Customer Reviews

The Fly (1958)/Return of the Fly (1959)

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I figure the first thing that anyone interested in this DVD collection is going to want to know is whether the picture transfer to the original "The Fly" is an improvement over the previous Fox DVD double feature of this movie and its immediate sequel, "The Return of the Fly," released in 2000. The answer is an emphatic, Yes! The 16x9 anamorphic image for this 1958 Cinemascope movie is less grainy, slightly brighter and sharper, and has improved color with more accurate flesh tones. The 4.0 Dolby Digital and Dolby Surround stereo are also an improvement over the previous release. So, if that's important to you, you need to get the upgrade found here.

The transfer to the 1959 sequel appears to be the same one used before, but since that movie is in black & white and the 16x9 anamorphic transfer of the Cinemascope image looked fine before, this is no problem. The second sequel in the collection, 1965's "The Curse of the Fly," is making its DVD debute here and this Cinemascope film is also presented in a fine black & white 16x9 anamorphic transfer, with good sharpness and full gray scale. No one should have any major complaints about the transfers of these movies, and each film has been given enough extras to satisfy all but the most finicky of fans.

The extras, besides a small booklet that's included with the set, are all on a fourth disc in the collection (Each movie is in its own slim case with original ad art on the covers and reproductions of each film's 1-sheet poster inside.) and these include still, ad and poster galleries, original trailers, pressbooks, a new ten-minute featurette on all the movies, and a 1997 A&E Network "Biography" of Vincent Price. There's also a brief Fox Movietone newsreel segment of the original movie's premiere at the San Francisco Fox Theatre on July 16, 1958 that nostalgically captures an era in movie exploitation that's long dead.

The one extra that's included with the original film itself is a rambling, but often amusing and informative "conversational" commentary track between star and "the fly" himself, David "Al" Hedison, and film historian, David Del Valle. The two men often cut each other off, but their talk flows smoothly and keeps up with a movie both are very fond of. Hedison is actually quite amazing in his recall of a film now nearly fifty years old and, he informs us, was shot in just 18 days!

I wasn't too enthusiastic when I pre-ordered this DVD collection. "The Fly" is a good but not a great sci-fi movie -- its ending is classic, but the movie itself is rather talky -- and I wasn't sure if the transfer would be much improved over what I already owned, but I took a chance and now that I've looked at this collection, I'm glad I have it. Another very good job from Fox Home Entertainment. They've been putting out some great DVD reissues of their older titles lately and I hope they keep it up.

This is a great set as is each film in it. The Fly is the all around best film of the set but it doesn't win that easily. Return of the fly changed the look by filming in black and white to give it a more artier feel which Price strongly disagreed with (I do as well)among other things during filming. Return is the funniest/campiest of the bunch. For example once I saw the guinea pig with little human hands the film had me. I also believe Return is the most suspenseful of the set. The Curse of the Fly is better than just ok as I've read from other reviewers and is the second best of the bunch in my opinion. Curse is also the most artsy picture, here there is no human fly, literally at least.

THE FLY: 5/5 (Overall Best)
I learned in the ten page book that comes with this set that The Fly first appeared in Playboy Magazine in 1957, winning the magazines best story of the year. A former soldier for Britain's Intelligence Army during World War II, George Lagelaan, wrote the Novella and actually underwent surgery while enlisted to change his identity, thought that was interesting considering the material.
A more subdued Price not yet a permanent horror staple delivers as usual as Francois Delambre, whose brother Andre Delambre has developed a way to transport matter. Most know the story, eventually Andre tries to teleport himself and a common housefly gets trapped in one of the machines, the result is a cross between a Fly and a human. The fly mask isn't the over the top part you think it will be prior to seeing this, that comes later, but I felt the simple towel used to hide Andre's head head was subtle and effective.
The Fly coming after WWII and creation of the atom bomb people had a fear of what radiation and it's effects could do. I felt The Fly's message was not to mess with nature. The ending wasn't happy but had a happy feel to it that I didn't feel fit, HOWEVER it made it all the more unsettling.

RETURN OF THE FLY: 4.5/5 (Most Suspenseful)
Filmed in black and white return as I said above is the most suspenseful and over the top, at times. Following his mother's funeral Phillippe Delambre, Andre's son wants to pursue his father's work all his family has suffered hasn't been in vein. He asks his uncle Francois (Price)for help (Price) which he eventually, reluctantly does. The plot is plausible, I remember thinking how is the exact same thing going to happen again, but the story is done well so that it makes sense.

THE CURSE OF THE FLY: 5/5 (Most Artistic)
Completely underrated. Curse begins with the smashing out of a window followed by a young attractive woman escaping from something only to stumble into a member of the Delambre clan and he helps her. They soon marry without knowing one another and he takes her back to his house/lab. The Delambres are still at work on their families invention and can actually teleport humans. There is no fly in this film literally but the young girl above is trapped in this house metaphorically like one. The film is all serious this time with no campy moments, just a feeling of dread. Great special effects and make up in this one which comes the closest to Cronenberg's version The Fly [Blu-ray] as far as an attempt to shock the viewer. I felt The Curse of The Fly had a feel of the classic Eyes Without a Face - Criterion Collection.

THE FLY COLLECTION DISC OF HORRORS
1997 Vincent Price Biography (originally on A/E network). Commentary during the Biography with his daughter and historians.
Fly Trap: Catching a classic Featurette
Still Galleries
Pressbooks, Posters and more.
The more, also consists of Original Trailers. I felt The Fly trailer was one of the most effective I have seen next to the original trailer for The Shining [Blu-ray] where the blood fills the halls and thats it. Both are perfect examples of less is more. I felt The Curse of The Fly's trailer made it actually look worse then it was.

Ten Page Booklet: 5/5
Great booklet and something you'd see from Criterion DVD. Interesting info on each film. This set and the booklet are all meat and no filler. Highest recommendation possible.

Two spine tingling horror thrillers from the late 50's starring the American prince of horror, Vincent Price, on one DVD !!

Fans of the original (and less bloody) "THE FLY" will be wrapped to see this classic film presented in glorious crystal clear color and dolby digital sound that really gets the hairs up on the back of your neck. For those who don't know the story...scientist Andre Delambre (David Hedison....later to star in "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea") develops a matter transfer device. However, on trialling the machine himself, a fly is caught inside, and Hedison emerges with fly's head and arm...and the fly now posesses Hedison's head and arm !! Film boasts plenty of classic shock moments...including the first time we see the fly in full view !! "Return of the Fly" isn't quite up to the original, but still has plenty of enjoyable moments that make it a nice companion to the original....and it still has Vincent Price on board !

Interesting anecdote from "THE FLY"...according to Vincent Price in his book "I Like what I Know", in the final sequence of "THE FLY" where Price and fellow actor Herbert Marshall are peering into a spiders web containing the fly (with human head and arm)..the two actors could not complete the supposedly sombre scene without bursting into fits of paralysing laughter. The only way they could finish the scene was by ensuring no eye contact was made with each other....otherwise the laughter just continued !!

For any cult sci-fi fan....a great addition to your DVD collection !!

Fox is releasing its series of the original "The Fly" films and even including a bonus disc of extra features in this set, most notably a biography of the great Vincent Price. Many people prefer Cronenburg's 1986 remake with Jeff Goldblum, but to me the original will always be best because the result was one of the creepiest horror films ever made without the capability of doing the kinds of special effects that were possible by the the time the 1980's remake was done. The contents are as follows:

Disc One - The Fly (1958) - This one is a classic of 1950's sci-fi/horror, and weds traditional horror - the idea of something half human/half insect - with the science of the atomic age that made it possible. It deals with the psychological issues of madness, of what it means to be human, and therefore with what it means to murder. Top acting jobs by everyone, including Vincent Price in a supporting role here, turn what could have been very campy material into one of the creepiest films ever.

Disc Two - The Return Of The Fly (1959) - This film takes a step down from the first film mainly because there is nothing novel going on here as there was in the first film, but you still have the great Vincent Price reprising his role as the dead scientist's brother, this time trying to convince his nephew not to follow down the same path as his father. In this film the half fly/half human output of the teleportation machine is a murder attempt rather than an accident, and there is more emphasis on action rather than the psychological angles of the first.

Disc Three - The Curse Of The Fly (1965) - Vincent Price is not in this one since by this time he was under contract to another studio. However, I found this film to be better than its reputation. The Delambres, despite what has happened in the two previous films, have continued to experiment with the teleporter. The result has been more subtle but just has horrific. Now the Delambres are a family with various physical and mental ailments that are in danger of disintegration if an answer cannot be found. Oddly enough, after all the tragedy, they still think the answer to their troubles is the the teleporter. Many people don't like this film because it is quite a departure from the first two, but I think that is its strength.

Disc Four - Bonus Disc
Vincent Price biography
"Fly Trap: Catching A Classic" featurette
The Fly bonus features:
Trailer
Playboy article and gallery
Photo gallery
Lobby cards and posters
The Return Of The Fly bonus features:
Trailer and TV spots
Lobby cards and posters
Photo gallery
The Curse Of The Fly bonus features:
Trailer
Pressbook gallery
Lobby cards and posters
Photo gallery

FOX is leading the way. Apart from their 5 STAR COLLECTIONS (ID4/THE SOUND OF MUSIC), they have not forgotten their minor gems and forgotten classics - and THE FLY and THE RETURN OF THE FLY, are just such pictures. Presented in anamorphic widescreen , with remastered image, each film is crisp, clean and very well packaged. The double feature does not boast much in the way of extra's - you get six previews (both THE FLY and RETURN OF THE FLY, plus the remakes, but also FANTASTIC VOYAGE and VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA - odd choices to tag onto these films, but there you go), and static, but very nice, menu screens (they come across like lobby cards). But, least you forget... you do get two movies for the price of one. THE FLY is the best of the two... it's in color (which is still vibrant), and features a superior script (written by James Clavell, author of the blockbuster bestseller SHOGUN, go figure) and fine performances all around (as well as the best opening... beautiful and gruesome... and a equally disturbing ending). Despite popular belief, Vincent Price is a supporting player here, not the lead. That honor goes to Patricia Owens who plays the solid but suffering wife of THE FLY. It is an excellent movie... very entertaining, impossible, yet thoughtful. THE RETURN OF THE FLY, produced a year later to cash in on the first, is a step or two down in quality. Flimed in black and white, it simply covers the same material as the previous film, and then waters it down. It's a revenge picture, pure and simple, and again Price is the supporting player (but he does have more to do). But it is not a total loss... it does have it's moments, and I do recommend it along side THE FLY. The disc is worth the rent, but also worth adding to your collection.

I enjoyed 'The Fly' a lot. A good sci-fi story with a dash of 'don't mess with mother nature' thrown in...and after all these years, it still retains a lot of it's creepiness. The plot is pretty out there, but I think the actors did a really good job with their performances. The special effects seemed a little understated, but, for me, that worked to the movies' advantage. I always thought it was interesting that while Vincent Price was in this movie, he really didn't play a main character or have much to do with the more macabre features of the movie. He more or less played it straight, but I liked that, seeing him playing role where he isn't exuding that sinister aura that he does in a lot of his movies. I also think this is a beautiful looking transfer with vibrant colors. And the end still always gives me a shiver up my spine. A solid movie overall.

'The Return of the Fly' suffers from an obvious lack of originality and financial support. It is in black and white, while the original was in color. I don't have an issue with this as I think some movies look better in black and white, but I was a little disappointed in how closely story in this sequel matched that of the original. And the fly head and fly arm used in this movie seemed more comical, played up for visual effect while the fly head and fly arm in the first movie were more understated, and, to me, worked more effectively. Basically, this seems more of a remake than a sequel, with a few new things.

If you like sci-fi, then I think this DVD is a really good addition to your collection, and having both movies on one disc is certainly a decent value. The four stars I gave are for the original, while I would only give the sequel about 2 1/2 stars.

Ok, I'll admit up front that I'm a 50s scifi freak anyway but this is just GREAT!. The quality of the DVD reproductions are wonderfully produced. I'm not even going to comment on the films themselves. I love them. You may not. However, the A&E bio on Vincent Price on the 4th disk, the "Disk of Horrors," is worth the price of the package. It would run over $20 if you could find it. I received this set as a gift from my wife, bless her heart. She always buys me the neatest stuff. This one is definitely a keeper.

The Fly:
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"Help me! Help meeee!" 1958 saw the release of one of Horror's most memorable movie monsters: THE FLY! The police are investigating the murder of a brilliant researcher when they learn that it was his wife, in fact, that killed him. She tells the tale of daring new science experiment that had gone horribly wrong, where her husband was mistakenly crossed with a fly during an attempt at human teleportation. THE FLY leaps far ahead of its B-movie brethren due to Kurt Neumann's superb handling of the material, taking a silly plot and transforming it into a conceivable human tragedy. David Hedison is brilliant in the role of the mad doctor; a charming husband on the one hand, but an obsessive scientist with an undying lust for knowledge on the other. It is Patricia Owens that is left to carry the film after the accident, and she does so with a striking performance that is filled with loving devotion for her poor unfortunate husband. The greatest shock comes when Hedison steps out of the transporter after attempting to reverse the effects of the transmutation, revealing for the first time his hideously deformed appearance. Neumann also introduces a unique kaleidoscopic lensing for the first-person perspective of The Fly in the thrilling climax. THE FLY is a distinguished classic that is essential viewing for all Sci-Fi and Horror enthusiasts!

Return of the Fly:
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With his mother fresh in her grave after losing her sanity, the young Philippe Delambre resumes his father's research in an attempt to succeed where his father had failed in the transmission of living matter through time and space. Tragedy strikes twice, however, as Philippe suffers the same damnable fate as his father in becoming a half-human freak! RETURN OF THE FLY follows many of the same familiar steps as the original, but lacks the emotional strength shared between the two leads from before. The great Vincent Price plays a much larger role in this second film, serving as a friend and mentor to his stubborn nephew. What is most unique in this feature is Philippe's growing paranoia of the pesky flies that seem to trail his every move, a bit of foreshadowing that leads towards an all-too-expected end. A subplot involving industrial espionage also adds a touch of Film Noir to the scientific backdrop. Philippe's monstrous alter-ego does not make an appearance until late in the picture, but while the creature's design is quite impressive, its bulbous head does seem rather silly. RETURN's greatest casualties then becomes its conflicting plotting and sluggish pace, which hold it back from becoming more successful. Still, RETURN OF THE FLY provides ample shocks in its final scenes to please the fans that eagerly awaited a sequel.

-Carl Manes
I Like Horror Movies

Alfred Hitchcock did not direct 'The Fly', but it has the look and feel of a Hitchcock masterpiece.

The film has its dark side: there is the macabre foundry machine, the haunting sounds of the disembodied, the suspense provided by the black cloth, and the spellbinding approach of a hungry orifice. On the light side: there is the devotion of a brother, the mutual love of husband and wife, and their joy over their son.

The husband is on the cusp of perfecting a revolutionary invention, but he impatiently tries out the machine before doing exhaustive testing. His wife first learns about the mishap, when she finds his note on the lab door. She is filled with dread, but she courageously follows his written instructions. With each new horrific revelation she realizes that their idyllic life is doomed to memories; if only she could find the fly.

The film has a below-the-radar Hitchcock-like moment. A murder has been committed. The wife confesses, but the way she confesses leads the police inspector to conclude that she has gone quiet mad. For the time being, she is confined to her bed. A nurse brings the wife's lunch on a tray. Take a look at what she picks up from the tray and you will see the point!

The most memorable scene is one of the last; it is a tingling mixture of humor and horror.

The best extras are the '1997 Vincent Price Biography' and the 'Fly Trap: Catching a Classic."

'The Fly' (5): Picture: outstanding. No cropping. Sound: excellent. Volume: typical.
'Return of the Fly' (3) and 'The Curse of the Fly' (3): Picture: good. No cropping. Sound: good. Volume: typical.

Mad scientists, pretty girls and killer insects abound in this great value box set which comprises the original "Fly" trilogy, plus a fourth disc loaded with bonus materials!

THE FLY was based on a well-received story written by George Langelaan for Playboy Magazine, and was brought to the screen by Twentieth Century Fox in 1958. Lushly filmed in CinemaScope and Deluxe Colour, it provided audiences with a far more sleek and stylish horror movie than they would be used to seeing. It's topline stars Vincent Price and Herbert Marshall, two of the leading character actors of their generation, added another layer of prestige to the production.

The story is told in flashback. The beautiful Helene Delambre (Patricia Owens) is charged with the gruesome murder of her husband Andre (David 'Al' Hedison) after his crushed body is discovered in the Delambre factory. Helene insists that Andre told her to kill him, following an experiment that went disastrously wrong, involving the cross-fire of atoms belonging to Andre and a common house-fly. Andre's brother Francois (Vincent Price) and Inspector Charas (Herbert Marshall) remain unconvinced--until a fly with Andre's head is seen trapped in a spiderweb... Co-starring Kathleen Freeman and little Charles Herbert ("Houseboat", "13 Ghosts"), THE FLY is still one of the most unsettling and intense horror movies from the 1950s. The disc also includes a bonus audio commentary track with the 'Fly' himself, David Hedison.

In THE RETURN OF THE FLY, filmed the following year, we get a good sense of continuity with Vincent Price reprising his role of Francois Delambre. The story opens several years after the events of "The Fly". Following the death of Helene, Andre's now-grown son Philippe (Brett Halsey) is determined to continue his father's work, much to the horror of Francois. But Philippe's honest and honourable intentions are destroyed by his devious assistant (David Frankham) who turns Philippe into another hideous fly-creature. Can Francois save him from the same fate that Andre suffered? RETURN OF THE FLY also co-stars Danielle de Metz (best-remembered as the Italian tourguide in "Gidget Goes to Rome") and John Sutton.

Things get a lot more gruesome and darker in THE CURSE OF THE FLY, filmed in 1965. Andre Delambre's grandson Martin (George Baker) wants to carry on the family legacy, but the arrival of his lovely new wife Pat (Carole Gray), who escaped from a psychiatric hospital, complicates everything. In the gloomy Delambre mansion, the deformed victims of "failed experiments" lurk, including Martin's former wife Judith (Mary Manson), and it's only a matter of time before Pat discovers the whole sickening truth...

Filmed on location in England (hence it's British stars George Baker and Carole Gray), CURSE OF THE FLY also features Brian Donlevy, Rachel Kempson, and Michael Graham. Burt Kwouk and Yvette Rees ("Witchcraft") are the Delambre's Asian house-servants, with the laughable names of Tai and Wan. CURSE OF THE FLY was originally released in a theatrical double bill with "Devils of Darkness", another British horror title co-starring Carole Gray.

The bonus fourth disc, entitled "Disc of Horrors", includes a brief ten-minute featurette which touches on all three movies. The 50-minute Biography episode for Vincent Price ("The Versatile Villain") provides an absorbing portrait of a man whose interests and talents ran in many directions. There are also selective photo galleries for each of the three "Fly" movies. The four discs are housed in individual slimline cases, packed together in an attractive slipcover which displays key artwork from all three movies. Each disc is single-layered; the movies themselves are in their correct 2:35:1 widescreen aspect ratio, enhanced for 16:9 displays.

This bargain-priced collectors' set is a must for all fans of classic horror.