Flash Gordon 1980

I watched this movie in cinema when I was twelve and I loved every second of it. Over the years I have seen it many, many times and I always enjoyed it. Now I've seen the HD version and it blew me away. The colors are so vibrant, the costumes are so crazy rich in details, I've discovered things I'd never noticed before. This is more than craft, it's art. Sure, you also see flaws in the sets better but that's beside the point and doesn't matter at all. But this movie had a budget of 20m $, which is roughly double that of the first Star Wars, and that was crazy money back then. (all according to imdb)

As for the movie itself: if you think this is cheesy you haven't understood it and you're missing the point. This picks up the tradition of the old serials and they basically hit a homerun. Beside the looks you have one of the most memorable soundtracks done by one of the greatest rock bands ever. Some exceptional actors like Max von Sydow or Brian Blessed. Beautiful women like Melody Anderson, Mariangela Melato and, of course, Ornella Muti, who was once considered the most beautiful woman in the world.

The ingredients were all there but it was probably the right movie at the wrong time. No, honestly, I mean that. A lot of modern day blockbusters are silly and just look better. This was supposed to be at least two movies according to the short interview with Mike Hodges on the disc and I sure would have loved that.

Anyway, I know it's all a matter of taste and perspective but I still love this movie.

Go Flash Go!!!

One of the least appreciated movies made in my lifetime. Done right after the glory that was The Empire Strikes Back and released to a public that had forgotten who Flash Gordon was or what the 1930's serials with Larry "Buster" Crabbe represented. Although the public was drooling desire for more high tech special effects and serious Space Opera, Flash went in the opposite direction and brought Campy back with a style all his own. This movie PERFECTLY recreated everything that those early B&W serials threw at those screaming kids sitting up in the movie theater balcony. Not to mention that the actor recreations were done as if the drawn characters came to life and leapt out of the funny papers to star on the silver screen. Max von Sydow IS Emperor Ming. Brian Blessed IS Prince Vultan. Sam Jones and Melody Anderson came in as the unknowns they needed to be and stole the show. Topol, as Hans Zarkov, and a young Timothy Dalton (Prince Barin) were at the opposite ends of their careers. Dalton was just starting out and Topol had reached his zenith a decade earlier in Fiddler on the Roof. Both wore the campiness extremely well and embraced their characters with a robust fervor. The soundtrack by Queen is one of the best in movie history. That pounding baseline with Freddie Mercury's unbelievable vocals should have won an academy award. The ONLY downfall to this movie was the fact that it did so poorly at the box office and never received the sequel it hinted at in its ending.