The results are in for Film Club Week 6, and the winner is The Fly. This week we had a total of 86 votes, with The Fly earning 34 of those bad boys! Because I detest flies and maggots I have only seen this movie once when it was first released and I found it repulsive. To say I am not looking forward to watching this is an understatement.
For the first time in human history, the result of the poll was expertly revealed by Boba Phil on yesterday’s Livestream, and even though I bulldozed my way into the comments and revealed the winner before Phil, he carried on like a true professional! You can see the reveal below, as well as Phil talking about the movie with some excellent input from the viewers.
What Is The Fly?
The Fly is a 1986 remake of, wait for it, The Fly from 1958. The story follows scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) who invents a teleportation machine and decides to test its abilities on himself.
Unbeknownst to him, a housefly slips in during the process, leading to a merger of man and insect. Initially, Brundle appears to have undergone a successful teleportation, but the fly’s cells begin to take over his body. As he becomes increasingly fly-like, Brundle’s girlfriend (Geena Davis) is horrified as the person she once loved deteriorates into a monster.
Directed by David Cronenberg, it’s one of those rare instances where the remake is better than the original. It grossed just over $60 million at the box office, becoming a commercial success, and won a Best Make-up Oscar for Chris Walas and Stephan Dupuis.
Critical Response
According to Metacritic, The Fly received generally favorable reviews based on a weighted average of 79 out of 100. On Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of 74 reviews are positive for the film, with an average rating of 8.4/10. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of “B” on an A+ to F scale.
After its release, The Fly was described as a remake that surpasses the original and exceeds the potential of the original story. Chicago Tribune called it a rare personal work of art that is also a commercial success. Los Angeles Times hailed the film as a stunning piece of filmmaking that allowed the audience to identify with the monstrous creation. Time Magazine wrote that The Fly is a shocking horror film and also the most touching romance film of the year… “the most touching romance of the year”? Seriously, whoever said that must have a fucked up love life.
Get Your Review Published!
Everyone has until Thursday 31st August to watch the movie and we’ll post our reviews on Saturday 2nd September. We’d love it if you watch it too and send us your own review to publish on the site. Simply send your review to: [email protected] with the subject title: Film Club: The Fly.
Finally here’s the trailer to whet your appetite! Enjoy and thanks for being part Film Club!
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