PopHorror Let's Get Scared
“Be afraid. Be very afraid!” Thirty years ago, director David Cronenberg brought us The Fly, one of the sickest masterpieces in horror history. From the film’s all-star cast to its impeccable special effects, there are so many reasons why The Fly is still beloved three decades years later.
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(Synopsis provided by IMDb.com): The film centers around Dr. Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum), a scientist who invented teleportation pods. He partners with reporter Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis) to chronicle his work. Soon, a romance between them flourishes, and in drunken jealousy, Seth travels through the telepods by himself. Unbeknownst to him, a fly is in the pod with him and he ends up fused with the insect. Now Veronica must figure out what’s happening to Seth and how to stop it before it’s too late and he becomes the disgusting Brundlefly.
No doubt, the first thing that comes to people’s minds when they think about The Fly is Seth’s horrendous transformation into the mutated Brundlefly and the incredible special effects created by Chris Walas (Gremlins 1984) responsible for making audiences sick for the past 30 years.
Another thing that is really impressive are the performances of Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis. Jeff Goldblum had to transform from an ambitious scientist to a superman who believes he’s been reborn and is invincible to a man who believes he’s dying by an unknown disease. Finally, be becomes a man who comes to terms that he’s becoming an entirely new species. Only a man like Goldblum could knock out all of those transitions like a pro! I can’t forget about Geena Davis, playing the love of his life, having to live with the horrific idea that her lover is slowly mutating and there’s nothing she can do about it and it tears her apart.
In celebration of Brundlefly’s 30th birthday, here are some fun facts about this classic…
1. The famous quote, “Be afraid. Be very afraid!” was created comedy legend, Mel Brooks, when he was asked how the rest of the cast should react about Seth’s transformation.
2. Michael Keaton was originally offered the role of Seth, but Keaton declined.
3. The inspiration for the design of the telepods came from the shape of a cylinder in David Cronenberg’s vintage Ducati motorcycle. Brundlefly’s “vomit drop” was, in reality, made from honey, eggs, and milk.
4. If took nearly five hours to apply the most extensive makeup stages to Jeff Goldblum.
David Cronenberg brought us many classic films, such as, Scanners, Videodrome, and The Dead Zone. The Fly is, no doubt, one of his finest films. This film has gotten better with age and will continue to be a classic for years to come. The Fly will always be remembered, and deservedly so!
