31 Days of Halloween: Day Eleven

The Fly (1986 – Rated R in the US for Disturbing Content including Grotesque Images, Sci-Fi Violence/Gore, Strong Sexuality, Nudity and for Language. Basically, a 2 hour party with an inside-out Baboon and watching Brundle-fly eat)

Summary (From IMDB):

Seth Brundle, a brilliant but eccentric scientist attempts to woo investigative journalist Veronica Quaife by offering her a scoop on his latest research in the field of matter transportation, which against all the expectations of the scientific establishment have proved successful. Up to a point. Brundle thinks he has ironed out the last problem when he successfully transports a living creature, but when he attempts to teleport himself a fly enters one of the transmission booths, and Brundle finds he is a changed man.

RB Wood’s Rating (out of 5): 3.5 maggot-invested babies

Jeff Goldblum is one of my favority wacky actors.  I was introduced to him during the short-lived series Ten Speed and Brown Shoe (with Ben Vereen) back in 1980– although I saw Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) years later. He was perfect as the eccentric Seth Brundle, scientist who invents the teleporter, only to inadvertantly splice his genes with a fly when he tests his invention on himself.  This is a remake of the 1958 classic with David Hedison and Vincent Price, but it’s more than that.  This is a horror story, no doubt.  But it’s a tragic love story at its core, and Geena Davis as Veronica Quaife is fabulous in this role.

In watching this years later, my only issue is with David Cronenberg’s direction. I’ve never been a fan of his work, to be honest.  But some of the angle and lighting choices kinda took me out of the story a bit.  But Goldblum always brought me back into it.  Worth it just to watch him act.

Tomorrow: You’ll need a bigger boat

Peace