The 3 Guys Podcast

Recorded on 2/18/2021

This week we review the cult classic movie Flash Gordon (1980) staring
Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Ornella Muti
Max von Sydow, Topol, Timothy Dalton, Mariangela Melato, Brian Blessed and Peter Wyngarde.  WARNING…There will be spoilers.

Interested in checking out the movie on Blue-ray? Click on the link below.

Flash Gordon (Special Edition) [4K Ultra HD / UHD] [Blu-ray]

The 3 Guys Rating

3/5

About The Movie From IMDB

Flash Gordon (1980) Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi | 111min | 5 December 1980 (USA) 6.5
Director: Mike HodgesWriter: Lorenzo Semple Jr., Michael AllinStars: Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Max von SydowSummary: Flash Gordon is an American football hero who is skyjacked aboard Dr. Hans Zarkov's rocketship along with his beautiful girlfriend Dale Arden. The threesome are drawn into the influence of the planet Mongo, ruled by Emperor Ming the Merciless. The evil Ming has been testing Earth with unnatural disasters, and deeming our world a threat to his rule. He also intends to take Dale as his concubine, attempts to execute Flash and intends to destroy Earth. Flash must avoid the amorous attentions of Ming's daughter, and unite the warring kingdoms of Mongo to rescue Dale and save our world. Written by David Thiel <d-thiel@uiuc.edu>

Photos


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Videos


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Cast

...
Flash Gordon
...
Dale Arden
...
The Emperor Ming (as Max Von Sydow)
...
Dr. Hans Zarkov
...
Princess Aura
...
Prince Barin
...
Prince Vultan
...
Klytus
...
Arborian Priest
...
Fico
...
Luro
...
Zogi, the High Priest
...
Serving Girl
...
Munson

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Countries: UK, Italy, Netherlands, USALanguages: EnglishBudget: $20,000,000 (estimated)

Quotes From The Movie

Flash Gordon (1980) 111min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi | 5 December 1980 (USA) Summary: A football player and his friends travel to the planet Mongo and find themselves fighting the tyranny of Ming the Merciless to save Earth.
Countries: UK, Italy, Netherlands, USALanguages: English

Quotes

Dale Arden: Ming's not unbeatable. With all his men, he couldn't even kill Flash.

Prince Vultan: [incredulous] GORDON'S ALIVE!


Dale Arden: Flash! Flash, I love you! But we only have fourteen hours to save the Earth!


Klytus: Bring me... the bore worms!

Princess Aura: No! Not the bore worms!


Klytus: [watching Zarkov's memories of Hitler at a Nazi Party rally] Now, he showed promise!


Colonel of Battle Control Room: General Kala, Flash Gordon approaching.

Kala: What do you mean 'Flash Gordon approaching'?

Colonel of Battle Control Room: On a Hawkman rocket cycle. Shall I inform His Majesty?

Kala: Imbecile! The Emperor would shoot you for interrupting his wedding with this news! Fire when Gordon's in range!

[Flash is on a Hawkman rocket cycle and escapes]

Kala: He's escaping, idiot! Dispatch war rocket 'Ajax' to bring back his body!


Zogi, the High Priest: Do you - Ming the Merciless, Ruler of the Universe - take this Earthling, Dale Arden, to be your Empress of the Hour?

The Emperor Ming: Of the hour, yes.

Zogi, the High Priest: Do you promise to use her as you will?

The Emperor Ming: Certainly!

Zogi, the High Priest: Not to blast her into space?

[Ming glares at Zogi]

Zogi, the High Priest: Uhm, until such time as you grow weary of her?

The Emperor Ming: I do.

Dale Arden: I do NOT!


Princess Aura: [attempts to use her ring to open the door, it doesn't respond] They've changed the code!

Prince Barin: I've changed as well, Aura.

Princess Aura: And so have I.

Dr. Hans Zarkov: Oh, it's okay. I think I can work it out.

[starts to use Princess Aura's ring at different angles on the door]

Prince Barin: I love you. Will you marry me?

Princess Aura: I don't know; we'll try...

[breaks away as Barin moves in to kiss her]

Princess Aura: Not now, Barin...!

Prince Barin: You haven't changed at all...!

Princess Aura: If I'm not at the wedding, I'll be shot!

Dr. Hans Zarkov: [Finally manages to picks the electronic door lock with Aura's ring] A-ha! I thought it was one of the prime numbers of the Zenith series. *I* haven't changed.


Kala: We're going to empty your memory as we might empty your pockets... Doctor.

Dr. Hans Zarkov: Don't empty my mind! Please, I beg you! My mind is all I have! I've spent my whole life trying to fill it!


The Emperor Ming: Klytus! Are your men on the right pills? Maybe you should execute their trainer!


Prince Barin: Freeze, you bloody bastards!


Prince Barin: [to Zarkov] Tell me more about this man Houdini.


Prince Barin: [to Flash] Welcome back from the grave.

[to Princess Aura]

Prince Barin: I knew you were up to something, though I'll confess I hadn't thought of necrophilia?


Prince Vultan: Flash... when the ship hits the forcefield you'll be killed; this is suicide!

Flash Gordon: No Vultan... it's a rational transaction! One life for billions...


Flash Gordon: This Ming is a psycho!

Ming's Floating Servant: This Ming is a psycho.

Klytus: Who said that?

Ming's Floating Servant: The fair-haired prisoner.

Klytus: Who are you?

Flash Gordon: Flash Gordon. Quarterback. New York Jets.

Dale Arden: Dale Arden, Your Highness. Live and let live, that's my motto.


Princess Aura: Look! Water is leaking from her eyes.

The Emperor Ming: It's what they call tears, it's a sign of their weakness.


Princess Aura: Fly back to your kingdom. You may see me sooner than you think.

[kisses Barin]

Prince Barin: Lying bitch.


Flash Gordon: Biro's hit! I'm going in after him!

[flies off]

Prince Vultan: Grrrr! Impetuous boy!

Prince Vultan: Ah, well; who wants to live forever?

Prince Vultan: [laughs heartily, to the Hawkmen] DIVE!


Flash Gordon: Where am I?

Princess Aura: Back from the dead. I've saved you.

Flash Gordon: My God! How?

Princess Aura: By magic, of course. With a kiss, because I like you.


The Emperor Ming: Every thousand years, I test each life system in the Universe. I visit it with mysteries, earthquakes, unpredicted eclipses, strange craters in the wilderness... If these are taken as natural, I judge that system ignorant and harmless - I spare it. But if the Hand of Ming is recognized in these events, I judge that system dangerous to us. I call upon the great god Dyzan, and for his greater glory...

[leans forward, smiling]

The Emperor Ming: ... and for our mutual pleasure...

[leans back again]

The Emperor Ming: ... I destroy it utterly.

Doctor Hans Zarkov: You're saying... it's my fault the Earth is being destroyed?

The Emperor Ming: [grinning] Precisely... Doctor!


Ming's Floating Servant: Long live Flash! You've saved your Earth. Have a nice day.

Flash Gordon: [leaps into the air] Yeah!


Luro: They were brave creatures Vultan.

Prince Vultan: SHUT UP!

Luro: With respect. The men who rid us of Klytus should not be deserted.

Prince Vultan: Will you shut up! So. Maybe I'd do it different. If I had it over again.

Luro: Then FIGHT!

Prince Vultan: But there's no way I could help a man who's dead!


[first lines]

The Emperor Ming: Klytus, I'm bored. What plaything can you offer me today?

Klytus: An obscure body in the S-K System, Your Majesty. The inhabitants refer to it as the planet... "Earth".

The Emperor Ming: How peaceful it looks.

[He activates a console, and watches as earthquakes, floods, etc. start to occur. They both get a good laugh out of it]

Klytus: Most effective, Your Majesty! Will you destroy this, er, Earth?

The Emperor Ming: Later. I like to play with thing a while... before annihilation.

[laughs evilly]


Kala: Open fire! All weapons, now! Charge the lightning field! I take personal responsibility in the Emperor's name!


Flash Gordon: Prince Barin! I'm not your enemy, Ming is! And you know it yourself. Ming is the enemy of every creature of Mongo! Let's all team up and fight him.


Dr. Hans Zarkov: We are only interested in friendship. Why do you attack us?

The Emperor Ming: Why not? Pathetic earthlings. Hurling your bodies out into the void, without the slightest inkling of who or what is out here. If you had known anything about the true nature of the universe, anything at all, you would've hidden from it in terror.


Prince Vultan: My thanks to you, Flash.

Flash Gordon: What for?

Prince Vultan: For giving an old bird a second chance!


Dr. Hans Zarkov: [pulling a gun on Munson] Get your toothbrush and whatever!


[Flash is in chains and with a helmet over his head]

Flash Gordon: I demand to see the governor! I can hardly breathe in this thing!

Klytus: Yes, you don't look well. I'm told you refused your final meal. The chef will be upset.

Flash Gordon: Tell 'em to go to hell!

Klytus: Maybe just as well. Gas works more quickly on an empty stomach. Any final requests?

Flash Gordon: Yes, let me see Dale. Right away.

Klytus: Oh, dear. How pathetic. Yes, I anticipated that.


Klytus: Should we stop the torture?

The Emperor Ming: No.

Princess Aura: Father! Damn you, Father!


[Flash is using football moves to fight Ming's soldiers]

The Emperor Ming: Klytus! What is he doing?

Klytus: I don't know, sir! It looks like some kind of barbaric sport!


Flash Gordon: I'm flying blind on a rocket-cycle!


The Emperor Ming: I'd much rather see you on my side, than scattered into... atoms.


Prince Vultan: Onward my brave Hawkmen! Let this be known forever as Flash Gordon's Day!


Dale Arden: I'm a New York City girl. It's a little too quiet around here for me.


Flash Gordon: This isn't happening, Dale. We're not here. It's just a bad dream.

Dale Arden: Oh, I agree completely. We'll wake up in any minute in Dock Harbor and have a laugh about this.

Flash Gordon: Only this time I won't just ask the maitre d' your name. I'll walk over and talk to you.

Dale Arden: You promise?

Flash Gordon: I promise. Cross my heart and hope to... I really will talk to you, Dale.


Flash Gordon: The game's lost, Ming! Stop your attack on Earth and I'll spare your life!

The Emperor Ming: You pitiful fool! My life is not for any Earthling to give or take!

[Ming attempts to hold back Flash with the power of his ring. Flash approaches unaffected and menaces Ming with his sword. Ming cowers]

Flash Gordon: Your power is fading, Ming!


Dale Arden: [trying to turn over hourglass] It won't turn over! It won't turn over!


[Hawkman Biro has been injured during the attack on war rocket Ajax]

Flash Gordon: Biro! You alright?

Biro: They just winged me!


Prince Vultan: [War Rocket Ajax is under heavy laser fire from Mingo City. Cut to Int. Ajax Cockpit. Flash is at the controls. Vultan is just reaching a ladder to leave] Come on, Flash! Come on! It's time to bail out!

Flash Gordon: Sorry, Vultan! I'm not coming!

Prince Vultan: What?

Flash Gordon: The rocketcycle's gone!

Prince Vultan: So, come on! I'll carry you!

Flash Gordon: Bail out, Vultan, before it's too late!

Prince Vultan: Flash,

[runs back to Flash]

Prince Vultan: are you crazy?

Flash Gordon: The fire's too heavy!

[pause]

Flash Gordon: You know we'll never make that opening with nobody at the wheel!

Prince Vultan: Come on! You'll be blown to pieces, Flash! It's suicide!

Flash Gordon: No, a rational transaction! One life for billions!

Prince Vultan: [Vultan grabs Flash's shoulders and shouts] Come on! You'll be destroyed!

Flash Gordon: [shouts] You loony bird!

[Pushes Vultan away]

Flash Gordon: Get outta here! They need you on the ground!

Prince Vultan: [Vultan holds out his right hand] Well, good bye, Flash! It's been...!

Flash Gordon: [Flash shakes Vultan's hand] I know! For me too, Vultan!

Flash Gordon: [Vultan heads back to the ladder and starts climbing] Tell Dale

[pause]

Flash Gordon: I know it would've been good!

Prince Vultan: [shouts] That must be one hell of a planet you men come from!

Flash Gordon: Not too bad!


Klytus: The tributes of the Hawkmen will be first.

Dale Arden: Are we dreaming?

Flash Gordon: I'd like to think so.

Prince Vultan: The fabled ice jewel of Frigia; we seized it in battle from the royal crypt.

Prince Barin: Stop! The ice jewel is our tribute, not Vultan's.

Prince Barin: Vultan stole it while we were burying our dead on Frigia

Prince Vultan: Liar!

Prince Barin: You are a thief!

Prince Vultan: What?

Prince Vultan: [Prince Barin draws his sword, preparing to attack Vultan]

[Vultan raises his clubbed sword]

Prince Vultan: Aargh!

Klytus: Put down your weapons! No one, but no one, dies in the palace without a command from the Emperor.

Prince Barin: Hail, Ming!

[Barin lowers his sword]

Prince Vultan: Aargh!

Klytus: Vultan! You obey, or you sacrifice your daughter.

[Vultan's daughter emerges, looks at her father]

Prince Vultan: [lowers his club sword relentingly] Hail, Ming.


Klytus: Now the tributes from Ardentia.

Prince Thun: Your Majesty, we, the people of Ardentia, we have suffered since you blasted our kingdom. I can offer you nothing this year, except my loyalty.

Klytus: Prince Thun, we prize nothing more highly. And tell us, how great is this loyalty to your emperor?

Prince Thun: Without measure.

The Emperor Ming: We are delighted to hear it; fall on your sword.

The Emperor Ming: Show us this loyalty, throw yourself onto your sword.

Prince Thun: [Prince Thun unsheathes his sword] May this deed of Prince Thun be an example to all the kingdoms of Mongo; death to Ming!

[Prince Thun is stopped by a freeze beam from Ming's servant]

Prince Thun: [Ming disembowels and slays Prince Thun with his own sword]

Dale Arden: Ugh!


Dale Arden: So that's why they let us escape; Klytus thought he'd wiped out your memory.

Dr. Hans Zarkov: But do you know why it really failed?

Dale Arden: I can't imagine.

Dr. Hans Zarkov: As I was going under, I started to recite Shakespeare, the Talmud, the formulas of Einstein, anything I could remember, even a song from the Beatles.

Dr. Hans Zarkov: It armored me, girl; they couldn't wipe those things away. You can't beat the human spirit!


Princess Aura: But my father has never kept a vow in his life!

Dale Arden: I can't help that, Aura. Keeping our word is one of the things that make us... better than you.


Prince Barin: Freeze! Yer bloody bastards!


Dr. Hans Zarkov: Check the angular vector of the moon!


Munson: Dr. Zarkov! There's no sun! It's 8:24 in the morning, and there's no sun!


Dr. Hans Zarkov: What do you find? The moon out of orbit?

Munson: By more than 12 degrees. This must be some sort of mistake.

Dr. Hans Zarkov: No, it's no mistake... IT'S AN ATTACK! I've been right all these years!


[Munson refuses to go aboard Zarkov's rocket ship]

Dr. Hans Zarkov: I swear, Munson, I'll shoot!

Munson: Get shot or go up in that thing? What's the difference?

Dr. Hans Zarkov: This way, you'll be giving your life to save the Earth! Haven't you any spirit at all?

Munson: NO!


Dr. Hans Zarkov: [to dead Munson] Sorry, Munson. Missed your opportunity.


Dr. Hans Zarkov: Look at them! The poor wretches are just waiting for someone to lead them in revolt...!

Flash Gordon: [annoyed] Oh, are you looking at ME, Zarkov?


The Emperor Ming: Did you enjoy yourselves in Sibaria? I understand you flew the doctor there last week. Klytus kindly fed me the information.

Princess Aura: Klytus? He wants me himself. His agents are always making up lies about me.


Prince Vultan: [incredulous] What is this?

Dr. Hans Zarkov: [proud] Humanity.

Prince Vultan: Madness!

Dale Arden: [dreamily] Oh, Flash!


Hedonia: It has no name. Many brave men died to bring it here from the Galaxy of Pleasure... It will make your nights with Ming more... agreeable.

Dale Arden: Will it make me forget?

Hedonia: No, but it will make you not mind remembering.


Klytus: No one, but no one dies in the palace without a command from the Emperor.


Prince Vultan: [Flash is going to suicide ram Ming's palace, Vultan turns to Flash] That must be one hell of a planet you men come from!

Flash Gordon: Not too bad.


Dr. Hans Zarkov: The red pedal!


Prince Barin: Listen! There is something finer in this galaxy than Ming's law!

Prince Vultan: RUBBISH!


Dale Arden: Boy, have I got some crazy stories to tell you!

Flash Gordon: Save 'em for our kids.

Dale Arden: Oh, I accept!


[from trailer]

The Emperor Ming: Pathetic Earthlings! Who can save you now?


Ming's Floating Servant: Halt, Lizard Man! Escape is impossible! Surrender!


Flash Gordon: [sarcastically to an Arborian guard regarding Princess Aura] Does anyone ever trust her twice?


[Ming and Dale see that Flash is still alive]

The Emperor Ming: Gordon!

Dale Arden: Flash?


Dale Arden: [while running to safety before the rocketship crashes into the wedding hall] Go, Flash!


Dale Arden: Just hold me two seconds, then drop me so I can kiss the ground.


Flash Gordon: My God!

Dale Arden: What is this, a civic reception?

Flash Gordon: More like a police state.

Dr. Hans Zarkov: If it is, that could be our good luck.

Flash Gordon: Why?

Dr. Hans Zarkov: It means we'll find allies on every side. Look at them, the poor wretches are just waiting for someone to lead them in revolt.

Flash Gordon: Are you looking at me, Zarkov?

Dr. Hans Zarkov: Yes.

Dale Arden: Please, stop talking about revolts, I just want to get back home alive.

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