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Year: 1958 Production: 20th Century-Fox Director: Kurt Neumann Starring: Al (David) Hedison, Patricia Owens, Vincent Price, Herbert Marshall, Katheleen Freeman Screenwriter: James Clavell Based on The Fly (1957) by George Langelaan 94 minutes; B/W
A scientist experimenting matter transmission accidentally gets mixed with a fly and ends up with its head and arm (or leg). He has retained his own brain, however, and with the help of his wife tries to reverse the procedure. But the complementarily deformed fly refuses to be caught, and the scientist is driven to commit suicide by putting his head in a steam press. The final sequence shows the fly, with tiny scientist's head and arm, trapped in a spider's web and screaming "Help me!" (which makes one wonder where the fly's brain ended up). An absurb film whose ludicrous excesses are amusing, and lavishly produced for a horror/monster movie, it was a finanacial success and spawned two low-budget sequels, Return of the Fly (1959) and Curse of the Fly (1965). The remake is The Fly (1986). |
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