It's very rare that someone such as myself gets to see one of their favorite movies on an actual big screen. Mostly, because I'm admittedly a bit of a film curmudgeon and all of my favorite movies were made before year 2000, which really, doesn't feel like that long ago. Luckily, in one case, it finally happened. I was lucky enough to see Raiders of the Lost Ark when it was re released in anticipation of the blu-ray release of the Indiana Jones series. To say I was elated would be a massive understatement. It was a fucking religious experience. Now, I hope I can relive some of those thrilling feelings with another one of my favorites, Flash Gordon.
On August 29th, the Time Community Theater in downtown Oshkosh is showing Flash Gordon as a part of their Free Fridays series. If you haven't checked out anything at the Time, shame on you. Now, you have no excuses because I'm going to tell you why you should go see Flash Gordon. First, you are supporting a local non-profit group ran by a bunch of really cool people, second, it's free, third, they have Wisconsin craft beer and finally, it's FUCKING Flash Gordon.
A lot of people may only be mildly familiar with the character due to his cameo in Seth
MacFarlane's Ted, but I can assure you, there is so much more to this eighties sci-fi rock opera. The film follows the title character, Flash Gordon, the all-American quarterback for the New York Jets as he is taken to the planet Mongo where he must conquer the evil tyrant, Ming the Merciless. With a killer soundtrack from stadium rock-gods, Queen, the film is a rousing combination of classic cornball humor and bizarrely lavish production design.With the massive success of Star Wars, everyone began to jumpon the proverbial spaceship and try to recreate it. Although most of these movies are long forgotten,
Flash Gordon has managed to build a thriving cult following that still carries significant pop culture relevance.
Before I dive into the film itself, let's take a brief look at the history of the character. Created byAlex Raymond, the Flash was first introduced in 1934 as a way to rival the well established BuckRogers. After the success of the comic strips, Flash transitioned to his first on-screen appearance in the black and white film serials starring Buster Crabbe in the late thirties and early forties. It would be another forty years before the Flash Gordon I revel in makes its way to the silver screen.
In December of 1980, Mike Hodges' film made it's premier and thus began the cult legacy. The film was written by Lorenzo Semple, Jr., one of the lead writers of the 1960s Batman television series.If you know about what that says, it becomes very clear what type of film this was going to be. As most know, the Adam West starring Batman series was full of tongue-in-cheek humor and a sense of self-awareness as to what they were making. This style of writing clearly molded what Flash Gordon became and why people love it.
With a grand and flamboyant style, filled with pomp and circumstance, Flash Gordon was never meant to be taken to seriously. They knew exactly what they were presenting to the audience: glorified sci-fi camp. It's a colorful fantasy world, built around these unbelievable characters that are essential parts heroic as well as being equally unconventional. The film is molded from rock and roll and over-the-top spectacle. Queen's soundtrack only expands on the larger than life feeling that this film brings to the audience. Roger Taylor's pulsing drums, Brian May's immaculate guitar, John Deacon's driving bass and Freddie Mercury's bravado provide a perfect balance to the large, melodramatic story and exquisitely large performances. This film isn't Star Wars and it doesn't have to be. Sometimes, it's okay to have a good time at your own expense. I can tell you, Flash Gordon is a good fucking time. That's why all of you should be at the Time Community Theater on August 29th. Come see what Iwould call the greatest rock opera in all of science fiction and enjoy this intergalactic adventure.