Flash Gordon

[GeorgeC]

"Flash! Ah-----aahhhhhh! Savior of the Universe!"


From the Thursday DigitalBits Twocents:

"Momentum Pictures in the U.K. is preparing a Flash Gordon: Silver Anniversary Edition DVD... for release in the U.K.. We're trying to find out if this will also be released in the States and, if so, who will handle the distribution (we understand that there's some confusion as to who owns the U.S. release rights - we've got questions into Universal, so hopefully we'll know more soon). The DVD will street on 10/10 in the U.K., featuring anamorphic widescreen video, Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 audio, audio commentary by director Mike Hodges and an interview with him as well, a second audio commentary with actor Brian Blessed, a photo slideshow, the original Queen theatrical trailer, and the first episode of the original 1940s serial Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe."



Rats, it's a campy film, but I want a decent R1 release of it! I have the soundtrack and still occasionally play that CD... The film is also the first and only time Timothy Dalton dressed up as Robin Hood but was the first time he did his Errol Flynn impression. Can anybody guess the SECOND film in which Dalton played Flynn?

BTW, if anybody wants the original 1930s and 1940s Flash Gordon serials, Image has the best copies on the market available in a boxset for $40. A lot of the copies of these serials on public domain DVDs are the feature-length edited versions or are mastered from poor-quality source films.

Between the Flash Gordon serials and Kurosawa's Hidden Fortress, you pretty much have most of the "unique, new" ideas Lucas used in the original Star Wars trilogy!

[Randall]

Campy film, but fun, and oddly faithful in many ways to the original comic strip. The serials will always be my favorite version, though. Filmation did decently, too. The 1990s animated version was an oddball, however.

Yep, a nice beefy R1 release for the Sam Jones version would be pretty spiffy!

[Ben]

I have the French SE, which is great.

Comes in a custom slipcase that pulls apart in the center to reveal a digi-pak. Inside, it's two discs: one movie DVD and the other the CD soundtrack by Queen.

The DVD features a GORGEOUS widescreen transfer (16x9 natch), plus commentary from Hodges, 30 minute interview, trailers and still gallery. Language is English 5.1 with optional subtitles, which of course can be switched off.

The 5.1 mix is fantastic, and if the commentary and interview are the same to be ported over by Momentum (which I wouldn't be surprised by, as they have done the same with other titles) then this should be a decent edition. Of course, the booming Blessed is going to be quite the thing to hear too!

Universal actually announced that they were working on an edition earlier this year, so hopefully we'll get all that in Region 1. I won't pick up the new R2 PAL disc, but would jump at getting the film at correct speed NTSC!

Fingers crossed!

[GeorgeC]

5 October 2005, from ComicsContinuum.com -- Old news, but worth reposting --

"Warner Home Video has announced a Jan. 10 release for The Flash: The Complete Series on DVD.

The six-disc series collects all 22 episodes, including the 90-minute pilot movie, from the series that ran one season on CBS from 1990-1991.

The Flash starred John Wesley Shipp as Barry Allen/The Flash and Amanda Pays as Tina McGee.

The series was developed for televison by Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo. Among the writers were Howard Chaykin and John Francis Moore, and Danny Bilson composted the theme music.

Among the guest stars were Mark Hamill as The Trickster, Richard Belzer as Joe Kline, Angela Bassett as Linda Lake, Michael Nader as Nicholas Pike, Jason Bernard as The Nightshade, Michael Champion as Captain Cold, David Cassidy as Mirror Master and Joyce Hyster as Megan Lockhart.

Hamill, who appeared in two episodes [as the Trickster], including the finale, is reprising The Trickster for an upcoming episode of Cartoon Network's Justice League Unlimited.

The series' first regular episode, "Out of Control," was recently featured on a bonus disc in Smallville: The Complete Fourth Season. "

[Ben]

I think they mean Danny ELFMAN wrote the theme music!

[GeorgeC]

That's right! Elfman did write The Flash theme.

But he wasn't the series' regular music producer/composer. I think it had a revolving number of composers.

One criticism of The Flash theme is that it's very much like Elfman's Batman theme which I think IS a valid one. The same could be said for John Williams' Raiders of the Lost Ark theme versus Williams' Superman theme. It's nothing new with composers. Whatever they can reuse or modify slightly to fit a new project, they'll do to save some time. It's only hypercritical music critics that hate this. I think the themes are different enough that they still work, derivative or not.

Funny thing is that when The Flash was originally being promoted, a temp track of Batman (1989) music was used to promote the film with what little footage they had finished of the series prior to its TV premiere!

[GeorgeC]

The 1990-1991 Flash TV series is coming out on DVD tomorrow.

I don't think there will be too many extras, but it has all 22 episodes plus the pilot.

The highlights of the series are the "Flash Forward" alternate future episode and the 2 episodes where Mark Hamill guest-starred as the Trickster.

Hamill, by the way, is reprising the Trickster on a future as-of-yet unscheduled episode of JLU...

[Ben]

I enjoyed this, for what it was, but probably wouldn't pick up the entire series.

However, the feature length pilot was issued as a DTV here, as well as the Hamill two-parter, which got a "Flash II: Revenge Of The Trickster" release and I would probably pick that up if it was issued as a cheapo single disc here in the UK.

Great Elfman theme!

[GeorgeC]

http://www.dvdtoons.com/news/921


Nope, not the movie with the Queen music.

Instead, it's the late 1970s animated series that was far more faithful to the original comic strip.

[Ben]

Good looking set. Now if we only also get Tarzan out there!

And where IS that Queen-scored movie?? Everyone seems to have a 25th Anniversary edition apart from us Region 1 buyers!

I admit I went for the French disc in the end - snazzy pull apart packaging and with the soundtrack CD thrown in!

[GeorgeC]

I'm going to drop an e-mail to the editor of The Digital Bits.

Maybe he has some up-to-date info on the status of the R1 Flash Gordon DVD.

If the original release hadn't been so mediocre, I would have gotten it.

The rumors have been all along that the U.S. would get what was released in Europe. However, it's been over a year since the new R1 release was hinted at and the MGM/Sony merger might have delayed it IF Flash Gordon was an MGM picture.

[Ben]

The Dino DeLaurentis "Flash Gordon" picture (the Mike Hodges late 1970s feature) is owned in the US by Universal.

There WAS some movement on this, posted by Bill at The Bits a while ago, but nothing as of late.

[GeorgeC]

Update on the 1980 Flash Gordon...

From TheDigitalBits.com :



"MY TWO CENTS - 4/24/07 - by Digital Bits editor Bill Hunt




(LATE UPDATE - 4/24/07 - 2:30 PM PDT)

Oh, man... you want to see something cool? Well, try this on for size: the new Alex Ross cover artwork for Universal's Flash Gordon: Savior of the Universe Edition DVD (just announced for release on 8/7). This rocks so f---ing hard that we couldn't just post it regular size and call it a day. No way. So here's the biggest size Universal has available on their press site for your viewing pleasure. I tell you right now, I've GOT to get my hands on a one-sheet sized print of this baby to hang in The Bits home theater...



There's no way the DVD is gonna be THAT good, but what the hell. I bet this will be wallpapered on hundreds of desktops within the hour...

Enjoy!

(EARLY UPDATE - 4/24/07 - 1:30 PM PDT)

Here's a bit of great news: At long last, Universal has finally announced a title we first revealed in The Rumor Mill a couple months back - the Flash Gordon: Saviour of the Universe Edition! The single-disc DVD release will street on 8/7 (SRP $26.98). I'll admit, I was actually hoping for an HD-DVD version as well, but one isn't currently planned. In any case, the film will be presented in anamorphic widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. There will be at least some special features and the title will come in "premium" packaging. No other details are yet available, but we'll tell you more as its revealed by the studio."



Great Alex Ross poster! I'm definitely DL-ing when I get back to my own computer tomorrow night.

This DVD is definitely on my buy list.

My CD soundtrack is ready to roll again!

[Randall]

I've been waiting years for this to be announced. FINALLY! I never picked up the Image DVD, since it was just a rehash of their laserdisc which I owned already. I sure hope they put some decent extras on the thing, even if it's only a single disc. The cover looks great--- I'm a big Ross fan.

Only complaint so far: no HD DVD being considered.

Cheesy, cheesy film... but in its way very true to the comic strip.

FLASH!! Buh-dum, buh-dum! Savior OF the UniVERSE! Buh-DUM, buh-DUM, buh-DUM!!!!!

Oh, yeah.

[Ben]

Coooooooooooooooooooooooooooool!

I caved in and bought the actually pretty cool French edition, with removable subtitles, a half hour interview with director Mike Hodges, a couple of teasers and trailers, a gallery and the soundtrack CD in some unique custom packaging.

The only blight is that it's a PAL (pitch-time speed up) transfer, so this will address that balance.

The image is rocking though, so a good master exists. Perhaps they need to go back and re-do it for HD since this master is a good couple of years old, but lightyears better than what I've seen on the Image LD (I sold mine ages ago) and DVD.