Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Flash!

'Flash Gordon' reignited by Columbia: "Columbia might be rocketing a redo-update of 'Flash Gordon,' entering talks to acquire the film rights for a big-screen adaptation that has Breck Eisner attached to direct and Neal Moritz set to produce. Eisner also will exec produce.

'Flash' originally was a science fiction newspaper comic strip drawn by Alex Raymond in the 1930s and was created to compete with another sci-fi strip, 'Buck Rogers.' 'Flash' was first adapted to the screen via Buster Crabbe serials and was made into a lavish 1980 film starring Sam Jones but remembered more for its Queen score. More recently, it was a Sci Fi Channel miniseries that was seen as a critical and ratings failure."

4 comments:

Randy Johnson said...

The 1980 film had it's problems, but I've always had a fondness for it. The less said about the Sci-Fi Channel's version, the better.

Fred Blosser said...

It's a shame that producers keep rehashing the same franchise (esp. since, as Randy says, the Sci-Fi Channel series was so wretched). If they want to bring classic space adventure into the 21st Century, there are plenty of great novels and series (ERB's Carson of Venus, Eric John Stark, Otis Adelbert Kline's Venus or Mars, Keith Laumer's GALACTIC ODYSSEY, Ed Hamilton's STAR KINGS, Doc Smith, almost any Silverberg or Brunner paperback from '50s-'60s Ace ... who am I missing?) that haven't been filmed to death.

I'm amused by the fact that 99.9 percent of the producer's and director's other claims to fame, as listed in the HR story, are all remakes and retreads too. Sterling resumes.

Equally unfortunately, "update" always seems to be code for: "Uninspired attempt to emulate a current popular trend." The Sci-Fi Channel "Flash" wasn't much more than a CW-style Gen-Y slacker show with the most cliched SF trappings.

Unknown said...

They always rehash or go with a winner. When one P. K. Dick story's a hit on the screen, even if it no longer resembles the story, then you can expect more of the same.

Cap'n Bob said...

I tremble in fear.