Friday, October 19, 2018

Movie review - "Life After Flash" (2018) ***

Fun documentary which focuses on the life of Sam Jones, in particular his Flash Gordon experience.Tricky up bringing (dad was a boozer, and they often tend to be for movie stars), he grew into a good looking dude which got him work in films, lept to fame with Flash Gordon, grew a big head which meant he went on strike (to make sure he got paid, he says, as if he shouldn't have been willing to do a film like this for nothing), got re-voiced, went into a career dip, bounced back (The Highwayman years), then dipped again, lost his way, had a problem with money, women and his temper.

Eventually found a good marriage, moved to the more psychologically healthy city of San Diego, and got a new career doing security - so he gets to be a he man and act in a way. Loves doing conventions - I enjoyed footage seeing him boss around the volunteers, and also praying to himself that he wouldn't lose his temper.

The running time is flashed out with people talking about the film and its impact on them - two comics are the most fun, perhaps too much time is devoted to random actors who had short roles in the movie. People like Robert Rodriguez talk as well as hard core collectors of things from the film.

I really enjoyed seeing Peter Wyngarde (as bitchily funny as you'd expect, though he seems to be sick... and indeed died not long after - it's funny to hear him talk about demanding his character live so he could be in sequels), Topol, Rafella de Laurentiis, Brian May, Melody Anderson (who seems a lovely person) and especially Brain Blessed, who is everything you'd imagine him to be - loud, boisterous, a bit naughty. Great fun.

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