The Fly (1958)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Sergio G

  
  Classic horror over the 50's. I watched yesterday on TCM and I really enjoyed it. The story is great. Quite original and full of suspense. I loved the cry for help at the end, was so funny, but back in those days I can imagine how terrifying it was. The appearance of Vincent… More
  Classic horror over the 50's. I watched yesterday on TCM and I really enjoyed it. The story is great. Quite original and full of suspense. I loved the cry for help at the end, was so funny, but back in those days I can imagine how terrifying it was. The appearance of Vincent Price brings good memories.

• Melvin W

  
  I know I am in the minority, but I find this to be superior to the remake. I liked how the story was told and the lead up to a great ending; which at the time was thrilling and scary, but now just pretty damn funny. Vincent Price is great in The Fly, as he always was.

• AJ V

  
  This is the original Fly movie, I recommend it over the 80s remake, it's so much more suspenseful and cool. Although Price doesn't play the main character, which some people seem to think he is by seeing the poster, he plays an important role and gives a great performance.… More
  This is the original Fly movie, I recommend it over the 80s remake, it's so much more suspenseful and cool. Although Price doesn't play the main character, which some people seem to think he is by seeing the poster, he plays an important role and gives a great performance. I love this movie, it's one of the best sci-fi horror movies of the fifties and I highly recommend it.

• Alexander W

  
  Damn, they do not make movies like this anymore. You'd be missing out not to give pre-60s movies a try. One of my favourite movies is the black pirate shot in 1920s a silent film and unsuprisingly more interesting and engaging than 90% of movies made today. This is the same,… More
  Damn, they do not make movies like this anymore. You'd be missing out not to give pre-60s movies a try. One of my favourite movies is the black pirate shot in 1920s a silent film and unsuprisingly more interesting and engaging than 90% of movies made today. This is the same, simple plot, simple acting, a real way of leaving it to your imagination without the use of insane eye sore sfx and insanely overly complicated plot hooks and twists. This film is plain good fun ! Thumbs Up !

• Cassandra M

  
  After killing her husband Helene Delambre recounts the story of why she done it. Her husband was a scientist who was deeply into his work and through those long days and weeks he makes a big breakthrough in science by inventing a teleportation machine that can transmit matter from one… More
  After killing her husband Helene Delambre recounts the story of why she done it. Her husband was a scientist who was deeply into his work and through those long days and weeks he makes a big breakthrough in science by inventing a teleportation machine that can transmit matter from one spot to another. After some glitches he fine tunes the device and decides to test it by using himself as a guinea pig. While, in the process of this test, a housefly gets caught inside with him and when he emerges from the other capsule he shares its genetic structure and physical attributes. "The Fly" is classic Sci-Fi / horror from the 50s and what a nice surprise this was! Unlike many of its kind in the 50s, this one didn't have a childish feel. The context may seem silly here, but its executed with enough skill and handled in a relax manner by director Kurt Neumann to set above the rest. Just don't be expecting a monster on the rampage tale. This one veers more towards a much more broaden and imaginative story with a certain eeriness contained in its psychological material rather than visuals. Even though it doesn't scare you witless, it still does provide a couple of memorable and ingenious shocks that are hard to put out of your mind. The film opens with the horrific outcome of Helene's husband Andre and then it goes into flashback mode where we learn the fate of Dr. Andre Delambre. What does make it surprisingly good is that we're treated with such passionately vivid characters and a interesting set-up that pulls you in by taking a more serious approach with a dabble of irony along the way. The talkative first hour slowly builds up to its taut last half-an-hour, where we get a smart and venomously bleak climax. Although, it could have done without that preachy conclusion. The rational script by James Clavell works by being incredibly dense with it thriving on some quick wit and sincerity. The story is more about a woman trying to save the man she loves as he slowly fights the genetic effects of the fly's DNA. He may seem hideous on the outside, but inside he is still more so human and he's trying his best to keep control of his dieing humanity. This is proved by how much he cares for his family's safety when he's willingly to take his own life for the best of everyone. It's practical story telling at its best. The look of the film is top shape with it being shot in vibrant Technicolor and the key is that the deformity is kept hidden, but when it's revealed it actually stands up rather well. It's ugly, that's for sure, but still it looks rather competent. They're also an inventive touch when we see the creature for the first time with multiple frames being used to represent the reflection from human fly's eyes. In Cronenberg's version we see the grotesque transformation, but because of the times and effects we don't see it here, but more so the aftermath of the mishap. All of the devices and gadgets in Andre's lab are well presented and the mounted score adds in a forceful touch with nice crisp sound effects. The performances are more than great by the likes of Al Edison, Patricia Owens, and Herbert Marshall and even though Vincent Price had a supporting role, you'll be in awe of his effortlessly suave performance. An excellent classic of its field that's more concern about telling a moving and fascinating story than just giving us pointless action and cheap thrills to spice up proceedings. The more you stick it out, the more compelling it does become.

• Veronique K

  
  the introvert message within vincent price's camp classic "the fly" would be a resistant technophobia against the conceited omnipotence of technopoly who believe thru science, utopia is attainable. "the fly" got remade again in the 80s by david cronenberg who… More
  the introvert message within vincent price's camp classic "the fly" would be a resistant technophobia against the conceited omnipotence of technopoly who believe thru science, utopia is attainable. "the fly" got remade again in the 80s by david cronenberg who is also a fervent advocater against technophiles, considering cronenberg's series of work criticizing the technopoly, like 1999 "eXistenz" starring jude law, and its main target was the disturbing immersion between reality and visceral illusion while "the matrix" commercialized virtuosity to dominate the box office. back to original track, "the fly" does have a poignant tone against the exploration of science by condemning the idealistic scientist into a de-humanized creature of deformity, THE FLY. it's a story about a scientist who invents an integrator which could transfer things thru wiring effect by disintegrating the atom of things in one spot then compounding all the atoms back to transmit toward another spot. he's aspired to solve the poverty and famine by conquering the geographical obstacles thru this super-machine. BUT unfortunately a careless fly joins the process of his own disintegration, then laughably he becomes a monstrous being adopted partially of the fly genes. inevitably he has to obliterate himself to avoid this catatonic revelation to others. from the technical aspect, "the fly" might be scorned as cheesy since its stunts are so primitive that it's just a man wears a fly head. the campiest moment would naturally be the human-headed fly trapped within the spider web in the garden while exclaiming "HELP ME!" but it does have an endearing touch of human maneuvers and it also preserves an odd aestheticism of its own as filmmakers then had to be manually creative enough to transcend a cinematic concept with limited resource (without the patronizing cgi) the script conveys its ruminations of science ubiquitously, due to the scientific enthusiasm, the scientist sacrifices the life of his cat and violates his humanistic principle of "no experiment on animals"..it might also reflect the mistrust of scientific revolutions at its time as if it's telling you, see how disastrous those experiments could be, content with the facilities you could utilize now, don't be fanatic with exploratory ambitions. perhaps the phobia toward scientific omnipotence could be the product inspired by the fright of atomic bombs among american commoners during 1950s. now it's just a cheer of camp for cinephilic aficionados.

• xGary X

  
  Classic hokey horror from the Hammer school with some hilariously bad effects and a classically silly ending! Daft fun.

• Steve B

  
  Another one that deftly straddles the line between horror and sci-fi. Either way you look at it, though, that scene where Helene first sees what's become of Andre is horrifying.

• Danny R

  
  A superior science fiction classic about brilliant independent scientist Andre Delambre, played superbly by David Hedison who has invented a matter-teleportion device, he has decided to test a human subject so he uses himself, as he steps into the transporter machine a ordinary… More
  A superior science fiction classic about brilliant independent scientist Andre Delambre, played superbly by David Hedison who has invented a matter-teleportion device, he has decided to test a human subject so he uses himself, as he steps into the transporter machine a ordinary housefly enters with him, when he transports himself across the room and reappears in the other transporter machine he is hopelessly scrambled together with the fly, he emerges with the fly's head, claw arm and leg, he now finds himself doomed as he fights to retain his humanity and keep the will of the fly at bay. Superlative supporting performances from Patricia Owens, Herbert Marshall, Kathleen Freeman and young Charles Herbert as Philippe the beloved son of Andre, and especially horror acting legend Vincent Price in a solid performance as the scientist's affable brother Francois. Good production values and special effects, with a brilliant literate script by James Clavell. A singularly compelling and unforgettable movie. Highly Recommended.......Note: I had the pleasure and honor of meeting and taking a photograph with actor David Hedison, who played the scientist Andre Delambre who becomes "The Fly," he is the only surviving member of the original lead cast of the 1958 sci-fi classic, i met him at the 2009 Big Apple Comic Con in New York City, and he was a true gentleman with me and the rest of his fans.. Highly Recommened

• Leo L

  
  Great!

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