THE FLY (1986) d. David Cronenberg (USA/Canada)
THE FLY II (1989) d. Chris Walas (USA/Canada)
After years of building a reputation as a fiercely intelligent filmmaker that deftly combined gooey special effects, challenging technical concepts, and emotional narrative heft, Canadian David Cronenberg finally hit the jackpot in this updating and reimagining of the 1958 classic, The Fly.
Rather than the simple swapping of heads and hands, brainy inventor Seth Brundle (played to perfection by Jeff Goldblum) sees his transporter pods inadvertently become gene splicers when a wayward fly enters the equation. Watching the slow and horrifying evolution as the insect's characteristics make themselves known is where Cronenberg's customary gross-outs excel, courtesy of Chris Walas' Oscar-winning effects.
But it is Goldblum's brilliant muti-layered characterization (often beneath pounds of makeup) of a man at war with his own body that sticks in the memory and gives the film its heart. Geena Davis gives an equally strong performance as a reporter who is first attracted to the project as a story idea, but ends up falling in love with the doomed scientist, while John Getz turns in a terrific sleazy portrait as Davis' boss (and ex-lover).
Howard Shore's musical score is one of his best, and he is joined by numerous other Cronenberg collaborators, such as editor Ronald Sanders, cinematographer Mark Irwin, costume designer Denise Cronenberg, and production designer Carol Spier.
Join AC and his buzz-worthy panel of guests (Dan Caffrey, Jon Kitley, Eli LaChance, J. Luis Rivera, Chris Scales) as we celebrate 40 years of David Cronenberg's THE FLY!!
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DAN CAFFREY is a Brooklyn-based playwright, screenwriter, podcaster, and lifelong horror fan. Caffrey currently co-hosts The Losers' Club: A Stephen King Podcast and Halloweenies: A Horror Franchise Podcast, both on Bloody Disgusting's podcast network, Bloody FM. He received his MFA In Playwriting from UT Austin and has also written as a cultural critic for The A.V. Club, Consequence, Pitchfork, Vox, and elsewhere. His favorite horror movie is Halloween. His favorite movie-movie is also Halloween. (https://www.dancaffreywrites.com/)
JON KITLEY has been running his website, Kitley's Krypt for 25 years. He's a columnist for HorrorHound magazine, a co-host on the Discover the Horror podcast, and attends multiple conventions and all-night horror movie marathons at the drive-in theaters! https://kitleyskrypt.com/
ELI LACHANCE is a horror writer, chemist, and paleontology enthusiast. He is currently starting his last year in UMSL's MFA in creative writing program. He resides in St. Louis, Missouri with his wife, dog, and two cats, one of which may be the living dead. Some of his writing can be found in Medium Chill and on Channel-31.com. When he's not writing, he loves walking with his dog, bird watching, and hunting fossils. https://channel-31.com/
J. LUIS RIVERA is a Mexican filmmaker and cinephile whose love for movies began early in his life with Cronenberg's The Fly as a kid. Director of several horror short films, he is currently developing his first feature-length film.
CHRIS SCALES is a lifelong horror fan, aspiring horror screenwriter, and horror panelist.
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