The Fly (1958) - 5 stars out of 10

The Fly (1958) - 5 stars out of 10

There is currently a fly buzzing around my apartment and it is really freaking me out.  Remind me never to make enemies with a fly.  Anyways, "The Fly" actually surprised me for a 1950's sci-fi film.  I enjoyed the story and the acting, but it lacked the grotesque punch of the 1986 remake.  It is set-up as a mystery, beginning with the ending and then flashing back to show how we got there.  I like the storytelling technique but feel that it resulted in very little of the film being about the fly.  In fact, the actual (unseen) fly transformation doesn't occur until 2/3 into the movie, and we don't get to see the fly until the last few minutes.  That being said, I was very impressed with the amount of drama created leading up to the moment when we finally get to see this man partially transformed into a fly.  It isn't exactly the most realistic creature, but welcome to the 50's.  The classic removal of the covering from his head and then dozens of images of his wife screaming (as seen through the lenses of his fly eyes) are worth waiting for.  I just wish that less of the film would have focused on fly hunting and more of the filmi would have been about Andre dealing with his fly-like symptoms (as in the remake).  Regardless, Vincent Price and David Hedison create a lot of suspense in their roles while Patricia Owens fills the film with mystery from her opening dialogue to her madness after the murder.  And she is really nice to look at.  If you have a weak stomach, watch this version.  If you want to see amazing character develompent, a disgustingly realistic transformation, and overall better story, stick to the 1986 version.