The Fly (1986)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

David Cronenberg

Writers:

George Langelaan (short story)
Charles Edward Pogue (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

15 August 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Something went wrong in the lab today. Very wrong.

Plot:

A brilliant but eccentric scientist begins to transform into a giant man/fly hybrid after one of his experiments goes horribly wrong.

Plot Keywords:

Scientist | Teleportation | Experiment | Science | Mutant

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 5 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Jeff Goldblum	...	Seth Brundle
Geena Davis	...	Veronica Quaife
John Getz	...	Stathis Borans
Joy Boushel	...	Tawny
Leslie Carlson	...	Dr. Brent Cheevers (as Les Carlson)
George Chuvalo	...	Marky
Michael Copeman	...	2nd Man in Bar
David Cronenberg	...	Gynecologist
Carol Lazare	...	Nurse
Shawn Hewitt	...	Clerk

Directed by
David Cronenberg

Writing credits
George Langelaan		(short story)
Charles Edward Pogue		(screenplay) and
David Cronenberg		(screenplay)

Produced by
Marc Boyman	....	co-producer
Stuart Cornfeld	....	producer
Kip Ohman	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Howard Shore

Cinematography by
Mark Irwin

Film Editing by
Ronald Sanders

Casting by
Deirdre Bowen

Production Design by
Carol Spier

Art Direction by
Rolf Harvey

Set Decoration by
Elinor Rose Galbraith

Costume Design by
Denise Cronenberg

Makeup Department
Shonagh Jabour	....	makeup artist
Ivan Lynch	....	hair stylist

Production Management
David Coatsworth	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Board	....	first assistant director
Tom Quinn	....	third assistant director
Patricia Rozema	....	third assistant director
Kim H. Winther	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Marc Corriveau	....	property master
Joe Curtin	....	construction manager
Danielle Fleury	....	set dresser
Ian Fraser	....	head carpenter
Paul Hotte	....	assistant props
Gary Jack	....	set dresser
Nick Kosonic	....	scenic artist
James McAteer	....	set designer
Harold Michelson	....	art department visual consultant
Nancey Pankiw	....	first assistant art director
Ian Wheatley	....	assistant set dresser

Sound Department
Terry Burke	....	foley artist
Richard Cadger	....	dialogue editor
Pat Calvert	....	assistant sound editor
Bryan Day	....	production sound
David Evans	....	supervising sound editor
Michael Followes	....	assistant sound editor
David Giammarco	....	assistant sound editor
Wayne Griffin	....	supervising sound editor
Gerry Humphreys	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael LaCroix	....	production sound
Robin Leigh	....	adr editor
Susan Maggi	....	assistant sound editor
Sandra Moffat	....	assistant sound editor
Steve Munro	....	assistant sound editor
Robin O'Donoghue	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jane Tattersall	....	sound effects editor
Don White	....	adr recordist (uncredited)
Don White	....	foley recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Louis Craig	....	special effects
Ted Ross	....	special effects
Chris Walas	....	creature effects
Clark Johnson	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Michael Bigelow	....	motion control supervisor
Dennis Dorney	....	optical compositing
Michael Ferriter	....	optical compositing
Robert Hall	....	optical compositing
Fred Iguchi	....	motion control supervisor
Lesley Mallgrave	....	visual effects coordinator
Lee Wilson	....	computer and video effects supervisor
Hoyt Yeatman	....	visual effects supervisor
James Balsam	....	motion control camera operator (uncredited)
Tom Bisogno	....	CG animation (uncredited)
Paul Griffin	....	senior animator (uncredited)

Stunts
Dwayne McLean	....	stunt coordinator
Brent Meyers	....	stunt double: Brundle

Camera and Electrical Department
Scotty Allan	....	gaffer
Sam Bojin	....	second electrician
Charlotte Disher	....	camera apprentice
Attila Dory	....	still photographer
David Hynes	....	dolly grip
Mark Manchester	....	key grip
Marvin Midwicki	....	first assistant camera
Robin Miller	....	additional photographer
Donna Mobbs	....	second assistant camera
Ronald G. Paulauskas	....	assistant key grip
Don Payne	....	grip
Kenneth Post	....	additional photographer
Ian D. Scott	....	first electrician
David Willetts	....	best boy electric

Animation Department
Katherine Kean	....	animation effects design
Mitchell Rothzeid	....	animation effects design

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Trysha Bakker	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
Jack Hooper	....	negative cutter
Cherie MacNeill	....	second assistant editor
Carol McBride	....	post-production coordinator
Kant Pan	....	assistant editor: London
Michael Rea	....	first assistant editor
Susan Shipton	....	second assistant editor
Steve Weslak	....	assembly editor

Music Department
Homer Denison	....	orchestrator
Keith Grant	....	music recording engineer
London Philharmonic Orchestra	....	musician
Jim Weidman	....	music editor
Gerry O'Riordan	....	assistant music engineer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Matthew Wolchock	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Peter Albrecht	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Peter Babakitis	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Brent Baker	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Jon Berg	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Don Bies	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Rob Burman	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Kirk Cheney	....	revolving stage designer and fabricator
Blair Clark	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Debbie Cooke	....	production coordinator
Doreen Davis	....	production accountant
Stephan Dupuis	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Keith Edmier	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Prudence Emery	....	unit publicist
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Bob Hall	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Jonathan Horton	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Guy Hudson	....	creature effects: C.W.I. (as Sir Guy of Hudson)
James Isaac	....	creature effects: C.W.I. (as Jim Smash Isaac)
Conrad Itchener	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Mike Jobe	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Gary Kanew	....	title designer
Doron Kernerman	....	gymnastics double
Mary-Louise Kingery	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Susan Kinnevy	....	assistant to producer
Patricia Kowchak	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Tony Laudati	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Kelly Lepkowsky	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Michelle Linder	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Susan C. MacQuarrie	....	craft service (as Susan MacQuarrie)
Barbara Mainguy	....	assistant: Mr. Cornfeld
Steve Martin	....	animal trainer
Donald Mowat	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Jerrold Neidig	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Gregg Olsson	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Michael Owens	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Zandra Platzek	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Margaret Prentice	....	creature effects: C.W.I. (as Margaret Beserra)
Robin Ralston	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Gillian Richardson	....	script supervisor
Howard Rothschild	....	location manager
Rick Schmidlin	....	assistant to producer
Mike Smithson	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Valerie Sofranko	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
William Stoneham	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Debra Tomei	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Wim van Thillo	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Romuald Vervin	....	gymnastics double
Carol Walas	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Mark Walas	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Harold Weed	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Mark Williams	....	creature effects: C.W.I.
Randy Auerbach	....	assistant: Mr. Brooks (uncredited)
David Franklyn-Ratchford	....	set stand-by (uncredited)
Michael Lennick	....	technical consultant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Brooksfilms

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• 20th Century Fox (1987) (UK) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (1987) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Fox Film (1987) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Fox Films (1987) (Finland) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Japan (2001) (Japan) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (UK) (DVD)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (????) (New Zealand) (VHS) (original video release)
• CBS/Fox (laserdisc)
• Cinema Classics (video)
• FS Film Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Fox Network (1989) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Fox Pathé Europa (2008) (France) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Fox Video (video)
• Gativideo (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (Argentina) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1995) (Finland) (TV)
• Musikservice Sweden (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Oy Europa Vision AB (1989) (Finland) (VHS)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2008) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Germany (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Germany (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (1998) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Special Effects

• Available Light Productions (uncredited)
• Chris Walas (make-up effects)
• Intrigue

Other Companies

• Steve Martin's Working Wildlife  animal training
• Olympic Studios  music recorded at (as Olympic Studios, London)
• Pacific Title  titles
• Dream Quest Images  opticals (as DreamQuest)
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack
• Tattersall Sound  sound post-production

Also Known As:

Die Fliege (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
Flugan (Finland: Swedish title) (Sweden) [sv]
La mosca (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
La mouche (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
A Mosca (Portugal) [pt]
A légy (Hungary) [hu]
Fluen (Norway) [no]
Fluen (Denmark) [da]
Ha-Zvuv (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
I myga (Greece) [el]
Kärpänen (Finland) [fi]
La mosca (Italy) [it]
Moucha (Czechoslovakia) [cs]
Mucha (Poland) [pl]
Muha (Croatia) [hr]
Musca (Romania) [ro]
Muva (Serbia) [sr]
Sinek (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:K-18 (1986) (cut) | Iceland:16 | Canada:R (Ontario) | Netherlands:16 | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1989) (VHS) | Finland:K-18 (cut) (1986) (theatrical) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (2006) (DVD) | Ireland:18 | Brazil:14 | Argentina:18 | Chile:18 | France:-12 | Italy:VM14 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Australia:R

Filming Locations:

John Anderson Charcoal Broiled Hamburgers, 5270 Yonge Street, Willowdale, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Brooksfilms

Trivia:

David Cronenberg met with some opposition when he announced that he wanted to cast Jeff Goldblum in the lead role. The executive at Fox who was supervising the project felt that Goldblum was not a bankable star, and Chris Walas felt that his face would be difficult to work with for the make-up effects. Both, however, deferred to Cronenberg's judgment. Cronenberg himself later had reservations when Goldblum suggested Geena Davis, his girlfriend at the time, for the other lead role, as he did not want to have to work with a real-life couple. Cronenberg was convinced after Davis's first reading that she was right for the role.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Brundle is giving his 'gene pool speech' to Ronny, he's walking around shirtless in his apartment. In the long shot of him (eventually) walking out of the room, the hairy wound on his back is not present. Seconds earlier in the scene, it is there and Ronny comments on it.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Seth Brundle: What am I working on? Uhh... I'm working on something that will change the world, and human life as we know it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in One Step Beyond: The Making of 'Alien: Resurrection' (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

Help Me

Still Fascinating & Very Disturbing

It's been over 20 years since this movie was made, but the special effects are still amazing and the story is an entertaining - and disgusting - as ever! I watch it about every 5-7 years. It's utterly fascinating, but it is so uncomfortable to watch at times I always wonder, as I am viewing it, why I put myself through this each time! The original movie, with Vincent Price, is "dullsville" compared to this re-make.

Things can get really disgusting as Jeff Goldblum ('Seth Brundle") slowly turns into a huge fly. The transformation is very gross in certain spots, and certainly gut-wrenching to witness. You can just feel his girlfriend's anguish and horror as she witnesses Goldblums' incredible physical and mental change. Geena Davis gives a convincing performance in that roles as "Veronica Quiafe."

The story is not just a dumb horror-creature movie, but an intelligent science fiction tale with both leading actors excellent. I don't Davis ever looked prettier, too. John Getz also is good as her magazine boss, "Stathis Borans." Those three characters dominate the film. I can't even remember anyone else in here.

The ending is stunning, almost leaving the first time viewer in shock. In fact, by the nd, this movie will have you emotionally worn out.