The Fly [Blu-ray]

I wasn't expecting much from `The Fly'. I actually thought that it looked rather corny, and I loathe the actor that is Jeff Goldblum almost all of the time so it was really a stroke I luck that I decided to even give this movie a try. My friends were all talking about it one day and I felt left out, beings that I was the only one of us who had yet to see it and so I rented it and watched it and, get this, loved it.

The film centers around brilliant scientist Seth Brundle, a man on the verge of greatness. He invites journalist Veronica `Ronnie' Quaife back to his place to see the glorious invention he has been working on, and once she witnesses its potential she becomes absorbed in Brundle's life. Brundle has created a device that can transport matter from one pod to another. The machine is not able to handle living matter yet, but that is a bug Brundle is working out. When Brundle finally does decide to test his machine on himself he finds that the results are much more than he expected.

Cronenberg brilliantly crafts `The Fly' into a top notch horror film, a film that is as scary as it is dreadful; as gory as it is detestable, but it also has a beating heart, and that is not something a lot of films of this nature possess. As Seth transforms into the dreadful Brundlefly we see his mental capabilities leaving him, and as he turns into something dangerous to the ones he loves (namely Ronnie) we can see genuine humanity in his fight to save her (and eventually himself). There are moments towards the end of the film that recalled `King Kong' to me, watching Ronnie crumble as her beloved is destroyed before her eyes.

One thing I noticed that I thought was really interesting was the fact that in the opening scenes, where Seth is showing Ronnie his work, their eyes are glossed over and practically bulging from their skulls. They truly appear to be `buglike' and I really think this small detail adds layers to the films depth of character.

So that brings me to the acting.

Like I mentioned on the outset, I generally loathe Goldblum. He is usually a very annoying actor in my eyes. Here though he is spot on perfection. This was truly the perfect role for him. Every one of his usual mannered ticks are in full form here, but they work beautifully. I truly can't see anyone else playing Seth. Geena Davis is also wonderful here. I actually love her as an actress and think that she has continued to deliver film after film. As Ronnie she brings a true raw emotional connection to the film. Without her dedication to her performance the films moral would have went unnoticed, but her believability as Seth deteriorates before her is really what solidifies this films greatness.

So, in the end, `The Fly' is truly one of Cronenberg's finest films, it may even be his best (I openly admit to not having seen all of his work, but of what I have seen I think this, along with `A History of Violence' is my favorite). `The Fly' is truly a brillaint horror film, but even more than that it is a brilliant film; period. Cronenberg has a way of getting under our skin and festering, and `The Fly' is no exception to that talent.

i just seen the fly for the first time on tv yesterday. nothing was on so decided to give this a shot. i am so glad that i did. only seen a few of jeff goldblums movies (jurassic park 1-3, independance day) and also only seen a few of geena davis's flicks (a league of there own, beetlejuice, speechless). man i am glad i seen this movie. grossed me out in a few parts. loved the special effects. the actors were really great in this film. very rare that a remake surpasses the original. i will def. add this one to my collection.

The remake of The Fly is in my opinion a true classic, I first saw it many years ago and the memory still lingers, I love the acting, Geoff Goldblum and Geena Davis have never been better. Everything about this film is brilliant, the direction by Cronenberg, the score and the make up effects, no CGI back then just proper physical effects which movies so need to return to. 10 out of 10.

As far as horror and science fiction movies go, Cronenberg's 1986 version of The Fly is hands down one of the best ever made. The blending of a great storyline, great acting, and mind blowing special effects rarely ties in as seamlessly as it does here. Not to mention the film manages to be equally funny, sad, and disgusting all in the course of 90 minutes.

The movie wastes no time as we are quickly introduced to Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) pitching his latest invention to journalist Veronica (Geena Davis) at a convention. He convinces the skeptical Ronnie to come along to his laboratory where he proceeds to give her a demonstration of his invention that will change the world as we know it, the telepods, which enable teleportation. When she decides to write a magazine article on his unfinished masterpiece, Seth urges her instead to work with him and chronicle his work in a book that will launch her to fame as well. She agrees and the two begin living together and form a relationship much to the dislike of Veronica's ex (John Getz).

As Seth's work progresses, he finally hits it big when he successfully teleports a living creature, and as he becomes more self-assured he even runs the procedure on himself. Unfortunately, Seth was unaware that a fly was in the telepod along with him, thus fusing his genes with that of the fly. At first he finds himself with incredible newfound speed, strength, and agility and convinces himself that the procedure somehow enhanced him. But as he begins deteriorating mentally and physically, we witness the slow and horrible degradation of a person becoming something more insect than man.

Really there's nothing I can say about this movie that hasn't already been said. Jeff Goldblum's performance as Seth Brundle is absolutely top notch, as is Geena Davis and John Getz's in their respective roles. The special effects are legendary, and to this day remain some of the grossest and most convincing ever made courtesy of Chris Walas. I would even go as far as to say this movie is among David Cronenberg's best work. All in all if you want a smart, entertaining, and truly effective horror film, it doesn't get much better than The Fly. This is one to see at all costs!

A scientist on the verge of a technical breakthrough, is stymied by his failure to understand the body in other than intellectual terms. His affair with the reporter who enters his life to document his discoveries awakens him to the power of the flesh -- but the flesh is nothing if not unpredictable and irrational and a "fly in the ointment" changes the outcome of a pivotal experiment, leading to disastrous concequences. The Fly represents a perfect blend of Cronenberg's b-horror sensibility and his obsession with the overlap between man and machine, flesh and technology. It takes what might have been a fairly campy remake of a fairly campy horror film and elevates it to a whole new level, giving it an intriguing science fiction premise and a horrific conclusion. Jeff Goldblum gives a brilliant performance, among his best, as a cerebral scientist who is gradually overcome by the flesh in the form of libidinal urges. The special effects are just right -- not enough to overwhelm the story, but sufficiently convincing to horrify. I saw this with a large group very recently, many of whom had never seen it before, and there were uncomfortable laughs and gasps in all the right places. What is even better, as we talked about the film afterwards there was a lot to say. The Fly is right up there with Alien and Blade Runner and Total Recall and the Thing as one of the very best genre films of the 1980s (or of any decade for that matter -- I can't think of anything in the 90s, except for the Matrix, and maybe Pan's Labyrinth in this decade, that matches these in terms of the combination of both thrills and intellectual excitement).