Flash Gordon

[DrWho42]

Anyone looking forward to Sci Fi's version?

Personally, I was really eager although the scenes I've seen seem to say: "We're going with the 1980 one..."
Which I really enjoyed for its camp (seeing since it was made by the same guy who did Barbarella who also bought the copyrights before George Lucas wanted to remake it), but for me: I grew up with the 1930s Flash as played by Buster Crabbe (i.e. Space Soldiers Conquer the Universe).

I'm not sure what direction Sci Fi will go for it, but hopefully (I'm hoping) I'll enjoy.

[Serenity]

Not interested. I'm not a fan of over-the-top space opera in the first place.

And the promos make it seem even more cheap and sucky. I also read that they want to tie in Earth more frequently; probably for budget reasons.

[DrWho42]

"Over-the-top" is pretty synonymous with alot of the olde serialised sci-fi, i.e. Commando Cody and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

Those points were the ones that made me less eager about the show, given that Flash Gordon is pretty much the proto-Star Wars and if he's not traversing or battling in space: it's not really Flash.

I'm guessing Ming the Merciless is less like Fu Munchu...

[JDS]

I'm going to admit that I have ZERO background/familiarity with Flash Gordon, so I'm going into this cold.

Having said that, the ads on SciFi don't look promising.

[DrWho42]

Well, here's what's free from the Internet about Flash Gordon:

The Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_Gordon), of course.

Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe is public domain, and thusly free for use along Archive.org
Chapter One: "The Purple Death" (http://www.archive.org/details/flash_gordon1)
Chapter Two: "Freezing Torture" (http://www.archive.org/details/flash_gordon2)
Chapter Three: "Walking Bombs" (http://www.archive.org/details/flash_gordon3)
Chapter Four: "The Destroying Ray" (http://www.archive.org/details/flash_gordon4)
Chapter Five: "The Palace of Terror" (http://www.archive.org/details/flash_gordon5)
Chapter Six: "Flaming Death" (http://www.archive.org/details/flash_gordon6)
Chapter Seven: "The Land of the Dead" (http://www.archive.org/details/flash_gordon_7)
Chapter Eight: "The Fiery Abyss" (http://www.archive.org/details/flash_gordon8)
Chapter Nine: "The Pool of Peril" (http://www.archive.org/details/flash_gordon9)
Chapter Ten: "The Death Mist" (http://www.archive.org/details/flash_gordon10)
Chapter Eleven: "Starch Treachery" (http://www.archive.org/details/flash_gordon11)
Chapter Twelve: "Doom of the Dictator" (http://www.archive.org/details/flash_gordon12)

And along tv-links.co.uk, they have the full-length remake that's so full of camp: Flash Gordon (1980) (http://www.tv-links.co.uk/show.do/4/3414).

There's also the weekly comic by the King Features Syndicate (Flash Gordon (http://www.kingfeatures.com/features/comics/fgordon/about.htm)) that's been running since the 1930s, but I haven't kept up with those lately since I don't know what papers carry it.

[DrWho42]

Anyone anticipating to-morrow? The DVD of the camp classic (from 1980) is now available on DVD (http://www.flashgordondvd.com/). There's also a singing of the Flash! anthem on SciFi.com.

Sing the Flash Anthem! (http://www.scifi.com/flashgordon/anthem/)

I'll be watching given my fandom for camp and classic sci-fi, although I'm hoping Sci Fi won't dish out its original Sci Fi movie quality for this show..

[Serenity]

It got horrible reviews all around:
http://www.syfyportal.com/news424029.html
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33634

Basically what I expected and so I won't even watch the pilot.

[Joe Beaudoin Jr.]

I have no interest in watching Flash Gordon... not my cup of tea, exactly.

I expected the series to have bad reviews, particularly in lieu of many of the news items surrounding it before the premiere.

I probably won't watch it either.

On the flip side, SciFi did air some new content for "Razor" during the premiere, which is up on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qhMfK21Rv0).

[Serenity]

I just don't get why SciFi decides to produce these shows that are exactly what give the genre its bad reputation. Television has changed in the last 20 years. Science fiction needs to change along with it.
Stargate is already scraping the bottom of the barrel as far as brainless popcorn sci-fi is concerned, but Flash Gordon seems to start digging from there with genuinely bad writing, dialogue, actors and sets. It probably can't even be watched as guilty pleasure.

What the genre needs is more adult sci-fi. That doesn't necessarily mean HBO/FX levels of violence and sex, but just complex, three-dimensional characters and intelligent, engaging writing.
And you can have that in space opera too, as Farscape aptly demonstrates. The show is as out there as it gets and has all kinds of weird aliens, but it's also very much about its characters, has a cast with superb chemistry and witty dialogue.
And contrary to what some people think, you can also have humor in an intelligent series, as Farscape (again) and Firefly show. Or also Buffy - The Vampire Slayer even if that's not sci-fi. It doesn't have to be dark and serious all the time. Those shows manage to be both funny and serious; sometimes both at once, other times rapidly changing tones.
The writers just don't think of the audience as children and look beyond superficial special effects and kewl explosions to carry the episodes.

[Joe Beaudoin Jr.]

We are talking about the same channel that included ECW in its lineup...

But, yes, Flash Gordon should be left in science fiction's past. Besides, contrary to popular belief, you don't need aliens and spaceships to do a science fiction series.

[Spencerian]

I saw a tiny piece of it. It looked inoffensive enough, except for one glaring thing. Maybe two.

One. What's up with the look of Ming? No bald head, not even an evil goatee! He looks like he sprung from the cover of some romance novel.

Two. Portraying a futuristic culture is MUCH harder now than it was back in the pulp fiction days. Mongo (a strange name to use nowandays) looks more like Oz's Emerald City than a city of a distant futuristic alien culture.

[Sgt_Smiles]

FLASH!
HaOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

:eek: :eek: :eek:

[Mercifull]

I haven't seen it but the characters look awful. Its a cheap attempt at SciFi trying to find a new scifi series with the viewing figures of BSG but with less production costs. Flash Gordon looks like the typical American hero and wtf is with Ming the Submarine Officer? Just in general it looks like a budget telemovie with b-actors.