When he acquires a different kind of show for his station, a sleazy cable-TV programmer begins to see his life and the future of media spin out of control in a terrifying new reality.
The almost-human son of "Brundlefly" searches for a cure to his mutated genes while being monitored by a nefarious corporation that wishes to continue his father's experiments.
Carrie White, a shy, friendless teenage girl who is sheltered by her domineering, religious mother, unleashes her telekinetic powers after being humiliated by her classmates at her senior prom.
Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum), a brilliant but eccentric scientist attempts to woo investigative journalist Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis) by offering her a scoop on his latest research in the field of matter transportation, which against all the expectations of the scientific establishment have proved successful. Up to a point. Brundle thinks he has ironed out the last problem when he successfully transports a living creature, but when he attempts to teleport himself a fly enters one of the transmission booths, and Brundle finds he is a changed man. This Science-Gone-Mad film is the source of the quotable quote "Be afraid. Be very afraid."Written by
Mark Thompson <mrt@oasis.icl.co.uk>
This film recycles the line "Help me," said by the main character in both versions. Famously, stars Vincent Price and Herbert Marshall required several takes to film the scene with that dialogue in the original, because they could not stop laughing. In the remake the context of the line is completely serious and not comedic at all. See more »
Goofs
When Seth and Veronica are eating burgers in the restaurant, a man holding a tray can be seen walking past them. A few moments later the same man is seen walking past again. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Seth Brundle:
What am I working on? Uhh... I'm working on something that will change the world, and human life as we know it.
See more »
Crazy Credits
The background for the opening titles consists of an optically distorted, swirling mass of colors, which gradually transform into the opening shot of the film. This is a representation of how biologists believe a fly's vision would appear to a human. See more »
Alternate Versions
A scene where Veronica interviews Brundle about his teleportation (the interview comes after his superhuman exercise sequence) was filmed, but deleted from the final cut. However, an edited version of this scene appears in form of the first videotape of Brundle in The Fly II (1989). See more »
Scientist Seth Brundle has created a matter transporter to create a sort of teleporting system. During tests he finds it turns his monkeys inside out and kills them, until he gets it to work. He immediately tests it on himself and everything appears to work well. However he soon finds himself going through a series of changes, much to the concern of his girlfriend Ronnie, that see him becoming fitter and stronger. However it isn't long the changes become more concerning and it is clear that he is changing beyond his control and beyond recognition.
Cronenberg is famous for his body horror and here is no exception. The remake of The Fly loses a lot of his usual social comment etc but still leaves him open to do a great horror that has some intelligent touches. The story is very much a horror but Cronenberg has got rid of the concept of swapping a fly head for a human head and replaced it with the horror coming from within. This allows him to feel more comfortable with his subject matter rather than it being silly. The transformation gets more intense towards the end as his whole body begins to become a fly but the early parts allow tension to be built up.
When the gore comes it is typical Cronenberg. It isn't gore for comedy's sake it is quite shocking and very gory. The real gore is kept for 2 or 3 key moments and is all the more shocking for the restrained nature of it's use up till then. The end itself shows that it isn't just an out and out horror and that it does have a heart and a head to match it's strong stomach.
Goldblum is good. Unfortunately he has come to be type cast as the excitable, Jewish scientist with a distinct speaking manner (try Jurassic Park 1 & 2, Cats and Dogs etc). However here it doesn't annoy too much. Davis is also very good and was going into a good run of hits (unlike now!) at the time. She plays the horror of her situation very well.
Overall The Fly is a very good remake. It is a horror film that is actually chilling as well as gory Cronenberg's fascination with body horror and the nature of ourselves is toned down but is still enough in evidence to add something.
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Scientist Seth Brundle has created a matter transporter to create a sort of teleporting system. During tests he finds it turns his monkeys inside out and kills them, until he gets it to work. He immediately tests it on himself and everything appears to work well. However he soon finds himself going through a series of changes, much to the concern of his girlfriend Ronnie, that see him becoming fitter and stronger. However it isn't long the changes become more concerning and it is clear that he is changing beyond his control and beyond recognition.
Cronenberg is famous for his body horror and here is no exception. The remake of The Fly loses a lot of his usual social comment etc but still leaves him open to do a great horror that has some intelligent touches. The story is very much a horror but Cronenberg has got rid of the concept of swapping a fly head for a human head and replaced it with the horror coming from within. This allows him to feel more comfortable with his subject matter rather than it being silly. The transformation gets more intense towards the end as his whole body begins to become a fly but the early parts allow tension to be built up.
When the gore comes it is typical Cronenberg. It isn't gore for comedy's sake it is quite shocking and very gory. The real gore is kept for 2 or 3 key moments and is all the more shocking for the restrained nature of it's use up till then. The end itself shows that it isn't just an out and out horror and that it does have a heart and a head to match it's strong stomach.
Goldblum is good. Unfortunately he has come to be type cast as the excitable, Jewish scientist with a distinct speaking manner (try Jurassic Park 1 & 2, Cats and Dogs etc). However here it doesn't annoy too much. Davis is also very good and was going into a good run of hits (unlike now!) at the time. She plays the horror of her situation very well.
Overall The Fly is a very good remake. It is a horror film that is actually chilling as well as gory Cronenberg's fascination with body horror and the nature of ourselves is toned down but is still enough in evidence to add something.