We all have movies that don’t get talked about very often. Movies that never get the treatment or attention we think they deserve; unknown gems and guilty pleasures. Here are two of mine:
Unknown Gem: The Great Train Robbery; released in 1979, written and directed by none other then Michael Crichton, starring Sean Connery, Donald Sutherland and Leslie-Anne Down.
A “caper movie” that takes place in England in the mid 1800’s; Connery’s character, Edward Pierce, puts together a team to attempt to steal a shipment of gold bound for the Crimean War from a moving train.
I like this movie because it is as much a “period piece” as it is a “caper movie.” The sets and costumes are a wonderful trip back to Victorian England. Jerry Goldsmith’s score is superb and Geoffrey Unsworth’s cinematography is beautiful. There aren’t any Oscar worthy performances here, just wonderful light entertainment.
The dvd is non-anamorphic and a tad bit grainy. There are no special features no speak of, but this remains an old favorite.
Guilty Pleasure: Flash Gordon, released in 1980, directed by Mike Hodges and starring unknowns Sam J. Jones as Flash Gordon and Melody Anderson as his girl, Dale Arden. The cast does include some great surprises: Max von Sydow plays The Emperor Ming, Topol, (of Fiddler on the Roof fame), plays Dr. Hans Zrkov, and we get an early look at the fourth James Bond in action with Timothy Dalton playing the part of Prince Barin. Brian Blessed has too much fun playing the character of Prince Vultan.
This movie is pure camp, a send-up of the 1930’s serials done with top notch production values. The soundtrack by Queen is now almost legendary. The costumes are directly inspired by the original comic strip and just add to the fun. While the special effects are far removed from the CGI we’re used to today, they fit perfectly with the feel of the movie.
Flash Gordon is to science fiction what another great “camp film,” The Adams Family is to horror films. Neither go anywhere near the genre their characters and sets might have been designed for. The Adams Family is a pure comedy and Flash Gordon, well, let’s call it a “Comedic Space Opera.”
Unknown Gem: The Great Train Robbery; released in 1979, written and directed by none other then Michael Crichton, starring Sean Connery, Donald Sutherland and Leslie-Anne Down.
A “caper movie” that takes place in England in the mid 1800’s; Connery’s character, Edward Pierce, puts together a team to attempt to steal a shipment of gold bound for the Crimean War from a moving train.
I like this movie because it is as much a “period piece” as it is a “caper movie.” The sets and costumes are a wonderful trip back to Victorian England. Jerry Goldsmith’s score is superb and Geoffrey Unsworth’s cinematography is beautiful. There aren’t any Oscar worthy performances here, just wonderful light entertainment.
The dvd is non-anamorphic and a tad bit grainy. There are no special features no speak of, but this remains an old favorite.
Guilty Pleasure: Flash Gordon, released in 1980, directed by Mike Hodges and starring unknowns Sam J. Jones as Flash Gordon and Melody Anderson as his girl, Dale Arden. The cast does include some great surprises: Max von Sydow plays The Emperor Ming, Topol, (of Fiddler on the Roof fame), plays Dr. Hans Zrkov, and we get an early look at the fourth James Bond in action with Timothy Dalton playing the part of Prince Barin. Brian Blessed has too much fun playing the character of Prince Vultan.
This movie is pure camp, a send-up of the 1930’s serials done with top notch production values. The soundtrack by Queen is now almost legendary. The costumes are directly inspired by the original comic strip and just add to the fun. While the special effects are far removed from the CGI we’re used to today, they fit perfectly with the feel of the movie.
Flash Gordon is to science fiction what another great “camp film,” The Adams Family is to horror films. Neither go anywhere near the genre their characters and sets might have been designed for. The Adams Family is a pure comedy and Flash Gordon, well, let’s call it a “Comedic Space Opera.”
