Flash Gordon (1980)

Directed by Mike Hodges. With Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Max von Sydow, Topol. A football player and his friends travel to the planet Mongo and find themselves fighting the tyranny of Ming the Merciless to save Earth.

Flash Gordon is a 1980 science fantasy film based on the King Features comic strip of the same name created by Alex Raymond.

Heroic earthling Flash Gordon saves the world from the nefarious Ming the Merciless in this lavish, intentionally campy adaptation of the famous sci-fi comic strip. The story is as basic as space operas get: Ming (Max von Sydow) has developed a plan to destroy the Earth, and Flash (Sam J. Jones) and his attractive companion, Dale Arden (Melody Anderson), are called upon to stop him. Along the way, Flash must battle Ming's goons and the temptations of a luscious space princess. Previously the basis for a more straight-faced 1930s adventure serial, Flash's story is mined here for exaggerated, cartoon humor by screenwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr., a central figure in the similarly campy '60s Batman television series.

Not since "Infra-Man" has a movie opened with a development more ominous than the crisis facing Earth at the beginning of "Flash Gordon."

Prepare to save the universe with the King of the Impossible! The famous comic strip blasts to life in the timeless sci-fi cult adventure, featuring an unforgettable score by Queen.

The 1980 Flash Gordon had so much promise. They had a budget, an all-star cast, and the filmmaker behind the 1971 classic Get Carter. They had Queen! How many shit-storms had to coalesce to create this altogether Perfect Storm of movie failure? Quite a few. Here are the weirdest secrets of the making of Flash Gordon.

Flash Gordon (1980) - Flash Gordon Find out the strangest facts about the weirdest comic adaption of the 1980s: Flash Gordon . Flash G...

From a soundtrack by Queen to its influence on 'Star Wars,' this campy sci-fi cult classic is too good to miss.