Flash Gordon

Starring:Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Max von Sydow, Topol, Ornella Muti, Timothy Dalton, Brian Blessed, Peter Wyngarde, Mariangela Melato, John Osborne (II), Richard O'Brien, John Hallam, Philip Stone, Suzanne Danielle, William Hootkins, Bobbie Brown, Ted Carroll, Adrienne Kronenberg, Stanley Lebor, John Morton
Director: Mike Hodges
Studio: Universal Studios
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com essential video
When the totalitarian planet of Mongo decides on a whim to obliterate Earth, it's up to the lunk-headed quarterback Flash Gordon and his oddball companions to make the universe safe for democracy. Based on the classic (and infinitely more reputable) comic strip and its '30s screen serialization, this cotton-candy-colored trash classic deserves immortality for Queen's unforgettably pulsating soundtrack alone. The legendary Max von Sydow appears to be having a blast as the evil Ming the Merciless, while Ornella Muti, as his daughter, is the living embodiment of what attracts adolescent boys to comics in the first place. (She makes Barbarella look mundane.) One of the most shamelessly entertaining movies ever made, this is a knowingly absurd sensory freak-out that'll have the viewer blissfully checking the sky afterward for signs of Hawkmen. --Andrew Wright
Description
Strange energy waves from the planet Mongo pull the moon out of orbit threatening Earth, and NY Jets quarterback Flash Gordon and the lovely Dale Arden must destroy Mongo's ruler, Ming the Merciless, before Earth is annihilated. Music by Queen.

Flash Gordon (Saviour Of The Universe Edition) (1980)
Average customer rating:

They should've included the Silver Edition extras.

Voice track

WELL IT'S ABOUT TIME, UNIVERSAL!!!

Movie a 5; Lacking most Important Special Feature

I really don't understand

Flash Gordon (Saviour Of The Universe Edition) (1980)
Starring: Sam J. Jones , Melody Anderson , Max von Sydow , Topol , and Ornella Muti
Director: Mike Hodges
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Anderson, Melody | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Dalton, Timothy | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Muti, Ornella | ( M ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Sydow, Max Von | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Topol | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Hodges, Mike | ( H ) | Directors | Stores | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000PMGS8G
Release Date: 2007-08-07

Customer Reviews:

They should've included the Silver Edition extras........2007-06-28

I won't be buying this one as i sent away to uk for the Silver version.
It's very nice. I've always loved this movie.
Brian Blessed's audio commentary is wonderful and it's well worth getting the uk version for that extra feature alone.

Voice track.......2007-06-22

I'm glad this edition is being put out because I had the OOP version and the voice track was off which was annoying to watch the mouths open but the words were off. So I'm happy to get an edition of this movie that is watchable and enjoyable! Plus Sam was one of my crushes in middle school!

WELL IT'S ABOUT TIME, UNIVERSAL!!!.......2007-06-21

Why did they wait so long to release the Saviour Of The Universe Edition. It's a campy movie, but it brings back a lot of memories for me. I must've written these bozos numerous times if they were ever going to re-release the film on DVD in the first place. Although I have the U.K. version with the director's commentary, the 30 minute interview with Mike Hodges, a theatrical trailer and photo gallery, I do admire Alex Ross's artwork and I'm looking forward to seeing what's on the U.S. version and I'll be buying the soundtrack with the "Flash Remix" I'll be ready on August 7th.

Movie a 5; Lacking most Important Special Feature.......2007-06-19

The Special Feature that must happen is the one where Queen's soundtrack is the only thing you hear. Including each time it is used to "hear" movement. That soundtrack is beyond amazing.

The movie itself is a tribute to how special effects were done prior to the advent of computers. Why not a featurette on how these techniques were done? Interviews with the various actors, the costumer, etc. would also be wonderful. The costumes were amazing! An inspiration to any costumer.

I have the Region 2 DVD and am very happy with it.

I really don't understand.......2007-06-18

I saw Sam Jones at a convention and he said he recorded commentary for a future region 1 release. And from what I understand, The "Savior Of The Universe Edition" doesn't have it. So I say, WTF?

I could care less about the artist who drew the new cover and how the movie inspired him. He has nothing to do with this movie.

How about an interview with the surviving members of Queen about the making of the soundtrack? How about including the commentary from Sam Jones and Melody Anderson. Or Max Von Sydow, who is still alive. And the writer and director. Who cares about a guy that had nothing to do with the film?

I am happy that it is remastered. But that should be a given. I own the original region DVD and would really only buy this one if it had good extras. Part of me is still hoping that might happen one day.

Flash Gordon: Box Set (Space Soldiers/Flash Gordon's Trip To Mars/Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe) (3DVD)

Average customer rating:

A Blast from my past.
Flashing on Memory
Youth Revisited
love the sparklers on the rockets
Classic Sci-Fi Serials!

Flash Gordon: Box Set (Space Soldiers/Flash Gordon's Trip To Mars/Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe) (3DVD)
Starring: Buster Crabbe , Carol Hughes , Charles Middleton , Anne Gwynne , and Frank Shannon
Director: Ford Beebe , and Ray Taylor
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00004Y2QO
Release Date: 2000-10-03

Description

All three Flash Gordon serials in one box! "Space Soldiers" (1936, 245 min., 13 episodes) - Internationally renowned polo player and Yale graduate Flash Gordon and the lovely Dale Arden are enlisted by Dr. Hans Zarkov on his quest to save Earth from being destroyed by the runaway planet Mongo. "Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938, 299 min., 15 episodes) - A mysterious beam of light emanating from Mars is sucking the nitrogen from the Earth's atmosphere, and only Flash Gordon can stop it, battling Queen Azura, the Clay People of Mars, and his mortal enemy Ming the Merciless! "Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe" (1940, 234 min., 12 episodes) - A rocket is dropping purple dust into the Earth's atmosphere, causing instant death! Can Flash Gordon stop the madman from Mongo while retrieving the antidote to the death dust from the frozen planet of Frigia?

Space Soldiers - Flash is enlisted to save Earth from a runaway planet. "Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars" - A light beam from Mars is sucking away Earth's atmosphere! "Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe" - A rocket is dropping deadly purple dust onto the Earth! 3-disc box set.

Robert F. Hill, Ford Beebe, Ray Taylor, Frederick Stephani

Buster Crabbe, Charles Middleton, Jean Rogers, Frank Shannon, Richard Alexander, Carol Hughes

Customer Reviews:

A Blast from my past........2007-06-05

I first saw these serials in the movie theatres in the 1940's. They were part of the magical joy of a child's early life, which brought us back to that same theatre every Saturday matinee until we had seen all the episodes. In those days one could see a triple feature, the Flash Gordon serial, and cartoons for 9 cents at the Old Loma Theatre in Burbank, California.
Later, in the early 1950's they appeared on television for the first time. Even the adults were part of the audience. Crude as those early special effects were, they just delighted my whole generation.
Now, all three of the serials are available for a huge savings on DVD, about the same price for one individual movie. Step back into time and relive another era, sadly gone forever.

Flashing on Memory.......2007-05-19

Those of us who grew up in the 1950s, first saw most of these episodes on TV. Originally designed as weekly serials in the 1930s to be shown in theatres before the main feature, they were among our earliest entrees into the genre of science fiction and fantasy films. Still showing on TV into the 1970s, they suddenly vanished from view thereafter and are only now available in their entirety on DVD. Seeing them again is a revelation on more than one level. It never occurred to us as kids just how overacted was Buster Crabbe's portrayal of Flash Gordon, and it's a hoot to witness now. There's more unintentional humor than anything else in these volumes, but you'll also see images your brain has forgotten and you'll howl at the "flash" backs. The impossibly goofy spaceships, the gila monster lizard dragons, The Emperor Ming, Professor Zarkov, Prince Baron, the great sexless Dale, and all the gang are here. If you've got kids, they'll laugh along with you and wonder how a generation could be so entranced by such phony yet entertaining technology, back before there was any real technology to speak of. By the time you get to the 3rd DVD, the similar plotlines (what plotlines there are) begin to grow tired. But you can always pull this stuff out again for a good laugh and a warm stroll down memory lane. Note: Obviously, Steven Spielberg was well acquainted with these serials and you'll enjoy seeing his inspiration for the initial Star Wars movie on DVD 2 here.

Youth Revisited.......2007-05-12

As a youth I used to go to movies on Saturday to see the Flash Gordon episodes. Those were the days (1930s) when they gave away free dishes to attract the more mature crowd. The quality of these DVDs is very good and I have enjoyed seeing Flash and Ming and the rest of the crowd again.
John in Palm Springs

love the sparklers on the rockets.......2007-03-19

exactly as I remembered from my youth - a local channel used to play these serialised shows on friday nights

decent transfer and sound quality.

I am happy with it.

Classic Sci-Fi Serials!.......2007-02-16

Flash Gordon is a superhero in his own right. Created for Alex Raymond's 1934-1945 Sunday comic strip, Gordon is an all-American hero, who travels to the alien planet Mongo with the lovely Dale Arden and brilliant scientist, Dr. Hans Zarkov. On the strange planet, the three Earthlings encounter savage monsters, and Ming the Merciless--the most cruel dictator in the Universe.

The first of the serials--"Flash Gordon" (1936)--is the best. This continuity does Raymond's original vision a great justice. The first two years of the strip are roughly chronicled here, with innovations (what they are I won't tell you, because they occur at the end). If read Checker Books' first Flash Gordon volume, then you basically have a novelization of this serial. Buster Crabbe, Jean Rogers, Frank Shannon, Charles Middleton, Priscilla Lawson and John Lipson star.

"Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars" (1938) pick up right where the first serial left off. In order to save Earth from the diabolical plans of Ming and witch-queen, Azura, Flash and company must ally themselves with the Clay People of Mars. Crabbe, Rogers, Shannon and Middleton.

Buster Crabbe, Frank Shannon and Charles Middleton were reunited in the final chapter of the Flash trilogy, "Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe" (1940). Though this is the weakest of the series (barely any monsters, weak acting, and overused plot), there is a note of finality as the ruthless Ming defiantly declares, "I am the Universe!"

Of all the serials I have seen, Universal's Flash Gordons are the best. One of the things I admire the most about all of the Gordon serials are that you never see any strings or anything in all the rocket ship scenes. Even in "Batman," (1943) strings were evident in the plane used in one of the chapters. B-movie serials, yet great period quality invested in them.

The New Adventures of Flash Gordon - The Complete Series

Average customer rating:

A Cartoon GEM!
One of the best cartoons to ever air on T,V,
My kids love it! (And I sorta do, too)
Better than the live-action movie, but...
Return to Yesteryear.

The New Adventures of Flash Gordon - The Complete Series
Starring: Robert Ridgely , Diane Pershing , Allan Melvin , Melendy Britt , and Bob Holt
Director: Don Towsley , Hal Sutherland , and Lou Zukor
Manufacturer: Bci / Eclipse
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000FKO420
Release Date: 2006-07-18

Customer Reviews:

A Cartoon GEM!.......2007-04-27

Very awesome DVD set. I have been searching for this series on DVD for years and years and I am happy that Filmation has finally put out such a fine series. This was the best of the best in cartoons during the 80's. I loved this show as a kid and still enjoy the rich annimation, excellent stories (at least the 1st season) and serious storylines (except for the 2nd season). Excellent voice acting matched with awesome visuals make this series jump right out of the newspaper serials that Flash Gordon was known for. I give this 5 Stars and note that any serious collector of Flash Gordon items or of the animated series/cartoon MUST have this for their collection. This is what the 80's movie should have been!!!!

One of the best cartoons to ever air on T,V,.......2007-04-06

Ever Saturday at 11:00am the world came to a stop(at least in my house) and I was propeled into an adventure beyond the stars on the planet Mongo as Flash and company battled the evil Ming in the hopes of saving Earth.
With a look of a big screen movie, this show set a bar for animation that T. V. still has yet to equal. The scripts were very good and hold up very well today. My boys have watched this with me and love it. I only hope that they release more of the old Saturday morning cartoons on DVD, they would make a nice counter point to the sad state of children's show that they try to pass off to us as good for the kids. This is one the whole family can watch and enjoy.

My kids love it! (And I sorta do, too).......2007-01-09

I was really too old in 1979 to be watching this series, but I watched it anyway. It seemed to be more adult than say, Superfriends. And I loved the theme music. So I was delighted to hear that it was now offered on DVD. I bought it for my kids for Christmas.

My daughter is 9 and the boy is 7, and they positively clamor for it. It's true that the animators used some of the same scenes over and over again, but for kids their age, that doesn't seem to matter too much.

As of today, we haven't reached the second season (which I don't remember from my youth -- I wonder if it was broadcast where I lived), in which the episode format changes and a goofy dragon is introduced. Some reviewers here are disappointed by it. But the first season's episodes alone are worth the price.

My only complaint: No isolated soundtrack so I can listen to that theme music over and over!

Better than the live-action movie, but..........2006-12-11

There's not much I can add that hasn't been posted already. But there is something that the other reviewers seemed to have overlooked - the quality of the digital transfer. They never bothered to clean it up, not the sound, not the picture. I'm sure that this is a true copy of the original, but the original had quite a few specks and lines popping up on top of the image. Case in point, you're watching the opening credits and a vertical line appears and runs across the image. This happens within the episodes themselves, too. Watching this is like watching a very good VHS movie. So buyer beware, if you loved the show, then get it for the nostalgia. But only the true devoted follower may be willing to put up with the poor treatment. I hope someday they'll release the feature movie and a cleaned-up, digitally enhanced, version. However, by then, we all may buy our movies on slivers of crystal memory modules, or something.

Return to Yesteryear........2006-11-10

These cartoons really took me back to the Saturday mornings of my childhood. The images are 100% and delivery was quick.

Average customer rating:

SPECIAL EDITION COMING AUGUST 7, 2007!!!
Check out DVD hack codes
I am of age now Green Father! I ask for the test of Manhood!
An overdecorated Christmas tree of a movie!
Great Film, Poor Transfer. Get the English DVD.

Flash Gordon
Starring: Sam J. Jones , Melody Anderson , Max von Sydow , Topol , and Ornella Muti
Director: Mike Hodges
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00005QDMG

Amazon.com essential video

When the totalitarian planet of Mongo decides on a whim to obliterate Earth, it's up to the lunk-headed quarterback Flash Gordon and his oddball companions to make the universe safe for democracy. Based on the classic (and infinitely more reputable) comic strip and its '30s screen serialization, this cotton-candy-colored trash classic deserves immortality for Queen's unforgettably pulsating soundtrack alone. The legendary Max von Sydow appears to be having a blast as the evil Ming the Merciless, while Ornella Muti, as his daughter, is the living embodiment of what attracts adolescent boys to comics in the first place. (She makes Barbarella look mundane.) One of the most shamelessly entertaining movies ever made, this is a knowingly absurd sensory freak-out that'll have the viewer blissfully checking the sky afterward for signs of Hawkmen. --Andrew Wright

Customer Reviews:

SPECIAL EDITION COMING AUGUST 7, 2007!!!.......2007-05-05

If you're a fan of this film and tempted to pay over 40 dollars for this out-of-print edition, just hold out a few months and save some cash. Universal plans to release an all new "Saviour of the Universe" edition featuring anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. There may even be a few special features tossed on there as well. Wait until August and you'll be getting a far superior edition than the old Image DVD release for less than half of what these sellers are asking. Check the Digital Bits website for coverage of this release, including awesome new cover art by artist Alex Ross.

Check out DVD hack codes.......2007-04-02

Okay now listen up knuckleheads, cos this applies to all of you who insist on paying out crazy money for oops movies "thats out of print to the unitiated"
All dvd players are all region code, they are just set on whatever country region that the player is destined for at the factory.
Now if you type in dvd hack codes on a google search, you will be led to numerous sites, that will give you the various codes to unlock your dvd player so that it will play any region code.
That means that instead of paying a hundred bucks for Flash Gordon you can now purchase the pal special edition from amazon Uk shipped for ten bucks. I just unlocked my Colby and watched the Clash "Rude boy" and peter kay "Phoenix nights" both on Pal.
good luck and save yourselves a lot of money.

I am of age now Green Father! I ask for the test of Manhood!.......2007-01-19

This is not a film that can be made any more, at least I don't think it can. It was a style of filmmaking that is dead. The secret is the filmmakers did not know it was campy, they thought it was cutting edge. They thought this was a Star Wars type film back when it was made. The secret to true campy films are the ignorance of the filmmakers and the tacky styles, odd juxtaposition of actors, crazy dialogue, nutty stories, bizarre landscapes. Peter Wyngared as klytus is the crowning jewel of this film.

I could go one forever about this brilliant film. I am glad I have the DVD. it's crazy it is not available on DVD any more. Criterion should put this film out on HD DVD or BLU RAY.

An overdecorated Christmas tree of a movie!.......2006-12-25

Flash Gordon has aged surprisingly well, possibly because it seemed so disappointing when it came out. Boasting production design that makes it look like an over-decorated Christmas tree and with Brian Blessed dressed up as a Turkey (well, a Hawkman) to complete the Yuletide effect, not to mention dialog that's as camp as Christmas and an obviously dubbed Muscle Beach hero who looks more likely to appeal to confirmed bachelors than the ladies, it's an ideal Christmas panto of a movie. At the time the silliness seemed clichéd and wearing since so few sci-fi fantasies took themselves seriously, but with the scales weighted in the opposite direction these days with increasingly humourless sci-fi dominating, it's developed a charm. Lord knows what it would have been like had Nic Roeg not been fired, and aside from the appearance of playwright John Osborne as a tree priest there's little to link this to Mike Hodges' career high watermark Get Carter - it was only a short step from this to Hodges completing his fall from grace with Morons From Outer Space and those terminally dreary Clive Owen movies - but as utterly disposable over the top entertainment it passes muster.

With the US DVD release so disappointing, Momentum's Region 2 UK silver anniversary collector's edition is the best version available, boasting a fine 2.35:1 transfer and including commentaries by Hodges and Brian Blessed, an on-camera interview with Hodges, stills gallery, the excellent theatrical trailer and the first chapter of the last Flash Gordon serial, Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe.

Great Film, Poor Transfer. Get the English DVD........2006-12-05

I won't go into the movie's worth as entertainment here - suffice to say that I think it's a great tongue-in-cheek homage to the early Saturday Matinee Flash Gordon series and well worth 5 stars. But in this review I'm focusing on the technical aspects which I feel detract from the DVD.

This DVD (ASIN: 6305079811) features a very poor transfer from an older film print. It is slightly washed out and is very dirty indeed. Also, the transfer is a 'matted widescreen' which works fine on smaller 4:3 TVs, but which looks awful on larger screen or widescreen TVs. I believe that every DVD today should be made in 'anamorphic widescreen' format so that the image is enhanced for viewing on a larger screen. If it's not then I think that the low image quality should be clearly marked in some way, as the lack of an anamorphic transfer makes a big difference in quality. In the case of this particular movie the image is very poor mostly due to the matted widescreen format that results in what's known as 'gutterboxing' (black bars all around the image) when the movie is played on widescreen TVs. Some TVs allow zooming in to fill the screen in cases like this, but then the image becomes very grainy - so much so that it's probably better to watch it in the 'gutterboxed' mode.

So in conclusion, those with the older standard 4:3 TVs under 30 inches probably won't notice any loss of resolution. But for folks like me with big screen TVs I advise waiting until this movie gets an updated DVD treatment. Alternatively, if you own a good quality up-converting DVD player that can play region 2 discs, the British Silver Anniversary Edition version (ASIN: B000AE4QBA available from Amazon.co.uk) is a great anamorphic transfer from an almost perfect print. According to the box it was not digitally remastered (or at least it doesn't mention it), but the quality is the best I've ever seen for a movie from the 1980s - it's so good that the hairstyles are the only things that give away the fact that it wasn't made in the last decade.

Average customer rating:

SPECIAL EDITION COMING AUGUST 7, 2007!!!
Check out DVD hack codes
I am of age now Green Father! I ask for the test of Manhood!
An overdecorated Christmas tree of a movie!
Great Film, Poor Transfer. Get the English DVD.

Flash Gordon
Starring: Sam J. Jones , Melody Anderson , Max von Sydow , Topol , and Ornella Muti
Director: Mike Hodges
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305079811
Release Date: 1998-05-06

Amazon.com essential video

Description

Strange energy waves from the planet Mongo pull the moon out of orbit threatening Earth, and NY Jets quarterback Flash Gordon and the lovely Dale Arden must destroy Mongo's ruler, Ming the Merciless, before Earth is annihilated. Music by Queen.

Customer Reviews:

SPECIAL EDITION COMING AUGUST 7, 2007!!!.......2007-05-05

Check out DVD hack codes.......2007-04-02

I am of age now Green Father! I ask for the test of Manhood!.......2007-01-19

An overdecorated Christmas tree of a movie!.......2006-12-25

Great Film, Poor Transfer. Get the English DVD........2006-12-05

Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe - The Complete Saturday Morning Serial

Average customer rating:

Science and heros against threats to the Earth
"King of Serials on DVD...VCI Entertainment ~ Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940)"
Worth a few laughs
A Seminal Serial Character In His Final Adventure
1930s science fiction with funny hats

Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe - The Complete Saturday Morning Serial
Starring: Buster Crabbe , Carol Hughes , Charles Middleton , Anne Gwynne , and Frank Shannon
Director: Ford Beebe , and Ray Taylor
Manufacturer: St. Clair Vision
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000NY1EDU
Release Date: 2007-05-15

Amazon.com

A strange purple dust is killing off the population of Earth, leaving a telltale purple smudge on the foreheads of its victims! Together, Flash Gordon, Dale Arden, and Dr. Zarkov trace the plague to the planet Mongo and archfiend Ming the Merciless! There's hope for the Earth, though, when the intrepid team discovers Polarite, the antidote to the pandemic, found only in the barren, cold reaches of Frigia. This collection of Flash Gordon serials finds Buster Crabbe teamed up with a different Dale Arden, but facing the usual array of strange creatures and spellbinding thrills. It's worth noting that Mongo looks a lot like Sherwood Forest, with its natives toting bows and arrows and wearing Robin Hood outfits. These installments of the series are unusually inventive, such as the scenes when Flash and company travel to the frozen wastelands of Frigia. The encounters with the Rock People and the "walking bombs" are also rather bizarre, even by today's standards. There's even a topical note to the story line, with a madman bent on genocide; the real-life people of Earth would face just such a threat a few short years later. It's the slam-bang pace and two-fisted action of Flash Gordon's adventures that kept audiences spellbound in the '30s, though, and Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe certainly gave them their money's worth. --Jerry Renshaw

Customer Reviews:

Science and heros against threats to the Earth.......2007-03-16

This is one of the serials that inspired star wars ( with really bad special effects).
A recent News article asks:
"Could crazy technology save the planet?"
There's the man-made "volcano" that shoots gigatons of sulfur high into the air. The space "sun shade" made of trillions of little reflectors between Earth and sun, slightly lowering the planet's temperature. The forest of ugly artificial "trees" that suck carbon dioxide out of the air. And the "Geritol solution" in which iron dust is dumped into the ocean.
More genetically altered super fast growing trees that will grow with a minimum of water would be very nice for deserts everywhere.
What Flash Gordon does is give us hope that science can help;
that our actions can make a difference!
This series of adventures is the last of these Buster Crabbe is getting old and fat and
Dale Arden is played by a different although very pretty actress ( Instead of Jean Rogers Carol Hughes),
but the same spirit of saving the world is there.

"King of Serials on DVD...VCI Entertainment ~ Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940)".......2005-10-07

VCI Entertainment and Universal Pictures present "Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe" (1940) (Dolby digitally remastered), adapted from Alex Raymond's comic strip with 12 Chapters of this "Special Collector's Edition" vintage serial episodes loaded with sci-fi special effects and action sequences...story line has Flash, Dale and Dr. Zarkov traipsing off to Ming's favorite planet Mongo...can the trio stop Ming from shooting the ever popular "Death Rays" at their home planet Earth...will Flash survive the fiery pit, an avalanche and the over zealous robots, will they explode to human touch....watch for the exciting aerial battles as Ming and his warships make short work of the opposition all except Flash and his comrades...can the mysterious plague known as the "Purple Death" (aka Purple Dust) make short work of all the inhabitants of the planet Earth...what devilment is Ming the Merciless up to with spreading this dust into the atmosphere...double thrills, chills, mystery and suspense...as Flash Gordon fills the giant screen with excitement...don't miss a single spine-thrilling episode..return next week to this local theater for another episode of action and adventure that will keep you thrilled until the next chapter.

Under director's Ford Beebe and Ray Taylor, producer Henry MacRae, screenplay by Alex Raymond (comic strip), George H.Plympton, Basil Dickey and Barry Shipman, music score by Franz Waxman ("Bride of Frankenstin"-1935), Franz Liszt, Charles Previn, Frank Skinner, Ralph Freed, Sam Perry, Heinz Roemheld, special effects Ed Keyes, ...the cast include Buster Crabbe ("Flash" Gordon), Carol Hughes (Dale Arden), Anne Gwynne (Sonja), Charles Middleton (Emperor Ming the Merciless), Frank Shannon (Dr. Zarkov), John Hamilton (Prof. Gordon), Herbert Rawlinson (Dr. Frohmann), Tom Chatterton (Prof. Arden), Shirley Deane (Princess Aura), Lee Powell (Capt. Roka), Roland Drew (Prince Barin), Don Rowan (Capt. Torch), Earl Dwire (Jenda), Roy Barcroft (Ming soldier/Ming adjutant/Arborian sentry ), Lane Chandler (Ming soldier/Ming adjutant), Donald Curtis (Ronal), Eddie Parker (Arborian Prison Guard-stuntman), Tom Steele (Ming Pilot)...must make mention Eddie Parker (stunt double for Buster Crabbe).......special behind the scenes note that actor Buster Crabbe graduated from the University of Southern California and won the 400 meter freestyle in which he medaled in the 1932 Olympics, went to work for Paramount in "King of the Jungle" (1933), next role was "Tarzan the Fearless (1933), Crabbe returned to Paramount Pictures was featured in Zane Grey Westerns which were well received, then came the roles that made him a household word "Flash Gordon" and "Buck Rogers" at Universal Picture Serials (1936-1940), meanwhile PRC Studios was looking for a leading hero "Billy the Kid" and "Billy Carson" in the 1940's B-Western series and ran its course for six years, later made several televison appearances and appeared in a series "Captain Gallant and the Foreign Legion" (1955-1957).....meanwhile back to the feature as Universal Pictures always at the top of their game and this serial is no exception...there is a great deal of entertainment here for the cliffhanger fans out there...all courtesy of VCI Entertainment, who in my humble opinion is the best there is in restoring early serials and features.

CHAPTER TITLES: (Disc One)
1. The Purple Death
2. Freezing Torture
3. Walking Bombs
4. The Destroying Ray

SPECIAL FEATHERS: (Disc One)
SERIAL TRAILERS:
1. Republic Pictures presents "HI-YO Silver" (Lee Powell)
2. "And Then There Were None" (Louis Hayward)
3. "Gorgoyles" (Cornel Wilde)
4. "The Southern" (Zachary Scott)

BIOS: (Disc One)
1. Buster Crabbe (aka Clarence Linden Crabbe)
Birth Date: 2/07/1908 - Oakland, CA
Died: 4/23/1983 - Scottsdale, Arizona

PHOTO GALLERY (Disc One)
(stills from "Flash Gordon", autographed pictures signed for Bill Blair, picture of Ester Williams, Johnny Wessmuller and Buster)

INTERVIEWS: (Disc One)
1. Xth Olympiad (young Buster Crabbe wins the Gold Medal for the 400 meter freestyle in 1932)
2. Buster Crabbe (interview Circa from 1970).
3. Bisoldol Television Commercial
4. Buster Crabbe (interview #1 from 9/30/1970)

CHAPTER TITLES: (Disc Two)
5. The Palace of Terror
6. Flaming death
7. The Land of the Dead
8. The Fiery Abyss

SPECIAL FEATURES: (Disc Two)
INTERVIEWS:
1. Buster Crabbe (interview #2 from 9/30/1970)
2. Hormel Chile Television Commercial with Buster Crabbe.

CHAPTER TITLES (Disc Three)
9. The Pool of Peril
10.The Death Mist
11.Stark Treachery
12.Doom of the Dictator

SPECIAL FEATURES: (Disc Three)
INTERVIEWS:
1. Buster Crabbe (interview #1 from 1975).
2. Magic Mold Bodyshirt (commercial with losing weight with this magic shirt)
3. Buster Crabbe (interview #2 from 1975)

If you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure then this is the place for all of the above...check out another release from VCI Entertainment and Universal Pictures present "Buck Rogers" (1939) (Dolby digitally remastered), adapted from Edgar Wallace novel with 12 Chapters of vintage serial as the story unfolds Buck Rogers and his young friend Buddy Wade crash land in a trans-polar dirigible flight on an Earth mountain top...what is this strange gas of suspended animations...have the years passed so quickly with Buck and Buddy now 500 years into the future...who now rules the planet Earth with such tyrannical despot, all this and much more in the following chapters...while you're at it why not pick up a copy from VCI Entertainment and Columbia Pictures present "Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere" (1951) (digitally remastered), 15 Chapters.finally for the first time on video the really great Columbia Serial that broke the mold...we have everything a serial fan would want...the tinted sequences by Cinecolor and unique inventions that were unlike any other serial out there in the '50s.....get out there as they're going fast, this is the best of "Sci-Fi Serials" you've been waiting for.

Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing "Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe" (1940), the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '30s, '40s & '50s...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment, stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with deadly adventure from the "King of Serials" VCI...just the way we like 'em!

Total Time: 237 mins on 3 DVD's ~ VCI Entertainment 8240 ~ (5/28/2000)

Worth a few laughs.......2005-06-16

Bad acting, shallow characters, ridiculous costumes (whatever they could dig up from Robin Hood), cheap sets (the spacecraft only have one seat!), and ludicrous special effects add up to a camp classic.

I can't stand sitting thru more than 2 episodes at once (there are twelve total).

These episodes were originally intended to be viewed as serials at theaters in "Matinee" format... you would see one new 20 minute episode a week, with a cliffhanger at the end of each one - the problem is, when you can see the episodes "back to back", the cliffhanger resolutions can be seen as the true ripoffs that they were, as they never quite match up with the impossible-to-escape cliffhanger shown from the week before (the writers figure that after a week's time you'll have forgetten what they showed you the week before).

At least the "evil" Sonja is pretty hot... and Ming makes a pretty good "bad guy".

A Seminal Serial Character In His Final Adventure.......2005-03-14

Perhaps the best known of Hollywood serial characters, Flash Gordon is the iconographic 1930s American male: athletic, courageous, smart, blond with a handsome face and winning smile. As played by Olympic athlet Buster Crabbe, he would be the focus of three serials: SPACE SOLIDERS (1936), FLASH GORDON'S TRIP TO MARS (1938), and FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE (1940.)

Although all three are available to the homemarket, the latter is perhaps the most readily so, and there are numerous VHS and DVD editions. Most of these are "budget"--and in most cases the term is indicative; you will find that fuzzy pictures, poor sound, and zero bonuses are the norm. At present, the VCI edition is probably the best available; although it shows the ravages of time, the picture is fairly stable, the sound is at least reasonable, and it does offer a few bonuses.

Like most serials, the story is very basic. A strange plauge has visited the earth--an illness that leaves a single purple dot on the foreheads of its victims. Flash, Dale Arden (Carol Hughes), and Dr. Zarkov (Frank Shannon) take to their space ship to investigate the matter and discover that the disease is being spread by a spaceship sent by Ming the Merciless (Charles Middleton) from the planet Mongo. Needless to say, they rush off to Mongo to put a stop to it.

The great thing about the Flash Gordon serials is their look, which is very, very strange indeed. The special effects are very much 1930s science-fiction pulp, with sputtering spacecraft shaped rather like outsized hypodermic needles, peculiar-looking robots with angular faces, and all the rest. The sets and costumes add a great deal more to the film's truly bizarre look; apparently Mongo is a strange cross between Sherwood forrest, Imperial Russia, and some sort of Asian Art Deco Hell; all the men wear tights (whether they look good in them or not) and they are as handy with bow and arrow and sword as they are with ray guns.

Although a seminal figure in Hollywood serials, the Flash Gordon films were bested by a number of other serials, most notably by THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN MARVEL, SPY SMASHER, and THE CRIMSON GHOST, to name but a few. But in their strange mishmash of American gung-ho, pulp science fiction, and bizarre Hollywood conceptualization, they remain entertaining--and FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE is really the best of the three. It is also, incidently, the installment upon which the cult satire FLESH GORDON was largely based. Recommended, but primarily for hardcore serial fans.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

1930s science fiction with funny hats.......2005-01-04

This has to be some kind of archetype - the master plan from which generations of cheesy science fiction movies were drawn. It dates to the era when short-wave radio was gee-whiz technology, when heroes were handsome and Nordic looking, when women were for screaming and for being saved, and when special effects for ray-guns were scratched directly on the black&white film with a pin.

It has everything: ray-guns that look like oilcans, arrows and swords, women on every mission (for the required ineffectual girlfight, since men couldn't hit women), and wobbly spaceships sputtering sparks. Almost everyone except the daring Flash wears a funny hat. Dale Arden, the lovely but useless heroine, has a pert cap with a meter-long plume, cemented to her head at a jaunty angle. Evil Emperor Ming alternates between jagged skullcap and a chapeau titled "Death of Ostriches." His minions, the witless ones seemingly outnumbered by the traitors, wear claustrophobic visors good for hiding the features of any would-be infiltrator. Heck, even the shovels have big fancy fins on them.

Our heroes are brilliant strategists. When captured by the Rock Men, they escape using the clever tactic of running away, something their guards seem never to have anticipated.

Perhaps it was meant more or less seriously at the time, but this can only be enjoyed for its campiness today. So be it - this is the finest, campiest sample of cheesy effects, gratuitous cliff-hangers, and bumbling fights you will ever see. Wait for a rainy Saturday, pop some extra popcorn, and sit back. This is goofy, black-and-white nostalgia at its finest.

//wiredweird

Average customer rating:

Space silliness
Good Movie--if You Get the Full Edition!
Uncomplete and cut
Flash Gordon and the star war
ANOTHER CLASSIC SERIAL

Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars
Starring: Buster Crabbe , Jean Rogers , Charles Middleton , Frank Shannon , and Beatrice Roberts
Director: Ford Beebe , Frederick Stephani , and Robert F. Hill
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305773904
Release Date: 2000-03-28

Amazon.com

It's easy to point and guffaw at the Flash Gordon serials. In fact, in this day and age it's hard to believe that audiences of any era were ever expected to accept bulbous rocket ships that flatulently trail sparks and smoke; preposterous, shambling space creatures; and spaceship interiors that look as though they were assembled from a plumbing warehouse. Despite the primitive sets and effects, Flash Gordon serials are as much a part of the roots of modern sci-fi as Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, or Ray Bradbury.

This collection from Image Entertainment finds Flash battling a fiendish plot staged by Queen Azura of Mars, stealing the Earth's nitrogen to aid in the ongoing war against the Clay People. Flash soon discovers that Azura is in line with his mortal enemy, Ming the Merciless, who secretly is plotting to overthrow her and take over Mars himself. As usual, the hapless Professor Zarkov gets in predicaments from which Flash must rescue him, and Dale Arden is by Flash's side through all of it. Loaded with fisticuffs, sputtering, wobbly rocket ships, lasers, and, of course, the remarkable Clay People (Martians turned into animated mud), this is fast-paced sci-fi entertainment that was state of the art for 1938. The energy and raw enthusiasm of these serials are what make them so fun to watch, not to mention providing a downright quaint time-capsule look at what Depression-era audiences thought of as the future. --Jerry Renshaw

Description

Complete and uncut: 15 episodes starring "Buster" Crabbe. Life on Earth is about to be destroyed! A mysterious beam of light emanating from Mars is sucking the nitrogen from the planet's atmosphere, and only Flash Gordon ("Buster" Crabbe) can stop it. Blasting off with Dale Arden (Jean Rogers) and Dr. Hans Zarkov (Frank Shannon), Flash and his intrepid band of adventurers quickly learn that Queen Azura (Beatrice Roberts), ruler of Mars, is stealing Earth's nitrogen to aid in her ongoing war with the Clay People, Martians whom Azura magically turned into living mud. A bigger surprise, however, is yet to come; working closely with the Queen is Flash's mortal enemy, Ming the Merciless (Charles Middleton), who--while posing as Azura's ally--is secretly plotting to overthrow the Queen and seize Mars for himself! Can Flash save the Earth, rescue the Clay People, bring Azura to her senses, and stop Ming's heinous scheme? The answers lie in "Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars"--15 thrilling episodes of sci-fi adventure at its very best.

Customer Reviews:

Space silliness.......2006-11-15

These fifteen episodes, twenty minutes each, add up to a five-hour marathon of popcorn-worthy swashbuckling. It's based on Alex Raymond's comic strip from that pre-WWII era that now looks like such an Eden of innocence. It wasn't, of course, but they didn't know it back then.

Queen Azura of Mars has waged war on the clay people, who seem condemned to live their shambling lives away from the sun, in prison uniforms and itchy-looking rubber masks. Evil Ming the Merciless falsely befriends her, to take advantage of her mystic command of the White Opal. It is a gem that grants her magical powers and looks pretty good on with her perpetual evening gown. Somewhere along the line the good guy's gal, Dale Arden, also doffs her lab coat and spends the rest of the flick running through forests and caves in an evening gown of her own - more sparkly, and more dramatic about the bodice. Then there's Prince Barin, standing proud in his armored chestplate and shortie bloomers. And Ming, with a little arrow pasted onto his skullcap.

Well, ignore the costumes (and the plot, if you can). Instead, drink in the tubby little strato-sleds as they soar through the air, flatulent with drooping sparks and drifting wreaths of smoke. Or the wonderful labs, generally bare except for a few ominous Erlenmeyers and a Jacob's ladder or two, or more. Or the ray guns that look mostly like little cookie presses with the handle bent sideways.

It's great stuff. My childhood was, I admit, as close to the series's 1938 date as to this writing, or closer. It was wonderful, stirring adventure back then. It still is, if you can see it with innocent-enough eyes. If not, it's the epitome of camp, only better for being so un-self-conscious. And people don't have bloody fights and do keep their clothes on, so tender sensibilities need not worry.

//wiredweird

Good Movie--if You Get the Full Edition!.......2005-10-04

Make sure you get the Image Entertainment DVD! That one has all the episodes and runs 299 minutes. I bought the 97 minute edition by accident because the reviews are all combined!

Even the 97 minute version was good, but so much was edited out, and a few times the viewer is edited into a different situation completely.

The plot involves an attempt to destroy earth once again, and Flash Gordon, Professor Zarkhov, and Dale Arden come to the rescue. The queen of Mars has usurped the throne and turned her enemies into "clay men." But behind it all is Ming the Merciless. Lots of fun! But remember, with all these serials, the viewer had better not ask questions (like how is it everyone speaks English, or why can you fly from planet to planet and never worry about Oxygen or temperature). These movies are meant as an escape and are best called "feel good" movies. Kids love these as well as adults.

Uncomplete and cut.......2005-09-27

1mn45s are missing in 35mm sources while existing in 16mm TV versions.
On the Image DVD, Flash Gordon Trip To Mars Chapter 3 at 53mn53s : Flash says "It's one of the Death Squa-(sound cut, and) I don't see any more of them."
A sequence is definitely missing, the two parts said being definitely opposite in meaning.
The shot looks the same but we know how movies are shot, all dialogue in same set are shot at once even if applying to different times and actions.
From a forum, someone detailed : Flash Gordon and Zarkov are being pursued by a Martian pilot in a "Strato-Sled". (The Martian pilot pushes a button at the top of his console, and you hear an explosion) Flash says: "It's one of the Death Squadron ships right on our tails!" Zarkov says: "Man the gun Flash! I'll try to get him into position for you!" (The two ships weave around and fire at each other, Flash pushes his button, and there's a big explosion) Zarkov says: "Got 'Em Flash! Direct hit!" The injured Martian pilot crawls to the televisor and says: "Death Squadron Base Emergency!"(twice) The Squadron Commander, (Kenneth Duncan) says: "Death Squadron Base answering. Who's calling?" Martian pilot answers: " Z- N 12! Look out for...Look out for..." (he collapses, and his ship crashes into a mountain.) Flash says: " I don't see any more of them. He must be the only one."

Flash Gordon and the star war.......2005-09-08

I saw all the episodes of Flash Gordon during my adolescence and it had been for ever in my mind. Later on,as a man I had the opportunity to buy it and see it again, and I was impressed for the performance of Buster Crabbe that with the company of Dale Arden and Dr. Zarkov go in the quest to save planet Earth.
During the 13 hair-raising episodes of fabulous high adventure on Mongo, a planet complete with hawkmen, lionmen,melting rays, sky cities, rocket fleets, atom furnaces, all controlled by the cruelestdespot in the universe...Ming the merciless. comparing all this I realized that this 1951 TV series is the beginning of the new star war episodes, that is the importance of to see Flash Gordon.

ANOTHER CLASSIC SERIAL.......2004-08-18

THIS TIME AROUND, FLASH GORDON, DALE ARDEN, AND PROFESSOR ZARKOFF TRAVEL TO MARS TO PREVENT QUEEN AZURA FROM STEALING THE EARTH'S NITROGEN. ALSO, THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH EMPORER MING AGAIN. THIS 13-CHAPTER SEQUEL DOESN'T COMPARE WITH THE 1ST, BUT IT'S EASILY ONE OF THE BEST SERIALS EVER RELEASED. ANY SERIAL FAN WILL LOVE THIS ACTON-PACKED SERIAL.

Average customer rating:

Flash Gordon, Vol. 2
Starring: Flash Gordon
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Release Date: 2005-10-25

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Release Date: 2006-07-24

Average customer rating:

Not quite what was expected
Sloppy packaging

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Description

Before Star Wars! Before Star Trek! It was Flash Gordon who wowed audiences with his dazzling deeds of derring-do, saving both the Earth and lovely Dale Arden from the clutches of the villainous emperor Ming the Merciless, aided by Dr. Zarkov and the cheesiest special effects this side of the galaxy!

This DVD compilation includes the entire 12 episode serial FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE, starring Buster Crabbe as Flash and Charles Middleton as Ming. Classic Sci-Fi from the Golden Age of Hollywood!

Also included: FLASH GORDON, the TV series from the 1950s, starring Steve Holland as Flash, with Irene Champlin as Dale Arden and Joe Nash as Dr. Zarkov. Here are ten rare episodes on the fiftieth anniversary of their original broadcast.

Bonus! MANHUNT IN SPACE, a feature film edited from episodes of ROCKY JONES: SPACE RANGER, a Sci-Fi TV series that rivaled FLASH GORDON during Television's Golden Era.

A complete movie serial in 12 exciting chapters! Plus! Ten adventurous episodes from the television series! Plus a bonus feature!

DISC 1 FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE Chapters 1-6

In the third and final Flash Gordon serial, made in 1940, Flash, Dr. Zarkov and Dale Arden travel to Mongo to discover the source of poisonous dust that has been falling to Earth. They again run afoul of their arch-nemesis, Ming the Merciless, up to his usual tricks. Also on hand are Prince Barin of Arboria, Queen Fria of the frozen northern land of Frigia, the treacherous Sonja and the Rock People. With Buster Crabbe as Flash Gordon, Charles Middleton as Ming, Carol Hughes as Dale Arden, and Frank Shannon as Dr. Zarkov.

Chapter 1. The Purple Death! Chapter 2. Freezing Torture! Chapter 3. Walking Bombs! Chapter 4. The Destroying Ray! Chapter 5. The Palace of Terror! Chapter 6. Flaming Death!

DISC 2 FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE Chapters 7-12

The adventure continues on the planet Mongo, pitting the heroics of Flash Gordon, Dale Arden and Dr. Zarkov against the evil machinations of Ming the Merciless. Our heroes also encounter monsters, robots, cheesy special effects, highly improbable costumes and even more improbable dialogue. With Buster Crabbe as Flash Gordon, Charles Middleton as Ming, Carol Hughes as Dale Arden, and Frank Shannon as Dr. Zarkov.

Chapter 7. The Land of the Dead! Chapter 8. The Fiery Abyss! Chapter 9. The Pool of Peril! Chapter 10. The Death Mist! Chapter 11. Stark Treachery! Chapter 12. Doom of the Dictator!

DISC 3 FLASH GORDON: THE TV SERIES As the main science fiction hero of the 1930s, it was only natural that Flash Gordon would be revived for a TV series during the sci-fi adventure boom of the 1950s. Steve Holland took over the role of Flash Gordon, now an agent for the Galactic Bureau of Investigation, with Irene Champlin as Dale Arden and Joe Nash as Dr. Zarkov. Here are rare episodes on the fiftieth anniversary of their original broadcast.

1. "Flash Gordon and the Planet of Death" Debut episode: After an expedition to a mysterious planet fails, Flash Gordon, Dale Arden and Dr. Zarkov journey there to investigate along with the sole survivor of the first mission. First broadcast on October 1, 1954

2. "Akim the Terrible" Akim, a nutty tyrant in the Nietzscheian mold, despises the weak, so on his planet it is a crime to help old or sick people. He also sends a mind-controlled assassin to kill Flash. First broadcast on November 5, 1954.

3. "The Claim Jumpers" In pursuit of space pirates, Flash Gordon and Dale Arden come to the rescue of Prospector Pete and his daughter when the pirates come to steal Pete's treasure. First broadcast on November 12, 1954

4. "The Breath of Death" An escaped convict stows away on board Flash's rocketship and takes Flash and Dale hostage. Will Dr. Zarkov be forced to destroy his friends along with the stolen ship? First broadcast on November 26, 1954

DISC 4 FLASH GORDON: THE TV SERIES More adventures from the case files of the Galactic Bureau of Investigation, with Steve Holland as Flash Gordon, Irene Champlin as Dale Arden and Joe Nash as Dr. Zarkov. They are imperiled by more evil villains, more cheesy special effects, and more corny dialogue. Here are four more rare episodes on the fiftieth anniversary of their original broadcast. Filmed in West Berlin.

1. "Flash Gordon and the Race Against Time" Flash, Dale and Zarkov must get Commander Richards to Mars in time for a vote to determine if the Galaxy Bureau of Investigation will continue operations. First broadcast on February 25, 1955

2. "Flash Gordon and the Brain Machine" Part of a continuing adventure, evil witch queen Zydereen (Marie Powers) has Dr. Zarkov and Richards under her control, causing them to destroy the machine creating the breathable atmosphere on Neptune, then drains knowledge and memories from their minds. First broadcast on March 11, 1955

3. "The Forbidden Experiment" Taking serum in response to an urgent call from an old colleague, Dr. Zarkov is lured into a trap by a man-beast demanding his services. Dale and Flash go to rescue Zarkov, only to be captured as well. First broadcast on April 08, 1955

4. "The Earth's Core" Invaders from Inner Space! Flash Gordon must investigate an alien invasion coming from under the Earth! First broadcast on June 17, 1955

DISC 5 FLASH GORDON: THE TV SERIES Even more adventures with Steve Holland as Flash Gordon, Irene Champlin as Dale Arden and Joe Nash as Dr. Zarkov of the Galactic Bureau of Investigation, as they are imperiled by yet more evil villains, more cheesy special effects, and more corny dialogue. And dig those costumes! Filmed in West Berlin.

1. "Deadline at Noon" To save the Earth, Flash, Dale and Zarkov travel back in time to the 1950s to defuse a type of bomb that is destroying planets in their own era. Their journey takes them to war-damaged West Berlin where the bomb is hidden. First broadcast on June 24, 1955

2. "The Subworld Revenge" Those subworlders are at it again! German-accented denizens of the Earth's core plan to dominate the outer world. Can Flash stop them in time? Apparently not; this was the last show of the series. First broadcast on July 15, 1955

BONUS: MANHUNT IN SPACE, a feature film edited together from the original TV series ROCKY JONES: SPACE RANGER from 1954. Join Space Ranger Rocky Jones, Vena Ray, Winky, Prof. Newton and ten year-old Bobby on their spaceship "The Orbit Jet" as they thwart space pirates led by the beautiful but evil Cleolanta.

Customer Reviews:

Not quite what was expected.......2006-02-02

Slightly disappointed in that the boxed set contained both the some of the original Buster Crab series plus more recent material, (1970's I think, since only going off what my Father in Law informed me). If had realised later material included in the boxed set, I would have gone for another boxed set. Discription on Amazon some what misleading.

Sloppy packaging.......2005-11-11

Flash Gordon is as hokey and entertaining as he was half a century ago but the folks who put this package together were lazy. There are a dozen or so individual Flash Gordon episodes on each disk but there are no "breaks" between them. If you watch three one night and want to pick up where you left off the next day, you have to start the disk all over again. There is no way to go straight to the next episode. You have to repeat the episodes that preceeded it. This is simply lazy or slopy on the part of the people who put the package together. They don't deserve your business.

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