I’m working on a story, with a scene where some characters watch Flash Gordon on DVD. I’m unable to locate a copy for myself, so I’m humbly asking Dopers for some description.
I don’t need to know the entire plot, or any of the dialogue. I’d just like to know some of the high, or low points, and what the special effects were like. I’m only going to have the characters react to it, and discuss it very briefly.
Thanks in advance!
Well there’s the cheesy Queen soundtrack:
FLASH! tchun-tchun-tchun-tchun Ahh-Ohhhh! tchun-tchun-tchun-tchun-tchun-tchun
He’ll save every one of us! badadoom-badadoom-kshhhh
If you ever played Fallout, the little spaceship in the Interplay credit sequence looks like Flash’s ship. And you can rent the movie at www.netflix.com
If you want a good description here is one I love
FLASH AHHH AHHHH!
It is cheeze to the hight and yet Brian Blessed’s Booming Laugh and over enthusiasm always brings a smile to my face.
All you need to know can be got from the voiceovers in the title tune:
Flash - ah-oh - Saviour of the universe
Flash - ah-oh - He’ll save ev’ry one of us
Newsreader: “Seemingly there is no reason for these extraordinary intergalactical upsets.”
Female lead: “What’s happening Flash?”
Newsreader: "Only Doctor Hans Zarkov, formerly at NASA, has provided any explanation.
Flash - ah-oh - he’s a miracle
Newsreader: “This morning’s unprecedented solar eclipse is no cause for alarm.”
Flash - ah-oh - king of the impossible
He’s for ev’ry one of us
Stand for ev’ry one of us
He’ll save with a mighty hand
Ev’ry man ev’ry woman ev’ry child
With a mighty flash
Male 2: “General Kala, Flash Gordon approaching.”
Evil Female: “What do you mean Flash Gordon approaching?
Open fire - all weapons. Despatch war rocket Ajax to bring back his body”
Flash - ah-oh
Evil Male (Ming):“Gordon’s alive!”
Flash - ah-oh - he’ll save ev’ry 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
Female lead: "Flash! Flash! I love you, but we only have fourteen hours to save the Earth!
Flash
Oh, and that Brian Blessed is downright great.
My wife caught me watching this on TNT the other day- talk about embarassing. The shameful truth is that I love this silly movie.
-me
For those who don’t realize it, the movie is intended to be bad. If you’ve ever read the old Flash Gordon comics or seen the old serials from the 30s, you’d see what a perfect send-up of them this film is. Unfortunately, most people who see it think it’s going to be some cool, slick sci-fi and are disappointed.
I have to say that I dearly love this movie. The wooden acting, the awful dialogue and all. Max Von Sydow is one of the best evil villains ever. He’s evil just 'cause which is always fun. Brian Blessed, as is previously mentioned, is terrifically fun and you HAVE to love the scene with the object that is so conveniently football-shaped so Flash can do some damage. Of course, the fact that everyone is just a total whitey cracker including the ‘asian’ Ming makes it oh so much better. This movie recaptures the unintentional hilarity of the originals to a Tee.
“Flash! I love you! But we only have fourteen hours to save the earth!”
The entire movie is in the voiceovers through the entire soundtrack.
But you must see it someday to fully appreciate the yumminess that is Ornella Muti.
Then there’re the old FLASH GORDON movies, with Buster Krabbe as Flash and Charles Middleton as Ming the Merciless (truly stellar performances.) The movies where the space ships take off horizontally, where the sparks from their exhaust pipes fall down, and where you can see the strings.
My favorite moment is when Dale is unconscious in one space ship, zooming along through the galaxy, and Flash is in another ship. He throws a rope from his ship to hers, and climbs across to rescue her.
You gotta love it.
And people complain about STAR WARS because exploding TIE-fighters make sounds in space.
…Getting back to the Football scene…
I love it when Dale becomes a cheerleader on the sidelines and even does a little routine while chainting “Go Flash, Go!”
And then the evil Goldmasked Skeletor guy tells the henchmen. “He’s playing some sort of primitive game! Face him. Like this!” And proceeds to show them the three point stance.
And Voltan the hawkman… “1st Wave Diiiiiiiiiive!”
When I was a kid I swore he was saying “die!” instead of “dive”. Which I thought was totally badass since they knew they were going into a suicide mission.
Timothy Dalton as the jealous but just Prince.
Zarkov’s memory regression.
All priceless gems!
what about FLESH Gordon?
And let us not forget it’s one of the few early 80s movies, let alone early 80s SF movies, where the arm candy gets to kick some ass. Dale, normally the whiny “rescue me” girl, is actually able to think and strategize, not to mention fire big guns and beat up guards.
There’s just so much to love about this movie, certainly not limited to the thooughly yummy Sam Jones as Flash. I don’t know why the scenes in the tight black shorts, but I ain’t complainin’.
“Clitus! Are your men on the right pills? Maybe you should execute their trainer.”
I love this movie. It’s a shame Sam J. Jones never really got to do anything else… other than a bit part in Betrayal at Krondor.
I would have liked to see Brian Blessed play Rubeus Hagrid in the Harry Potter movies, but Robbie Coltrane was a good enough choice. Oddly enough, both of them have been in Black Adder - Blessed as King Richard during the first series, and Coltrane as the Spirit of Christmas in Black Adder’s Christmas Carol.
Flash Gordon kicks ass! It’s filled with funky sets, weird looking aliens, and wonderful dialogue. And Ming the Merciless is one of the best all-time villians in my book, right up there with Darth Vader.
“Bring me…the bore worms!”
Sam Jones did get to do something other than Flash Gordon - he appeared nude in Playgirl magazine.
Yes, the increcibly cheesy-ness of the whole affair is what makes it great. Absolutely no pretensions about being anything other than what it is…a goofy piece of entertainment.
Sam Hell , I’m going to be a nitpicker here, but it was Klytus who uttered the “bore worm” line.
Brian Blessed, as Prince Voltan, “Oh well, who wants to live forever? Diiiiivvve!!!”
Prince Barin to Zarkov, as they are chained against a wall “Tell me more about this Houdini”
The wedding vows of the Emperor Ming are a hoot!
And forget Sam Jones, Timothy Dalton as Prince Barin is the one I would boink in a heartbeat!
Just go get the movie and report back to us, okay? You’ll be glad you did!
Bear in mind, the “Flash Gordon” movie was produced by Lorenzo Semple, the guy behind the 1960s “Batman” TV series.
“Flash Gordon” is filled with the same kind of campy humor, cheesey effects, deliberately hammy performances, and outrageous silliness that made “Batman” so much fun.
I mean, the only thing missing during Flash’s big fight sequence is bubbles saying “POW,” “BAM” and “ZAP.”
Thank you all! I’ll take this into consideration. kingpengvin, thank you for the link. Dr. Sexchange: Yeah, I thought of that too; it’s inevitable.
Well yeah, but everybody knows that!
he was also Bo Derek’s husband in “10” and (without checking IMDB) he had a short-lived sci-fi trucker series also starring that Aussie doofus who used to do those battery commercials.
ALL CREATURES WILL MAKE MERRY…
…UNDER PAIN OF DEATH
Cite?
I said, CITE!!
Please?
Pretty please with Princess Aura on top?
Princess Aura AND Dale?
jayjay
Hee hee…I loved this movie too. I can’t believe there’s a thread about it.
Sorry. That’s about all the comment I have to offer. Kinda lame. Carry on.