Why is FLASH GORDON such a great movie ?

[Mikey]

I just watched Flash Gordon last night for the millionth time.

I'm very happy to admit, I was one of the original people who seen it back in the day at my local theatre and recognized how cool of a film it was ---- LONG before it became a "cult classic".

Why is this movie so good ?

Was it because it wasn't MENT to be good ?

[palitoy]

I think it's a fun movie, pure and simple, I liked it in 1980 and I like it now.
It's not great science fiction but I have problems with people who say it's not as good as the serials, I love them but they are not high art.

[Riffster]

80's cheese...there's noting like it. i love the movie, my wife makes fun of it

[Mikey]

The film was pure serendipity .......

A 1930's serial remake ........

A 70's era sci fi film industry -- that decided to make their film look "'30's-ish"

Hire the main lead with basically no acting abilty what-so-ever .......

Back him up with a cast of professional and respected actors ......

Add Queen to do the score ...........

.. and then role the bones ....... :grin:

I can't imaging that ever happening in this day and age.

[SUP-Ronin]

My favorite line - "Pathetic earthlings. Hurling your bodies out into the void, without the slightest inkling of who or what is out here. If you had known anything about the true nature of the universe, anything at all, you would've hidden from it in terror."

Flash Gordon (1980) - Memorable quotes (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080745/quotes)

[david_b]

Hot young babes in erotic harum attire.. And Queen's soundtrack.

What else needs to be said..?

[palitoy]

The Queen soundtrack gives it a rock opera feel as well, I raced out and bought that record after the movie.

[Mikey]

The Queen soundtrack gives it a rock opera feel as well, I raced out and bought that record after the movie.

Me too.

I still have my original LP with Max as Ming give-away 12"x12" poster :grin:

[Earth 2 Chris]

Brian nails it. It's fun. It's a romp. It doesn't take itself seriously at all. It still has somewhat of an epic feel to it somehow though, even though it's kind of a satire. Like the Batman TV series when it was really firing on all cylinders, it works on several different levels. No surprise many of the same folks were involved.

And the Queen soundtrack just puts it over the top. It helps keep its cool quotient high.

Chris

[Collect 'em all!]

Brian nails it. It's fun. It's a romp. It doesn't take itself seriously at all. It still has somewhat of an epic feel to it somehow though, even though it's kind of a satire. Like the Batman TV series when it was really firing on all cylinders, it works on several different levels. No surprise many of the same folks were involved.

And the Queen soundtrack just puts it over the top. It helps keep its cool quotient high.

Chris

Totally!

It's utterly fun, and you just can't say that about 99% of the sci fi movies coming out these days.

Lorenzo Semple Jr, the master of camp, at his best!!!

The costume and set designs and Special Effects are absolutely marvelous!!! See what they were able to achieve in the good old days, all without CGI?

Max Von Sydow's performance as Emperor Ming is priceless! The sequence with Ming and his daughter Aura in Klytus's torture chamber is classic!

One of the funniest scenes in the movie is when Dale (Melody Anderson) has just escaped from Ming's harem, and she's tip-toeing along thru the palace carring her high heeled shoes--some of Ming's soldiers enter the hall, she delicately sets her shoes down on the floor, blasts 'em dead with her laser gun, and then picks up her shoes by the ankle straps and continues on her way. :smiley1:

Here's a shot of my Flash Gordon movie poster--awesome artwork by Richard Amsel.


"Flash Ah-Ahhh! Savior of the Universe! Flash!"

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/KirkJarvinen/S1031512.jpg

[fallensaviour]

Still one of my favorite sci-fi flicks today.Why I don't know it just is.
It has lasers,flying hawkmen,spaceships,Babes,rockets,sex appeal and football + kick butt music.It just plain rocks!!!
Go flash go,go flash go!!!

[Bo8a_Fett]

"Gordon...alive"...."DIIIIIIIIIVE!!!"
love it

[Seeker]

Queen and those 30s retro style ships. Maxs and Topals and Brians acting.
:yes:

[Bionic Joe]

Haven't seen it in years but what i liked about it in 80 is why i still like it mostly because of the soundtrack by QUEEN

[The Bat]

I know it's Cheesey & corny...but I like it as well! When ever it's on, I can't stop watching it!:yes:

[jwyblejr]

I think also because it's close to the Filmation cartoon that was out at the same time doesn't hurt it either. I know it's not 100% the same but pretty close.

[thunderbolt]

Loved it because it didn't try to be a clone of Star Wars. retro styled costuming, retro looking fx and sets, Queen instead of some booming John Williams knockoff. Max rocked as Ming.

[spiderrogue]

im the same way, it's just good and very cheesey....it's one that i can watch more than once...a lot of flicks, i cant watch but every 6 months or so...

[toys2cool]

80's cheese...there's noting like it. i love the movie, my wife makes fun of it

lol same here,but I've enjoyed it since I was a little kid and always will :grin:

[Raydeen1]

So I logged in to tell you all my wonderful wife just brought me home the Alex Ross version of the DVD and I see this thread!

I saw this movie in the theatre way back and Mom got me the soundtrack LP for Xmas that year. I still have the LP. :)

I haven't seen this movie since that time in the theatre and I can't wait to watch it! I loved this silly movie when I was a kid. I hope I enjoy it tonight.

My favorite lines I remember from when I was a kid: "Klytus I'm bored...what plaything can you offer me today"? AND: "You loonie bird, get out of here they need you on the ground"

Oddly, they had a Batman Begins/The Batman Animated 2 pack for 6.99 and I had no interest in it. Mom will no doubt pick that up for me for Xmas at which time I'll give Begins a second try.

[Hector]

I thought you hated my band, Mike.

:smiley1: :smiley1: :smiley1:

[Mikey]

I thought you hated my band, Mike.

:smiley1: :smiley1: :smiley1:

No way !!!! Hec,

Queen rules .......

I have put them down (once in a while) for the sake of a juicy thread now and then ;) ....

Just doing my job of keeping the Museum threads fresh and interesting :grin:

[Hector]

Well...don't diss Queen again because it raises my blood pressure up, lol.

:smiley1: :smiley1: :smiley1:

[kept back]

Ornella Muti. That's what makes this movie great. I'm convinced had Ornella Muti been in Batman and Robin it would have been a billion times better...or maybe not.

[jessica]

I have never seen this movie before. Better add it to my Netflix list.

[Mikey]

I have never seen this movie before. Better add it to my Netflix list.

I highly recommend it, J

One word of advice ......

When you watch it, get ready for super-fun in Batman the TV series style.

Most people that don't like Flash take the whole movie too serously.

They don't get it :grin:

Also, it's very kid friendly

No bad words etc.

[ctc]

>Was it because it wasn't MENT to be good ?

Y'know.... maybe; in a sideways kinda way. I don't remember it getting hyped too much when I was a kid. Lots of posters but no real commentary. So you could kinda make up your own mind on it. It's silly, but not in a way that really seems to violate the premise or the "physics" of the world they's det up. It really is a whole-cloth film; nobody'd done anything quite like it: a weird mish-mosh of classic sci-fi, music video, and chrome.

So it comes across as something..... I dunno the correct term, "new" isn't quite right.... "genuine" maybe? At any rate you watch it and feel like SOMETHING happened come the end.

Don C.

[Collect 'em all!]

Just in case anyone here is unaware of these (like I was)...the new Alex Ross Flash Gordon figures! WOW!


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/KirkJarvinen/FlashGordon1980VarriantFigure.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/KirkJarvinen/FlashGordon1980MING.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/KirkJarvinen/flash_gordon_action_figure_with_min.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/KirkJarvinen/FlashGordon1980Figure1.jpg

[Raydeen1]

VERY nice!

They need to do Klytus and Vultan!

[spiderrogue]

too cool!! has anyone seen "Flesh gordon"? it's uhh..a different kind of movie. i'll be the first to admit that i had seen it, painfully...seen it...let's just say that i didnt pay money to see it, luckily...

[kingdom warrior]

Queen and Melody Anderson oh YES!!!!!

[palitoy]

VERY nice!

They need to do Klytus and Vultan!

Oddly enough, Jeff, the president of this company (Bifbangpow) and I are friendly. Klytus is next, I cannot wait.

[MIB41]

"Flash I LOVE YOU...but we only have 24 hours to save the earth!" Hey with lines like that you either stay with the movie and have fun with it or turn the DVD player off. It's a fun movie and one of those, 'it is what it is' kind of films. You either get it and enjoy the ride or shouldn't have put it in at all if you were expecting '2001: A Space Odessey'. :wink:

[Collect 'em all!]

VERY nice!

They need to do Klytus and Vultan!

Fo Sho!!!
I'm dying for them to do a figure of Princess Aura dressed like this!


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/KirkJarvinen/PrincessAuraMuti2.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/KirkJarvinen/Muti0013.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/KirkJarvinen/PrincessAuraMuti1.jpg

[Mikey]

Fo Sho!!!
I'm dying for them to do a figure of Princess Aura dressed like this!


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/KirkJarvinen/PrincessAuraMuti2.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/KirkJarvinen/Muti0013.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/KirkJarvinen/PrincessAuraMuti1.jpg

Hell with the action figures ......

I'm dying for Ornella Muti herself dressed like that :grin:

[kingdom warrior]

Hell with the action figures ......

I'm dying for Ornella Muti herself dressed like that :grin: Fo Sho! Holla!

[Raydeen1]

I'm watching this today with the family. Can't wait to hear all those goofy lines.

Been many years. Should be quite a trip.

[twilitezoner]

Great might be a slight exaggeration. :wink_y:

[david_b]

OK, now you all did it....! Now I'm going to have to buy a copy of Flash Gordon off Amazon..

Blast it..!

[txteach]

It's a fun movie for me because I saw it with my Dad when I was a kid.

[palitoy]

Great might be a slight exaggeration. :wink_y:

Well, it's great fun if that counts...

[twilitezoner]

Oh it's a guilty pleasure for sure.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I watched it with my 6-year old son a few months back, and he's watched it a couple of times since. He thinks its "cool".

There's hope for today's youth yet!

Chris

[johnmiic]

It was good but not I think, a great film. At least it's not a cop-out like that Sci-Fi channel garbage. Dr. Zarkov has a Winnebago not a rocket ship!?!?Just keeee-rap!

[Raydeen1]

So the family sat down to watxh last night. What a hoot! Man, it was a trip! I hadn't seen it since the theatre so it was rather interesting. ;)

My boys didn't quite get that it was supposed to be a bit silly. I gotta say Max von Sydow did an excelletn job as Ming. I'd forgotten how gross it was when Klytus died. Awesome stuff!

[Vortigern99]

The below quote about sums it up for me! I can't really add anything to it, except to say that my Dad took my sister and me to see it in the theater in 1980, and we all loved it! I've seen it a hundred times or more (including a viewing at the Alamo Drafthouse 3 years ago with Swedish subtitles, which oddly increased the entertainment value), and I could watch it again right now! The "younger generation" doesn't seem to "get" this movie, as most of the young genre fans I know hate it. But those whippersnapper are missing a great time at the movies, sez I.


Totally!

It's utterly fun, and you just can't say that about 99% of the sci fi movies coming out these days.

Lorenzo Semple Jr, the master of camp, at his best!!!

The costume and set designs and Special Effects are absolutely marvelous!!! See what they were able to achieve in the good old days, all without CGI?

Max Von Sydow's performance as Emperor Ming is priceless! The sequence with Ming and his daughter Aura in Klytus's torture chamber is classic!

One of the funniest scenes in the movie is when Dale (Melody Anderson) has just escaped from Ming's harem, and she's tip-toeing along thru the palace carring her high heeled shoes--some of Ming's soldiers enter the hall, she delicately sets her shoes down on the floor, blasts 'em dead with her laser gun, and then picks up her shoes by the ankle straps and continues on her way. :smiley1:

Here's a shot of my Flash Gordon movie poster--awesome artwork by Richard Amsel.


"Flash Ah-Ahhh! Savior of the Universe! Flash!"

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/KirkJarvinen/S1031512.jpg