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RəX Regent (349 KP) rated The Fly (1958) in Movies

Feb 20, 2019

The Fly (1958)

1958 | Classics, Horror

7.0

(16 Ratings)

Movie Rating

As the wife (Patricia Owens) of "murdered" scientist played by Al (David) Hedison, is maniacally hunting for a fly with a white head, both the police and his brother (Vincent Price) are trying to uncover the truth behind his death, which seems by all accounts to be the work of his wife.

But as she recounts the tale of how they both ended up embroiled in the hydraulic press, one under it and one at the controls, the plot thickens and a Sci Fi classic is born. Hedison's scientist has invented the teleporter and during one of his human tests on himself, a fly enters the chamber with him and the pair are fused: The fly's head and left arm are now a part of Hedison, whilst his head and arm are buzzing around as part of a common house fly.

The film makes an effort to offer some real science, though be it toned down and simplified by today's standards, but it is easy to feel that this is a naive movie at face value, if you forget that in 1958, teleportation was a fantastical concept, but mid 60's science fiction such as Star Trek would make this much more matter of fact and play around with science more freely.

But by the time of the remake in 1986, David Cronenberg was gifted with an audience who understood these ideas and offered a more comprehensive take on what might have happened, in this case, gene splicing and DNA replication, with the cells using the corrupted hybrid DNA code as a basic every time the cells replicate, a process which would eventually turn Jeff Goldblum's man in to a man/fly hybrid monster!

But here, whilst almost all of this is present, it is simplified for an audience unprepared and unarmed with the scientific knowledge with would be more common in the 1980's, thanks to films like this. Here, Hedison's man/fly is changing mentally into a fly the longer he has the mutation, leading him to commit assisted suicide in order to prevent his work from been replicated, fearing the consequences.

This is ground breaking stuff. A Sci-Fi classic which spends most of its running time building an intriguing, intelligent suspenseful thriller, with little time given over to the eponymous Fly itself, but it is omnipresent, chilling as is the reveal of the scientist's deformation in the final act, the change in personality and loving relationship with his tragic wife.

And that penultimate scene in which the white-headed fly is revealed to us with Hedison's head and arm as it/he is about to be devoured by a spider in his web, must be one of the most chilling scene's of the genre. Simple, effective and not for the special effects or gore, but for the concept, one which leaves you thinking and considering what you have just witnessed.

What would you do if you saw a fly with a human head? A human with a fly's head? Creepy...

Kudos

Wisuki - Wind and Waves

Weather and Sports

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Wisuki is a powerful wind, waves, weather and tide forecast app with advanced features that allows...

Earthmate

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7.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

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Get all the features of a handheld GPS at a fraction of the cost with everything you need to plan a...

Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Vengeance 101 (Vengeance Demons Series Introduction) in Books

May 22, 2019

Megan Aequitas is the only vengeance demon and trickster hybrid ever born. Unbeknownst to her family, she has always yearned to become a licensed member of the vengeance trade. There is something about punishing wrongdoers that just speaks to her at a primal level
But being born into the vengeance race was one thingwell, being half born into it, anywayand being professionally qualified as a vengeance demon is quite another.
Getting admitted into the elite vengeance training program is only the first step. Afterwards, Megan has to deal with professors and students who doubt her right to be there, trickster siblings who mortify her with their pranksand, worst of all, her terrifying and powerful grandmother, who promises expulsion from the program if Megan steps as much as a single toe out of line. But Megan is determined to achieve her dreams, no matter what the costand it soon becomes clear that what everyone views to be her greatest weakness may actually present an interesting advantage.

This prequel is a good introduction to the Vengeance Demons series.
Vengeance 101 gives just a taste of the vengeance demons as Megan's journey into the academy begins.
We get a glimpse of how she got started at the university and began her dream of becoming a licensed Vengeance Demon.
This was a fun and entertaining read.
I love Louisa's style of writing. she's an amazing author.
Highly recommend reading.

I received this copy free but this is my honest voluntary review.