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Flash is an old character, starting with a comic strip in the 1930s, and moving to the big screen serial, and then to television. I've seen some of all of those, but the Flash Gordon I love is from the 1980s movie starring Sam J. Jones. It hit so many of the pulp tropes that are near and dear to my heart.
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You've got an American hero, fighting his way through an alien world (in this case, literally alien). He's a very pulp version of American hero, who wins by strength of will and heart over villains who are about control through force. You've got a heroine who can hold her own against the villain and the hero, and look amazing while she does it. You've got a creepy villain out to destroy it all! You've got wonderfully cheesy costumes. And such scenery chewing dialogue!
And don't forget the song. If Freddy Mercury was involved, then you know it's got style :-)
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Don't forget to check out my own superhero stories:
Flash Gordon. At last, someone I know. And didn't Brian Blessed play a blinder!
ReplyDeleteI had a Greyhound called Flash for twelve years from about 1996. You can imagine the reaction I had from everyone whenever I called him!
Keith Channing A-Zing from http://keithkreates.com
Yay! Glad we found one in common!
DeleteI am singing the theme in my head even as we speak without having to play the vid :). My sister and I had the soundtrack on tape and we used to play it on a terrible old tape player. What we never realised was it played a bit fast - Ming was a lot scarier without being sped up ;)
ReplyDeleteTasha
Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)
Glad to hear you have an appreciation for fine, pulpy cheese, too.
DeleteQueen made everything sound epic.
ReplyDeleteThey did :-)
DeleteI think, at least for me, the music to Flash Gordon was way more memorable than the movie!
ReplyDeleteWell, the theme song does stick in your head :-)
DeleteI saw Flash Gordon with my dad too. He had read the old comics as a kid. The thing I love about Flash Gordon is how straight forward and cheesy it was. There was no nuance in Ming the Merciless.
ReplyDeleteOf course, I loved the theme song. Whoever asked Queen to sing it was genius.
Yes. It can be a relief to deal with fiction that's so direct and unfiltered sometimes.
DeleteYeah I liked this movie as a kid and I read the comics too. I'd love to see an update, but sadly like Buck Rodgers, the Lone Ranger and the Phantom they might belong to a bygone age.
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Tim Brannan, The Other Side Blog
2015 A to Z of Adventure!
http://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/
OH. and what is not to love about that soundtrack! Queen rocks!
DeleteDefinitely! We do get some tastes of pulp here and there. The Mummy wasn't that long ago :-)
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