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DVD Flash Gordon - The Deadly Ray from Mars
Call it high camp, middlebrow, or simply low rent, but this entry in the Flash Gordon series is at least reasonably entertaining. An edited version of the 1938 serial Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars, it finds Flash (Buster Crabbe) and friends traveling to Mars to battle archenemy Ming the Merciless (and arch is certainly the word for Charles Middleton's performance) and the death ray he's using to suck the very life out of Earth. Sure, the action is silly, the effects for the most part laughable, the "science" absurd, and the acting consistently over-the-top; and tedium will likely set in halfway through the feature's 96 minutes. But how can you not chuckle along with (or perhaps at) such deathless dialogue as "Kneel, Earth man" and "Gee whiz, King"? And so what if there are no DVD bonus features? Flash Gordon has no need for cheap frills to keep us the edge of our seats! --Sam Graham
Review(s): DVD Flash Gordon - The Deadly Ray from Mars
Five Hours Of Pure Entertainment
Following Flash Gordon's original adventures in 'Space Soldiers' (also available on DVD), 1930's cinema goers were treated to this sequel - 'Flash Gordon's Trip To Mars'. All the regulars are back in action for a mamoth 15-part extravaganza. There are slight changes for this serial; Jean Rogers is now a brunette not a blonde and the story takes place on Mars instead of Mongo (not that you'd notice the difference). But fortunately some things never change. If, like me, you remember watching these classic serials during the school holidays you'll know that the combination of 'Buster Crabbe' and 'Flash Gordon' guarantees excitement, adventure and fun - and on this DVD you get 5 hours worth! Although Image Entertainment have not added any special features, the picture quality is excellent. So if you're a Flash Gordon fan this is certainly one for your collection.
The best Flash Gordon serial
In terms of of the combination of definition of character and action scenes, this second of the Flash Gordon trilogy is the best of the Flash Gordon series. It has good action scenes and commanding performances by Clarence Linden (Buster) Crabbe and Charles Middleton (Ming the Merciless). The very beautiful Jean Rogers (Dale Arden) also does more in this serial than be the helpless female as she was in the first excellent Flash Gordon serial, Space Soldiers.
In this serial, Flash Gordon shows himself to be the tough, intelligent, world saving hero that the comic intends him to be. His heroics are well known; e.g., the clay people, and it gives me additional pleasure to see how people look up to him.
Ming the Merciless is a great villian and Charles Middleton's performance ranks up there with Darth Vader (and Darth Vader needed three people to make him function).
The cheap special effects not withstanding, This serial and serials in general are a superior form of entertainment for children to watch than television shows because all world's problems are not solved in half an hour or an hour, but, rather, take some time...
aarrrgghh! Not what it says on the tin!
I'm sure that the dvd is great...but I just received my copy and it has virtually RUINED my life!!!
I specifically hunted down and bought this copy because it was advertised as an 'all regions' product. It's not, it's region 1.
This is a real pain if you're from Europe, have a large region 2 dvd collection, and then the insertion of this region 1 dvd uses up the LAST region change function on your laptop. My laptop is now fixed on region 1 and I can no longer play any of my region 2 dvds. I have 1.5 grand's worth of laptop I can no longer watch my dvds on. Apart from this one, that is...
Frustrating. This dvd is going to cost me a lot more than I bargained for.
Just beware. It's region 1. Not Region 0. Amazon, you should sort out your deceptive descriptions...
Related DVD's Flash Gordon - The Deadly Ray from Mars
This first of the Flash Gordon serials introduces the characters and quickly immerses them in the adventures and conflicts that audiences expected to see. The acting is impressive, especially Charles Middleton as Ming the Merciless. The special effects and sets are really quite good. Sure, they don't compare to what is done routinely in movies today, but this was 1936 and a children's afternoon serial.
The DVD transfer is surprisingly good, given the age of the source material. There are scenes that show scratches and dirt, but there are even more scenes that are clear and sharp without noticable blemishes. I compared the DVD image with a video tape, scene by scene, and there really was no comparison. The DVD picture was far superior. The DVD's sound is also an improvement, though... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Frederick Stephani - Ray Taylor DVD Release Date: Released the 11 January 2000 Usually ships within 24 hours
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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... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Ray Taylor - Ford Beebe DVD Release Date: Released the 28 March 2000 Usually ships within 7 to 13 days
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While it lacks the baroque, fantastical quality of the previous Flash Gordon serials (which also starred Buster Crabbe), the Buck Rogers serial still exemplifies the freewheeling spirit of pulp-magazine space opera of the 1930s. Crash-landing in the Arctic in the 20th century, Buck Rogers and his sidekick Buddy Wade (Jackie Moran) use a special gas to induce suspended animation, only to be awakened 500 years later when the world is ruled by the evil Killer Kane. We are told that Kane's ascendancy is a direct result of the 20th century's failure to solve the problem of crime. But luckily, Buck Rogers is here to fight Kane's evil domination of mankind, which involves making obedient robots out of folks by strapping an "amnesia helmet" on their heads. (The helmet looks like... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Ford Beebe - Saul A. Goodkind DVD Release Date: Released the 19 September 2000 Usually ships in 24 hours
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More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Buster Crabbe DVD Release Date: Released the 24 September 2002 THIS TITLE IS CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE. If you would like to purchase this title, we recommend that you occasionally check this page to see if it has become available.
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Growing up in the 50's every Saturday morning I would journey to the local theater house in northern New Mexico to lose myself in fantasy land. The routine was 4 approc 20-25 minute episodes Flash Gordon, Capt Marvel and Zorro etc. These were produced in the 30's and 40's at Republic and Columbia. Flash Gordon was my favorite, starring Larry "Buster" Crabbe also starred as Tarzan, these weekly episodes are also known as cliffhangers, usually in 12 or 16 episodes insuring the same audience every saturday morning for 16 weeks. The concept is at the end of each week the Hero or Heroine would be in some sort of eminent catastrophe such as going over a cliff, In a burning building, a fiery airplane and you would return next week to see the outcome. Flash Gordon was my favorite with the... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Buster Crabbe DVD Release Date: Released the 13 May 2003 Special Order
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