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The Fly (1958)/Return of the Fly (1959)

The Fly (1958)/Return of the Fly (1959)

List Price: $14.98
Your Price: $13.48
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Beware this sequel to the classic original--it needs help...
Review: "The Return of the Fly" attempts to duplicate the success of the original science fiction/horror classic but pretty much trying to duplicate the original plot line. However, instead of achieving horror the end result this time around is completely laughable. Philippe Delambre (Brett Halsey), the son of the original "fly" Andre Delambre, grows to continue his father's teleportation experiments. Once again Francois Delambre (Vincent Price) helps Philippe as he did the boy's father. And, once again, a Delambre trades his head and an arm with a fly. Price, whose performance in the original was wonderfully understated, goes back to overacting and when the fly starts running around the countryside it is impossible not to start laughing so hard you are in danger of choking on your popcorn. Go watch David Cronenberg's remake, where he tells how this story would have "really" happened, instead of "The Return of the Fly." Watching this sequel will only leave a bad taste in your mouth.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: BZZZzzzzzzzzzz...
Review: "The Fly" is a well made / known sci-fi classic. Andre (David Hedison) is a scientist, working on a contraption that disintegrates solid matter, sending it to another location to be re-integrated. Andre wants to develop it for the good of mankind, but that would make for one dull movie! Instead, he accidentally enters the disintegration chamber with an undetected fly. The two become fused into one being. Andre ends up with a fly head and claw. The fly gets Andre's head and upper body. Andre's wife is tested to the depths of her love for her now hideous husband. A frantic search for the tiny fly ensues (maybe they could de-fuse them??) with tragic results. Vincent Price is excellent as Andre's brother. Yes, it's true that "Return Of The Fly" is nowhere near as good as it's predocessor. However, I like having them both together anyway. Andre's son Phillipe is all grown up and decides to continue his father's work. He enlists the help of a guy who turns out to be a sociopathic criminal, bent on stealing the invention and selling it to an accomplice. After killing a nosey cop (by turning him into a guinea pig man), he knocks Phillipe out and puts him in the disintegration cabinet with a suspiciously handy fly. The rest of the film is a revenge story. I like the crooks and the way Phillipe avenges their treachery. A great double feature! Pop some corn, pour the beverages, and check the house for those pesky insects...

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Beware this sequel to the classic original--it needs help...
Review: "The Return of the Fly" attempts to duplicate the success of the original science fiction/horror classic but pretty much trying to duplicate the original plot line. However, instead of achieving horror the end result this time around is completely laughable. Philippe Delambre (Brett Halsey), the son of the original "fly" Andre Delambre, grows to continue his father's teleportation experiments. Once again Francois Delambre (Vincent Price) helps Philippe as he did the boy's father. And, once again, a Delambre trades his head and an arm with a fly. Price, whose performance in the original was wonderfully understated, goes back to overacting and when the fly starts running around the countryside it is impossible not to start laughing so hard you are in danger of choking on your popcorn. Go watch David Cronenberg's remake, where he tells how this story would have "really" happened, instead of "The Return of the Fly." Watching this sequel will only leave a bad taste in your mouth.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Curiosity Killed the Fly
Review: David Hedison's character is dead, but his son returns in the form of actor Bret Halsey. Halsey follows in his father's footsteps. Vincent Price returns and reluctantly helps Halsey with the experiments. This is not a bad sequel but its black & white photography and plot about stealing scientific research secrets, which was ahead for its time, sets it apart from the original.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: WHAT'S THE BUZZ?
Review: FOX is leading the way. Apart from their 5 STAR COLLECTIONS (ID4/THE SOUND OF MUSIC), they have not forgotten their minor gems and forgotten classics - and THE FLY and THE RETURN OF THE FLY, are just such pictures. Presented in anamorphic widescreen , with remastered image, each film is crisp, clean and very well packaged. The double feature does not boast much in the way of extra's - you get six previews (both THE FLY and RETURN OF THE FLY, plus the remakes, but also FANTASTIC VOYAGE and VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA - odd choices to tag onto these films, but there you go), and static, but very nice, menu screens (they come across like lobby cards). But, least you forget... you do get two movies for the price of one. THE FLY is the best of the two... it's in color (which is still vibrant), and features a superior script (written by James Clavell, author of the blockbuster bestseller SHOGUN, go figure) and fine performances all around (as well as the best opening... beautiful and gruesome... and a equally disturbing ending). Despite popular belief, Vincent Price is a supporting player here, not the lead. That honor goes to Patricia Owens who plays the solid but suffering wife of THE FLY. It is an excellent movie... very entertaining, impossible, yet thoughtful. THE RETURN OF THE FLY, produced a year later to cash in on the first, is a step or two down in quality. Flimed in black and white, it simply covers the same material as the previous film, and then waters it down. It's a revenge picture, pure and simple, and again Price is the supporting player (but he does have more to do). But it is not a total loss... it does have it's moments, and I do recommend it along side THE FLY. The disc is worth the rent, but also worth adding to your collection.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Help me! Help me!
Review: Ha, ha! I laugh every time I hear that! These movies are OK, but not great. Help me! Help me! Ha, ha!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: "Help me! Help me!"
Review: I enjoyed 'The Fly' a lot. A good sci-fi story with a dash of 'don't mess with mother nature' thrown in...and after all these years, it still retains a lot of it's creepiness. The plot is pretty out there, but I think the actors did a really good job with their performances. The special effects seemed a little understated, but, for me, that worked to the movies' advantage. I always thought it was interesting that while Vincent Price was in this movie, he really didn't play a main character or have much to do with the more macabre features of the movie. He more or less played it straight, but I liked that, seeing him playing role where he isn't exuding that sinister aura that he does in a lot of his movies. I also think this is a beautiful looking transfer with vibrant colors. And the end still always gives me a shiver up my spine. A solid movie overall.

'The Return of the Fly' suffers from an obvious lack of originality and financial support. It is in black and white, while the original was in color. I don't have an issue with this as I think some movies look better in black and white, but I was a little disappointed in how closely story in this sequel matched that of the original. And the fly head and fly arm used in this movie seemed more comical, played up for visual effect while the fly head and fly arm in the first movie were more understated, and, to me, worked more effectively. Basically, this seems more of a remake than a sequel, with a few new things.

If you like sci-fi, then I think this DVD is a really good addition to your collection, and having both movies on one disc is certainly a decent value. The four stars I gave are for the original, while I would only give the sequel about 2 1/2 stars.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Average original, Above average sequel
Review: I got into the remake and its sequel because I heard, in other movies I watched, references to the first. Then when I was old enough to watch horror movies, and got into the old black-and-white classics, like "DRACULA", "FRANKENSTEIN", "THE WOLF MAN", and "THE INVISIBLE MAN", I decided to give them a try. So I rented them. It took me a while to get used to them, but now, I'm into them and I own them. They're both awesome, but kinda gross. Then after getting into those two, I ended up liking and wanting to own the oringinal two from the 1950's with Vincent Price that started this whole thing about THE FLY. While both of these look kinda fake and boring and may no longer shock or horrorify like they did at the time of their release, they haven't lost the power to fascinate. And I don't find them boring at all.

In the first one, a man named Andre Delambre ( Al "David" Hedison ) is a scientist who's just made a remarkable discovery: Two devices. One of them can transport an object to the next. When he finally gets it right, he sucessfully transports himself. Then he tries to do it again, but doesn't know that a pesky housefly gets in there with him. Now, he's got the enlarged head and arm of a fly and the fly has his shrunken head and arm. Now, his wife, Helene ( Patricia Owens ) is his only hope to get back to normal.

In the second one, it's 20 to 30 years later and Andre's son, Phillipe ( Brett Halsey ) is a grown man and wants to continue his late father's work. Although his uncle Francois ( Andre's brother from the first, played by Vincent Price ) warns him about the dangers of it, he goes ahead and does it anyway, with the help of his assistant, Alan Hinds ( David Frankham ). Everything seems to be safe and doing well, but Alan is a criminal who plans to steal the secret and sell it to the highest bidder. And when Phillipe finds out, he and Alan get into a fight and Alan traps Phillipe in the device, along with another pesky housefly, and now, Phillipe is just like what his father was. Now, Phillipe goes out to, not just find a way to get back to normal, but to give Alan his come-uppance.

For the first one, I will give 3 stars. And for the second one, 4 stars. And for this DVD, 4 stars. Just like the one with the remake and its sequel, this double-feature DVD works beautifully, although it doesn't have a special or a commentary by a film historian on both movies.

The reasons I think the second one is a bit better than the first are: The music score, the storyline, and the villians of the second one. Those are the differences between the first and the second. The villians of the second are an example of how the second one is different than the first. The first one didn't have any villians. Most of it was just romance and drama.

If you're a big movie buff like I am, I'm sure you'll like these two. I recommend both these movies. They're just as much fun as the remake and its sequel are. See my review of them ( THE FLY / THE FLY 2. ) It's titlied: AVERAGE REMAKE, ABOVE AVERAGE SEQUEL, LIKE THE ORIGINALS.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Excellent film
Review: I love Vincent Price. His movies are always outstanding in my opinion, and this film is no exception. I just got the double feature DVD last week and watched it last night. The picture quality is terrific, movie trailers for both pictures, plus the 80's version remakes. Amust for anyone who enjoys classic horror at it's best.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A cult classic looking great on dvd!
Review: I vividly recall being creeped out by this film as a child and it left a memorable impression on me. Although I originally saw it in b&w (those were the days before color tv!) and since most of the 50's films in this genre were filmed in b&w, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that it was indeed a color film. This dvd presentation is quite outstanding - it is presented in its original aspect ratio and the sound has been remastered in a 4.0 Dolby Digital remix and an optional 2.0 surround sound. The sound is fantastic but most impressive is the image quality. It is super sharp and the colors are beautiful. On the other hand (and the other side), "The Return of the Fly" looks great also (in b&w) but it is a lousy movie. However, "The Fly" alone makes this dvd well worth purchasing.


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