Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Decent showing on Blu-Ray, January 10, 2008
If you're looking for review of the film itself, look elsewhere. As I've done previously I wish to focus on the quality of the picture and audio and leave the writing of the film review for those better suited to it.
This movie is encoded on Blu-Ray using the AVC codec and is brought in using 1080p that most expect from Blu-Ray. The video itself is less than stellar in terms of presentation. Let me qualify this. This is likely the best the movie has EVER looked for home presentation, but it's not a visually impressive movie no matter how it's presented. There is some film grain but there is plenty of detail to be seen. It's just that the movie has no "pizazz" to it so to speak. There are no blemishes on the film and no weird compression artifacts at all. This is as it should be for an HD release.
The audio is DTS-HD lossless. The problem is that there really isn't much that requires any directionality here. It's mostly dialog driven with not much else going on in the sound field. The thing is, 5.1 audio in a movie like this really isn't needed and I'm glad that Fox didn't try to dress the audio up needlessly. I may sound like a broken record but this is also likely the best The Fly has sounded in the home market.
The extras, as seems to be the case on many releases of films that already have DVD editions packed with extras, are all in standard definition. There are some Blu-Ray exclusive extras that aren't particularly noteworthy. The first is pop-up trivia during the film (you can turn this on and off) with fun production facts and so on. The other is a very boring and annoying "game" called "Flyswatter." You have this slow moving fly flying around the screen with some scenes from the movie playing in the background and the objective is to swat the fly with an even slower moving flyswatter. It's time wasting and really adds nothing of value to the disc.
If you already have the special edition SD release, given the video and audio doesn't really stand out too much in the HD front, you may want to think twice about picking up the Blu-Ray edition of The Fly. If you don't own it and want a definitive edition with all the previous extras and the best possible audio and video, look no further.
For a back catalog release with limited appeal, I do think the MSRP is a little on the high side however.
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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Insect Politics... New 2 Disc Special Edition Of "The Fly" Gives Off A Strong Buzz. Fly Swatter Not Needed, October 3, 2005
"I'm saying..., I'm saying I- I'm an insect who dreamt he was a man & loved it. But now, the dream is over... & the insect is awake."
- Seth Brundle tells girlfriend Veronica Quaife to bug off, for her own good, as he slowly loses his remaining humanity & embraces his darker side, mutating into "The Fly"
David Cronenberg's classic 1986 remake to the 1958 Vincent Price classic, "The Fly", has been re-released by "20th Century Fox", in a 2 disc edition that is easily the definitive edition of the remake to "The Fly". This is one must own disc.
"What am I working on? Uh..., I'm working on something that will change the world & human life as we know it."
"I have a feeling you don't get out much."
"You can tell that?"
"yeah."
"Your making a mistake. I think you want to talk to me."
"Sorry, but, I have three more interviews before the end of this party."
"It's something that will change the course of humanity & the world as we know it."
"They all say that."
"Yeah, but, they're lying. I'm not."
After meeting him at a recent science expo/convention, reporter Veronica Quaife decides to take scientist Seth Brundle up on his offer - to show her his invention that will change the course of humanity. Upon arrival at his lab, Brundle shows Veronica his invention - a teleporter that can transport objects from one place to the other in a matter of seconds. Their is a catch, however:
"I can only teleport inanimate objects."
"Well, what happens when you teleport living things?"
"Not while we're eating."
Seth convinces Veronica not to do an article for the magazine she works for (headed by her ex-beau Stathis Borans), but, instead, write a book about the whole experiment from the early stages to the present. With a current breakthrough, thanks to Veronica, Brundle "teaches" the teleporter to understand the complexties of living tissue. Also, a strong romance blossoms between the two.
When the breakthrough that Seth needs happens (a successful teleportation of a living animal (in this case a baboon)) it's time to celebrate.
But, not if Stathis Barons has anything to say about it. Veronica finds a portfolio with sketches of cover artwork from her magazine with Seth & the teleporter on them. Veronica thinks that Stathis is trying to get back into her good graces & calls off the celebration to deal with Stathis once & for all. Stathis tells Veronica that he did some background checking on Brundle & decided to give him a choice article in an upcoming issue. Basically, if the only way of keeping Veronica in his life is to work with her on a professional basis, then that's what he will do.
Seth, celebrating on his own by doing champagne shots, gets a little jealous, as he gets wise to Veronica's romantic past with Stathis.
"From "the desk of Stathis Borans"..., How about "under the desk of Stathis Borans?"
Totally inebriated, Seth apoligizes to his baboon subject for destroying his brother in an earlier experiment & then, recklessly, decides to take the final test - human teleportation, with him as the subject. The experiment is a success - at first...
Over the next few days Veronica notices a rapid change in Seth. He gains superhuman like strength, with an increase in his sex drive. Also, odd prickly, hairs start to grow from a cut on his back. Veronica gets a sample & has them analyzed, with the results being that the hairs are insectoid in nature. Short tempered & hyperactively skittish, Seth has Veronica thrown out of his lab & has the book deal terminated. The honeymoon is over.
"There was an old lady who swallowed a fly, perhaps she'll die."
Seth does some further investigation of his own &, to his horror, finds out that he wasn't alone in the transmitter pod during the teleportation. A common housefly had made its way in & got trapped inside the pod with him.
"The computer got confused... -there wasn't supposed to be two seperate genetic patterns - & it decided to..., uhh... splice us together. It mated us, me & the fly. We hadn't even been properly introduced."
Seth's body gruesomely deteriates & mutates, as he tries to figure out a cure for his cancer before he loses all senses of his humanity & mutates into a monsterous half-breed between Brundle & fly.
The 1986 remake of "The Fly" is one of those very rare remakes that does the impossible. It surpasses & outdoes it's original.
Cronenberg does a great job at directing & this is, argueably, his best film to date. Goldblum, Davis, & John Getz give great performances with Goldblum being the stand-out. Almost anybody can wear the makeup, but, with those fly-like twitches, & the aches & pains of mutation, Goldblum gives "The Fly" its much needed buzz.
The score is written & composed by Howard Shore & I consider it to be one of the London Symphony Orchestra's underated performances (the Orchestra also performed with John Williams on "Star Wars", "Jaws", "Superman", & "Raiders Of The Lost Ark").
Mel Brooks' movie studio "Brooksfilms" was the major backer on the film, with "Fox".
David Cronenberg was the first choice for director on the project, but, was unavailable at the time trying his hand at directing "Total Recall" for Dino DeLaurentis.
Robert Bierman was then hired for directing chores. But, when a horrific family tragedy called him back home, Bierman backed out of the film & with Cronenberg having problems of his own with DeLaurentis, Cronenberg easily slid into the director's saddle on "The Fly". It's been 20 years since "The Fly" went into production &, to this day, Bierman has yet to see the film (he's reminded too much of his daughter's death & the circumstances surrounding it, including this film & his association with it).
After an extensive Cronenberg rewrite of Charles Edward Pogue's screenplay, Jeff Goldblum was hired to portray the doomed scientist. Goldblum was dating Geena Davis at the time & she auditioned for the role of Veronica. She was the first one to audition & the producer's sized up her audition with the other actresses who tried out & no one could beat her. She got the role unanimously.
Makeup effects master, Chris Walas started make-up preparations for "The Fly" when he got a call from Steven Spielberg to work on "Gremlins 2". Walas politely declined & his reward was an Oscar in make-up effects for "The Fly" (although, I'm not too sure if Walas & Spielberg have ever worked together again on any other project).
The opening title shot with the fluttering of green wings that changed into the film's title was actually taken from the coming attractions trailer to the film, after Cronenberg saw it & liked it so much that he used for the opening title shot.
The film opened on August 15th 1986. Total box office gross was roughly 40 million dollars ("The Fly" was released the same weekend as "Manhunter" (the Hannibal Lecter film).
Audience reaction was mostly the same. Gross! "People" magazine dubbed "The Fly" as the gross-out movie of the year. I saw "The Fly" on opening weekend & people were so grossed out. Especially, the scene when Brundle lends an ear to Veronica, & in return she hugs him on the same side! It was the exact same reaction that Geena Davis describes in the documentary. People were so grossed out that you couldn't here the next three lines of the film. I think one lady left when Brundle-fly finally transforms into the space bug at the end of the film.
This new 2 disc DVD edition is awesome. In a world where movie studios take their old films & practically hurl them onto DVD, not caring about quality & prosperity, film wise, it's nice to see a release like this.
Disc 1 to "The Fly" has the film in the widescreen format with Dolby Digital 5.1 & DTS 5.1 (yes!), with a director's commentary by Cronenberg.
Disc 2 has the three production documentaries that can be watched seperatley or viewed in a branching version (easter egg #1: using your DVD remote go to the documentary main page. Highlight the word "Play All" at the top & then hit left. If done correctly a green fly should appear. hit play/enter & Jeff Goldblum reveals how he feels he was destined to play the lead role in "The Fly". One word describes the whole moment - "Halloweeners"! Absolutley, hilariously, bizarre & only Goldblum could tell it).
"The Brundle Museum of Natural History" featurette has Chris Walas showing all of the props & clay maquettes used for the film.
Deleted scenes consists of the infamous & gruesome "Monkey-Cat" sequence (easter egg #2: using your DVD remote highlight the "Monkey-Cat" sequence entry on the deleted scenes menu, but, don't hit enter. Instead go left. If properly done a green fly will appear. Hit enter & you will see the original video of Brundle-fly demonstrating how his vomit-drop is used. This is the same video Stathis watches at Veronica's apartment), a scripted, but not filmed, scene where Brundle-fly attacks a bag lady using his vomit-drop, & alternate endings with Veronica having a dream of a butterfly baby.
There is also test makeup footage, George Langdon's original short story, with tha film's two screenplays by Pogue & Cronenberg.
The set is rounded out with the usual trailers (easter egg #3: again, highlight "Play All" & go left with your remote. Hit play/enter & the disc takes you to a trailer menu of the three movies that were released in the summer of 1986 from "Fox": "Big Trouble In Little China", "Aliens" (woo-hoo!) & "The Fly" (duh!). This egg was also used for the 2 disc S.E. version of "China" a few years back), still galleries, 2 FX articles & advertising from around the world.
This DVD re-release of "The Fly" is worth catching. Fly strip optional.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Scary, funny, and thought-provoking -- what more could you ask for from a film?, April 14, 2008
A scientist on the verge of a technical breakthrough, is stymied by his failure to understand the body in other than intellectual terms. His affair with the reporter who enters his life to document his discoveries awakens him to the power of the flesh -- but the flesh is nothing if not unpredictable and irrational and a "fly in the ointment" changes the outcome of a pivotal experiment, leading to disastrous concequences. The Fly represents a perfect blend of Cronenberg's b-horror sensibility and his obsession with the overlap between man and machine, flesh and technology. It takes what might have been a fairly campy remake of a fairly campy horror film and elevates it to a whole new level, giving it an intriguing science fiction premise and a horrific conclusion. Jeff Goldblum gives a brilliant performance, among his best, as a cerebral scientist who is gradually overcome by the flesh in the form of libidinal urges. The special effects are just right -- not enough to overwhelm the story, but sufficiently convincing to horrify. I saw this with a large group very recently, many of whom had never seen it before, and there were uncomfortable laughs and gasps in all the right places. What is even better, as we talked about the film afterwards there was a lot to say. The Fly is right up there with Alien and Blade Runner and Total Recall and the Thing as one of the very best genre films of the 1980s (or of any decade for that matter -- I can't think of anything in the 90s, except for the Matrix, and maybe Pan's Labyrinth in this decade, that matches these in terms of the combination of both thrills and intellectual excitement).
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