TJE 7/26 - Flash Gordon (1980)

"Flash Gordon, Quarterback, New York Jets," is how our hero introduces himself, a bleach blonde beefcake who shows up wearing a shirt with the name "Flash" emblazoned across his chest. Such is the subtlety of the 1980 "Flash Gordon" movie, based on the 1930s comic strip hero and the film serials and television shows he starred in. The movie makes no attempt to hide these origins, featuring snippets of the original comics right in the bombastic opening credits, complete with a song by Queen that chants Flash's name over and over, and declares him the savior of the universe. He's a miracle! King of the impossible! It's the audience's signal to expect something larger than life, grandiose in scale, and of course as campy as hell.
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