Pathetic Earthlings… who can save you now?
Cue the Queen soundtrack (on vinyl, of course) and join us as we discuss the Dino De Laurentiis cult classic “Flash Gordon” (1980).
We’ll talk about Flash’s colorful history, from Alex Raymond’s hit comic strip, to the fondly-remembered Buster Crabbe serials, to an unsuccessful early attempt by George Lucas to obtain the rights, so that he could direct a feature film. (Poor George had to create “Star Wars” instead.)
And of course, we’ll extensively fetishize the movie itself, which at times plays like “The Wizard of Oz” on mushrooms. With a campy script by Lorenzo Semple Jr., an unlikely director (Mike Hodges of “Get Carter”), and lurid set and costume design by Fellini favorite Danilo Donati, “Flash” is the film “Barbarella” only wishes it could be.
Max von Sydow, Brian Blessed, Timothy Dalton, Topol, Ornella Muti, Mariangela Melato, Peter Wyngarde, and any number of familiar faces from sci-fi and fantasy films of the ‘70s and ‘80s join a buff, gee-whiz Sam J. Jones as Flash – now a quarterback for the New York Jets (because a Yale-educated polo-player is just too effete?) – and Melody Anderson as Dale Arden.
Jon Haag will be our guest on the next Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner for a colorful celebration of this gaudy, fleet-footed mash-up of art deco and pop art. Go, Flash, go! Lashes and bore worms will be dispensed in the comments section, when we livestream on Facebook, this Friday evening at 7:00 EST!
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