Most horror fans will be familiar with 1986’s The Fly, but equally notable at the time was the 1958 film of the same name, and the 1986 film was a (fairly significant) It was a remake. But what’s a little more surprising is that there are a total of five films that fall under The Fly series, with three commonly associated films released between 1958 and 1965, and the remaining two between 1958 and 1965. It was released in 1986 and 1989. It has its own continuity.
Movies generally revolve around dedicated scientists researching devices that transport or teleport objects instantaneously, and the fact that such scientific conquests rarely go as planned. This is causing a contradiction. While the early films offered some charming B-movie thrills and were mild horror-related at best, the two Frye films of the 1980s both went far beyond offering physical horror. is progressing to Which movies are the best, or even worth watching? That’s the purpose of the following rankings, covering all The Fly movies, starting with the not-so-good ones and ending with the great ones. I am.
5. “The Curse of the Flies” (1965)
Director: Don Sharp
Image courtesy of 20th Century Fox
Even if you love 1960s B-movies and are willing to approach the era’s low-budget offerings with an open mind, Curse of the Flies may leave you a little disappointed. This can be counted as The Fly series. It revolves around the Delambre family, who were central characters in the previous two films, but otherwise feels quite disconnected from those films (there’s really only one character). (and they have also been recast). Additionally, there are very few physical horror elements here, mild or otherwise, making it feel much more like a slapstick sci-fi movie than a piece of sci-fi + horror.
Although the mission to complete a matter transporter that could revolutionize the world if it becomes reliable is still underway, The Curse of the Flies also contains plenty of melodrama related to family issues and relationship secrets. are. It feels like a fairly average B-movie repurposed and made to look like a fly movie to get a little more attention. That may not be true, but it feels that way, and the result is a movie that is horribly average at best and disappointing and misleading at worst.
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4 “Return of the Fly” (1959)
Director: Edward Burns
Image courtesy of 20th Century Fox
Sure, Return of the Fly marks the return of the Fly, but it also marks the return of Vincent Price, one of the best parts of the original film and sorely absent from the aforementioned The Curse of the Fly I will. He returns as François Delambre, and in this film he is ahead of his time from the previous film, as his nephew Philippe comes of age and is eager to help out with the whole family business. For most of the movie, Francois and Philippe are seen continuing to develop a dangerous teleportation device, and oops, they’ve done it again. Someone confuses himself with the fly and confusion ensues.
It’s not a good movie, and it doesn’t work as well as the already somewhat dated The Fly…but it’s better than you’d expect from a direct sequel to The Fly. may be slightly better. It’s on the line between disappointing and competent, and it’s at least noticeably better than The Curse of the Fly. Return of the Fly is at its best when it doubles down on its goofiness. Because it’s always fun to see someone running around with a giant fly head, and it’s equally ridiculous to see a tiny human head riding a fly screaming for help (especially that way ) whose effect is exploited here). Price is sidelined a bit too much in the second half, but The Return of the Fly is mostly okay overall. You can make it much better, but you can also make it a little worse (again…curse).
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3 “The Fly II” (1989)
Director: Chris Wallas
Image courtesy of 20th Century Fox
The poster for The Fly II bears an incredible resemblance to the iconic poster for The Fly (1986), which suggests that this 1989 film hits the same beats as that movie. It’s been hinted at very early on that this is what they’re trying to do. When it comes to determining whether this was successful or not, the answer is a little complicated. The film suffers early on as one character from the previous film is clearly unable to return and another important character is suddenly killed off in the film’s opening scene. Like the aforementioned sequels to the original The Fly (1958), the events of The Fly II ultimately center on characters related to, but from a younger generation, the first film. Expand to.
Eric Stoltz is the central character of the film, playing a young boy who has ties to the character played by Jeff Goldblum in the previous film, during which he rapidly ages and (you guessed it) wants to develop teleportation-related technology. He plays a person who is treated suspiciously by a company. . While there are some attempts to lengthen the story that began in the first cinematic installment of The Fly II, others are pretty slow and uninspired. It almost loses focus at one point, but it’s worth sticking with until the very gonzo final act, when the film feels most like 1986’s The Fly. With its gooey effects and penchant for splattered body horror, it’s a lot of fun, and that approach gives the film some oomph in its final scenes.
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2 “The Fly” (1958)
Director: Kurt Neumann
Image courtesy of 20th Century Studios
Yes, sorry to be so predictable, but The Fly movie, simply called “The Fly,” is the best Fly movie, with the original second only to David Cronenberg’s 1986 remake/update. This 1958 film does well enough to be labeled as: It’s a B-movie and I don’t think it’s entirely fair to leave it at that. It exceeds its limited budget and scope to an extent and continues to serve as an attractive watch despite its age. There’s very little that’s truly scary, but that’s fine considering how aging the horror genre tends to be overall. What scares one generation may have little reaction in another.
Narratively, The Fly (1958) follows Francois Delambre, played by Vincent Price, as he becomes involved in a strange teleportation-related project that his brother is working on. It was certainly something that brought about some amazing changes. It’s a fun blend of sci-fi and horror, and stylistically it’s in line with what you’d expect a film of that era and genre to look/feel like, except for the fact that it’s shot in color. And it clearly stands out from the two sequels. than black and white. Fans of older, less expensive movies will enjoy this minor classic, but others may be better off sticking with Cronenberg. Speaking of which…
The Fly (1958)
Businessman François Delambre is called late at night by his sister-in-law Hélène Delambre and told that she has killed her husband Andre. Although reluctant at first, she eventually explains to the police that Andre had invented a substance transport device and was experimenting on himself when a fly came into the room while the substance was being transported.
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1. “The Fly” (1986)
Director: David Cronenberg
1986’s The Fly is a great sci-fi-flavored horror and a contender for the title of best horror film of all time. Although it follows a similar premise to the original 1958 film, it unfolds completely differently and features different characters. The film centers on an eccentric scientist named Seth Brundle, who develops a relationship with a journalist while working on a project involving two pods that are said to be able to teleport objects and beings from one side to the other. . Naturally, when a fly gets into one machine during testing, a problem arises and a revolution begins.
The Fly is a fascinating story about genius characters and how they respond to desperate situations after getting carried away and causing their own destruction. This is a very interesting movie, but it’s also strangely easy to empathize with, and it leaves an impression on me because it has a sad ending. Goldblum is also dynamite as the tragic Seth Brundle, giving perhaps his best performance to date and proving that he can emphasize humor, horror, and sadness in a film. This is an overall great film of the 1980s, and certainly the most important film to bear Frye’s name. This is a must-see, unless you have a particular aversion to it.
Release date August 15, 1986
Screening time 96 minutes
NEXT: A horror series that got off to an unusual start
