Review of Flash Gordon

Flash Gordon (1954–1955)
Either unwatchable or fascinating....
21 August 2006
Depending on your point of view. I have a dim memory of seeing this rerun on Sunday morning TV when I was a kid (even then it seemed ancient). I picked this up for a buck at a local thrift store. For the most part is seemed very tedious, and the attempts to pass of post war Berlin as other planets reminded me of ALPHAVILLE without the wit or imagination (after all, Godard knew we wouldn't really buy Paris AS Alpahville but assumed we'd go along with the joke --- here they actually seem to be serious). Still some of the imagery is sporadically striking. For a moment I thought the hellish underground scenes might be taken from some German silent film. They had a little of the atmosphere of Lang's SEIGRIED, only done on the cheap. Really this is a curiosity item more than anything. I can't recommend it, but I wouldn't try to dissuade anyone from seeing it either.

Oh --- but Irene Champlin as Dale Arden ---? Dale's MOM, maybe....
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