Produced by Brooksfilms and distributed by Fox, the film stars Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis and John Getz.
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Theatrical release poster
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Loosely based on George Langelaan’s 1957 short story of the same name and the 1958 film of the same name, The Fly tells of an eccentric scientist who, after one of his experiments goes wrong, slowly turns into a fly-hybrid creature.
Grade: A- (**** out of *****)
Cronenberg brings together everything that makes for a great, personal horror film.
It’s by turns provocative, paranoid, sexy, gross, terrifying and tragic, anchored by Jeff Goldblum at his obsessively nerdy best.
Geena Davis, then unknown, excelled as an inquisitive journalist compromised simultaneously by the excitement of a revolutionary scientific breakthrough and her palpable love for its creator.
The tale’s depiction of the science of teleportation felt so convincing that it launched a million what-if conversations, the biggest of which was whether an actor (or actors) in a horror film were worthy of awards recognition.
Decades later, Seth Brundle’s ambition and hubris continues to read appropriately like the cautionary tale it was meant to be.
It’s amplified by some truly great performances and gore gags.
The brilliant score was composed by Howard Shore and the make-up effects were created by Chris Wallace, along with makeup artist Stephan Dupuis.
Released on August 15, 1986, to positive reviews, The Fly earned $60.6 million at the box office, becoming a commercial success, considering its moderate budget of about $15 million.
My Oscar Book:
Oscar Context:
Walas and Dupuis’ work earned them the Oscar for Best Makeup.
The film’s tagline, “Be afraid. Be very afraid,” has been used in other productions.
A sequel, directed by Walas, which was released in 1989, is in every way inferior.
Credits:
Screenplay by Charles Edward Pogue, Cronenberg
