crystallogic I've not yet read the short story on which both are based, but the majority of people seem to find this a better film than the 1958 version with Vincent Price in the role of the "interloper". I really like Cronenberg as a filmmaker (most of the time) and I certainly see how his version of the story was more challenging from a technical standpoint, but I don't necessarily agree that it's a better film all the same. The original had a quiet, sad psychological feel and told its story in an extremely economical way. It's what I'd call a very "tight" film and I really enjoyed Price as a nicer fellow and friend trying to figure out, along with the scientist's wife, what the hell was going on. Still, Cronenberg's adaptation is very good and I enjoyed the different emphasis; the way he took notions from the original tale and really made it his own, with the usual Cronenberg emphasis on very bad things happening to the human body.This movie is much more a study of Seth Brundle's character, too. We spend over half the film getting to know him and what he is up to, before his unfortunate accident with a pest and a teleportation machine. He's ably played by jeff Goldblum, whose physicality is very impressive in this demanding role, though I found the actor a little prone to mumbling his dialogue at times. Still, he is supposed to be a socially awkward fellow, so I guess it fits well. The relationship with Gina Davis's reporter character is very effective, and I liked her strong character from teh outset. Unfortunately she does somewhat degenerate and fall to pieces as the story progresses, but I can't really blame her. In contrast to Vincent Price's "nice guy" portrayal in the 1958 film, the "interloper", or I should say, the third part of the triangle, Veronica's newspaper editor, is a loathsome and despicable person who seems to finally do the right things despite himself. My girlfriend and I spent most of the film wishing he would get killed, and I'm sure Cronenberg made him so sleazy and nasty on purpose. It was frustrating and heartbreaking that Veronica kept returning to him and letting him back into her life, but again, I can't really blame her. In a way, too, it illustrates that even in the "enlightened" time this movie was made, a woman's value in work and life was often extremely underappreciated and a lot of very bad sexual politics sometimes took place. This still happens today, but I'm not sure a guy like Stathis would be able to get away with acting like this toward his female colleagues on any major newspaper, even if he were the editor.Anyway, you can see right off why Veronica and Seth value each others' company. He treats her well and is kind and passionate toward her, while she gives him a sympathetic ear and not only has a passion for his body but also the work he is doing, which sets her afire with dreams of fame and glory. Admittedly it's not nice to see her going back to Stathis and basically insisting that she's using Seth, but in Seth's company we see a rather different side to her. Her horror and revolusion by the end of the movie is really sad to see. Unfortunately it also leads to the one moment in this movie that I thought was ridiculous: the aborted um, abortion scene, with the rather transformed Seth bursting through the window and abducting Veronica. Now who in hell has a window like that in an operating room anyway? I'm not squeamish as such, but the entire abortion scene seemed a bit superfluous and maybe just an excuse for Cronenberg to play out some of his gynecological horror fetish, which of course reached its apex in Deadringers (released a couple of years later). I think the dream sequence was sufficient and horrible enough as it was, and anyway, you could argue that the "aborted abortion" scene became the excuse to release this movie's non-Cronenberg-directed bad copycat sequel.Make no mistake though, this film is considered an 80s classic for a reason. I may not rate it as highly as some and I certainly don't think it's as good as some of Cronberg's other, weirder films, but it's still better than some of what he's done lately (the "mature" A History of Violence being possibly his worst film to date) and it's still quite an experience. The horror of the situation really creeps up on you and the first half of the movie includes a lot of sweet scenes that almost lull the viewer into a false sense of security. There's a nice little tribute to the 1958 film near the end and the whole thing becomes gross and revolting in that 70s/80s Cronenberg way you'll either love or hate depending on your personality. I dig it quite a bit; it's one of his very personal touches you can almost always count upon. My only other criticism is that I find the music to be a little dull and too bombastic/mainstream Hollywood, although there were some nice "sad" motifs. I think a sparser, perhaps more electronic-infused score would have suited this thing well. But it's ok! Good film and a must for 80s body horror fans.

Eric Stevenson This is a great horror movie but it's probably not for the faint of heart. The real scene stealer here is probably the practical effects. As insane as this movie gets, I really do feel for the characters involved. I had sadly already seen the ending so I knew how it ended, but I watched it again because it's the best part of the movie. This is probably Jeff Goldblum's best film. I like it even more than "Jurassic Park".My only complaint is that I wish it was longer. I feel like they could have shown us more of Goldblum going insane. The music is great and it's full of moments to make you jump out of your seat. I think most people probably already know the plot. It's about a scientist who uses a teleportation device not knowing a fly was with him, causing his DNA to merge and turn into a giant fly. They say the original film from the 1950's was scary for its time and those who were frightened by that certainly don't want to watch this. ***1/2

Screen_Blitz David Cronenberg boasts a few top-notch tricks under his sleeve to pull off a reimagining of the 1958 original of the same name. For a director with an appealing pastiche of gruesome practical effects and ringing in an effectively grim atmosphere, Cronenberg crafts an astonishing rendition of a man who's human identity is slowly faded away by a scientific experiment gone horribly wrong. The Fly is not your standard horror picture boiled with vicious desires tingle with audiences' stomach with over-the-top gore and repulsiveness, it is one that carries a surprisingly gripping edge and journeys into an emotional territory that most horrors films hesitate to venture in. As disturbing and grotesque as it can get, it rarely pokes you with the feeling that Cronenberg believes that can filling the screen with stomach-turning gore is the only tool to leave you squirming in your seats. Of course, that is not to say it is a good idea to have lunch before sitting through this. This film places its focuses on eccentric scientist Seth Brundle (played by Jeff Goldblum) who hopes to revolutionize technology of his new teleportation machine, which he uses to grab the attention of a cute journalist Vanessa (played by Geena Davis). Determined to take his research one step further, Seth conducts an experiment where he steps into one of teleportation pods, unaware that a house fly has managed sneak into the other. Coming out the pod, Seth experiences bizarre and unsettling changes to his body as the fusion between him and the fly causes him to slowly morph into a hideous human-fly hybrid creature. David Cronenberg embraces his trademark grandeur of gruesome practical effects reminiscent to his previous works, and combines it with sharp precision of storytelling to conduct a brutally bleak horror tale that works in the fashion of a gripping human tragedy. Lead character Seth Brundle has met the love of his life and hopes to impress her with his outlandish research, but all goes wrong when a simple task leaves his man peeling away from the very identity that defines him. And if you think there is no room for an emotional human touch, think again, because Cronenberg places it at the heart of this bodily transformation plot. The story progresses with a menacing tone as the lead character watches as his body steadily deforms into a hideous figure complete with gritty-looking make-up and prosthetics while losing his limbs including his ears, and a sense of dread crowds the atmosphere as Seth sees his relationship with Vanessa deteriorating at the hands of his ugly bodily transformation that makes the Toxic Avenger look like a snuggle doll. And that is just part of how Cronenberg effectively breaths humanity into both Seth and Vanessa. It is an effective alternative element to the more common route of the monstrous villain hunting down victims and picking them of one by one. And this picture would not have worked as strongly without the performance by Jeff Goldblum who poses a convincing a normal human man morphing into less and less of a human. As for Geena Davis, there is no problem with giving her credit.The Fly is a gripping science-fiction horror picture bound with an astonishing human touch that renders the film drifting from your average horror movie conventions. Thanks to David Cronenberg, it works in more ways than what one might expect from an 80s gorefest. One thing is for sure though, it is definitely not for the faint of heart.

kartiknnagar The Fly rests its excellence on two pillars : a great performance by Jeff Goldblum and stunning visual effects. The plot is a fairly straight-forward one of a scientific experiment gone terribly wrong, with a very slow reveal of the horrifying consequences. There is very quick ramp-up of the disturbing factor though, so much so that I was almost ready to close my eyes before the very disturbing final scene. While the plot is a bit clichéd, the characters have very distinct personalities and are far from clichéd. All the three main actors give very good performances, aided by a clever script, but Jeff Goldblum's performance is particularly noteworthy as the eccentric scientist. It is notable that during his character's slow transformation into the fly, we see glimpses of fly-like behavior when he is still a normal human being, and then glimpses of the eccentric scientist even when he turns into a full-fledged monster. The special effects are very good (and gory), and there are some horrifying scenes which appear very realistic.