Photograph: 20th Century Fox/Kobal/Rex/ShutterstockPhotograph: 20th Century Fox/Kobal/Rex/Shutterstockhrow a rock at David Cronenberg’s back catalogue and you’re going to hit something dark, nauseating and probably a bit deviant. His latest movie, Crimes of the Future, is just the same, arriving in Australian cinemas almost exactly 36 years after the release of his icky body horror classic The Fly.
Proving itself an exception to the commonly held belief that all remakes are inferior, The Fly is a tight 96 minutes of vomit-soaked bedlam, asinadvertently mutates himself into an ill-tempered insect. On its deeper level, you might want to ponder The Fly as a disease allegory, or perhaps a stern warning against scientific hubris – or maybe you’re just a sick puppy who wants to see a bloke’s hand dissolve in acidic fly puke.
Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Ronnie , a journalist for a scientific magazine, is sent to cover the work of reclusive scientist Seth Brundle . Brundle is working on teleportation and has proven success transporting inanimate objects. But the results of his experiments with living creatures are disappointing – ranging from the bloody, screaming mess of a turned-inside-out baboon, to a subpar breakfast omelette.As Ronnie and Brundle embark on a romantic relationship, Brundle volunteers as his own guinea pig.
The Fly came along at just the right time to leave an indelible six-legged footprint on my adolescent brain. Cronenberg’s delirious blend of horror, gore and science fiction makes it a rightful horror classic. The Fly is just as much fun now, and just as revolting, as when I saw it for the first time.