the newest trailer for “Clayface” demonstrates that even films based on comic books are prepared to delve into the grotesque aspects of human anatomy. Amidst these twisting, skin-changing films, there’s one title from which numerous body horror works have since derived their essence, and a classic that, while challenging the principles of science, violated the conventions that general movie audiences cannot stand to see transgressed.
Following the attention-grabbing (and head-exploding) successes of “Videodrome” and “Scanners,” director David Cronenberg was establishing himself as a significant figure in the horror genre worth watching. Thus, when he took the bold step to remake Kurt Neumann’s 1958 “The Fly” (based on the short story of the same title), it was a given that he would inject a more intense perspective into this tale of science gone awry.
In this scenario, the unfortunate genius meddling with matters beyond his grasp was Jeff Goldblum as Seth Brundle, whose domestic teleportation project spirals out of control when a housefly inadvertently joins him in his scientific milestone. Consequently, Cronenberg not only met expectations; his remake surpassed the predecessor. It not only established a new standard for sci-fi horror from that point forward but also drew from traditional cornerstones of the sub-genre before blending them into a form that would become uniquely his, with significant credit owed to his two protagonists who were tormented by this horrific experience.
