Conquers the UniverseRating:
Release Date: 18 April, 2000 Retail Price: $29.99 OUR Price: $26.99 You SAVE: $3.00! Cast: Complete Cast (11 total) |
Conquers the Universe Reviews
"King of Serials on DVD...VCI Entertainment ~ Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940)"
VCI Entertainment and Universal Pictures present "Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe" (1940) (Dolby digitally remastered), adapted from Alex Raymond's comic strip with 12 Chapters of this "Special Collector's Edition" vintage serial episodes loaded with sci-fi special effects and action sequences...story line has Flash, Dale and Dr. Zarkov traipsing off to Ming's favorite planet Mongo...can the trio stop Ming from shooting the ever popular "Death Rays" at their home planet Earth...will Flash survive the fiery pit, an avalanche and the over zealous robots, will they explode to human touch....watch for the exciting aerial battles as Ming and his warships make short work of the opposition all except Flash and his comrades...can the mysterious plague known as the "Purple Death" (aka Purple Dust) make short work of all the inhabitants of the planet Earth...what devilment is Ming the Merciless up to with spreading this dust into the atmosphere...double thrills, chills, mystery and suspense...as Flash Gordon fills the giant screen with excitement...don't miss a single spine-thrilling episode..return next week to this local theater for another episode of action and adventure that will keep you thrilled until the next chapter.
Under director's Ford Beebe and Ray Taylor, producer Henry MacRae, screenplay by Alex Raymond (comic strip), George H.Plympton, Basil Dickey and Barry Shipman, music score by Franz Waxman ("Bride of Frankenstin"-1935), Franz Liszt, Charles Previn, Frank Skinner, Ralph Freed, Sam Perry, Heinz Roemheld, special effects Ed Keyes, ...the cast include Buster Crabbe ("Flash" Gordon), Carol Hughes (Dale Arden), Anne Gwynne (Sonja), Charles Middleton (Emperor Ming the Merciless), Frank Shannon (Dr. Zarkov), John Hamilton (Prof. Gordon), Herbert Rawlinson (Dr. Frohmann), Tom Chatterton (Prof. Arden), Shirley Deane (Princess Aura), Lee Powell (Capt. Roka), Roland Drew (Prince Barin), Don Rowan (Capt. Torch), Earl Dwire (Jenda), Roy Barcroft (Ming soldier/Ming adjutant/Arborian sentry ), Lane Chandler (Ming soldier/Ming adjutant), Donald Curtis (Ronal), Eddie Parker (Arborian Prison Guard-stuntman), Tom Steele (Ming Pilot)...must make mention Eddie Parker (stunt double for Buster Crabbe).......special behind the scenes note that actor Buster Crabbe graduated from the University of Southern California and won the 400 meter freestyle in which he medaled in the 1932 Olympics, went to work for Paramount in "King of the Jungle" (1933), next role was "Tarzan the Fearless (1933), Crabbe returned to Paramount Pictures was featured in Zane Grey Westerns which were well received, then came the roles that made him a household word "Flash Gordon" and "Buck Rogers" at Universal Picture Serials (1936-1940), meanwhile PRC Studios was looking for a leading hero "Billy the Kid" and "Billy Carson" in the 1940's B-Western series and ran its course for six years, later made several televison appearances and appeared in a series "Captain Gallant and the Foreign Legion" (1955-1957).....meanwhile back to the feature as Universal Pictures always at the top of their game and this serial is no exception...there is a great deal of entertainment here for the cliffhanger fans out there...all courtesy of VCI Entertainment, who in my humble opinion is the best there is in restoring early serials and features.
CHAPTER TITLES: (Disc One)
1. The Purple Death
2. Freezing Torture
3. Walking Bombs
4. The Destroying Ray
SPECIAL FEATHERS: (Disc One)
SERIAL TRAILERS:
1. Republic Pictures presents "HI-YO Silver" (Lee Powell)
2. "And Then There Were None" (Louis Hayward)
3. "Gorgoyles" (Cornel Wilde)
4. "The Southern" (Zachary Scott)
BIOS: (Disc One)
1. Buster Crabbe (aka Clarence Linden Crabbe)
Birth Date: 2/07/1908 - Oakland, CA
Died: 4/23/1983 - Scottsdale, Arizona
PHOTO GALLERY (Disc One)
(stills from "Flash Gordon", autographed pictures signed for Bill Blair, picture of Ester Williams, Johnny Wessmuller and Buster)
INTERVIEWS: (Disc One)
1. Xth Olympiad (young Buster Crabbe wins the Gold Medal for the 400 meter freestyle in 1932)
2. Buster Crabbe (interview Circa from 1970).
3. Bisoldol Television Commercial
4. Buster Crabbe (interview #1 from 9/30/1970)
CHAPTER TITLES: (Disc Two)
5. The Palace of Terror
6. Flaming death
7. The Land of the Dead
8. The Fiery Abyss
SPECIAL FEATURES: (Disc Two)
INTERVIEWS:
1. Buster Crabbe (interview #2 from 9/30/1970)
2. Hormel Chile Television Commercial with Buster Crabbe.
CHAPTER TITLES (Disc Three)
9. The Pool of Peril
10.The Death Mist
11.Stark Treachery
12.Doom of the Dictator
SPECIAL FEATURES: (Disc Three)
INTERVIEWS:
1. Buster Crabbe (interview #1 from 1975).
2. Magic Mold Bodyshirt (commercial with losing weight with this magic shirt)
3. Buster Crabbe (interview #2 from 1975)
If you crave action, drama and plenty of adventure then this is the place for all of the above...check out another release from VCI Entertainment and Universal Pictures present "Buck Rogers" (1939) (Dolby digitally remastered), adapted from Edgar Wallace novel with 12 Chapters of vintage serial as the story unfolds Buck Rogers and his young friend Buddy Wade crash land in a trans-polar dirigible flight on an Earth mountain top...what is this strange gas of suspended animations...have the years passed so quickly with Buck and Buddy now 500 years into the future...who now rules the planet Earth with such tyrannical despot, all this and much more in the following chapters...while you're at it why not pick up a copy from VCI Entertainment and Columbia Pictures present "Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere" (1951) (digitally remastered), 15 Chapters.finally for the first time on video the really great Columbia Serial that broke the mold...we have everything a serial fan would want...the tinted sequences by Cinecolor and unique inventions that were unlike any other serial out there in the '50s.....get out there as they're going fast, this is the best of "Sci-Fi Serials" you've been waiting for.
Great job by VCI Entertainment for releasing "Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe" (1940), the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '30s, '40s & '50s...order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment, stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with deadly adventure from the "King of Serials" VCI...just the way we like 'em!
Total Time: 237 mins on 3 DVD's ~ VCI Entertainment 8240 ~ (5/28/2000)
Worth a few laughs
Bad acting, shallow characters, ridiculous costumes (whatever they could dig up from Robin Hood), cheap sets (the spacecraft only have one seat!), and ludicrous special effects add up to a camp classic.
I can't stand sitting thru more than 2 episodes at once (there are twelve total).
These episodes were originally intended to be viewed as serials at theaters in "Matinee" format... you would see one new 20 minute episode a week, with a cliffhanger at the end of each one - the problem is, when you can see the episodes "back to back", the cliffhanger resolutions can be seen as the true ripoffs that they were, as they never quite match up with the impossible-to-escape cliffhanger shown from the week before (the writers figure that after a week's time you'll have forgetten what they showed you the week before).
At least the "evil" Sonja is pretty hot... and Ming makes a pretty good "bad guy".
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