Product Description

Movie DVD

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1039 in DVD
• Brand: UNI DIST CORP. (MCA)
• Released on: 2007-08-07
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD, Original recording remastered, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 112 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
When the totalitarian planet of Mongo decides on a whim to obliterate Earth, it's up to the lunk-headed quarterback Flash Gordon and his oddball companions to make the universe safe for democracy. Based on the classic (and infinitely more reputable) comic strip and its '30s screen serialization, this cotton-candy-colored trash classic deserves immortality for Queen's unforgettably pulsating soundtrack alone. The legendary Max von Sydow appears to be having a blast as the evil Ming the Merciless, while Ornella Muti, as his daughter, is the living embodiment of what attracts adolescent boys to comics in the first place. (She makes Barbarella look mundane.) One of the most shamelessly entertaining movies ever made, this is a knowingly absurd sensory freak-out that'll have the viewer blissfully checking the sky afterward for signs of Hawkmen. --Andrew Wright

Customer Reviews

Excellent movie, DVD not so much...
I would give the movie itself five stars, but the DVD presentation is not as strong. The 1980 Flash Gordon movie is one of the funnest romps in the space opera I have ever experienced. Much more true to the Saturday morning serial kind of sci-fi that Star Wars was paying homage to. Plus the soundtrack from Queen just ups the fun factor even more. You would think this combination of music and content would make for a very campy film, but not necessarily. While the movie definitely knows it's roots and is having fun with that you really can't call Flash Gordon a cheesy B-movie.

What I am finding out about the Savior of the Universe (SotU) edition DVD is that it is lacking a lot of the cool stuff from the European Silver Anniversary Edition DVD. While you do get a remastered film with 2.35:1 anomorphic widescreen, 5.1 Dolby Surround and the movie trailer it lacks in the really good special features from the European DVD. That one has commentaries by director Mike Hodges and actor Brian Blessed (the very charismatic hawkman ruler Vultan), production stills, interviews and concept art. The SotU DVD has none of this.

What you do get is two featurettes. One is from Alex Ross (the guy who painted the DVD cover) on how much he loves the movie. He actually does a really good job of making his featurette much like an analysis of the movie and would have worked great as narration for a documentary. Instead you just get Alex in a chair with a few movie clips thrown in here and there. The other featurette is called Writing a Classic by screenwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr. Sure the Silver Special Edition doesn't have these featurettes, but I think you're really missing out without those commentaries and interviews.

Another thing that bugs me is this DVD is set in an impressive and slightly oversized case, but when you open it up all you get is the DVD and the pencil art insert from Alex Ross. No booklet detailing any info on the movie... not even a single page chapter list. Yeah, Yeah... most of you would say "but the remastered movie is what's important" but considering the sendup (and packaging) I would expect at least something more than just a disk and a sketch. I have seen movies with far less noteriety get more in their packaging than this.

The remastering itself is definitely a big step up from the original DVD release, but still not perfect. The matte blocks are painfully noticeable on the spaceships early in the movie. There is however a whole lot less dirt and distortion (almost unnoticeable) compared to the first DVD release. Also don't expect an incredible audio experience even if they remastered in 5.1 Dolby Surround. Again, it's a good deal better than the other DVD, but my guess is the source material wasn't great so the remaster still sounds a bit on the thin and tinny side. Still I won't argue that this is the best transfer of the movie to date.

I can't for the life of me figure out why they didn't just add the European edition features to this one and maybe add the new things to sweeten the pot. But make a different edition alltogether that is missing some cool bonus material? Not the smartest move in my book.

So should you get the SotU Edition of Flash Gordon? Well it IS remastered (and I hear some say it's better looking than the UK edition, although this is not confirmed) and available in the US, but a real fan might only go for it if you can't play region 2 DVDs or if you really, REALLY want that Alex Ross featurette (and pencil insert). It's a tough call. I think the Silver Anniversary Edition is probably the better of the two, but this will do in a pinch.

Wait for fall 2005!!!!!!
Don't buy from online scammers. This DVD will be re-released in the fall of 2005!!!! Cheaper that these clowns sell them for!

FLASH is Fun
When I got cable in the mid-80's I must have watched this film 100 times. It was interesting to see it again on DVD. It is still a FUN movie. The tone of the film is campy and adventurous. I think it captures the fun of the old serials very well -- i.e. Flash seems doomed, only to escape to another tight squeeze!

The production design on FLASH GORDON is colorful and bold. Everything is bright and shiny (including the lycra hot pants on Princess Aura!). The sets are HUGE (example: The Hawk Men's floating fortress). I am particularly fond of the Arboria sets -- nice and woodsey!

I think the performances from the actors fit the tone of the film. Melody Anderson as Dale is the best. "Go, Flash, go!" is a hilarious scene. Sam Jones is sufficiently hunky and athletic as Flash. And the Brits add a dash of class and fun (Timothy Dalton and Brian Blessed). Ornella Muti as Princess Aura has the best role: she changes from vixen to heroine and gets to vamp around in colorful, sexy costumes.

The rocket ships and sky effects are my favorite part of the film as well. There's something exciting about seeing FLASH GORDON rocket ships flying through the air.

The DVD quality is OK. I think the picture transfer could have been better -- I know this film has a lot of blue screen work, but surely it's not THAT grainy! And I wish there were more extras -- just a chapter index.