About this episode

The episode continues the exploration of Flash Gordon, detailing its production history and notable cast.

We return to our rundown of Flash Gordon , just as Flash and Prince Barin are being taken to the Hawkmen’s planet to fight to the death! 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 Lucas — a choice that helped inspire Star Wars . The film’s troubled development included a scrapped version by Nicolas Roeg, with Debbie Harry once rumoured to play Princess Aura. Eventually, Hodges took the reins, working from a screenplay by Lorenzo Semple Jr., the same writer who brought Batman’s colourful POW…

People in this episode

Hosts: Ross, Jon, James

Topics covered

• British horror
• cult cinema
• film history
• Flash Gordon
• production history

Keywords

• Flash Gordon
• Mike Hodges
• Dino De Laurentiis
• cult cinema
• production history

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Flash Gordon, Get Carter, Pulp, Batman

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