In this 1980's update of a 1958 camp classic ("Help me! Help me!"), brilliant if eccentric scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) has concocted a revolutionary new method of transport - 'teleporting' people from pod to pod. Testing it on himself, he unwittingly allows a housefly into his pod, and the system decides to fuse the two of them together, into a steadily mutating man-thing.<br /><br />Goldblum's former wife Geena Davis is Veronica Quaife, his romantic interest and a reporter for science magazines who cares for him deeply enough that she can't really stay away from him, no matter how bad his situation gets.<br /><br />Intense, disturbing, graphic (*very* graphic - the makeup effects are so impressive that they actually won the Academy Award), even emotional - this solid remake delivers on a number of levels. All three major performances (John Getz does a good job as Veronica's former boyfriend and current editor; he comes off as a jerk at first, but eventually moves into sympathetic mode and even heroic mode at the end) are very entertaining. Howard Shore delivers another in his long line of superb, ominous, grandiose music scores.<br /><br />Cronenberg had already before this film succeeded in combining creepy biological horror with various social and/or political commentary, but here he also gives us the added aspect of a tragic love story. Not many films can give you an ending where you may be as moved/saddened as you might be repulsed by the gore (you've gotta admit, though, that gore is extremely well done).<br /><br />Originally written by Charles Edward Pogue ("Psycho III") and given a rewrite by director Cronenberg. Also, presented by Mel Brooks's company.<br /><br />Followed by a sequel in 1989.<br /><br />Look for legendary Canadian boxer George Chuvalo as arm-wrestling barfly Marky, and Joy Boushel ("Terror Train", "Humongous") as Seth's young pick-up. Les Carlson, previously seen in "Videodrome" as that movie's villain, has a small role, and Cronenberg himself also appears briefly as a gynecologist.<br /><br />8/10