Life After Flash DVD 2017

     This film is about Sam J. Jones during and after his role as Flash Gordon.  He really had his ups and downs and he started his career with a role in the film 10.  He was chosen over Kurt Russell and Arnold Schwarzenegger.  This role brought about his role in Flash Gordon of 1980.  The producers hoped to make a trilogy but it didn’t happen.  The first film was only moderately successful at the box office and there was a falling out between Jones and Dino De Laurentis.  There was a dispute for lack of payment for Sam’s salary.   Sam refused to go to the studio to redub his lines and these two actions also helped kill the second two films.

     Flash Gordon was an American football hero and he is skyjacked aboard Dr. Hans Zarkov’s rocketship.  His beautiful girlfriend Dale Areden is also taken aboard the ship.  The group of three people is drawn into the influence of the planet Mongo.  Emperor Ming the Merciless rules Mongo.  The evil Ming has been causing unnatural disasters on Earth and he believes Earth is a threat to his rule.  He attempts to execute Flash and he intends to take Dale as his concubine.  He also intends to destroy Earth.  Flash must resist the amorous attentions of Ming’s daughter.  He also need to unite the warring kingdoms of Mongo to rescue Dale and save Earth.  All of the action sequences are done without special effects.  I thought this was interesting and I didn’t know any of this information before.  I also haven’t seen any of the Flash Gordon episodes.  3 1/2 * (I liked this movie)    

111 min, Doc directed by Mike Hodges with Sam J. Jones, Meoldy Anderson, Max von Sydow, Topol, Ornella Muti, Timothy Dalton, Brian Blessed, Peter Wyngarde, John Osborne, Richard O’Brian, John Hallam, Philip Stone, Suzanne Danielle, William Hootkins.  

Note:  Imdb 7.6 out of 10, 88% critic on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4* out of 5* with 19 reviews.

Special Note:  The costume for the evil Ming weighed over 70 pounds and he could stand in it for only a few minutes at a time.  George Lucas loved these Universal serials as a kid and he wanted to make modern version.  Federico Fellini optioned the rights so Lucas wrote Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope 1977.  Sam has had various acting roles since Flash Gordon from 1981 through a 2019 film Axcellerator.  He also works as a bodyguard when he doesn’t have acting roles.