Rating: 
Summary: Truly Gloreous
Review: David Cronenberg masterfully remade "The Fly" into one of the best horror films of the 1980s. Shocking, repulsive, and disturbing, yet a love story, a character study, and a whole lot of social commentary all rolled into one great movie. Jeff Goldblum is in top form as the mad scientist. Geena Davis is equally effective as his casual girlfriend caught in his "web" of deceit, lies, and terror. Truly scary at times, always thought provoking. The DVD is very plain, and derserves a better treatment all on its own. Now for Part 2, well it simply emphasizes the grossness of the first. Eric Stoltz tries too hard to replicate Goldblum to no avail. The plot is predictable, and basically turns into a typical monster movie from Roger Corman with a big budget. Very lame. Still, the price is well worth it even if you only watch part one.
Rating:
Summary: David Cronenberg's The Fly, One of the Best Film's Ever...
Review: David Cronenberg's The Fly has got to be one of the most powerful films ever made. Too often it gets praised: "good for a horror film.", that is just pure ignorance. The Fly was one of the best films of the 1980's and one of the best films ever made, for few films have the impact this one does.Jeff Goldblum turns in the performance of his career as Seth Brundle, the brilliant, lonely scientist on the verge of a discovery that will certainly change the world. Geena Davis is also excellent giving a genuine performance as a skeptical reporter who falls for Brundle after he convinces her to check out his invention. What begins as a love story more involving and moving than any other film in the last twenty years, eventually turns to tragedy when Brundle tests his invention on himself and begins to lose all traces of his humanity. Slowly, Seth Brundle is metamorphasizing into a new breed of fly. What really works about Cronenberg's best film are the superb actors in the leads, a series of gruesome (maybe that's an understatement) yet convincing fx and a wonderful script by Charles Edward Pogue (who also penned the brilliant and complex Psycho III). The script centers on the humanity of the whole thing and never loses sight of the focus, not once. Pogue's script is about two people in love and the tragedy that befalls them, for Brundle does turn into a fly by the finish of the film, but it's all a metaphor for disease. Made in the 1980's when the AIDS virus was still a new and mysterious disease, Cronenberg's gutsy film also tells a story of a man being consumed by a terrible disease for which there is no cure. The Fly is a flawless film and a real treat for film lovers, horror fans, and those who just want to see a really good movie. It's just about one of the goriest movies you'll ever see, but if you're willing to go along, you won't be sorry and you'll never forget this film.
Rating:
Summary: COOL MAN YEAH
Review: First off, these movies are great! "THE FLY", is one of the four major 50s movie remakes of the 1980s, alone with "THE BLOB", "INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS", and "THE THING". Now, for my reviews.
"THE FLY"- Being the third best of the 80s remakes, this movie is awesome. The story goes real quick, man makes teleporter, tests it on himself, fly gets in, and wha-la. The man starts to change, and at the end, turns into a huge insect like monster. The effects are good, but the scene were the fly melts the guys hand looks pretty fake, IMHO. Over all, this movie gets a B+.
"THE FLY 2"- Better then the first for me, and the plot seems better. Also, theres a few more scenes that actually make you feel sorry (the dog scene). The story is about the son of Seth Brundale who has the fly DNA in him from his father. As he grows, he changes and soon becomes a green, four armed, mantid like creature (doesn't look like a fly...). The killings are awesome and far better then the first, and the acting is solid. Over all...A-.
Rating: 
Summary: WHAT'S THE BUZZ?
Review: First, it is almost criminal that FOX did not give THE FLY the same attention to detail that a majority of their other titles have been given. There is no commentary, no additional scenes, no background or added material to go with this disc... but, that aside, it still is a fine disc and a solid movie. The only addtional extra's you will get with this double feature are six previews (the original FLY and it's sequal, the remakes, and VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA and FANTASTIC VOYAGE - odd choices for this disc, but there you go). It is a double feature, and having both movies at your disposal for the price of one is great. THE FLY is the superior of the two pictures. Solid performances, a more thoughtful script that tackles not only the emotional but the scientific ideas behind the process of transformation. Being a surprise hit, it comes as no surprise that FOX wanted a sequel and got one with THE FLY II (a title which strikes me odd as having no class or imagaination... if you're going to take THE FLY as a title, you might as well take THE RETURN OF THE FLY as well). A under appreciated sequel (I do always take a beating for sticking up for this movie), it lacks the punch of the first, but still has it's moments... although few. The creature effects are very well done, and it dosen't hold back when it comes to the gore at the end. Again, like the original FLY/RETURN OF THE FLY double feature, this too is a worthy addition to your collection... as well as a solid rent. Will FOX do right by THE FLY and give us a true SPECIAL EDITION? Only time will tell...
Rating: 
Summary: "The Fly" launches Cronenberg as a director to watch
Review: Forget about "Fly II", but the classic sci-fi movie "The Fly" is worth watching (about once every five years) as it's a truly romantic story, sensitively realised by Canada's David Cronenerg. "Romantic" actually means "Roman" plus "romain" for novel, plus "roamin'" for "On the Road": what a zesty multimedia stew these ingredients make! "The Fly", like the wonderful 1957 movie, "The Incredible Shrinking Man", is really about men feeling badly about themselves - old, male lions in the myth-emersed world of postmodern consumerism. The plot line: We men have offended as youngsters, and now we must watch the pride from afar, as outcasts, much like Marlon Brando in "One-Eyed Jacks". And so it is with Seth Brundle. We love Seth because he's (like Cronenberg, I'd guess) the Roy Orbison archetype: weird but sweet. This guy LOVES sugar!
Rating:
Summary: Double Feature DVD
Review: I have to agree with the other reviewers in this forum, that releasing these two films in one package seems somehow disrespectful of Cronenberg's masterful rendering of this haunting, intense scifi tale of a brilliant man who, in an unguarded moment of emotional awakening, performs a teleportation experiment on himself and suffers dire consequences thereafter. One of the best entries ever to grace the scifi/horror genre because it transcends on every level, with the performance of Jeff Goldblum's career and a fine starring debut by Geena Davis. I guess you could say the inclusion of the servicable sequel helps set the first film off, makes the viewer realize there is a noticable difference between a genuinely well executed work and a more formulaic, effects-dependent spinoff. To be sure, the inclusion of trailers for the original films makes me grateful Hollywood had another shot at elevating the story from the substandard trappings afforded earlier scifi productions. However, I am 100% in agreement that Cronenberg's opus deserves at least the Criterion treatment. This is one of the first films I looked for on DVD since getting my first player about two years ago, so I'm not going to complain too much. The transfer is crisp and clean, and it's good to finally have a widescreen home version of one of my favorite films. But come on, FOX! I know movies are just consumer products to a corporate motion picture establishment, just please try sitting out in the audience with the rest of us once in awhile.
Rating:
Summary: The Fly is an unrecognized masterpiece.
Review: I will restrict my review here to The Fly and not The Fly II simply because these two films do not belong together in terms of quality. And I CERTAINLY will not mention this film in the same breath as the original film The Fly, which was garbage. The reason that The Fly is a masterpiece is because although it is focused in the world of science fiction, it never loses its grip on the human element. You can feel Seth Brundle's anguish at finally finding love in his life and having it slowly taken from him through his alienating transformation. Geena Davis' pain is equally evident in finally finding the man of her life and watching him slowly dissolve into something increasingly not human. The final scene where he puts the gun to his own head is gut-wrenching. Tears inevitably fall every time I see it. The musical score is also excellent, bringing the anguish and pain of the drama forward with its recurring theme. Yes, it's gory. But the special effects are irrelevant in contrast to the tragic drama being played. See this movie and forget about the others. P.S. be sure to have a lot of Kleenex ready.
Rating:
Summary: Why, Oh Why, Swallow This Fly? Here's Why!
Review: I won't bore you with the explainations of these two classic 1980's horror films, we all know that the first remake of The Fly starring Jeff Goldblum was a classic to all of us who grew up in the movie theatres at that time. And sure, it's sequel starring Eric Stoltz wasn't as good as the first, but it did continue that great storyline started in that classic. So why buy this DVD? Simple, you get BOTH full-length movies on one disc for just the price of one! If you collect horror DVD's like I do, you gotta have that Fly! Do you remember when Seth's ear fell off? Of course you do. Or how about when the baboon came out on the other side inside-out? Ewww! And even the sequel has it's moments too, if you saw the dog scene, you'll remember. Now I must warn you, this disc doesn't have alot of extra features like a David Cronenberg/Cast commentary or a behind-the-scenes documentary, but it makes up for that with both films in a remastered visual as well as a 5.1 audio which really sounds incredible! So, if you want to see when horror movies had class with a great storyline AND you want the best bang for your buck, this collection of the Fly movies is buzzin' around just for you. So don't be afraid, be VERY afraid if you miss this one (or two, when you count it as two movies!)!
Rating:
Summary: The Legacy Lives On...
Review: I'm addicted to these movies. I didn't know what to expect, seeing as I had only seen the original with Vincent Price. This is definitely now one of my favorite movies of all time. The first one features Jeff Goldblum who fuses with a fly and starts to mutate into a 185-pound walking fly. The gross effects in this movie is definitely not some for the weak-stomached. The sequel was just as good as the first one. The ending is a classic example of "what goes around comes around." In this movie, Brundle's son has a chromosome disorder which makes him age at a faster rate. When he reaches adulthood, he starts to mutate into the fly, for he inherited the genes from his father. He then hatches out of a cacoon and starts reeking revenge on Bartok Industries. I liked it. The Fly [is action packed] in this movie. These movies are must-see-material. Beware...it's not for the weak-stomached...
Rating:
Summary: I knew an old lady who swallowed a fly perhaps she'll die
Review: if there was ever one movie that deserved to be a criterion edition disc its 'the fly'. although making this disc a double feature is a sound idea, i would prefer the first movie to be a disc by itself...and i'll tell you why. for starters the fly is a classic film all by itself and has its own place in horror movie culture with a massive cult following, the double feature disc does not make any sort of tribute to cronenbergs master piece as the features are nil [except for two trailers]. this is undoubtedly cronenbergs best film and is a film that goes in all sorts of directions with respect to character analysis [seth brundle], how he is a mild mannered scientist in the beginning who then degenerates into madman with a horrific appetite to become human again at any cost. also a film of tragic dimensions and the brundlefly character is someone we can identify with. for the fly i will give 5 stars for the fly 2 i will give 3 stars purely because its sequel reeks of b-movie status and slides into the realms of schlock horror. i'd give the entire disc 4 stars because it doesn't deserve 5 because it is spoiled by its sequel. if this disc had cronenbergs fantastic remake only i would give this 5 stars.
|
