The Fly - Lisa's Review

I'll start this review by saying, I'm not a fan of David Cronenberg.  I did mention this previously in my review of Videodrome.  I did also state that there were a couple of his movies that I loved.   The Fly is, in my humble opinion, the best thing he's ever done.

I hark back yet again to my late pre-teens and early teens and beloved family memories of Saturday nights sat around the toploader VHS with whatever gem my dad had picked up from the local video store.  We generally ended up watching a horror movie and I very vividly remember my mums discomfort and embarrassment at some aspects of nudity and sex scenes in this movie.  Having watched it again a few times since then, I can see it is not sexually graphic at all, but it was certainly enough to leave me red-faced and have my mum reach for the remote and the FFWD button back then.

So, the movie... I will make no bones about it.  I adore this movie.  I'm a massive Jeff Goldblum fan.  Not only is he a wonderfully talented actor with an imposing presence, but he is absolutely beautiful with a voice that makes my lady parts sing!  Although he became much more attractive in later years, he is definately appealing in The Fly.  As the movie starts Jeff plays Seth Brundle, a socially awkward but immensely intelligent scientist, with a nervous tension that only comes with being an eccentric scientist.  I've always found this kind of character oddly appealing and Jeff Goldblum plays it perfectly.

Early on in the movie, we discover that Seth has managed to successfully teleport inanimate objects from one pod to a second pod.  He hooks up with journalist Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis) and takes her back to his home / laboratory where he shows her his success to date.  The problems however start when he tries to graduate from teleporting inanimate objects to subjects that are alive.  After a disastrous attempt with a baboon, Seth manages to successfully transport a second baboon, but the subject 'seeming' to be ok is not enough for Seth.  Wishing to prove his work, he decides to become the subject to be teleported.  What he didn't plan for was a crafty fly sneaking into the pod before teleportation commenced.  The device fused Seth with the fly with disastrous results.

Inititially geeky scientist Seth is transformed into what Americans would call a jock!  He is teeming with testosterone, insatiable in the bedroom, capable of almost impossible gymnastic feats.  With that, comes an aggressive nature, illustrated in one scene where he challenges a man in a bar to an arm wrestle, the prize being a night with his opponents girlfriend.  He forgets how he feels about Veronica, casting her aside when she refuses to use the teleportation device.  Seth feels that if she does, they can be 'the dynamic duo' - never tiring and making love all night.  Her reluctance angers Seth, which leads to him trying to force her inside the device.

From this point, Seth is on his own and he slowly gets more and more fly-like.  The acting is fantastic.  Jeff IS a human fly, with uncanny mannerisms and movements.  However, he soon realises he is turning into a monster.  The percentage of the fused subject which was Seth is becoming less and less.

I won't go into the story any more than I have.  I probably have too much already to be fair, but I'd be surprised if anyone out there with an interest in horror movies and a horror blog wouldn't have seen The Fly.  Cronenbergs love of body horror is wonderfully indulged in this movie.  The special effects are amazing.  They hold up even today.  The various stages of Seth morphing into this creature are all stomach churning, yet the acting and script are so strong, that regardless of his appearance, you can't help but sympathise with what he is turning into.  I felt for him all the way through the movie (jock stage apart), but none so much as when the transformation is complete.

There is NOTHING negative about this movie.  Honestly!  Nothing.  Everything is perfect.  I can find no fault with it.  If you haven't seen it, go seek it out and watch it.  You most certainly won't regret it.  It is without hesitation that it gets a massive thumbs up from me.