Who'd have thought university would be so time-consuming!
Who'd have thought university would be so time-consuming!
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Those of a younger age may remember the Goosebumps book: Why I'm Afraid Of Bees, which told of a boy who gets stuck in the body of a bee after an experiment goes wrong. If, like me, you thought that was scary, you should meet its bigger, nastier brother: David Cronenberg's 1986 Sci-Fi / Horror classic, The Fly.
Jeff Goldblum plays the scientist Seth Brundle, who, along with a pretty funky 80s hairdo, has a teleport machine which could render conventional transport a thing of the past. At a science party (now there's an oxymoron for you) he meets Veronica Quaife, a pretty journalist played by Geena Davis (oh no - her from CutThroat Island!). He takes her back to his laboratory / apartment to show her his huge… telepod, and they come to an agreement whereby Veronica will make a book about his life's work. And they have sex, naturally.
The only trouble is - his machine doesn't work too well on living organisms, as shown by a pretty bloody mix-up with a baboon. Veronica's editor at her newspaper (played by John Getz), who also happens to be her ex-boyfriend, is sceptical about the whole thing, and is getting jealous about her spending the night with the mad scientist.
After a bit of tweaking, Seth manages to get a baboon successfully transferred from one side of the room to other, and without waiting for Veronica's or anyone's
approval, goes ahead and tests it on himself. He makes it across alive, and at first feels that the experience has only made him stronger - literally. He can now perform amazing acrobatics and his <cough> stamina is, well - incredible.
But what are the coarse hairs growing on his back? Why does he have an insatiable appetite for sugar, and why is his face turning bumpy? What Seth failed to notice as he locked himself into the telepod was that he had company - a fly had made its way in, and the confused computer cleverly decided to fuse the DNA of the two species into one - the "Brundlefly". Pretty soon worse changes start happening to him than a few hairs on his back…
I'd class The Fly as a Sci-Fi more than a horror because personally, I didn't find it that scary, although it does have elements of both genres. What it lacks in scares though it certainly makes up for in gruesome shocks, and I can honestly say this is the second most disgusting film I've ever seen (after Sam Raimi's Evil Dead).
The film gets into the plot straight away, which I liked, and there was one fairly early moment of extreme gore which set the tone for the rest of the film. However, once Seth had teleported himself, I was surprised at the way director David Cronenberg handled the film.
I'd expected the metamorphosis to happen near the start, for the scientist to change instantly, and for him to go on a murderous rampage, killing all in his path. But no - the pacing of the film was quite laid back, and there wasn't really much action in the middle part of the film. That's not a criticism, since the main focus of the movie is understandably on Seth, and his gradual shift into insect life.
His change happens over a period of a few weeks, so each time he comes on screen his face looks a little bit worse, until eventually he's unrecognisable. The Oscar-winning make up effects are brilliant - they must have been eye-popping and jaw-dropping at the time, and twenty years on, they still look somewhat realistic and extremely shocking. Well, as realistic as you could hope for a man turning into a six-foot fly.
I won't spoil it by telling you what happens towards the end, but needless to say his condition worsens, and the effects in the last fifteen minutes are bloody, horrific and absolutely fantastic! The Fly is definitely not one to show to your kids or one to watch if you've a weak stomach. The creature itself and the related effects were designed by Chris Walas, who went on to make the sequel (that was called The Fly 2…), and the film is based on the original story by George Langelaan.
In fact, this film is itself a remake of a 1956 horror movie of the same name, but unlike most awful remakes, this version is rather better than the original. While we're on the subject, I regret to inform you that the Hollywood Remake Machine has rolled its way to this, and there's a remake currently being made. I'll be holding my breath.
The acting in this film is very good - praise has to be lavished upon Jeff Goldblum for his representation of a man slipping into physical deformity and mental anguish. Up until the very last, poignant scene - that's right, the ending has an unexpected emotional resonance - you really feel like there's a human being under there, despite the fact he's an insect.
As for Geena Davis; I should probably let my detest of CutThroat Island slide (on second thoughts…) since she's proved time and time again that she's a great actress. In The Fly she's no exception. Her role as loving partner didn't force her to do anything exceptional, but she is convincing and at times humorous and emotional, and is always a pleasure to behold. Other notable performances come from the fly, acquitting itself well in a non-speaking part, and John Getz, as the only other proper human character.
I think that's about all there is to say - I don't recall the soundtrack, so it obviously can't have been too notable… even if there was an amazing score, it would have to play second fiddle to the main draw of The Fly: the outstanding effects. You'll gasp, you'll shriek, you might even throw up. But you can't deny that this was probably a landmark of the genre (I wouldn't know: before my time) and it still holds up today, which is no mean feat.
Oh, and it coined the phrase "Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid". Which is a claim to fame in itself… ____________________________________________
The Fly is available to buy on a staggering 7-disc Ultimate Collector's Edition, which will set you back £54.99 from www.play.com. Or, if you have a more modest budget you can buy the standard edition for £4.95, from www.dvd.co.uk. Or you can buy the double pack of The Fly 1 and 2 for 14.99 from www.play.com. The choices are endless...
Directed By: David Cronenberg
Starring:
Jeff Goldblum … Seth Brundle Geena Davis … Veronica Quaife John Getz … Stathis Borans The Fly … Himself
Production Year: 2004 - Science Fiction - Director: Alex Proyas - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Will Smith, Bridget Moynahan, Bruce Greenwood, James Cromwell, Chi McBride, Alan Tudyk
Production Year: 2007 - Science Fiction - Director: Francis Lawrence - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Dash Mihok, Will Smith, Salli Richardson, Willow Smith
This frightening, but extremely moving and romantic horror film stars Jeff Goldblum as an ... more
over-ambitious scientist who accidentally merges with a housefly while conducting a bizarre teleporting experiment. A journalist (Geena Davis) who has fallen in l...
Be afraid. Be very afraid... This frightening but extremely moving and romantic horror ... more
film stars Jeff Goldblum as an over-ambitious scientist who accidentally merges with a housefly while conducting a bizarre teleporting experiment. A journalist (Ge...
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![The Fly [1986] [DVD]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78517552.jpg "The Fly [1986] [DVD]")
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