Life After Flash Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray presentation of "Life After Flash" by MVD Visual and Cleopatra Entertainment delivers an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in a 1.90:1 aspect ratio, displaying an uneven visual quality. The documentary's heterogeneous appearance is noticeable, likely due to varying resolutions of captured interviews. Some segments exhibit digital sharpening, but generally, detail levels are solid with an accurate color palette maintained. Archival footage and film snippets frequently display inherent imperfections, such as tracking issues and ragged visuals, which detract from the overall clarity. Additionally, slight moiré patterns on certain interviewees' jackets can be seen intermittently, particularly during moments of movement.

The video quality fluctuates significantly due to the extended filming period and varied environments. At its best, the footage offers decent clarity but remains consistently soft. Details seldom stand out sharply, with recurring artifacts and noise becoming apparent in some interviews. Noise reduction attempts contribute to a flattened visual quality, exacerbating the inconsistency. Lighting conditions affect contrast and depth, particularly evident in outdoor scenes with clipped textures and indoor convention settings under harsh fluorescent lighting. Including clips from the Flash Gordon film utilizes the heavily DNR’d Universal master, further compromised by additional compression. There's an instance where the screen fades to black momentarily, suggesting potential missing text or content transitions.

Cleopatra's release of "Life After Flash" on Blu-ray presents an audio experience that falls short of expectations for a label renowned in the music industry. The disc features a lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 mix, which is generally sufficient for the documentary’s focus on interviews and talking head sequences. However, the potential for a more immersive audio experience, especially during segments featuring Queen’s iconic music, is not fully realized. The lack of a lossless audio track, such as DTS-HD Master Audio or Dolby TrueHD, is a noticeable omission that could have significantly enhanced the musical elements.

The Dolby Digital stereo track exhibits notable inconsistencies. While dialogue clarity and audibility are well-maintained during interview segments, this balance deteriorates when Queen’s score is introduced in the background, often overpowering the spoken words and creating a muddled mix. Additionally, certain interviews, such as one with an Italian poster designer, remain untranslated due to the absence of subtitles, posing a barrier for non-English speaking viewers. Overall, the audio presentation would benefit greatly from a more robust and consistent mix to fully engage the audience.

The extras included in the Blu-ray release of "Life After Flash" provide comprehensive behind-the-scenes insights and engaging content for fans and enthusiasts. Highlighted by professional production values, the supplements cover a broad range of topics from cast interviews to exclusive footage, enhancing the appreciation of the film. Featuring Brian Blessed's reflections on filming as Hawkman and Melody Anderson's improvisation techniques, the content is both informative and entertaining. Additional features include extended sequences, a captivating comic con segment, and a charming rap by Deep Roy. Sam J. Jones' contributions offer a deeper dive into his career and personal life, including a prayer walk and script reading session. Notably, all extras are presented in high-definition 1080p format.

Extras included in this disc:

• Brian Blessed on Hawkman Filming: Reflections on portraying Hawkman.
• Extended Comic Con Sequence: Extended scenes from Comic Con.
• Deep Roy Ambition Rap: A short, entertaining rap segment.
• Melody Anderson on Improvisation: Insights into Melody Anderson's acting techniques.
• Sam J Jones on His Move Into Acting: Sam J. Jones discusses his career shift.
• Tell Me More About This Man Houdini: Brief Houdini-related segment.
• Sam J Jones Prayer Walk In Full: Sam J. Jones' full prayer walk.
• Excerpt from Chattanooga Film Festival's SCRIPTS GONE WILD Script Read with Sam J Jones as Flash Gordon: Fun script read with Sam J. Jones.
• Official Trailer: The official film trailer.
• Slideshow: A gallery of still photographs.

"Life After Flash" is a multifaceted documentary primarily focused on the tumultuous journey of Sam J. Jones, the star of the cult classic "Flash Gordon." Opening as a heartfelt exposé on Jones' Hollywood travails, it navigates through his self-confessed ego issues and professional challenges, which were intensified by a major fallout with producer Dino De Laurentiis. While the film endeavors to unravel these complexities, it frequently meanders into offbeat tangents, including significant but occasionally distracting segments on Queen's involvement in the original soundtrack. The presence of Brian May playing the iconic piano riffs underscores the nostalgia but diverts from the core narrative.

The documentary remains engaging through its array of interviews with cast members and production personnel. Brian Blessed's lively recounts, Melody Anderson’s bittersweet reflections, and Teri Copley’s emotional recount of Jones’ struggles infuse authenticity into the narrative. However, despite touching on Jones' absences, management misadvice, and the consequential dubbing over his voice, there is a noticeable lack of in-depth exploration into the purported altercations with De Laurentiis. This missing context leaves viewers yearning for more clarity on the events that led Jones to step away from Hollywood during the film's crucial post-production phase.

Beyond just the titular character, the thematic center revolves around Hollywood's systemic challenges and how they impact budding stars. Stories of on-set fear and creative clashes weave a coherent tale paralleled with Jones' self-realization and eventual redemption. Notably, Jones' transition into running a security company and participating in Comic Cons showcases a resilient reinvention. Despite its occasional disjointed construct, "Life After Flash" captures a genuine emotional spectrum, depicted poignantly through Jones' personal tragedies and triumphs. For fans of "Flash Gordon," it remains an intriguing, albeit uneven, exploration of a film that left an indelible mark on pop culture.

"Life After Flash" presents an engaging retrospective on the making and enduring impact of the 1980 sci-fi classic "Flash Gordon." Directed by Lisa Downs, this Blu-ray offers rich insights into not only the film's production but also the personal journey of its lead actor, Sam Jones. The documentary features an array of interviews with key cast and crew members, delivering captivating firsthand accounts interwoven with commentary from notable fans, including the legendary Stan Lee.

However, while the detailed anecdotes and behind-the-scenes revelations provide significant value, the film occasionally lacks depth in exploring the more complex challenges and controversies surrounding Jones. This limitation may leave some viewers desiring a more comprehensive narrative. The video quality is generally decent, showcasing clean and stable visuals despite occasional inconsistencies. The audio, however, is a mixed bag with its lossy format, which might disappoint audiophiles and those with high expectations for aural clarity.

I wish "Life After Flash" had been a bit more thorough in its discussion of issues Jones faced (or perhaps created), but that said, there are a ton of really great interviews in this piece, including with many members of the principal cast and crew, as well as a number of notable fans (including Stan Lee, amazingly enough). Fans of "Flash Gordon" will probably want to check this out one way or the other, but even those who can't stand that particular film may find this a rather touching account of one man's quest for his own redemption. Video is decent if occasionally problematic, but the lossy audio may prove to be more of a disappointment for those considering a purchase. With caveats noted, Recommended.