The Fly (1986)

The Fly (1986) | David Cronenberg’s Body Horror Classic | Dark Talk

BONUS EPISODE - This time on Dark Talk, we celebrate the fortieth anniversary of a sci-fi and body horror classic. This Oscar-winning movie transformed a 1958 B-movie into one of the greatest horror remakes ever made, blending heartbreaking tragedy with unforgettable practical effects. It’s David Cronenberg’s The Fly!

In this episode, we discuss Jeff Goldblum’s iconic performance as Seth Brundle, Chris Walas’ groundbreaking practical effects, the film’s disturbing transformation scenes, the emotional relationship at the heart of the story, and the deeper themes of disease, mortality and identity. We also compare the remake to the original The Fly (1958), explore the film’s lasting influence on modern body horror, and ask whether The Fly still deserves its reputation as one of the greatest horror films ever made.

David Cronenberg’s The Fly was developed as a reimagining of the 1958 science fiction horror film rather than a straightforward remake. Cronenberg chose to move away from the original film’s more traditional monster concept and instead focused on a slow genetic transformation, with scientist Seth Brundle gradually becoming a human-insect hybrid after a teleportation experiment goes wrong.

The film’s transformation effects became one of its defining achievements. The creature design team studied medical reference material when creating Brundlefly’s appearance, aiming for something that looked like a disturbing fusion of human and insect features rather than a simple giant fly costume. Jeff Goldblum’s increasingly complex makeup effects could take almost five hours to apply during the later stages of the transformation.

The film is often discussed as a metaphor for illness, ageing, and physical decline, with many viewers interpreting Seth’s transformation as reflecting fears surrounding disease during the era in which the film was released. Cronenberg’s body horror approach helped The Fly stand apart from typical 1980s horror films by combining science fiction, romance, and psychological drama.

Director David Cronenberg even makes a brief appearance in the film as a doctor, a cameo inspired by a suggestion from Geena Davis.

During this episode we discuss:

● Why The Fly (1986) remains one of the greatest horror remakes ever made.

● David Cronenberg’s unique approach to body horror and psychological horror.

● Jeff Goldblum’s unforgettable performance as Seth Brundle.

● Chris Walas’ Oscar-winning practical effects and creature design and the horrifying Brundlefly transformation and its lasting impact on horror cinema.

● The film’s themes of disease, identity, mortality and physical decay.

● How The Fly reflects the fears of the 1980s, including comparisons to the AIDS epidemic.

● Comparing Cronenberg’s remake with the original The Fly (1958).

● The influence of The Fly on modern body horror, including films like The Substance.

● Our dream recasts for Seth Brundle and how other actors might have approached the role.

● Behind-the-scenes trivia, production stories and fascinating casting choices.

● Why the practical effects still outperform many modern CGI-heavy horror films.

● Our favourite scenes, final ratings and whether The Fly still holds up nearly 40 years later.

Let us know your memories and favourite moments from The Fly! And if you enjoyed the episode, please consider leaving us a rating or review as it helps more horror fans find us! Dark Talk is the podcast where we explore horror, cult cinema, sci-fi and exploitation films through reviews, behind-the-scenes stories, film making discussions and movie history.

The Cast:

● Jeff Goldblum as Dr Seth Brundle

● Geena Davis as Veronica

If you enjoyed this episode of Dark Talk, why don’t you check out other episodes:

The Fog (1980): https://darktalk.substack.com/p/the-fog-1980

● The Vanishing (1988): https://darktalk.substack.com/p/the-vanishing-1988

● Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984): https://darktalk.substack.com/p/friday-the-13th-the-final-chapter

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