Flash Gordon (1980)

This week’s movie is: Flash Gordon. A wild space opera packed with love, lasers, and the heroic fight against Ming the Merciless. When mysterious natural disasters begin striking Earth, a New York Jets quarterback named Flash Gordon ends up on a small plane with travel agent Dale Arden. The plane crash-lands into the laboratory of eccentric scientist Dr. Hans Zarkov, who believes the disasters are being caused by an alien ruler. To prove his theory, Zarkov launches himself—and his unwilling passengers—into space aboard a rocket. They arrive on the planet Mongo, ruled by the ruthless emperor Ming the Merciless, who has been triggering catastrophes on Earth simply for his own amusement and power. Flash quickly becomes a thorn in Ming’s side, escaping execution and rallying the various kingdoms of Mongo—such as the Hawkmen and the forest rebels—against the emperor. As Ming tries to crush the rebellion and claim Dale for himself, Flash leads a daring uprising across the planet. With the help of new allies and a lot of swashbuckling heroics, Flash fights to unite Mongo’s factions, defeat Ming, and save Earth from destruction.Join us as we rewind, rewatch, and remember the decade that shaped us.