Thursday, 20 December 2012

The Fly Papers




One of the strongest movie memories I have is that of Jeff Goldblum, staring at himself in the mirror horrified as he slowly and meticulously pulls off one of his fingernails. That image, amongst many, has haunted my dreams for as many years as I can count. It is of course one of the shocking and brilliantly twisted scenes from David Cronenberg's remake of The Fly.

Cronenberg's The Fly is also the only film of the entire series that I have ever seen. I have seen, on TV, and years back, bits and pieces of the supposedly terrible The Fly II. From what I saw there I don't recall the film being that bad but as I rewatch movies from my youth I have noticed that, if not my tastes, then at least  my critical eye has sharpened my outlook on what makes a good film and what makes a bad film.

So fellow readers and fellow followers (and if your aren't a follower please become one) it is without further ado that I am going to review and discuss the entire Fly series of films. And no, it's not going to be just the remake and it's sequel. After all, how can I discuss the merits of these pictures without watching the original trilogy of Fly films that made their way to the big screen many moons before this fateful writer was evening a twinkling in the eye of my ma and pa.

The original The Fly was released in 1958 and shocked and awed critics and viewers alike with it's novel and unique blend of sci-fi and horror elements. It was followed a year later by The Return of the Fly and six years later by The Curse of the Fly. It would be another 21 years before Cronenberg brought his version to a newer audience and as of this writing, the final Fly film arrived a short three years after.

As I watch these five films over the next week or so there are many things that I look forward to seeing and discussing. First off there is the incomparable legend that is Vincent Price. Then there is the immortal line that everybody knows: 'Help me!! Help me!!!!'. There is Jeff Goldblum in his best (?) role ever, and a young and underrated Eric Stoltz in a rare lead role. There are four films that I have never seen before, with at least one being a classic of the horror genre. There is the fact that I get to watch Cronenberg's remake yet again (I can watch that movie over and over and never get bored).

It will be fun to see how the remake plays with the original story, if there are any homages to it and to see how it differs. It will be exciting to see the film that influenced Cronenberg to make his masterful film. It will be a rip roaring, rock 'em sock 'em good time and hopefully a rather enjoyable read for you too my fellow readers. It will be interesting to read your comments (if any!!) and see what you thought of a) the film b) the entire series and c) my opinion and I promise to respond to every single comment that is made.

So now it's time to turn the lights down low, turn the sound up high and let the fun begin. I'm ready to witness the entire 30 year odyssey of man mutating into fly. I'm excited to share with you my experiences watching these tales of  horror, gore and possibly (in the later films) nudity (for who doesn't like a sprinkling of TNA in their movies).

Well my TV's on, my sounds system is buzzing and the DVD is loading up. It's time to sign off but I'll be back as soon as I can with my thoughts on a film I should have seen years ago. As the DVD loads up I can feel the clock spinning back tio 1958. I can see the last people shuffling into the sold out theatre and I now see the curtains are starting to open. The Fly is about to begin...


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