It stars Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis. It also features a large ensemble cast of supporting players. The film is noted for its grotesque makeup effects and body transformations of its protagonist, as well as its exploration of the ethics of scientific advancement at the expense of human life.
The Filmy4fly (1980)
In his laboratory, scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) has completed a prototype of a matter transference device called a Telepod. He intends to use it to teleport his dead wife, Veronica “Ronnie” Brundle (Geena Davis), back from the dead. However, during a test, a common housefly slips into the transmitter pod with him and is accidentally fused at the genetic level.
The result is that the scientist slowly filmy4fly begins to transform into a fly-human hybrid creature. The film explores the impact of this change on both the victim and those around him, in particular his son and girlfriend. It also examines the ethics of scientific advancement at the cost of human lives, a theme that would be revisited in the 1986 remake of the same name.
Unlike other films of its time, the film is shot in a style that tries to emulate a fly’s point of view. This is achieved through a technique known as rotoscoping, in which the animation is drawn over photographs or film taken through a fish eye lens. It gives the viewer a sense of being inside the insect’s head as it flits about the forest and then wanders into a mansion where it is pursued and swatted by its owner.
The film received critical acclaim upon filmy4fly release. It was the most successful film of its year, and won three Academy Awards including Best Makeup. It is regarded as one of the finest examples of horror/science fiction cinema, and is considered by many to be among the top ten science fiction films of all time. The film’s influence is evident in the work of later filmmakers, most notably Stanley Kubrick and Tim Burton.
The Filmy4fly 2 (1982)
After the success of The Fly, Columbia commissioned a sequel that starred Geena Davis and Jeff Goldblum. Unlike the original, this film isn’t overly gory and relies on psychological elements instead of body horror to make its point. Nevertheless, it does provide an adequate dose of creature and sci-fi horror. However, it never quite reaches the heights of Cronenberg’s masterpiece.
Despite the lack of bloodshed, The Fly II does offer some good character moments and a twisty plot that keeps audiences on edge. Unfortunately, it also suffers from some of the same problems that plagued The Fly: an underdeveloped supporting cast and convenient plot twists.
The script by Mick Garris and Jim and Ken Wheat is fairly interesting, but it doesn’t manage to elevate the material beyond its basic story. The characters are underdeveloped and the film’s pacing is inconsistent. Furthermore, the dialogue isn’t as eloquent or as smart as the original.
It’s a shame that the filmmakers didn’t work harder to develop the script and give the characters more depth. With such an intriguing premise, the movie has the potential to be much more than just a simple monster flick.
This sequel was the directorial debut of Chris Walas, an Academy Award-winning makeup effects artist. He is responsible for many of cinema’s most memorable creations, including the face-melting from Raiders of the Lost Ark and the creatures in Naked Lunch. He’s a natural choice to take over the reins from Cronenberg, and he uses this opportunity to really let loose with the special effects.
In addition to the excellent make-up work, The filmy4fly II boasts a great score from Howard Shore and an outstanding performance by Eric Stoltz as Martin Brundle. The role was initially offered to Keanu Reeves, but he ultimately turned it down for Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Fortunately, Stoltz is able to curate his own version of the character and create something that’s completely unique to the series.
Another highlight is the alternate ending, which makes a much more ambiguous statement than the theatrical conclusion. It also echoes the ending of Cronenberg’s Scanners, a film that Walas may have consulted for inspiration.
The Filmy4fly 3 (1985)
The film is a classic example of the filmy4fly science fiction horror genre. It is a story of a scientist transforming into a monstrous insect-human hybrid as a result of risky experimentation. This theme is a recurring one throughout the films of David Cronenberg, who is known for dramatizing this conflict between body and mind to shockingly gory and graphic degrees.
After successfully teleporting himself, Seth Brundle begins to exhibit what appear to be beneficial side effects. He gains greater strength and stamina, as well as an increased sexual potency. But his deteriorating health also leads him to become arrogant and violent, and it eventually becomes apparent that his transformation into the Fly is irreversible.
Despite the warnings of his fiancee, Ronnie, Brundle attempts to reverse his mutation by reversing the teleportation process. The telepod computer mistakes the two separate life-forms in the receiving pod for a single, combined entity and fuses Brundle with the insect form. The resulting monster savagely kills his wife and tries to eat Veronica.
The climactic death of Ronnie is one of the most memorable images in the history of cinema. It is also a striking symbol of the horror of genetic engineering and a critique of the eugenics movement that was occurring in the United States at the time.
While the film received mixed reviews filmy4fly upon release, it has come to be regarded as a landmark in the history of science fiction and horror. Its groundbreaking makeup and creature effects, along with the gruesome gross-outs, have made it a cult classic. Its influence is evident in the many similar movies that followed, and it remains to this day one of the most disturbing sci-fi films ever made.
Several international video and television releases omit several musical cues from the soundtrack, including Jerry Goldsmith’s score accompanied by the Mr. Ed theme sung by Wak and the 80s music listened to by Darren on his Walkman. It is not clear whether this was a mastering issue or a decision by the distributors to edit the film for censorship reasons.
The original film spawned a 1989 sequel, The Fly II, directed by Chris Walas (Gremlins, The X-Files). It is a direct continuation of the original, but does not involve either Cronenberg or Goldblum, who would have been difficult to replace in the role of Brundle. The sequel has also been adapted for comic books, with the first volume released in March 2015 by IDW Publishing.
The Filmy4fly 4 (1986)
In this bleak sequel to the classic sci-fi/horror filmy4fly, Veronica Quaife is pregnant with Seth Brundle’s mutant child. When she tries to have an abortion, he kidnaps her and tortures her for information on how to get the teleportation device working again.
David Cronenberg combines his trademark affinity for gore and horror with strongly developed characters to create this pitch perfect mad scientist story. Jeff Goldblum shines as Seth Brundle, a reclusive scientist obsessed with his own work and whose obsession ultimately turns him into a fly. The transformation sequence is masterful and still makes audiences sick to their stomachs thirty years later, but it’s more than just a monster movie – it’s a metaphor for just about any debilitating illness.
After he develops the teleportation machine he starts experimenting with it by sending inanimate objects across the room and then a monkey, and eventually himself. However, when he teleports himself he accidentally brings a fly into the pod with him and the two creatures are spliced together at a molecular level. He emerges from the pod looking normal but soon begins to deteriorate physically and psychologically.
Conclusion
As his transformation continues Filmy4fly he becomes more violent and prone to erratic behavior. When he hears his boss/ex-boyfriend Stathis coming to his laboratory, he spews fly-like stomach acid (apparently this is how flies eat their food) at him, melting off one of his hands. He then tries to teleport himself and Veronica into the same pod, but they separate and he is left as a fly with a torso and limbs.
The Fly 4 is a filmy4fly well-written and highly entertaining sequel to the original, and it’s a great example of how a low budget can make a fantastic film. Director Chris Walas was responsible for the amazing makeup and creature effects in both The Fly and Gremlins and he brings his expertise to this movie as well. It’s a rare mainstream movie that depicts fraught relationships in all their messy reality and the ending is truly shocking. This is definitely a must-see. The film is available on Disney+ and Hulu.
