Flash Gordon

I just watched the 1980 version of Flash Gordon for the first time since I was a kid.  I didn't think it would hold up, but I enjoyed every minute of it.  It's cheesy and campy and all-around dumb, but it definitely fits in the "so bad it's good" category.  

I've said it before, but I like bad movies as much as good movies, as long as they aren't boring.  Flash Gordon "fails" in almost every category across the board - bad dialogue, bad acting, bad script, bad science, bad special effects, and so on.  It leans so close to self-parody that I can't decide if it's supposed to be a comedy.  

Special shout-out to BRIAN BLESSED for stealing every scene he's in with his hammy bellowing.  Also, I noticed Rocky Horror's Richard O'Brien was in it, so that's kind of cool.  The soundtrack, while repetitive, is as awesome as ever.

I was amazed at how much I remembered, but I had also forgotten a large amount of it.  I was surprised at how quickly Dale Arden fell for Flash; I had thought their relationship was more of a Han/Leia "snark until they kiss" kind of thing.  Also, not having seen the movie since I was 7, I caught a lot of innuendo I didn't catch before.  

But I remembered most of the important scenes, like Flash sticking his hand in a stump as part of a ritual, the fight to the death on a tilting platform, and the teaser at the end where someone grabs Ming's ring.  

Anyway, if you like having a "bad movie night" now and then, this is an excellent candidate.