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Flash Gordon - 1980 SUCKS! (But not as much as I thought)
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 4:40 pm
by aTOMiC
Okay.
Talk about johnny come lately!
Way back in the day, when Flash Gordon hit the theaters in 1980, I had heard that the film sucked. However, for some reason, I also remember hearing that it was kind of a musical. I hate musicals and I wanted no part of a musical remake of Flash Gordon. Besides only a year or two before that I actually saw the glorified television pilot of Buck Rogers at the theater and it blew. I wasn't at all interested in repeating the experience so I never actually watched Flash Gordon in all this time....til this past weekend. G4 ran the film and for some reason I decided to sit and watch it.
First of all it sucks. Much of the acting sucks, the dialog in some places is just horrible. The goob that played Flash was worthless in the role. The special effects were throw backs to early 1970s levels, ignoring all of the breakthroughs that films like Star Wars had made. However...it wasn't a musical. In fact at some point it actually stopped being strange just for the sheer effect and began to play out like your standard adventure story.
My point here is that though I still think the film sucks it doesn't suck as much as I had alway thought and I was kind of surprised by that.
You learn something new every day.
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 6:59 pm
by dANdeLION
Wikipedia wrote:1980 film
Main article: Flash Gordon (film)
The camp sci-fi adventure film Flash Gordon (1980) stars former Playgirl-centerfold Sam J. Jones in the title role. Its plot is based loosely on the first few years of the comic strip, (and in particular the famous Alex Raymond Sunday page, "Flight of the Hawkmen"), revising Flash's backstory by making him the quarterback of the New York Jets instead of a polo player. Raymond's drawings feature heavily in the opening credits, as does the signature theme-song "Flash!" by rock band Queen, who composed and performed the entire musical score.
Riding the coat-tails of Star Wars, Superman , and Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Flash Gordon was not a critical success on release, but the film has been bouyed by its later cult-status, and is particularly lauded for the calibre of both its score and supporting cast, which featured many notable actors. Melody Anderson co-starred with Jones as Dale Arden, alongside Topol as Dr. Zarkov, Max von Sydow as Ming, Timothy Dalton as Prince Barin, Brian Blessed as Prince Vultan, Peter Wyngarde as Klytus and Ornella Muti as Aura. Produced by Dino De Laurentiis, with extraordinarily ornate production designs and costumes by Danilo Donati, the bright colors and retro effects were inspired directly by the comic strip and 1930s serials.
Although not a box-office smash, the film's mixture of garish, over-the-top antics, strong camp sensibility and the juxtaposed earnest seriousness of its central characters have contributed heavily to the film's longevity and cult status. A highly quotable script - by the 1960s Batman scriptwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr. and Michael Allin - full of tongue-in-cheek gentle humor, parts of which were sampled by Queen for the title track, have also contributed to the collective affection with which it is remembered. In particular, Brian Blessed's performance as the Hawkman Prince Vultan, lodged the veteran stage- and screen- actor into the collective consciousness for the utterance of a single line - "GORDON'S ALIVE!" - which, nearly 30 years later remains the most repeated, reused and recycled quotation from both the film and Blessed's career.
You know it's gonna be a well-acted movie when the star is a former Playgirl model......
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 8:59 pm
by Phantasm
Flash, aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, saviour of the Universe.
Fantastic film, excellent soundtrack.
What more could you want from a film.
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:29 pm
by High Lord Tolkien
Phantasm wrote:Flash, aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, saviour of the Universe.
Hahahhhaaha............
That's exactly what played in my head when I read the subject line.
I saw it when I was 12 so I have no bad memories just a lot of fun.
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 11:14 pm
by Montresor
As a kid, I always loved this film. As a Queen fan, I love it even more. The film is campy, ridiculous, and garish but, really, given the source material what more could you expect?
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 11:17 pm
by jelerak
I actually still have the 45 single of the soundtrack.
Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 12:47 am
by Cail
Montresor wrote:As a kid, I always loved this film. As a Queen fan, I love it even more. The film is campy, ridiculous, and garish but, really, given the source material what more could you expect?
I can't possibly convey how much I agree with this post.
Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 3:31 pm
by dlbpharmd
High Lord Tolkien wrote:Phantasm wrote:Flash, aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, saviour of the Universe.
Hahahhhaaha............
That's exactly what played in my head when I read the subject line.
I saw it when I was 12 so I have no bad memories just a lot of fun.
Agreed.
Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 3:48 pm
by Earthfriend
Just a man
With a man's courage
He knows he's, 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.
"Flash, I love you, but we only have 24 hours to save the Earth!"
I could go on, but let's not and say I did, k?
Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 4:04 pm
by aliantha
Earthfriend wrote:"Flash, I love you, but we only have 24 hours to save the Earth!"
Dear gods, *now* I remember this song. The '80s sure have a lot to answer for.
Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 5:20 pm
by Earthfriend
LOL!
and to think, the 80's are coming back into fashion! I weep for the children...
Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 8:53 pm
by sindatur
Cail wrote:Montresor wrote:As a kid, I always loved this film. As a Queen fan, I love it even more. The film is campy, ridiculous, and garish but, really, given the source material what more could you expect?
I can't possibly convey how much I agree with this post.
Me too. Ali...what was wrong with the 80s? The 80s were awesome.
Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 10:32 pm
by dANdeLION
aliantha wrote: The '80s sure have a lot to answer for.
We'll see if you still feel that way when you're in your 80's........
Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 10:50 pm
by Worm of Despite
Flash Gordon is fricking classic. The main character is dubbed, it has lizardmen, Queen, and some of the worst lines and deliveries ever put to celluloid.
Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:08 pm
by Cagliostro
C'mon....this movie has it all. Queen music, Brian Blessed...
Princess Aura
General Kala
Hell, it even has Richard O'Brian in it. How can this not be enjoyable? They just needed different leads.
Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:21 pm
by DukkhaWaynhim
I have the motion picture soundtrack on CD. It rocks!
I smile every time it shuffles up on my iPod. I know it's there, but it surprises me like the Spanish Inquisition.
dw
Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 5:14 pm
by Cagliostro
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooobody expects the Flash Gordon Soundtrack!
Sorry, it just had to be said. Thanks Dukkha!