Flash Gordon (film)
| Flash Gordon | |
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Theatrical release poster by Richard Amsel
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| Directed by | Mike Hodges |
| Produced by | Dino De Laurentiis |
| Screenplay by | Lorenzo Semple, Jr. |
| Story by | Michael Allin |
| Based on |
Flash Gordon by Alex Raymond |
| Starring | |
| Music by | |
| Cinematography | Gilbert Taylor |
| Edited by | Malcolm Cooke |
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Production
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| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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114 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $20 million |
| Box office | $27.1 million (North America) |
Flash Gordon is a 1980 British space opera action film filmed in Technicolor and Todd-AO, based on the King Features comic strip of the same name created by Alex Raymond. The film was directed by Mike Hodges, and produced by Dino De Laurentiis. It stars Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Topol, Max von Sydow, Timothy Dalton, Brian Blessed, and Ornella Muti. The screenplay was written by Lorenzo Semple, Jr., with a story adaptation by Michael Allin. It intentionally uses a camp style similar to the 1960s TV series Batman (for which Semple had developed and written many episodes) in an attempt to appeal to fans of the original comics and serial films. Although a box office success in the UK, it performed poorly overseas. The film is notable for its soundtrack composed, performed and produced by the rock band Queen, with the orchestral sections by Howard Blake. The film has since gained a significant cult following.
Emperor Ming the Merciless declares that he will first play with and then destroy the Earth using natural disasters. On Earth, New York Jets football star "Flash" Gordon boards a small plane, where he meets travel journalist Dale Arden. Mid-flight, the cockpit is hit by a meteorite and the pilots are lost. Flash takes control and manages to crash land into a greenhouse owned by Dr. Hans Zarkov. Zarkov, who believes the disasters are being caused because an unknown source is pushing the Moon towards Earth, has secretly constructed a spacecraft which he plans to use to investigate. Zarkov's assistant refuses to go, so he lures Flash and Dale aboard. The rocket launches, taking them to the planet Mongo, where they are captured by Ming's troops.
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