michael dworkis remembers the defender of the universe …
Release Date: Dec. 5, 1980
First Saw It: I was a kid, and my father had rented it on VHS.
What Drew Me to See It: My dad telling me it was one of the best sci-fi movies ever.
Starring: Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Max von Sydow, Chaim Topol, Ornella Muti, Timothy Dalton, Brian Blessed
Before They Were Stars Appearances: George Harris, known for his role as Atto in Black Hawk Down and Kingsley Shacklebolt in Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix and Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1 & 2, played Prince Thun of Ardentia.
Thank God They Weren’t Cast: Sylvester Stallone. Can you imagine what the dialogue would sound like?
Director: Mike Hodges (I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead)
The Best Performance: Max von Sydow as Ming The Merciless. Sydow portrayed a vile, disgusting tyrant that just invited hate from moviegoers. His performance as an alien master of worlds out-shined the majority of the cast. Ming would walk with an air of arrogance and talk down to his subjects like the grand royal snob that he is. This campy film about a perfectly chiseled football player trying to save his girl, and the universe would have been nothing if not for Sydow’s perfect execution of this mighty, magnificent ruler.
The Supporting Scene Stealer: Timothy Dalton is an artist. His suave behavior and debonair appearance swoon women and enrage men. In The Rocketeer, he believes in his cause and emits a righteous aura as he justifies what is perceived as his villainy. In Flash Gordon, as Prince Barin, he becomes jealous as his lover Aura, advances on Flash. This turns the grand prince to jealousy and plots the demise of Gordon during a dangerous Russian-Roulette-type ritual where we see the silent rage of Prince Barin. If that scene was not enough, the moment he shakes off his pride and stands tall alongside Gordon during an appeal to the Hawkmen, unified in their quest to rid the galaxy of Ming The Merciless.
The Moment to Remember: The very end of the movie. The dust settles and the ring worn by the merciless ruler becomes visible. As someone picks it up, we hear the diabolical laughter of Ming echoing in the background.
The Memorable Quote: This honor is awarded to Brian Blessed in his role as Prince Vultan of the Hawkmen. Soldiers romp around like the bumbling troopers from Spaceballs during the epic sky battle against the flagship Ajax, and as Flash Gordon heads in, Vultan remarks “Oh well. Who wants to live forever? BWAA HAA HA HAAAA!” That boisterous laugh can be hear for the next few minutes as he clobbers soldier after soldier.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa_p9Up9DFg
The Groan Moment: Flash, Dale, and Dr. Zarkov are brought before Ming and the representatives from various kingdoms. Ming attempts to take Dale for himself, and Flash attempts to fight back until a swift kick in the nuts halts it. However, the presence of football-sized artifacts in the chamber somehow hulks Flash up with some cunning tricks to fight back. Dale cheerleads while Zarkov hands Flash one after another of those football-like artifacts as Flash nails each bumbling royal guard in the face, running back and forth knocking them down with shoulder tackles. The madness is over when Zarkov accidentally beans Flash in the noggin, ending his touchdown rush.
Why I Can’t Stop Watching It: Epic music by Queen and instrumentals by Howard Blake (The Snowman) help make the time pass through the film. They give life to scenes that deserve a burial without a eulogy. Joking aside, this is one of those late-night-bored-out-of-my-mind films that are on the top of my list. It is a fun, fantasy adventure which had me hooked as a fan when I was a kid, and I am still a fan of it today.
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