63 (Part 1): Flash Gordon (1980) – Starling Productions – Dir. Mike Hodges – Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson & Max von Sydow
About this episode
The episode explores the production history and cultural impact of the 1980 film Flash Gordon.
Sorry this one’s a bit late — but to make up for it, we’ve gone all in with an extra-long episode of General Witchfinders , split into two parts. This week, we take you through the extraordinary, over-the-top world of Flash Gordon (1980) — the space opera superhero film that blended camp comedy, science-fiction spectacle, and Queen’s iconic soundtrack into something truly cosmic. The second half of this intergalactic adventure will land next week. Flash Gordon was directed by Mike Hodges, the British filmmaker behind Get Carter and Pulp , and produced by the legendary Dino De Laurentiis. Based on the King Features comic strip created by Alex Raymond, the film stars Sam J. Jones as the all-American hero Flash, Melody Anderson as Dale Arden, Ornella Muti as the dangerous Princess Aura, Max von Sydow as Ming the Merciless, and Topol as the eccentric scientist Dr. Hans Zarkov. The supporting cast includes Timothy Dalton, Brian Blessed, Peter Wyngarde, Peter Duncan and John Hallam — a line-up that reads like a who’s who of cult cinema. We dig into the incredible production history of Flash Gordon , from De Laurentiis’ first attempts in the 1960s to his decision to turn down George…
People in this episode
Hosts: Ross, Jon, James
Topics covered
- British horror
- cult cinema
- film history
- Flash Gordon
- production history
- science fiction
Keywords
- Flash Gordon
- Mike Hodges
- Dino De Laurentiis
- cult cinema
- science fiction
- Queen soundtrack
- production history
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Flash Gordon, Get Carter, Pulp, Batman, Star Wars, Flash Gordon (1980)
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