Plot: Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum), a brilliant but eccentric scientist attempts to woo investigative journalist Veronica Quaife (Genna Davis) 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. 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.
The heroes: Jeff Goldblum's likable and bizarre Seth.
The antagonists: One tiny little fly.
What makes it so great? Few weeks ago Alex of "And So it Begins..." asked a question on his blog - what films make you sick? - and I'm astonished I forgot to mention this one. I'm a tough one - there is only a handful of movies that repulse me and it's never anything about blood, surgeries or beheadings, but when it comes to Cronenberg and his gross, disturbing body horror images, that's a different issue. While Naked Lunch and Videodrome I was fine with, Seth's changing, due to Oscar winning make up job is really something that always prevents me from eating long after seeing this movie. It's a great movie, probably Cronenberg's most quintessential and famous, but I can't watch it too often. Also Jeff Goldblum's performance is really mesmerizing and this movie is to "body horror" what Alien is to "space horror".
Best scene: Seth watches as his body starts to rot off, change and collapse in front of a mirror.
Oh-oh something's not right line: "When you went through, something went wrong."
Morbid trivia: The Chris Walas, Inc. designers studied graphic books on disease as a starting point for their "Brundlefly" makeup/creature designs. The final "Brundlefly" creature is horribly deformed and asymmetrical. This reflects director David Cronenberg's idea that the creature shouldn't be a giant fly, but rather a literal fusion of a man and an insect that embodies elements of both.
Scare factor:
- 3/5 evil pumpkins - Most of the scares come from the fact that what Seth is going through is completely inevitable and unstoppable. The movie kinda works as a metaphor for the fragility of human body and the damage diseases do to us. It's also really creepy and filled with a lot of surreal, bizarre and horrifying scenes as the dream sequence of giving birth.Gore factor:
- 5/5 bloody Leatherfaces - One of the most disturbing and goriest films I've seen.Is there a twist? No.
Hint: Watch in a fly-free environment.
Unsuitable for: People who are easily grossed out.
Repercussions: So many, even putting sugar in your coffee.
Cronenberg is a guy that I am not too fond of but this flick is an exception because it's more character-based than expected and Goldblum gives a very good, if rare, leading performance. Checked it out around Halloween time and found that it wasn't as scary as it was more freaky in a way. Nice review Sati.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Yes, he was really great here, shame he didn't get any award recognition.
DeleteI saw this ages ago and truthfully I don't know how I could've stomached it as I'm easily grossed out. It really was the goriest and most repulsive things I've ever seen, and oh so tragic!
ReplyDeleteIt really is a repulsive movie, good one, but still incredibly gross :)
DeleteI'm writing the review too :P
ReplyDeleteI fear yours is much better. Oh wait... it is :)
I'm sure that's not the case :)
DeleteOh Sati, I loved this film when I was a kid. Although the arm wrestle scene nearly made me throw up!! HAHA
ReplyDeleteThat was awful! I was lucky enough not to stumble across this one on TV growing up and saw it for the first time few months ago.
DeleteI haven't seen this since I was a kid. I remember loving the idea but finding it all a little disturbing. I will have to re-watch this now. I hope it's still as disturbing as you suggest!
ReplyDeleteIt really is ^^ I doubt they would make better job with all the fancy special effects they have these days.
Deleteohh how I hate this movie...Not that it is a bad movie and it isn't even scary but it is extremely repulsive. I don't think I am ever going to watch it again.
ReplyDeleteIt is very repulsive as most of old Cronenberg's films, though Cosmopolis appears to have rats which freak me out :)
DeleteI saw this way back when it first came to video. I hadn't seen many gory films and so this one packed an even larged impact for me. Of all the scenes in the film, though, you know the one that bothered me the most? The ankle scene near the end.
ReplyDeleteThe film is filled with disturbing bits, I noticed pretty much everyone has different scene that grossed them out :)
Delete