Filmation Flash Gordon 1979
I remember watching this, years ago. I remember was shown on the BBC, and ITV at once sometime in the early eighties If I recall correctly the BBC showed the Flash Gordon series, and ITV showed the telefilm.
I discovered it on YouTube and I watched it over a night and morning.
I can see why people liked Flash Gordon. It actually allows a mash of genres. The TV movie actually starts in Warsaw in 1939. We see Stukas marked with swastikas bombing Warsaw. ( Interesting-the producers depicted Swastikas)
I can see why people liked Flash Gordon. It actually allows a mash of genres. The TV movie actually starts in Warsaw in 1939. We see Stukas marked with swastikas bombing Warsaw. ( Interesting-the producers depicted Swastikas)
Flash who was a star of the 1936 Olympics, finds a man, dying in an apartment. (Hitler is in fact a character in this film, We learn that Ming the Merciless had been supplying Herr Hitler with super weapons)
Flash and Dale, go to meet Professor Zarkov. I wondered if it was possible to catch a passenger flight, in 1930s Europe. Well, I suppose Flash may have returned to the US. The air-plane is attacked by flying furious hail.. Oh and Dale, looks the part. She has the look of a Heady Lamar. Dale is different to a female lead in a modern cartoon. She-ra or Princess Bubblegum. She is rather passive, she is openly intimated by Aura's desire for Flash. She is sent off to be married to Ming.
Flash and Dale, go to meet Professor Zarkov. I wondered if it was possible to catch a passenger flight, in 1930s Europe. Well, I suppose Flash may have returned to the US. The air-plane is attacked by flying furious hail.. Oh and Dale, looks the part. She has the look of a Heady Lamar. Dale is different to a female lead in a modern cartoon. She-ra or Princess Bubblegum. She is rather passive, she is openly intimated by Aura's desire for Flash. She is sent off to be married to Ming.
There is a dancing bikini girl in Ming's harem
Zarkov has build an energy weapon that can destroy the sun. Which is nice, but there are Nazis... You can test this weapon..doc
If you have seen, the 1980's Flash Gordon film. Then you know the plot. The Professor, Flash, and Dale travel to Mongo, to stop Ming the Merciless attacking Earth
Zarkov has build an energy weapon that can destroy the sun. Which is nice, but there are Nazis... You can test this weapon..doc
If you have seen, the 1980's Flash Gordon film. Then you know the plot. The Professor, Flash, and Dale travel to Mongo, to stop Ming the Merciless attacking Earth
Mongo is actually a bit like Galifrey- In that it is red tinted and bigger than Earth and seems largely empty desert. Flash's ship, is attacked by alien dinosaurids. I actually wonder what these lizards are eating-The ape men and the dinosaurids both as Mongo seems to be a desert. But I have digressed. Surviving the crash the trio, fight off the dinosaurids, with shot guns, despite the fact the Zarkov has death rays on his ship. Our trio is to be attacked by brute blue ape men. Nice scene with the Blue blue ape men, opening their temple to Ming.
So, we have ancient sword and sandal epics. Then a jungle adventure
Lionmen, Lizard women, and a bird woman. This is actually from the earliest days of SF
Lionmen, Lizard women, and a bird woman. This is actually from the earliest days of SF
Russell T Davis must have seen this film and fallen in love. The lizard women have breasts- which makes no sense and guard the mines-They also eat the dying prisoners indeed actually fatten them up first.
They are Princess Aura, the very sexual daughter of Ming. She seems to be sitting on straw, in a spaceship at one point
By the way Ming looks rather Peruvian, in particular because he just seems to be amused at everything. So a rebellion starts in the mine, and Ming has it flooded. Rather Dukhat like..,
By the way Ming looks rather Peruvian, in particular because he just seems to be amused at everything. So a rebellion starts in the mine, and Ming has it flooded. Rather Dukhat like..,
Then one of the scenes I remembered Flash beating a blind monster, by running about a shouting.
Oh and Ming commands, and Aerial navy.. nice.
After Than, the prince of the lion men, and Aura and Flash escape Zac. The evil guardian of the mines. (Yes in the eighties, zac sounded mysterious) We meet Prince Barrin, the last of the group. Prince Barrin, is a Green arrow, lookalike with a pencil thin moustache. Barrin who wears clothes, (Flash gets more and more undressed until the final scenes of the movie)is from Abroria, and wants Princess Aura to be his girl. Oh and I forgot Voltan, the King of the Hawk-men ala Brian blessed Voltan has giant pigeon air cavalry. Mongo has lots of Aves, but aside from Humans, and Lion people very few mammals it seems.
Well I do not want to do a walk through as such. But Voltan, is clearly a Viking, he has dancing girls, chicken legs and beer. Speaking of the cartoon girls there is a lot of cartoon flesh on view here. Voltan also wants to marry Aura, Yes he wants to secure an alliance but also get access to her chamber Yes that is a motivation you do not see in cartoons anymore. It is probably true to the source material though
The final battle between Ming and Flash is a shoot out, like a western, and Ming falling to his death to be revealed to be a robot.. As people where not allowed to die, in cartoons. Hence the robot armies, and molemen
Interesting.. We learn that the Free world, will stop the the Nazis. Flash will live his dream on an Alien world.. Dale and Flash kiss, and kiss passionately
It is a strange piece, looking back. It is a lot more sexualized than other material I have seen. The characters are defined by their desires for each other. Ming wants Dale. Aura wants Flash. Barrin wants Aura. The different genres is good. There are consequences to peoples actions. Voltan's city is destroyed and seen falling to Earth. Oh and there are actual Nazis.
Oh and Ming commands, and Aerial navy.. nice.
After Than, the prince of the lion men, and Aura and Flash escape Zac. The evil guardian of the mines. (Yes in the eighties, zac sounded mysterious) We meet Prince Barrin, the last of the group. Prince Barrin, is a Green arrow, lookalike with a pencil thin moustache. Barrin who wears clothes, (Flash gets more and more undressed until the final scenes of the movie)is from Abroria, and wants Princess Aura to be his girl. Oh and I forgot Voltan, the King of the Hawk-men ala Brian blessed Voltan has giant pigeon air cavalry. Mongo has lots of Aves, but aside from Humans, and Lion people very few mammals it seems.
Well I do not want to do a walk through as such. But Voltan, is clearly a Viking, he has dancing girls, chicken legs and beer. Speaking of the cartoon girls there is a lot of cartoon flesh on view here. Voltan also wants to marry Aura, Yes he wants to secure an alliance but also get access to her chamber Yes that is a motivation you do not see in cartoons anymore. It is probably true to the source material though
The final battle between Ming and Flash is a shoot out, like a western, and Ming falling to his death to be revealed to be a robot.. As people where not allowed to die, in cartoons. Hence the robot armies, and molemen
Interesting.. We learn that the Free world, will stop the the Nazis. Flash will live his dream on an Alien world.. Dale and Flash kiss, and kiss passionately
It is a strange piece, looking back. It is a lot more sexualized than other material I have seen. The characters are defined by their desires for each other. Ming wants Dale. Aura wants Flash. Barrin wants Aura. The different genres is good. There are consequences to peoples actions. Voltan's city is destroyed and seen falling to Earth. Oh and there are actual Nazis.
Comments