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Date Posted: 00:09:12 09/16/06 Sat
Author: Rick
Subject: DVD Review of Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars ( 1938 )
Trip to Mars has improved visual quality over the previous serial. The print seems to be in better condition with improved contrast as well. There's very little in the way of analog or digital artifacts visible. What's interesting is that program material of this age is almost always preserved on analog videotape, which is usually loaded with edge enhancement the DVD's MPEG-2 compression struggles with. Not in this case- Trip to Mars looks clean and clear. The audio is once again presented in Dolby Digital 1.0 mono and slightly improved over the previous serial, since it's been somewhat better preserved.
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Film Rating: A+
Disc Ratings ( Video/Audio/Extras ):
B/B/D-
Specifications and Features:
299 minutes, NR, B&W, full-frame ( 1.33:1 ), dual-sided, single-layered, plastic keep case packaging, film-themed menu screens, chapter access ( 15 chapters; 1-7 on side A, 8-15 on side B ), languages: English ( Dolby Digital 1.0 mono ), subtitles: none, region 1
Note: Chapter three has 1 minute, 45 seconds of film that was excised during a Stratosled aerial fight due to physical damage on the print. It's at the 13:01 mark in this chapter of the serial. Chapter seven has the original end title and stock footage excised at the 20:43 mark because of physical damage to the film print.
It's replaced with a new end title that is generated in the final scene where Flash's prostrate body is laying on the ground from the deadly effects of the tree-man's destroying ray. Image has stated if they plan on doing a reissue of the serial, these excised segments will be reinstated in a future DVD edition.
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There is a cut at the 13:01 mark in chapter three of the film inside the Stratosled with Flash and Zarkov. This is precisely where the damaged section of the print had to be edited out during the film-to-tape transfer by Image.
Flash: "It's one of the Death Squa--"
Flash: "I don't see anymore of them. I guess he was the only one."
His dialogue regarding what is happening is opposite in meaning. Below is the entire sequence had the film not been excised:
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Flash and Zarkov are being pursued by a Stratosled that is following them after they leave the Clay Caves to fly into Azura's palace. The pilot closes in from behind and pushes the firing button on the console and they feel an explosion rock the ship.
Flash: "It's one of the Death Squadron ships right on our tail."
Zarkov: "Man the gun, Flash. I'll try to get him into position for you."
The two ships exchange fire. Flash hits the button and there's an explosion heard.
Zarkov: "Got em', Flash! Direct hit!"
The injured Death Squadron pilot crawls to the televisor and calls for help.
Pilot: "Death Squadron Base, emergency! Death Squadron Base, emergency!"
Airdrome Captain: "Death Squadron Base answering. Who's calling?"
Pilot: "Z-N 12! Look out for...look out for..."
The pilot collapses and his ship spirals out of control and crashes into a mountain.
Flash: "I don't see anymore of them. I guess he was the only one."
Rick
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Re: DVD Review of Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars ( 1938 ) -- emperorofmongo, 10:56:30 09/22/06 Fri [1]
Yesterday was my birthday and my son gave me the 3-DVD set for a gift.
The one FG serial I had not seen on videotape was "Mars", and so I watched it first.
I realized that either I had never seen the first chapter or else I had forgotten it.
Then I realized that I have not seen this serial since elementary school days in the 1950's.
It was like watching a brand new 2930's FG serial!
I found though, that I can only really enjoy it if I watch just two chapters at a time, or even per day.
Thank you for making this forum available with the demise of Tony LaBue's Flash Gordon Forum.
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Re: DVD Review of Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars ( 1938 ) -- Rick, 22:09:22 09/22/06 Fri [1]
Greetings,
Happy Birthday to you! That was very generous of your son to give you such a nice birthday present. You're a lucky man.
This forum has been up since last February, but only Prince Barin posted here. I'm glad it serves use for the FG citizens. I have bigger plans for the site and forum...and speaking of Barin, just where did he go???
Rick :)
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Re: DVD Review of Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars ( 1938 ) -- emperorofmongo, 09:09:19 10/04/06 Wed [1]
I finished my once-daily-dosage of FGTTM last week and I'm now on a titrated (that is a chemical term meaning "dispensed to provide a regulated concentration" -NOT the X-rated meaning you might have thought it meant!) --viewing of FGCTU.
I'm saving FG for the last and best, but after really enjoying FGTTM so much, I'm now surprised how very much I'm
enjoying the costumes and "Les Preludes" music of FGCTU.
But about FGTTM, I was delighted with how many "inventions" were in that. I don't just mean Zarkov's new-ray-as-needed inventions, but the kind of techie, taken-for-granted, everyday-life-in-the-world-of-the-future devices, especially those that were not in the Alex Raymond "Canon".
A list as it occured to me lying in bed in my palace last night:
THE LIGHT BRIDGE -loved it! ("These earthmen must be stupid not to recognize a light bridge" -the attendant Chapter 1)
Backhand rayguns (as a pistol shooter, I think these would be hard to hold steady, and the sight-picture would be too wide for accuracy, but hey look great and were continued in FGCTU)
The "Crystal lamp-chain pull" car on the clay-country to Azura's-Palace stops on the subway
Zig-Zag door closings with wheeled "door-knobs"(adopted for Ming's palace in FGCTU -they weren't in FG were they?)They went with the barred, oval interior windows.
Batwing flying cloaks, issued only to the Death and Nitron flights of the Bomber Squadrons
The clay-curse that allowed people to "melt-through" the earth (or through the mars)
Less impressive and or charming were:
The electrical disintegrator used on the sapphires ("With your knowlege of electricity, the controls should be simple for you to operate")
The Nitron Lamp
Nitron
The Purple Plague
Magic saphires (indeed ANY "magic" that is never given a techno-babble explanation, seems out of place in a Science Fiction story. Also a weakness in Alex Raymond's Blue Magic Kingdom of Mongo in the Canon.)
Televisors (didn't they have these in FG? I saw them in Don Winslow Serials so they may have been common currency in serials)
I don't know what I think of stratosleds. I liked the climb-through hole in the lower flange, though.
The do-everything,two-by-four shaped gun powered by inadequate supplies of Nitron was lame, I thought.(But that is a Zarkov invention, isn't it? So it doesn't belong on this list.)
But even less-than-satisfactory (to me) gear is still part of "the Flash Gordon Experience"
Perhaps others might list some of the devices that I have taken for granted or not even noticed.
Or perhaps that is a new thread.
Thank you. I'm grateful for this chance to babble to anyone(s) about my enjoyment of the FG Serials.
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Re: DVD Review of Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars ( 1938 ) -- Rick, 09:23:28 10/04/06 Wed [1]
What about the Incense of Forgetfullness?
Rick
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Re: DVD Review of Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars ( 1938 ) -- emperorofmongo, 09:55:16 10/04/06 Wed [1]
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great device in FGTTM.
I remember, as a child, feeling so betrayed by Dale, but conflicted because it was not her fault.
Thanks,Rick
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Re: DVD Review of Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars ( 1938 ) -- Traveler, 17:29:47 10/04/06 Wed [1]
I was surprized by the few inventions by Zarkov in this serial. He was prolific in the first one. You can see that each serial has its own style. None of them are similar. Dale changes dramatically. She actually takes some aggressive action, where she would have fainted in the first serial. But you finally see how insane Ming really is. And they never explain how he walks through raging fires. But I think they put that in there to show you Ming has powers that only he alone knows about.
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