Die Fliege

The Fly (1986)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Reporter Veronica Quaife (Genna Davis) goes back to the lab of scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) who claims to be working on something that will change human kind. Back at his lab she discovers that he's working on a transportation device so she begins to record his progress but when he tries it on himself the results are disastrous.

It's funny how movies can strike you differently at different times of your life. I was only six when this came out and I first viewed it at some point on VHS when I was around ten or so and I really didn't care for it. Yes, I loved the gore but overall I just thought the film was boring. I tried it again as a teenager and felt the same. However, viewing it as an adult for the first time in well over a decade, I couldn't help but really see deep into its tragic story and come away with a completely different opinion.

David Cronenberg's remake of the 1958 classic takes its simple idea and turns it into a true tragedy mixed with romance, outlandish special effects and some graphic content that will certainly shake weaker viewers. Through in a pretty intelligent script and three great performances and you're left with a science-fiction film that manages to work on all levels. The most surprising thing is how smart the picture actually is when you look at what other types of films were out at this time.

The screenplay manages to treat the science material with respect and it never dumbs down the material. The romance between the two lead characters work extremely well and especially when the scientist begins to go through his transformation. You really do care for both characters so you want to see him save while at the same time you can connect with the reporter's heartache of seeing him turn into the title character. Vincent Price, an actor in the 1958 film, said he enjoyed this version of the movie but felt Goldblum turned into a mutant more than a fly. That's perhaps true to a point but there's no question that these are some of the best special effects of the decade. The make- up work on Goldblum's body at the start is simply stunning and very much believable. Once his body starts to fall apart the effects just keep getting better and better. They're certainly stomach-turning at times but the work is exceptional.

Finally, there are the performances by Goldblum and Davis. Both are extremely good but there's no question that Goldblum deserves so much credit for being able to pull off the various temper moods of the character. He certainly makes you believe that he's this genius scientist and once he begins to fall apart, well, you can believe that as well.

THE FLY is certainly one of the better horror films of the decade. It's smart, scary, sad and best of all is that it's made for adults.

During the 1980s, horror was rising, with Friday the 13th started the decade with a bang, with sequels, parodies, and ripoffs in its path. Halloween would have a sequel and many more, and Freddy Krueger started a long running franchise by Wes Craven. What the critics really loved was the remakes of horror movies lured to younger audiences who never saw the originals. John Carpenter's The Thing, while it underperformed at the box office, became a favorite on home video and a cult classic. In 1986, director David Cronenberg, who made heads explode in Scanners and made video horror with Videodrome and changed political horror in the film version of The Dead Zone, would take great risks remaking a 1950s b movie classic, The Fly, by casting Jeff Goldblum as the main character and Geena Davis as his love. Coming out the same year as Aliens and produced by Mel Brooks, The Fly became Cron's highest grossing movie ever and spawned a sequel which didn't do well but became a cult classic in its own right and there are talks of another remake, this time with CGI and a bigger budget. Catch it while its on tv and you'll like the practical effects of the movie as well as the memorable music by Howard Shore. Be afraid, be very afraid...

Most science fiction films are big on ideas and special effects, but weak on coherence and character development; most horror films are just the same, except without the ideas. But David Cronenberg's 'The Fly' takes one simple idea, develops it properly, and eschews (its genuinely terrifying) special effects until its truly horrific climax. And by paying some attention to the personalities of its protagonists, it actually makes you care about them (Jeff Goldblum is excellent in the lead role), and adds a level of serious reflection on the very nature of human mortality to the raw shock. The mix amounts to a gruesomely good film.

David Cronenberg redefined what we think of as creepy with this brilliant film. The makeup special effects and grossouts are top notch, but what is most surprising about The Fly is that it turns out to be a very well acted and emotional love story. It greatly surpasses the original '58 version.

The film focuses on the relationship between Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis at the top and once it takes its turn towards horror it really pays off. It's not just scary, it's a tragedy too. Jeff Goldblum is phenomenal. He is mesmerizing as he delivers great dialogue and once he's barely recognizable he still breaks through the makeup and you can feel the human inside. I can't believe he didn't get an Oscar for this, it's easily his best performance.

I can't express how much I love The Fly. It's more than just horror, and it's proof that you just may find a truly great movie where you least expect it.

My rating: 10/10

Why is it this film that will always be his REAL 'breakout', and not any of the others before or since? The truth is, beneath all the biological yucks and makeup (there is plenty of both) lies a strong emotional core. Goldblum is enthusiastically likable as scientist Seth Brundle, and Geena Davis is just how Geena Davis seems to be in real life... sweet. It is how the events change both characters EMOTIONALLY, not physically, that inspires the true horror.

The blending of both the above elements makes this remake appeal simultaneously to the 'gross out' crowd, and those in the mood for a more cerebral horror experience. A concept of B-movie stature, electrified by the skills of A-list talent.