ENTRY 302: October 29, 2007

The pieces printed below is from the Star Wars Insider #95 supplement talking about Guilty Pleasures and Star Wars inspired movies.

"After Star Wars did seismic box office business, Flash Gordon got a second chance to get onto the screen in a very big way. Dino De Laurentiis served as producer on a lavishly executed spectacle."

I'll agree with this portion. I'm not sure that FLASH would have gotten made had Star Wars not been a success.

"Here's the thing about Flash. It ain't exactly a bad movie (nor is it exactly a good one). Both Star Wars and Flash have the same DNA: the gee-whiz popcorn energy that powered the black-and-white serials and the comic strip adventures of Flash. But Star Wars struck a better balance of camp and gravitas -- by sticking with John Williams score rather than Queen, for example."

Here I have an issue. I really enjoy the FLASH movie, but to me it IS the QUEEN soundtrack that gives the movie it's oomph. If this film had been done with a serious score such as a John Williams piece, it would have been the most ridiculous self inflated movie around. QUEEN kept it campy which is what was needed. Also remember the first HIGHLANDER movie. It was QUEEN's music that fit right in with the rest the film.


"And despite its unbelievable spectacle (farmboy infiltrates and destroys advanced space station with ease) Star Wars never put anything into the movie that looked patently ridiculous. As entertaining as it is, you just can't take a bunch of badly composited Hawkmen flying through the air seriously. We like to think there's a lesson in cinematic tolerance here."

Again, the movie IS camp and the Hawkmen are just fine. We see a mix of old movie making with the Hawkmen and their formations off in the distance.

"To all Star Wars fans who don't "get" Flash Gordon, remember you're feeling the exact same thing that snooty people who don't "get" Star Wars feel."

What's not to "get". This movie is fun. It was not meant to be serious in any way. PLUS they got a darn good cast. Max Von Sydow, Timothy Dalton, Richard (Rocky Horror) O'Brien. I still watch the flick and enjoy it tremendously. I still wait for a sequel when it ends. Maybe some day.