Universal Home Entertainment is giving Flash Gordon fans a lot to be excited about in August!
In this wild and wacky update of the 1930's comic strip, maverick scientist Dr. Hans Zarkov (Topol) believes that energy waves emanating from a far-away galaxy are pulling the moon out of its orbit and threatening to destroy the Earth. Along with Flash Gordon (Sam J. Jones), quarterback for the New York Jets, and beautiful Dale Arden (Melody Anderson), Zarkov sets off on a rocket trip to the stars. They follow the energy waves to the distant planet Mongo, where they discover that evil despot Ming the Merciless (Max von Sydow in a deliciously sinister performance) is planning to obliterate life on Earth. Ming decides to add lovely Dale to his harem of concubines and attempts to imprison Flash, who escapes and takes refuge with the planet's rebel forces. He convinces rival Mongo princes Barin (Timothy Dalton) and Vultan (Brian Blessed) to unite their armies, and leads them in an all-out campaign to overthrow Ming and save humanity.
An All-American football player must foil an extraterrestrial plan to dominate the Earth in Flash Gordon: Saviour of the Universe Edition, rocketing into stores August 7, 2007 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Available on DVD for the first time, this rollicking sci-fi classic stars Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Timothy Dalton, and Academy Award® nominees Max von Sydow (Pelle the Conqueror) and Topol (Fiddler on the Roof) in the ultimate otherworldly adventure.
An all-new digitally remastered picture and 5.1 Surround Sound brilliantly enhance the tongue-in-cheek dialogue, outrageous costumes and over the top sets, as well as the now legendary soundtrack by the celebrated rock group Queen. Directed by Mike Hodges (Croupier) and produced by Dino De Laurentiis (Barbarella), Flash Gordon: Saviour of the Universe Edition brings to the screen all the action, romance and fun of the original 1930's comic strip that inspired it. The special edition DVD includes exclusive bonus features, packaging art by renowned comic book artist, Alex Ross, and an "alternate" collectible postcard of the packaging art that make it a must-have addition to the collection of any sci-fi fan. The creation of cartoonist Alex Raymond, Flash Gordon is the original epic outer-space fantasy. The DVD is priced at $26.98 SRP. Pre-order close is July 3, 2007.
Cast & Filmmakers:
Director: Mike Hodges
Written By: Michael Allin, Lorenzo Semple Jr., Alex Raymond
Cast: Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Max von Sydow, Topol, Brian Blessed, Timothy Dalton
DVD Features:
- Alex Ross, Renowned Comic Artist, On Flash Gordon -- World-renowned comic artist Alex Ross talks about his favorite movie of all time, Flash Gordon, and about how the film has inspired him in his life and work.
- Writing A Classic: Screenwriter Lorenzo Semple, Jr. -- Screenwriter Lorenzo Semple, Jr. speaks about the deliberately campy script for Flash Gordon
- Flash Gordon 1936 Serial Episode -- Chapter One of Planet of Perl
Technical Specs:
- Run Time: 1 Hour 52 Minutes
- Layers: Dual Layer
- Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen - 2.35:1
- Rating: PG
- Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French