FOR MANY MOVIE BUFFS, SPACE FANTASY BEGINS AND ENDS IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY. STAR WARS DOES, HOWEVER, HAVE AN OLDER RIVAL: WEIRDER, SEXIER, AND with a film adaptation that – as directors Edgar Wright and Robert Rodriguez will attest, among many others – is once seen, never forgotten. 1980’s Flash Gordon is a cult classic, its regular Christmas appearances on UK TV screens eagerly awaited by devotees of all ages. Overlooked for many years, especially in the US, this wonderful film is the subject of a new documentary, Life After Flash, which charts both its fascinating history and the life of its star, Sam J Jones.
Long before Luke, Leia and Han did battle against the dark forces of the Empire, their creator George Lucas had planned to…