Flash Gordon

“This campy extravaganza has it all!  Laughably bad and fantastically good all at once, this is a guilty pleasure that everyone can enjoy.” – Adam Smith, Empire

Flash … ah, ah!  Strange energy waves from the planet Mongo are pulling the moon out of orbit and threatening Earth, and NY Jets Quarterback Flash Gordon, the plucky Dale Arden and the brainy Dr. Hans Zarkov must destroy Mongo’s evil ruler, Ming the Merciless, before Earth is annihilated! In this extravagantly campy, big-budget update of the 1930s Flash Gordon serials, director Mike Hodges remains surprisingly faithful to Alex Raymond’s original comics strip, using just the right balance of action, tongue-in-cheek humor and mind-blowing production design (making the whole film look like a day-glow pop art explosion). And topping it all off is that fantastically catchy rock score by the one-and-only Queen! From the forest world of Arboria to the high-flying Sky City (home of the Hawkmen), Flash takes on the whole planet of Mongo, bravely facing any terrible danger that comes his way (not to mention the amorous attentions of Ming’s scantily-clad daughter, Princess Aura)! Can Earth be saved? Starring Sam Jones and Melody Anderson as Flash and Dale, and featuring a supporting cast full of movie heavyweights, including Max Von Sydow, Topol, Ornella Muti, and future James Bond Timothy Dalton, Flash Gordon is really out of this world! (Dir. by Mike Hodges, 1980, UK, 111 mins., Rated PG)