The Fly : Arguably the best 50s sci-fi film

I loved Vincent Price in it. The Fly makeup was nice. The wife's interactions with her now Fly-ed hubby are well done. And the disembodied cat!

"America isn't ready for a gay, mexican chicken sandwich" - Poultrygeist

It gets my vote. Right up there with Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and definitely more "horrific."

Plan 9 From Outer Space was better than all of the above. Acting, budget, etc. A masterpiece!
:P

I used to love watching the remake - the arm wrestling scene always blew me away - and had never seen the original. Until just now. I was surprised at how good it was. Oh, sure, there was some standard 50s cheese, but it wasn't too bad.

But I'll agree with the other posters here. This isn't arguably the best. It's good, all right, but not the best. Googling "50s sci fi" turns up a nice list that includes a bunch that are better:

Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Forbidden Planet - which I think is arguably the best
War of the Worlds

and maybe even The Day the Earth Stood Still



I want the doctor to take your picture so I can look at you from inside as well.

Probably the creepiest anyway. There aren't many other movies from that era that are able to spook me the way this movie still does. An absolute classic.

Don't forget The Incredible Shrinking Man (1958)

War Of The Worlds
Them!
It Came From Outer Space (1953)
Earth Versus The Flying Saucers
Devil Girl From Mars (see my review)
and about 200 others.

The Fly is the most over rated Si-Fi flick (with the possible exception of The Day The Earth Stood Still) of all the 'fifties. I agree with the poster who rated it a 6 star, but with a star each being provided by Price and Marshall.

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He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good... St. Matthew 5:45

well having seen elvira movie collections i've seen alot of 1950's sci fi and would say there are alot of movies to chose from! i was so surprised to see this was in colour, and how much of a regular movie it looks like, and i don't think i've seen kathleen freeman in a horror movie before, but can't get away from becoming hilarious that its about a fly, all the original comments and scenes that brings with it, the buzzing in the beginning was funny, just like another 50's bug horror i've seen in elvira's movie macabre. beware that the disc in the 5 fly movies dvd box does not contain the commentary from the leading actor like the cover says it does, the chair he was sitting in outside looked too big. one of the most ridiculous films i've seen, though one of the freakiest creepiest disturbing scenes by the end.



showed mercy as looking for an escape but couldn't find it,
i was walking in blindness,
didnt know where to go,
a path opened up before,
there mercy on my soul,
raised my spirit,
when my soul no longer could bear it,
after a rocky road.
i found my way home.

I just watched "The Thing from Another World" for the first time today and honestly...I think the 1958 Fly holds up much better by today's standards than "Thing from Another World".

Not only are the monster effects better, the tension with Andre's mishap and his wife's slow descent into delirium is built up much better than some schlubs having to fend off some tall guy in goofy green make-up.

"What's the ugliest part of your body? I think it's your mind."

I like it the best because Vincent Price is in it. Some of Jack Arnold's 1950s SF are good, particularly 'Creature From The Black Lagoon.'