I have been a Flash Gordon fan ever since I was a kid. I watched the serial on tv and read the comics. In the early 90s, the serials come to video. I have 3 different sets. The first set was the edited movie versions. The second set was the complete set all of the chapters, however the sound was very bad on them. I then got the 3 set last year from Suncoast Video. The sound was just fine on them. I had been waiting for the series to come to dvd for a long time. Image Entertainment got the rights for the dvd and had released a box set of the 3 serials on laser disc a few years back. They cost about 80 bucks a piece, I had a laser disc player, but never got the serials on laser disc. I never used the laser disc player that much and sold it on Ebay. Later I bought a dvd player. Most people know the plot of the Flash Gordon Serial, so I will review the dvd disc itself.

Image Entertainment released the dvd with the same coverbox as the laser disc. The disc also come with fold out cover, like the Dances With Wolves dvd. The picture on the disc is very good for an old serial from the 30s. there are a few bits where there are holes in the pictures, some lines, and also some area where it is darker then others. There are a few moments of drop out in the sound during the film. There is also breaks in the film where there is sound and no pictures. Those only last a few seconds or so. Some scenes in the movie there will be someone talking and then there will be someone else doing the voice for a person that is still talking. That is with the film, and not with the dvd.

It's very easy access on the menu, the scene acess go by the chapters plays, there are 13 chapters in all. They fit all on one disc. The main Menu has a very nice picture of Flash Gordon, and also a small picture of Princess Aura, and Dale Arden. The scene acess is on the main page. There is no trailers, no bio on actors, Just the chapters listings. I didn't notice the layer switch during the film. After each chapters ends, the next chapters begins within seconds after the chapter before.

The serial follows the comic book for about 9 or 10 chapters, then they create there own stuff in the last part of the serial. There are some minor changes from the comic book and to the serial. But nothing major to report. Of all of the Flash Gordon Serials, I would say that the first one is my favorite.

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Flash Gordon: Space Soldiers

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Flash Gordon: Space Soldiers

FLASH GORDON'S TRIP TO MARS

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Flash Gordon's Trip To Mars

COMING TO DVD MARCH 28,2000

Complete and uncut: 15 episodes starring "Buster" Crabbe. Life on Earth is about to be destroyed! A mysterious beam of light emanating from Mars is sucking the nitrogen from the planet's atmosphere, and only Flash Gordon ("Buster" Crabbe) can stop it. Blasting off with Dale Arden (Jean Rogers) and Dr. Hans Zarkov (Frank Shannon), Flash and his intrepid band of adventurers quickly learn that Queen Azura (Beatrice Roberts), ruler of Mars, is stealing Earth's nitrogen to aid in her ongoing war with the Clay People, Martians whom Azura magically turned into living mud. A bigger surprise, however, is yet to come; working closely with the Queen is Flash's mortal enemy, Ming the Merciless (Charles Middleton), who--while posing as Azura's ally--is secretly plotting to overthrow the Queen and seize Mars for himself! Can Flash save the Earth, rescue the Clay People, bring Azura to her senses, and stop Ming's heinous scheme? The answers lie in Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars--15 thrilling episodes of sci-fi adventure at its very best.

HOT OFF THE PRESS: FLASH GORDON: CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE COMING TO DVD FEB. 22, 2000.

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Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe

FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE Collectors Edition (1st Time on DVD)

Starring: Buster Crabbe, Carol Hughes, Charles Middleton, Anne Gwynne, Frank Shannon, and Lee Powell. Directed by Ford Beebe. Based on the Comic Strip adventures created by Alex Raymond.

This is the third and final installment of the Flash Gordon serial trilogy. It is considered the best and most polished of the three. It contains the original 12 serial chapters released by Universal Pictures, and takes Flash, Dale and Dr. Zarkov on a whirlwind of adventures, as the planet hopping hero seeks to stop the "Purple Death", a ravaging plague released on Earth by that most merciless of villains, Ming, the Emperor of Mongo!

Item #8240, UPC# 0-89859-82402-9, 220 minutes, B/W, 1940, SRP $29.99

Special Features include: Interactive menus, Bios, Chapter Stops, Never before seen interview with Buster Crabbe, Buster Crabbe commentary from his University speaking tours, Personal Archive photo gallery

Click on the picture to read my tribute for Flash Gordon.

MY CAST LIST FOR THE NEW

FLASH GORDON FILM

STARRING:

PAUL SATTERFIELD AS FLASH GORDON

PATRICK STEWART AS MING

TERRY FARRELL AS DALE ARDEN

DAVID DUCHOVNY AS PRINCE BARIN

JOHN GETZ AS DR. ZARKOV

JEFF GOLDBLUM AS PRINCE THUN

AND TEA LEONI AS PRINCESS AURA

LINKS

My other links, Batman/Michael Keaton site, The Abyss, and The First Unoffical Site of Sarah Douglas. Click on the picture to enter the site.

LINKS:

SCIFI MESSAGE BOARD