UNIT 1 MOVIES REVIEW- The Fly 1986

THE FLY 1989, Dir. David Cronenberg 

I remember watching this film when I was a little kid and it was one of the first horror movies I have ever seen. My eyes were open the whole time without flinching (except all the erotic scenes- mom’s order). I was probably too young to be scared and absolutely believed everything happened in the movie was all real. Because it was such an epic movie that nearly 15 years later, I still can remember I watched it, and this time I can come up with a review.

The movie is a remake of the original version made in 1958 by Director Neumann, so the plot can’t go far from that. There is one genius scientist supposed to get his Nobel Prize by inventing a transport machine that would help mankind overcome distances, a gorgeous journalist in love with him, and, well, a fly. I would not want to say much about the plot here like the previous review about the original Fly, because in my point of view, the revolution of the Remake comes from its special effects: The transformation. As I mention I believed absolutely what my eyes could see in the movie 15 years ago, one of it is because I was a kid, yes, the other is the awesome-realistic effects of the transformation. It was amazing how the man changes his human shape everyday- eventually into a human-fly. First it was his strength ( I wanted to snap my opponent’s wrist when arm wrestling just like him, once), Then it was his temper- he becomes arrogant, hot-head and selfish- then finally, his changes in appearance kick-in. The way Cronenberg makes the scientist’s human parts such as teeth, finger nails, ears etc- which excessive to a fly- get rotten and fall off, are so grossly realistic. He successfully makes us understand how the man’s internal organs are changing so dramatically just by the way outer appearance changes. It affects me a lot I have to admit that I think it is the most realistic transformation I have ever seen. Comparing to the plastic fly head the original scientist wears three decades ago to the wobbling human-fly at the end of the Remake, it is indeed one big leap.