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Flash Gordon: A look at a theatrical bomb that became a cult classic!
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- čas přidán 20. 01. 2023
- In this episode we take a deep dive into the 1980 cult classic film Flash Gordon. How did a film that bombed at the box office with crazy costumes, campy special effects and a killer soundtrack become such a classic? we will dissect this classic and find out.
I don’t care what anyone says this movie is a masterpiece
One word; QUEEN.
@@puppiesarepower3682 one word--Brian blessed.
Give credit where credit is due, I remember watching this in the movie theater and thinking this isn't Star Wars, but later when I was a teen and saw it again on TV and thought this was one of the great Sci Fi movies of our generation. It was flamboyantly over the top campy, exciting and just overalll FUN and a JOY to watch, of course the soundtrack elevated this movie to the stratosphere along the likes of Star Wars and 2001.
'zackly!
Brian Blessed as Vultan was truly one of the high points of this movie! As bad as this movie was, it was also fantastic and epic and iconic! The score by Queen is just perfect!
Funny footnote on this movie; George Lucas had wanted to do a big budget, big screen Flash Gordon, but couldn't secure the rights to the characters, so he made Star Wars instead. After the success of Star Wars, Universal immediately realized the mistake they made and rushed Flash Gordon into production.
Hey I like that Skeletor!!!
Yep. Lucas said, "Screw you! I'm gonna make my own Flash Gordon movie! With robots and laser swords and everything!"
For the record, yes, I know they're not laser swords and robots.
I honestly enjoy this movie. I think it is much better than what people will give it credit for.
Exactly!
I never understood the ridicule.
Its a blast.
I also love the fact that the flute playing dude on Arborea is Richard O'Brien aka Riffraff from Rocky Horror Picture Show
Peter Duncan from Blue Peter (British longstanding children’s programme which he was a presenter) was spared the madness as well in Arborea.
@@wolfeflambe I thought he was on Ghost Watch but I was thinking of Sarah Greene
Words can barely express how much I loved this movie when I was a kid. It was like watching a sci-fi pantomime!
I saw Flash Gordon in the Theater. It was the first time, that the theater was empty except for me
Wow, Flash Gordon came out the same time around as Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Black Hole, and The Empire Strikes Back in 1979 and 1980 and Flash Gordon along with Star Trek: The Motion Picture and The Black Hole with Robert Forster are the most underappreciated sci-fi films of all time. I always liked Flash Gordon, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and The Black Hole. Flash Gordon is a very good and awesome sci-fi film with a stellar Queen soundtrack, Max von Sydow as Emperor Ming as well as Dr. Hans Reinhardt and Maximilian the Robot are one of my absolute favorite sci-fi villains, and Star Trek: The Motion Picture along with The Black Hole are both very underrated and brilliant sci-fi films with great music scores by Jerry Goldsmith and John Barry.
I agree completely about "The Black Hole", I saw it in the movie theater back when it came out and it's been one of my favorite movies ever since, it's super underappreciated.
WELL said Sir! 👏👏👏👏👏
That Queen soundtrack helped A LOT. But this movie will always have a special place in my heart. Because it takes me back to those days. Like a lot of other stuff from the past, I enjoy when they put me back in those times.
Agree, completely.
Saw this in the theatre when I was 10 years old. I absolutely loved it. I think I still have the soundtrack LP too. What a blast.
Flash Gordon tried very hard to recreate the mood and feeling of the 1930s film serial that inspired it. The over-the-top hamminess is more comprehensible and forgivable in that context.
"What do you mean, Flash Gordon approaching?" I guess she believed him to have been killed in the destruction of the flying city at this point.
Yep, noone knew he lived except his allies.
Man, I was only 7 yo when Flash Gordon hit theatres. I didn't get to see it until a couple years later on HBO, but being that my dad was a huge Queen fan, the movie became a hit in our household. I loved it! Not as much as Star Wars, of course, but I watched it for years in reruns on HBO and so did all my friends in school. Great stuff. The sound track and costumes made the movie.
I absolutely love this film. I mean how can you not. Really was just so over the top but in such a good way. Some of the effects like the clouds just gave it a memorising feel. The set designs were great. The ship designs was literally straight from the 30s. Its just a shame at the time the audience didn't connect with it.
There are a lot of movies that didn't do good at the box office but did good after being put on TV or video afterwards. I was a 12 year kid when it dropped and didn't care to see it in the movie theatre. I'm sure it ended up on HBO and I watched it and loved it. It's still one of my favorites because I grew up on campy TV and movies. Some campy movies don't age well but this one did.
I was 11, and my memories and appreciation of it remain strong.
There were one shot movies of this era like Clash Of The Titans that were really important.
1980 was one of the great years for big production B-Movies. "Flash Gordon" and "Battle Beyond the Stars" were 2 great snapshots of 80's cheese and I loved them both. Both are considered cult classics...even though "BBTS" made a profit at the box office(mostly due to it's very meager budget of only 2 million dollars, most of which went to pay actors John Saxon, George Peppard and Robert Vaughn).
Excellent job ! This makes me want to watch Flash Gordon again for the third time. The story behind Flash Gordon gets better and better. Sam Jones got his job as Flash because DeLaurentino"s mother saw him on a game show. Then convinced her son to hire him. It is also amazing how many great actors are in this movie . Brian Bless and others to name a few.
Brian Blessed is just the tip of the iceberg, of course we all know James Bond is in it, but so is the X-Wing pilot Porkins who gets blasted attacking the Death Star in Star Wars, he's the actor who played the Fiddler On The Roof's lab assistant Munson at the beginning who gets run over by Flash and Dale's plane, and the guy who fake saves Flash on James Bond's behalf is the balding long haired Igor type of character from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, also included is Blessed's sidekick Hawkman Lt who was the guy who killed the Wizard at the beginning of Dragonslayer that later tried to kill Galen Bradwarden but got run through by Galen with his special dragon killing lance, and of course the great Max Von Sydow, the list of actors who've played short but iconic roles from famous movies just goes on and on throughout this one.
It's a great movie, he's a little too critical of it, it's not supposed to be Star Wars or Gone With the Wind, it's exactly what it's supposed to be, the original campy Flash Gordon comic strip brought to life in a live action movie, and as that it's fantastic, the story, casting, directing and especially the cinematography is perfect for what it's supposed to be, absolutely perfect.
This was really well done! When my family first got HBO in the early 80s, I watched this movie over and over. This was a great (and very funny) retrospective!
"On one of my expiditions to the deepest Amazon I was introduced to the warrior chief of an indigenous tribe.This was an isolated agrarian society almost untouched by the modern world so it was a great honour to be amongst the first people from that world to speak to him. He greeted me with a Cheshire cat smile and an enthusiastic stream of unintelligible consanants. I turned to my translator who winced and said 'he asks if you could give him a GORDON'S ALIVE Mr Blessed'... yes well that rathe ruined the moment somewhat"- Brian Blessed.
Lol, but he sure is famous.
This video is great!!!…. Flash Gordon is one of my favorite childhood movies…. But your editing and comments just made it so much better….😂😂😂…. This is my 1st time watching your content, hope there are more like this….. great job, thank you….
This is awesome. I saw this movie when it first came out in the theater in 1980. And Queen is the reason I saw this movie. At ten years old I absolutely loved this movie. At ten I was also trying to figure out why I liked Aura's slinky outfit at the beginning of the show. My goodness. I still remember all that. But it was the action mixed with Queen music that made me love this movie.
This movie is a masterpiece. Saw it many times on cable in the 80s. Recently rewatched it with my kids and they loved it.
Thanks to your review, I'll never be able to watch it again without thinking "Pantie sniffer" :D It's one of those rare films that so bad it's good. I think it captures the original series quite well, all over the top, ridiculous plot lines, characters, acting, cardboard sets, etc. And brings it all to life in a glorious over the top, colourful, camp way.
I showed it to my 15 year old daughter. Said she could stop watching after the first half hour if she wasn't in to it. She watched it all the way through and enjoyed it's madness. I asked her why she didn't stop it - "I had to find out what happens next!" Which is exactly how the original series hooked so many kids.
First time I saw Flash I was visiting family in Alabama. My uncle was a professor in the UA film department and his basement was built up for film storage and viewing.
So yeah, we got really high and watched Flash. It was incredible.
Although, this was the same day that the Tim Burton Planet of the Apes came out so we decided to check it out. That kinda ruined the day...
They should turn this into a musical! Stick it on Broadway, they have the costumes for it!
This is a brilliant idea!
No, that would just turn saving the Universe into some kind of joke.
Actually NO THEY SHOULDN'T! do you people have to destroy everything from my childhood?
@@youtubehatesfreespeech744 It's already a musical anyway, a very under appreciated one at that.
My dad, who was a huge fan of the original Flash Gordon comic strips & movie serials, was very excited to see it. It was fun. I liked it. I loved the interpretation of the Hawk Men as basically humans wearing mechanical wings!! That's why I can't forgive the offensive Prince Thun!
My father was upset that Thun wasn't represented in the throne room. (His favorite character, apparently.) I said that he was. While my father was scanning the extras for a felinoid man, I caught that the Black dude with the batches of fur bound to his upper arms was addressed as Thun! I don't think my dad ever accepted the Lion Men were represented in the film.
I realize that Thun was never going to be a featured character, but how hard would it have been to create minimal felinoid makeup for the actors? Maybe not as elaborate as Vincent from TV's Beauty and the Beast, but enough to give them catlike noses & mouths? That makeup plus long, thick hair would've sold the idea of Lion Men without having to create a fur suit!
The scene of Ornella Muti being whipped kick-started puberty in my 9 year-old-body.
Right with worh you on that
This remains one of my favorite movies of all time, loved the music, the crazy costumes, and sets are amazing.
I saw this when I was 5 years old, and Princess Aura's first appearance made me feel funny...I didn't know why until I was much older lol.
Forgot how beautiful the women were in this film. No wonder liked it so much as an adolescent!
one of my childhood favourites, i watched it again recently, i still love it
3 of the best villains one could want all in one movie.
I was 10 when this came out and saw it at the theater. A major thing to consider is most kids in the 70s had seen the original series in reruns on tv. The campiness of it all seemed fine but the movie just stunk. What WAS cool was all the Flash Gordon figures at stores were slashed in price so you could get about 6 Flash Figures or just two star wars figures so yeah...we bought them!! I watch it every few years for fun...or rather it plays while I do house work. Star Wars was so huge every other space thing..Buck Rogers...etc all seemed like "cheap knock offs" back then. I admit I like this movie much more as an adult than I did as a kid. You did a very good job on this video!!! GREAT!
The campiness is what made this movie. I will never get tired of it for that.
You'll love the campy 2007 adaptation!
The sound track was pretty killer, can't say that about other aspects of the movie though
I don't know, Ornella Muti as that princess was pretty memorable ;)
What you didn't burst out laughing at Klytus's funny lines then?
@@wotdoesthisbuttondo Oh God yes. But in a way, weird, campy cheesefests sound be applauded
There's one good reason to watch this movie, and that's Brian Blessed. That's Brian "do you want some salt with that scenery" Blessed. He is amazing in any role. His bombastic way of delivering lines raises this movie by a full grade, regardless of what grade you rate it at.
I saw it in the theater, bought the album soundtrack, and have a physical copy. I hated 80's "critics" just as much as I do modern ones.
An example of a very good film that achieved what it set out to do but didn't find an American audience. Great movie! So much more fun than po-faced self-serious sci fi.
We (the family) actually watched Flash at the cinema when it came out. I was only very young and remember watching then.
Having the campy queen for the theme song is perfect.
Ming's daughter was a total smoke show.
Flash Gordon
The Black Hole
Ice Pirates
Galaxy Of Terror
Night Of The Comet
The Last Starfighter
Krull
Got to love 80s Sci Fi "B" movies
i loved it because of the silliness of it. Might of been crazy, but that is what I expected. I don't have it on Blue ray, but wish I did.
This was good. Hope you get a lot of subscribers.
Me and my brothers loved this film when it came on cable in the early 80's. We watched it constantly. The movie is so much fun and I love the sets and costumes.
I attended a party with a famous filmmaker's son and spent the night at his house in the hills. When I awoke he drove me past the cars other partygoers wrecked to the opening of this film at one of the new Grauman's Chinese Theater additions. I was still not quite right in the head when this opus unveiled itself. It was the best time I had since the Star Wars premiere at its main theater. The cinematographer of this film got to shoot it the way he wanted to originally shoot Star Wars before Lucas made him chill out. QUEEN RULES and, FYI, Deep Roy is cool and appeared in some of my early projects. When I saw how badass Timothy Dalton was I couldn't wait to see him play James Bond. This film is true geek overload and a lot of silly fun. "NO... NOT THE BORE WORMS!!!" and "LET"S DO THE TIME WARP AGAIN!"
What a film. Cheesy and enjoyable with touches of gravity, such as the mind-control scene when Zarkov is literally being stripped from his humanity (or so we think!). Thank you for this fun though serious review.
Saw this when I was 13 years old, and had an instant, throbbing crush on Genral Kala. Her S&M costume, stiff authoritarian body language, and delicious European accent were like caviar to me. The ideal woman! RIP Mariangela Melato.
I saw this in the theater as a kid and loved it. It reminded me so much of the Batman tv show. I didn't know until the internet age but makes sense. The movie is half camp and half horror film. The Italian team thought it was more dark and horror. This is why the weird spider thing and trial with the stump are so dark. There wasn't good communication between the teams but it gives this movie such a unique look and feel.
This is a movie before the internet where you could have fun and not have viewers take it serious and analyze every piece of it.
I know (you) can't own every movie on DVD (standard, BR, HD BR) but some movies are a must get - and some >leave them to show it on TV. Flash Gordon is a definite must get, and I'm just lucky to own the 25th anniversary edition (standard DVD).
Yep . This most Definitely a Classic . Same Genre as Barbarella in some ways . Utterly Camp . Flamboyant and 1000% F U N . Oh , and the Soundtrack !
I've been a fan of sci-fi movies since i was 6 or 7 years old, prior to this movie being released in the theater i would watch the 1930s serials on WGN every Saturday morning.
I remember seeing this for the first time at my aunt and uncles house whi had a giant satellite dish in their backyard which allowed us to watch HBO and Cinemax for free. My cousin watched it and hated it but told me about it knowing it would be something that I'd enjoy. Its been a favorite of mine for decades, ive got it in Blu-ray and will likely upgrade it to 4k in the near future
Loved your video and hope you'll do one on the incredible shrinking man
I loved this movie even back then and have watched it a zillion times. One of my favorite junk movies.
This movie is awesome. Honestly when the 2 girls started fighting on the bed was the day I knew I was 100% straight and liked girls.
Flash Gordon was a Box Office flop in the UK and most other countries. It didn't do well in USA.
i always loved this movie. nice one. i subscribed.
There is a very special place in my heart for Flash Gordon. When it hit theaters in Dec. '80, I was almost 7 years old and even though my folks took me to see Empire Strikes Back that summer, for one reason or another, I didn't get them to take me to see Flash. However, a year later, my folks took me to my very first video store. And there, behind the glass, was the newly released Flash Gordon! I begged, I pleaded. Hell, I even cried my eyes out, but to no avail. My folks would not rent it for me. I was crushed. My mother, though, had her reasons. Flash, you see, was actually premiering on HBO the following week. But, hey, try to tell that to a spoiled, bratty 7 year old?
Now, with all that said, when I finally got to watch Flash Gordon on HBO, I felt let down by it. I was 7 and it wasn't Empire or Superman 2! Flash was a different beast all together. I don't think I fully appreciated it until I was about 9 or 10, but that didn't stop me from buying the soundtrack. It was the first record I ever purchased. Flash Gordon is a movie I grew to love. Funny because you would think it'd be the other way around. For some reason, I actually adore the movie now more than I did as a kid. The same goes for the original Clash of the Titans. Let down when I saw it as a kid, but grew to love and admire it.
I was too young to understand "camp" when this came out and thought it was stupid
Now I love it
I WAS NOT READY FOR "HELL EVEN DESTRO" 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Klytus (played by Peter Wyngarde), chief of Ming's secret police, was a terrific supporting villain with definite panache.
Klytus signaled the release of the gas to execute Gordon with a black silken cloth (not panties, you freak), which he then uses to polish the mouth-piece of his golden mask.
This was one of the very first movies I ever, EVER saw, because we had it on VHS when I was very small and I grew up with the sound track on LP. I knew the Flash Gordon theme song by Queen, before I could read
BEST Campy movie with THEEEEE BEST soundtrack in movie history!! - Totally fun film ☺️☺️👍👍👏👏
I watched this over and over on HBO back in the 80s.
I love Flash! Own the movie watch it once every couple of months.
I always loved this movie And the princess in her outfits.
Destro and the Baroness. I'll be laughing for days over that.
Saw it in the theater when I was 9. I liked it better than Star Wars. Still do. Fight me.
As I recall here in Memphis Theater was full it was a hit in Memphis TN. 2nd run did good to here. Saw it in theater loved it. Kyle Ryan. Memphis TN
Doin' it righ, YOHz! @4:58 LOLed!
In the scene in Empire Strikes Back when Yoda walks off into the distance with Luke's Lamp, that was Deep Roy!! I lived him riding the Racing Snail in NEVERENDING STORY.
I’m glad someone else finally made the connection that Klytus and Daala were the obvious inspiration for Destro and the Baroness. The James Bond movies for your eyes only an Octopussy he had their fair amount of influence as well.
According to Sam Jones and Melody Anderson, there was such a language barrier between the crew, and cast that a lot of the dialogue was actually improvised. If you look at it that way, they did a pretty good job with the acting.
Inspiration for Skeletor and Evil-lynn too, surely
Saw it in the theatre as a kid, it wasn’t watched or talked about as much as Star Wars but it was up there.
It’s legit in my top 5 favorite movies of all time
Loved the review, Just some good ole fashion fun.
*¡enjoyed at 7:03 am Pacific Standard Time on Tuesday, 31 January 2023!*
Such an over the top film, but so awesome at the same time!
One of my favorite movies....and Ornella Muti is in it.
Do Vice Squad, Under Siege 2 or Escape from New York next
Only thing I can say is the T&A and the music. Mostly the music.
So you just stared stoney faced not laughing at Klytus's funny lines? nah i bet you laughed.
Great retrospective! I absolutely loved this movie when I was young.
Saw this in the theater with my babysitter when I was eight. It absolutely blew my mind. Soon after, we got cable TV and the very young HBO was playing this like three times a day. If it was on, I was watching it. It just never got old for me at that age. Fave scenes:
-The whole rotating arena with spikes above an abyss thing, and especially when Klytus gets killed and his eyes and tongue bulge out.
-When Kala just melts into black goo.
-All scenes with those lizard creatures with their eyes inside their mouths.
-The slimy green what's-it on the forest planet.
-That freaky thing in the bravery test stump of doom. (Very Duney)
-And, just how unique and bizarre Ming's guards looked.
T O O M U C H F U N
One of my top 20!!
"de-lore-ren-ni-tus" Dino De Laurentiis...I think I like how you drastically mispronounced the Italian producer's name better than the proper way...
You beat me to it. I think he said it 2 or 3 times before I realized who the hell he was talking about. 🤣
Definitely one of the better soundtracks for a movie
@ 6:17 "Which not only disintegrates Zarkov's gun, but also uh-shippy-himmenim-rozzess" Say wha???
This is one of those its so bad its good and I can't look away no matter how much I try
That movie definitely needs a modern reboot
Munson is Star Wars' Porkins. Rest in peace William Hootkins. Red 6.
I never saw it as a bomb when i was a kid it was a very popular film at the time.
Of course you missed out the biggest plus of them all: BRIAN BLESSED!!!, who can chew scenery with the best of them!
09:01 - Don't you mean Princess Phwoarah? Played by Hornella Muti?.................. I'm here all week
Actually Monsons body helped stop the plane . and did you ever notice when Zharkovs mind was being erased , when they showed the nazi montage , you can see Flashes face intermixed with Hitlers face.
I used to jam this soundtrack - good times
Seriously! This movie was not a theatrical bomb. No, it did not have major numbers. Its release was badly timed but people loved it. It was literally on all the time when it ran on HBO back in the day. It's style was totally unique and simply a lot of fun - a perfect Saturday matinee pop/corn movie.
Honestly, I went to see this because of , Queen soundtrack, very campy and fun, I can't watch it again after 43 years
This is such a classic
I don't recall it flopping in Memphis. Mall theater My mom took me to see it had a lot of people in it. Maybe in other parts of the country
What do you mean bad....it was work of art!!
I remember thinking this film was a bit shit when I first saw it as a teen. Years later me and two friends watched it and we were in tears laughing at how bad it was, this certainly brought a few memories back. Thanks for recognising how bonkers and crap this is, whilst at the same time acknowledging that, for some unknown reason, it still remains entertaining.
It is a great movie and unfairly maligned. and how can you not love one of the best James Bond's playing Prince Baron. Dalton was great in it.