IMDb user comments for
The Fly (1958) More at IMDbPro »

Filter:

Best Chronological Prolific Authors Loved It Hated It Hide Spoilers:

Page 1 of 8:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Index

77 comments in total

---

46 out of 50 people found the following comment useful :-
I'm still scared of The Fly, 9 October 2003

Author: cosmicstargoat from Blemefluk, USA

1958 and 'The Fly'. Who could ever forget it. At the age of 9 or so, I was a horror movie veteran, or so I thought. I would attend the Saturday matinees of a local theater, armed with my THIRTY FIVE CENTS, which was good for an admission, a huge coke and a Butterfinger as long as my forearm.

The theater was, as usual, very dark and of the 3,000 seats, 2996 we unoccupied, the norm on a Saturday afternoon. The sunset times had been carefully memorized as to not be foolishly caught in the dark walking home from a horror flick.

In spite of the subtle warnings from a couple of neighborhood kids who had already seen 'The Fly', I remained confident, having survived several movies, including 'Them' and 'The Invisible Man'. The movie was terrifying enough, but nothing in my 9-year old brain prepared me for the absolutely numbing terror that assaulted my senses at the end of the movie. My 16 oz. cup, containing now only ice left my grasp and clattered noisily on the cold floor and the last vestige of the sticky Butterfinger froze in my open mouth as I was transfixed on the terrifying ending. I knew that I was in trouble.

I walked the 3/4 mile home, BACKWARDS and in the middle of the street as to not encounter any bush or shrub, ALL of which I was sure contained the nightmarish image that was forever burned into my brain. Now I understood why none of the kids who had seen the movie boasted or talked about it, they were still too terrified.

10/10 for terror.

---

30 out of 33 people found the following comment useful :-
A nightmare, 22 June 2005

Author: drmality-1 (drmality@sbcglobal.net) from Illinoize

The "help me, help meeeee" scene revolted and scared me so much as a young child that it was years before I could see this movie again. Even now I cringe when I witness that nightmarish scene. As good as Cronenberg's movie is (and it is very good), there is nothing that surpasses the delirious horror of the man-fly in the spider's grasp.

Elsewhere, the movie is rather subdued. In some spots, almost too much so. Although the first revelation of The Fly's appearance is another classic spot...the multiple reflections was a great touch. Like all great monsters, the Fly has a very sympathetic edge to it. We are revolted by the horror of this monster but we feel overwhelming pity for him as well.

Vincent Price does a workman-like job in a rather blasé part. Usually he adds a special touch to a film, but really, any number of actors could have played his part here.

The scientific basis of this movie is pure rubbish, as there is no way that insect and human parts could biologically interact with each other. The result of such a mixture would be instantly dead in real life.

But that doesn't matter here. A nightmare has its own logic. And "The Fly" is a nightmare.

---

23 out of 24 people found the following comment useful :-
Scenes engraved on the mind, 28 August 2000
Author: existential from Near the Chesapeake

It's been said again and again that this is a good horror film. A Very Good film. But it is more than that.

I can still hear with my mind's ear (is that right?) the sound of the hydraulic press "WHUMP" and the echo. Then again that "WHUMP" ... is there another sound experience that reverberates through a movie like that?

Sure, surround sound, THX, all that tech stuff, but the sound as the manifestation of the crime that encircles this story, the horror as the mind tries to put together the images that (finally) is seen in a flashback as this scene bookends the start and "finish" of the plot.

The inner struggle of the scientist as he fights with his human hand to control the spasms of his "fly" arm is both horrible and heart-wrenching.

The shock as the cloth is torn away from the scientist's head... the fly's POV shot with facets and mirrors of the the screaming face of the scientist's poor wife! The scene at the spider's web as the shrill voice begs "help me... help me"

The horror of murder of a man/thing and a thing/man being shown and even compared in sharp (but obvious) dialogue.

You MUST see this and experience the earlier days of horror -when classics like this, like "The Thing From Another World," like "It, the Terror From Beyond Space" (the original model of Alien) exhibit a freshness and a palpable terror that remakes cannot capture, whatever wonderful special effects are thrown in to add to the creepiness. Sure these later gorefest horror films are good. I buy them all the time. But they are a different genre. The Fly with Vincent Price is NOT the same story as The Fly with Jeff Goldblum. It's not really a remake as a retelling.

See the original. It is rich with emotion and intelligence, not to mention some pretty fine acting for what was really a "B" movie.

---

18 out of 20 people found the following comment useful :-
It's a bad day to be a fly, 15 April 2009

Author: Kristine (kristinedrama14@msn.com) from Chicago, Illinois

The Fly is a movie I have just been dying to see, I have heard a lot about this movie, mainly the infamous "Help me! Help me!" scene. But of course the number one reason being that this is the original to the remake with Jeff Goldblum which is an incredible movie in itself, but I was curious what the original would be about. Honestly I was thinking that it was going to be very cheesy, it's a 1950's horror movie that would probably be over the top, but honestly, from the very beginning you get gore, which was odd, but sickly enough I love it! I am also a huge Vincent Price fan, this is the man of the classic B horror movies and his voice and presence make these movies worth the watch. So I finally got to see this on netflix, I absolutely loved The Fly. Is this better than the remake? Honestly, the remake is more realistic on what would happen if this really did occur, but don't overlook the original, as cheesy as a fly in a giant trench coat can be, it's all good and this story is tons of fun and really scary.

A woman named Helene Delembre phones her brother-in-law, Francois Delambre to tell him that she has just murdered her husband. Francois calls in the police and she admits killing him but refuses to say why. Later, Francois tricks her into telling the story to him and Police Inspector Charas. A scientist, Andre Delambre, has invented a teleportation device. After a few failed attempts, he succeeds with living organisms, deciding to go for the ultimate risk and transport himself. The first time works, but, unknown to him, a fly enters the cabin with him and the two are hopelessly scrambled together. The scientist emerges as a half-man, half-fly, a human with a fly's head, leg and arm/claw. His wife finds out something is wrong as she now sees him with a cloth over his head and a hidden arm. He eventually tells his wife what has happened and she first sees his claw and screams, then later sees his fly head and screams more. His wife, son and maid try to find the "fly with a white head" and fail. The son had caught it just after the accident but had been made to let it go, before any of them knew what it was. Andre attempts to reverse the process to return himself to normal, but fails and when he realizes that his mind is being overtaken by that of the fly he asks his wife to end his suffering by killing him with a heavy machine press.

The Fly is a fantastic and thrilling movie. I know that the ending sequence of "Help me! Help me!" was cheesy and over the top to some, but to me it was just plain creepy, it really scared me. The whole atmosphere of the film just felt uncomfortable and disturbing. Granted, I know these were not top of the line make up effects with the fly, I do have to laugh juts a little bit with seeing a fly in a trench coat. But still it was effective and made for a great sci-fi story. I love these old movies for a specific reason, this was the time when film meant something to the cast and crew making it and The Fly was made to give people the chills. It's just rare now-a-days, if this was made in today's world, it would be all gore and just stupid. So I do recommend that you see this film if you are looking for a good scare. Both this and the remake are terrific films and are a ton of fun to watch.

8/10

---

14 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
creepy beyond compare, 12 November 2005

Author: mpndas213 from United States

in terms of creepiness, this flick takes a back seat to no horror film. the goldblum et al remake is a gory over-the-top, special-effects show-off in comparison. instead this one grabs your psychological neck, shakes it about and forces you to answer serious questions regarding the scientific exploits of man. while doing so it hermetically seals you in a world of misguided, pitiless hubris. if that sounds like a bit too much, just give it your time and try to go to sleep without thinking, "why the hell would anyone proceed so far" and without thinking of ways to save the poor, doomed scientist. it is a tale of inevitability and loss that brings into stark contrast the foolish doings of man against a backdrop of an inhumane and unforgiving nature. view at your own risk... do not view at your own horror- enjoyment's peril!

---

11 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
Thizzzz izzzz exzzzzellent zzzztuff!, 24 May 2005

Author: Coventry from the Draconian Swamp of Unholy Souls

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Never thought that a movie involving people chasing a fly for half of the time could be so fascinating! "The Fly" is a genuine horror / sci-fi classic and fundamental viewing for everyone who was ever interested in either of these (or both, of course) genres. The whole premise of this milestone is silly and incredibly grotesque, yet very disturbing and it's brought to an even higher quality-level by the top-class performances of a devoted cast. Hedinson stars as the brilliant scientist Andre Delambre who discovered a method to transfer matter from one capsule to another and – convinced of his safety – he uses himself as a guinea pig to test if it works with humans, too. Terror begins when an ordinary housefly accidentally makes the transfer with him and the two beings exchange heads and a limb. Slowly going mad, Hedison has to beg his wife Helene to destroy what's left of him and his invention, because it's too dangerous for the world. One of the reasons why this film is so compelling is because of the ingenious structure. The story opens with Hedinson's brother (another great role for Vincent Price) receiving a call from a hysterical Helene who claims to have killed her husband and, for a long time, we're left in the dark whether she committed an act of madness…or a favor to her husband. "The Fly" contains several classic scenes (in one way or another, everybody must know about the "spider-web" finale by now) and the special effects are more than satisfying. Great film! Terrific entertainment!!

---

10 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
A very entertaining 50's sci-fi classic., 27 September 2007

Author: Scott LeBrun from Winnipeg, Canada

Canadian scientist Andre Delambre (Al/David Hedison) is intently working on teleportation. However, when he experiments on himself, he gets his genetic material swapped with that of a fly - the result is a humanoid, man-sized thing with an enormous fly head, and an elusive fly with a teeny-tiny human head and arm.

Although I've seen the David Cronenberg remake first (itself an excellent film, and one of its directors' finest moments), this classic science fiction drama deals with loss and tragedy just as well if not better. It's intelligent, and deeply affecting. Patricia Owens does a good job of drawing me in with her performance, successfully conveying the helplessness of a wife who desperately wants to help her husband but cannot.

Hedison is good in an engaging performance, and continues to elicit sympathy after encased in the unwieldy fly head. Vincent Price is solid in support, playing the loyal and concerned brother who is determined to get to the bottom of his brothers' demise. Also doing good work are Herbert Marshall as the inspector and Kathleen Freeman as the maid.

The film-makers hold off the big reveal as long as possible, so it's all the more effective when it finally does happen. Also helping this film to stick in the memory is its creepy climax ("Help me! Help me!"), and its brief "fly vision" scene. It's deliberately paced, but is worth sticking with. It's got some good sets, a fine music score, and very nice CinemaScope photography. It's a truly remarkable picture that belies its B level nature every step of the way.

A big financial success back in its day, it led to the sequels "Return of the Fly" and "Curse of the Fly", followed many years later by Cronenbergs' remake, itself followed by a sequel.

9/10

---

7 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Ah, I don't think a fly swatter is going to work!, 23 February 2006

Author: lost-in-limbo from the Mad Hatter's tea party.

After killing her husband Helene Delambre recounts the story of why she done it. Her husband was a scientist who was deeply into his work and through those long days and weeks he makes a big breakthrough in science by inventing a teleportation machine that can transmit matter from one spot to another. After some glitches he fine tunes the device and decides to test it by using himself as a guinea pig. While, in the process of this test, a housefly gets caught inside with him and when he emerges from the other capsule he shares its genetic structure and physical attributes.

"The Fly" is classic Sci-Fi / horror from the 50s and what a nice surprise this was! Unlike many of its kind in the 50s, this one didn't have a childish feel. The context may seem silly here, but its executed with enough skill and handled in a relax manner by director Kurt Neumann to set above the rest. Just don't be expecting a monster on the rampage tale. This one veers more towards a much more broaden and imaginative story with a certain eeriness contained in its psychological material rather than visuals. Even though it doesn't scare you witless, it still does provide a couple of memorable and ingenious shocks that are hard to put out of your mind. The film opens with the horrific outcome of Helene's husband Andre and then it goes into flashback mode where we learn the fate of Dr. Andre Delambre. What does make it surprisingly good is that we're treated with such passionately vivid characters and a interesting set-up that pulls you in by taking a more serious approach with a dabble of irony along the way. The talkative first hour slowly builds up to its taut last half-an-hour, where we get a smart and venomously bleak climax. Although, it could have done without that preachy conclusion. The rational script by James Clavell works by being incredibly dense with it thriving on some quick wit and sincerity. The story is more about a woman trying to save the man she loves as he slowly fights the genetic effects of the fly's DNA. He may seem hideous on the outside, but inside he is still more so human and he's trying his best to keep control of his dieing humanity. This is proved by how much he cares for his family's safety when he's willingly to take his own life for the best of everyone. It's practical story telling at its best.

The look of the film is top shape with it being shot in vibrant Technicolor and the key is that the deformity is kept hidden, but when it's revealed it actually stands up rather well. It's ugly, that's for sure, but still it looks rather competent. They're also an inventive touch when we see the creature for the first time with multiple frames being used to represent the reflection from human fly's eyes. In Cronenberg's version we see the grotesque transformation, but because of the times and effects we don't see it here, but more so the aftermath of the mishap. All of the devices and gadgets in Andre's lab are well presented and the mounted score adds in a forceful touch with nice crisp sound effects. The performances are more than great by the likes of Al Edison, Patricia Owens, and Herbert Marshall and even though Vincent Price had a supporting role, you'll be in awe of his effortlessly suave performance.

An excellent classic of its field that's more concern about telling a moving and fascinating story than just giving us pointless action and cheap thrills to spice up proceedings. The more you stick it out, the more compelling it does become.

---

12 out of 17 people found the following comment useful :-
One of My Favorite Classic Movies of the 50's, 29 August 2006

Author: Claudio Carvalho from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

In Montreal, the industrial François Delambre (Vincent Price) is called late night by his sister-in-law Helene Delambre (Patricia Owens). She tells him that she has just killed her beloved husband Andre Delambre (Al Hedison), using the press of their plant to press his head and left hand. François calls his acquaintance, Inspector Charas (Herbert Marshall), and later the reluctant Helene is convinced to tell them what happened. She explains that François had invented a matter transportation apparatus, and while experimenting with himself, a fly entered the chamber, exchanging one hand and the head with him after the transference.

"The Fly" is one of my favorite classic movies of the 50's. The story is great, blending romance, sci-fi and horror, and the narrative, through flashback, keeps the mystery alive until the last scene, when the fly with white head is finally found in a spider web screaming for help. I like very much the dialog when Inspector Charas smashes the spider and the fly with a stone, and François tells him that he is as killer as Helene is, since he killed a man-fly and Helene a fly-man. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): "A Mosca da Cabeça Branca" ("The Fly of the White Head")

---

13 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :-
As a child in the theater I screamed and had bad dreams...., 16 May 2001
Author: Dominic Franco from Portland, Oregon

As a child in the theater I screamed and had bad dreams.... Then as a teenager I watched the "Fly" on TV and still Jumped back in fear at the sight of that horrible face! A few years later my friends and I watched it on TV again, but this time I turned down the sound at the scary scenes ( theorizing that the music was the cause of the fear) but even at low volume the haunting cries of "Help me...Help me" gave me the chills. A MUST SEE DF.

---

---

Page 1 of 8:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Add another comment

---

Related Links

Plot summary	Amazon.com summary	Ratings
Awards	Newsgroup reviews	External reviews
Parents Guide	Plot keywords	Main details
Your user comments	Your vote history