‘Brundle stole my girl, your mother. Got her pregnant. Caused her death. Dissolved my hand and my foot with fly vomit! I had no love for the man. He “bugged” me!’ Doesn’t he know when life gives you lemons you should make lemonade? Sheesh. Join your faithful Grue-Crew – Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, Crystal Cleveland, and Jeff Mohr – as they check out The Fly II (1989), the worthy sequel to David Cronenberg’s The Fly.
Decades of Horror 1980s
Episode 214 – The Fly II (1989)
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The almost-human son of “Brundlefly” searches for a cure to his mutated genes while being monitored by a nefarious corporation that wishes to continue his father’s experiments.
IMDbDirector: Chris Walas Writers: Mick Garris, Jim Wheat, Ken Wheat, Frank Darabont (screenplay); Mick Garris (story); George Langelaan (characters) Special effects makeup supervisor: Stephan Dupuis (Chris Walas Inc.) Creature effects supervisor: Jon Berg (Chris Walas Inc.) Effects shop supervisor: Mark Walas (Chris Walas Inc.) Selected Cast: Eric Stoltz as Martin Brundle Harley Cross as 10 year old Martin (age 3, but advanced body) Matthew Moore as 4 year old Martin Daphne Zuniga as Beth Logan Lee Richardson as Anton Bartok Garry Chalk as Scorby Ann Marie Lee as Jainway Frank C. Turner as Norman Shepard (credited as Frank Turner) John Getz as Stathis Borans Saffron Henderson as Veronica Quaife Rob Roy as Wiley Andrew Rhodes as Hargis Pat Bermel as Mackenzie William S. Taylor as Dr. Trimble (as William Taylor) Jerry Wasserman as Simms
The Fly II ain’t no slouch, even when compared to David Cronenberg’s The Fly (1986). This one is Bill’s pick and to his mind, even though The Fly II doesn’t have Cronenberg, effects guru Chris Walas does an excellent job directing his first film. It has a number of high points, including a really monstrous monster.
Chad is glad they didn’t try to redo The Fly, taking The Fly II in a different direction and letting it tell its own story while carrying on themes from the first movie, thanks to writing from Frank Darabont. He loves the effects and the insane gore and almost always goes on to watch The Fly II whenever he watches The Fly.
Crystal likes The Fly II almost as much as The Fly because there are clear antagonists that get what they deserve. She loves the music and the crazy effects of this real and true sequel. She also identifies Eric Stoltz as a phenomenal actor. The Fly II is far better than Jeff remembers it being. He specifically calls out the cast, the story, the original creature, and the practical effects.
If you haven’t seen The Fly II in a while, it’s time to check it out again. While you’re at it, make it a double feature with The Fly and throw in another listen to THE FLY (1986) — Episode 91 — Decades Of Horror 1980s. At the time of this writing, The Fly II is available to stream from HBOmax and as physical media on one of five Blu-ray discs included in Scream Factory’s The Fly Collection. Also included in The Fly Collection are The Fly (1958), Return of the Fly (1959), Curse of the Fly (1965), and The Fly (1986).
Every two weeks, Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1980s podcast will cover another horror film from the 1980s. The next episode’s film, chosen by Crystal, will be Krull (1983)! You asked for it!
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