George Lucas' cinematic tribute to the "Flash Gordon" serials he loved in his childhood. Packed with references to classic films, it became hugley popular in the late seventies/early eighties, spawning five sequels and a heretofore unprecendented mountain of merchandising. Its success helped to usher in a renewed focus on the teen audience with crowd-pleasing adventures, rather than the downbeat, European-influenced films of the late sixties/early seventies.
by Jeff Pidgeon April 02, 2004