during our combat rounds. I usually used Flash Gordon soundtrack or the one from Highlander (also Queen).
Flash Gordon happened to us and we were all blessed for it. It's one of the reasons why 'Thor: Ragnarok' is one of my favorite Marvel movies because it totally emulates the flashiness and comic pulp camp of 'Flash Gordon', making it just a fun ride without any pretense.
I was 17 when FLASH GORDON was released and I totally got what the producers did with this movie. The word "cheesy" wasn't even in my vocabulary- I just *got* it.....
I wanted to see it when it came out when I was 9; I got excited every time I heard the ad on TV, "FLASH! Ah, ah." But I couldn't get Mom to take me. Seeing it as an adult was disheartening.
As a teenage boy canI 't remember how many times I thought about Ornella Muti and Dale together in a, er, special screening. This was a seminal movie to be sure.
*I LOVED this movie. No other movie got the clunkiness of a robot goon army down so accurately until "Ice Pirates". And BRIAN BLESSED STOLE THE SHOW!! He was so awesome (compared to the rest of the cast) that I wanted to be a Hawkman.Queens song sealed the deal, and until I saw this video I always had a sneaking suspicion but could never confirm that they had written the song FOR this movie. Thanks Mr. Blow of Joe.if you read this, I'd like to request you cover "Time Bandits" next. (tell me if Agamemnon was Sean Connery and why he wasn't listed in the VHS credits/ plus was Lawrence Fishburn in it too, because I think he was listed as "Larry" F.)*
@@maxsteel8031 I just watched the whole movie again, read all the credits. Didn't see Laurence Fishburne anywhere, or Larry. If you know it to be true, could you tell me where in the movie you think he is and I'll double check.
Max Von Sydow a beautiful actor. I was devastated when I heard the news of his death. He is the only Ming the Merciless. When the movie was released my older brother had promised to take me. I was 9 and so excited. But when he went to see the movie he said he wouldn't take me with. That he lied to make me be quiet. I cried because I wanted so desperately to see Flash Gordon. Our mom attempted to soothe me by holding me and telling me I could stay home with her and watch The Love Boat. Because she loved me and loved spending time with me. It's still one of my favorite movies. I watch it once a week.
I’ve seen this film over and over my entire life. I know all it’s faults, yet, I love it all the same. I love it enough that it gets several reviewing.
If you ever have to fight, just put on "Battle Theme" from this soundtrack and your chances of winning that fight just increased exponentially. Best action sequence theme ever!
Flash Gordon was so popular as a comic in Australia that our Prime Minister of the time, Robert Menzies, was nicknamed 'Ming the Merciless' . And his tine in office - 20-odd years - was nicknamed 'the Ming dynasty' 🤣
It was the year I graduated high school and my first year in college when my friends and I went to the theater to see this. Half way through, I realized it was camp, much like the Batman tv series. Sure enough, Lorenzo Semple Jr.'s name was in the credits. He created the Batman television show in the sixties.
Just saw this movie on some strange cable channel a few years ago... i loved it!! Sam Jones was dubbed the entire movie is crazy! I couldn't see the dubbing.
I attended a Comic Con last year that had Sam Jones in attendance and chatted with him about this and other things (hardly any one else at his booth, sadly). (If you ever have a chance to meet him, do so. A real fans oriented guy who'll treat you like an old friend he hasn't seen in years.) There were plans for a sequel, but it was trapped in development hell for years and years and just kind of fizzled out. The premise of the sequel that had the most effort put into making something of it was with the general (?Kala?) being the one to pick up the ring at the end. The general would then be the initial antagonist in the sequel.
@@pheonix5597 its an expensive "B" movie then. i believe the term "B" movie in todays lingo simple means a lovable cheesy movie, this one also falls into cult classic status easily.
A timeless classic. It's taken decades for it to get the love it richly deserves. Along with other such cult faves as Big Trouble in Little China, Escape from New York and Dune, this movie is one of the all time cult greats. In 100 years, this movie will still be fun.
The 80s decade was the best ever. You cannot explain what it is like seeing this in the theater for the first time. I enjoy the classic heroes who don't have any super powers but still fight on and find the path to win.
I went to see this movie with a large family group I was 7 and loved the film then as much as I do now. Theres plenty of good tracks but Vultans theme still gives me goose bumps.
I just watched Flash Gordon for the first time since I was a kid in the 80s and was blown away, it was so much fun! Shocked it didn't catch on. Honestly, I prefer it to Star Wars (which I didn't get into until adulthood).
I loved the colourful design of Flash Gordon, and frankly, am kinda sad that all spaceships in the movies nowadays are all grey and silver. Dull. Sigh...
I happen to LIKE the VISUALS in THIS flick too! The vibrant multi-colored alien sky, the spectacular and motley lasers, (particularly during the hawkmen & war rocket Ajax battle sequence), the very weird and eccentric desighn of the spacecrafts costumes and sets, and also the very nifty animated title & opening credits sequence (which neatly incorporates illustrations from the old comic . .. they're often quite spectacular and stunning! . .. and highly original! I think the people that knock them are all just asshats who think that EVERYTHING should look just like SW. Well the world would be BORING if everything resembled frigging big-britched high'n mighty overrated SW!
I remember this movie at its original time of release. It started out at the local movie theatre downtown for three weeks (one of only 4 movie houses in the city I lived in) then it went to the Drive-in theatre as the 'B' movie to 'Outland' much later in '81 for 2 weeks. Nobody I knew even saw Flash Gordon, except one my friend's Mom' whom actually worked at the Drive-in (and saw it for free). The soundtrack was another story completely, it was impossible to escape the Queen songs they were literally everywhere.
I was shown this movie for the first time at a child care center when I was around 8-9. I was utterly captivated by it and it still stands as one of my favorites :) I love Klytus
