The 1980 Flash Gordon film, based on the classic comic strip hero created by Alex Raymond in the 1930s, has become a cult classic, beloved for its over-the-top style, bombastic performances, and an iconic soundtrack by Queen. Packed with bizarre moments, eccentric characters, and some truly wild creative choices, it’s a sci-fi experience like no other. Let’s dive into 13 oddities about Flash Gordon that make this film so gloriously weird and fun.
Table of Contents
1. The Ridiculous Hawkmen Battle Cry
If there’s one thing you’ll never forget about Flash Gordon, it’s the scene where the bird-like Hawkmen, led by Brian Blessed’s larger-than-life character Prince Vultan, swoop down yelling “DIIIIIVE!!!” at the top of their lungs. Blessed’s exuberant performance and booming voice turn a simple command into one of the film’s most iconic—and most ridiculous—moments. It’s like a Shakespearean actor getting fully lost in a kids’ party…and it’s glorious!
2. Queen’s Legendary Soundtrack
Flash! Ahh-ahh! Savior of the universe! If there’s anything more bombastic than the action on-screen, it’s Queen’s unforgettable soundtrack. The rock legends composed and performed the main theme, which has become as iconic as the movie itself. The synth-heavy score brings the right amount of camp and epicness, setting Flash Gordon apart from other sci-fi flicks of its era. Even people who haven’t seen the movie can probably hum the theme.
3. Max von Sydow’s Ridiculous Ming the Merciless
You might expect a revered actor like Max von Sydow (best known for The Seventh Seal) to take the role of Ming the Merciless, the villain of the story, seriously. Instead, von Sydow leans into the campiness, playing the intergalactic tyrant with a mix of menace and melodrama. His over-the-top costume and bald, Fu Manchu-style appearance make him one of the most memorable—and problematic—villains in sci-fi history. You could argue he’s almost too good at being bad.
4. The Psychedelic Sky City
When Flash first arrives at Sky City, home of the Hawkmen, you immediately feel like you’ve entered a trippy, candy-colored fantasy world. Floating platforms, glowing clouds, and metallic birdmen give the impression of a fever dream more than a sci-fi epic. The surreal design of Sky City is pure eye candy, making you wonder what the set designers were inspired by (or consuming) during production.
5. The Arboria “Test of Manhood”
Perhaps one of the weirdest and most tense scenes in the movie is when Flash has to stick his hand into a tree stump inhabited by a deadly creature known as a Wood Beast as part of a ritual test. It’s part torture, part game, and entirely bizarre. Timothy Dalton (yes, from James Bond!) plays Prince Barin, who puts Flash through the ordeal. It’s moments like this that remind you Flash Gordon was anything but predictable.
6. That Weird Green Blood
In the battle scenes, you might have noticed that when characters like the Hawkmen and Mongo soldiers get sliced, diced, or electrocuted, they bleed a strange green substance. It’s an odd choice, but also a clever way for the filmmakers to keep the film from being too graphic. Because what’s a sci-fi movie without some otherworldly bodily fluids?
7. Princess Aura’s Outlandish Wardrobe
Ornella Muti plays Princess Aura, Ming’s rebellious daughter, who spends most of the film sporting extravagant, often bizarre costumes. Her wardrobe runs the gamut from sequined jumpsuits to barely-there gowns, adding a mix of glamour and oddity to her role. Aura’s over-the-top style, combined with her flirtatious and scheming nature, makes her one of the most interesting (and oddly dressed) characters.
8. The Inconsistent Use of Technology
In Flash Gordon, advanced technology like ray guns and spaceships are juxtaposed with more medieval elements like swords, crossbows, and dungeons. One minute you’re watching a spaceship race across the galaxy and the next, a sword fight in the middle of a floating palace. The mix of old and new tech gives the film an almost steampunk vibe, though it’s more confusing than it is cohesive.
9. Brian Blessed’s Chest Hair Armor
The character of Prince Vultan is already strange—he’s a winged, shouting warrior who lives in a floating kingdom. But what’s even weirder is that his costume is less about practicality and more about showing off his prodigious chest hair, which looks like part of his armor. Blessed’s bravado and booming delivery make you almost forget that his character is essentially a giant shirtless birdman.
10. Flash Gordon’s Football Skills Save the Day
Flash Gordon (played by Sam J. Jones) is famously a quarterback for the New York Jets. So, naturally, when he’s thrown into battle on the planet Mongo, he uses his football skills to tackle bad guys, dodge laser beams, and hurl weapons like they’re footballs. It’s both absurd and hilarious to see the hero of a sci-fi epic use sports moves to take down intergalactic enemies.
11. The Unexplained Floating Orb Guards
Ming’s palace features some bizarre guards, but none are stranger than the floating eyeball-like orbs that fly around observing everything. These drones, with their strange mechanical hums and blinking lights, serve as extra security but are never really explained. Who created them? Are they sentient? Flash Gordon doesn’t seem interested in answering those questions, and that’s part of its charm.
12. Zarkov’s Mind Erasure Gone Wrong
The brilliant but eccentric scientist Dr. Hans Zarkov (played by Topol) is forced by Ming to undergo mind-wiping. But here’s where it gets weird—Zarkov recites all the facts and memories he can remember, including famous historical figures and scientific equations, to preserve his knowledge. Somehow, this convoluted self-defense mechanism works, and Zarkov manages to outsmart the alien technology. It’s science-fiction absurdity at its finest.
13. That Bizarre Ending Tease
At the end of the film, just when you think peace has returned to the galaxy, the final scene teases a sequel that never happened. Ming’s ring, believed to be destroyed, is seen being picked up by an unseen hand, and the screen flashes “The End?” Unfortunately for some, there was no sequel!
Conclusion
Flash Gordon is a masterclass in camp, excess, and sheer sci-fi weirdness. From Brian Blessed’s iconic performance to the psychedelic sets and costumes, it’s a film that revels in its oddities and has earned its place as a cult classic. While it may not be the most polished sci-fi film, its blend of eccentric characters, over-the-top action, and unforgettable soundtrack make it a bizarre, but beloved, piece of cinema history.