The Fly (1958)

It amazes me to no end sometimes that these movies from the '50s were ever considered monster-movies. By today's standards they seem to be lacking, but I would tend to disagree. What they lack in special effects they more than make up for in character. I believe that the reason these classics stand up to the test of time is that they were taken seriously "back then" whereas now, a "monster movie" is treated as a special effects extravaganza, filled with cheap thrills and marketed directly towards opening day box office. That being said, I enjoy these modern day films quite a bit. I'm not trying to say they don't have their place. I love going to the show as much as the next guy - it's the experience. If the film is entertaining then all the better.

These older, original versions really make me appreciate the experimentation and fearlessness that was present in Hollywood. They are shooting beyond the stars, creating special effect techniques to accomplish what they dream of, and those techniques will carry on throughout time. There are classic bits here and there. In the case of The Fly, it must be the "help me! help me!" scene near the end, where we get to see the opposite end of the experiment gone wrong. You've heard it a million times, parodied in films and televisions all over the place. It's cheesy, but I'm glad to have seen the origin at last.

I was surprised by the layout of the film. Honestly, I was expecting a very straightforward, dumb film about a guy who turns himself into a giant fly, but I got much more than that. The movie opens up on what seems like an industrial accident; investigations lead you to believe it to be murder of a renowned scientist. His wife is dealing with the grief, but is overly paranoid about people killing flies in her house. She begins to tell her story, and we're transported back in time just a touch, where actual character building takes place. The relationship with her and her husband is given some context, and we see the drive and passion for the experiments. Andre believes he can change the world with his teleportation, but every time he tries it, something funny happens. He believes he's nailed it, but instead the unthinkable happens: the fly.

As you watch a film like this you know exactly what's happened, and just expect the worse. Andre covers his head and arm with a sheet, as those are the only parts to have turned into a fly. In part, to hide the goofiness, but moreso, to add to the mystery. What does he really look like? The reveal in these old monster films are always great simply because they lead you on for so long. Transplant yourself into a theater showing this and imagine seeing it for the first time: you would be taken aback and amazed. Or perhaps you would be laughing, it's hard to say. We don't get opportunities like that anymore: there is no more mystery in movies anymore. If it hasn't been spoiled for us in a trailer or preview, it's our numbing to special effects and screen wizadry that makes us barely blink when the big reveal is made.

In any event, this movie rocked.