Finally: The Fly (1986) and The Fly II (1989) Special Editions are coming in Fall of 2005! (1 Viewer)

[WillG]

If Fox did get Prior to work on this, then it does seem to be in good faith that Fox is showing some commitment. Hopefully the Cronenberg issues will be/have been worked out. If Prior is working on it, I would imagine he would insist to Fox that Cronenberg be involved.

 

[Greg K]

From www.davisdvd.com

Fangoria reports the Criterion Collection is set to release a brand new two-disc special edition of David Cronenberg's Videodrome in August. In addition to a new director-approved transfer of the unrated version, look for the following extras:

• Audio commentary by Cronenberg and cinematographer Mark Irwin
• Audio commentary by stars James Woods and Deborah Harry
• Cronenberg's short film "Camera," created for the Toronto Film Festival in 2000 and starring Les Carlson
• A new 30-minute documentary by video effects artist Michael Lennick about the movie's landmark makeup and special FX
• "Fear on Film," a half-hour roundtable discussion from 1982 between Cronenberg, John Carpenter and John Landis (all of whom were working on Universal horror films at the time), hosted by director-to-be Mick Garris
• Short promotional featurette from 1982, also created by Garris
• "Samurai Dreams" - the fake Japanese soft-core porn film seen in the movie, presented in its entirety
• Extensive galleries with makeup test shots, behind-the-scenes photos, publicity stills, marketing materials, trailers, etc. and more!


Looks like yet another spiffy Cronenberg DVD is coming out. Hopefully, The Fly will get sorted out, and the SE will have even better extras than this!

 

[WillG]

Damn Greg,

I just skimmed at first and did not notice that this was for "Videodrome" I saw commentary and thought that it was all worked out for "The Fly"

 

[Greg K]

Sorry to raise your hopes. But as Cronenberg's films are systematically given the deluxe treatment (with his approved transfers and such), it's only a matter of time until The Fly comes our way. And it better be worth the wait! Let's hope all this gets worked out, eh?

 

[Greg K]

The latest Fangoria magazine (the 25th anniversary issue) has a listing of the best horror film for each of the last 25 years. The Fly takes the 1986 spot, and has a gushing, full-page write-up by Mick Garris (the initial writer hired for The Fly II). Garris briefly talks about the "embarassing" sequel, and how, due to Fox management battles ("should Fly II be a teen horror pic or an artful, Cronenberg-like horror pic?"), he left the project (and was glad to). But he really shows his love for Cronenberg's Fly in the article.

Interesting. I hope devoted fans like that are working on the DVD...

 

[Greg K]

The latest Fangoria magazine (the 25th anniversary issue) has a listing of the best horror film for each of the last 25 years. The Fly takes the 1986 spot, and has a gushing, full-page write-up by Mick Garris (the initial writer hired for The Fly II). Garris briefly talks about the "embarassing" sequel, and how, due to Fox management battles ("should Fly II be a teen horror pic or an artful, Cronenberg-like horror pic?"), he left the project (and was glad to). But he really shows his love for Cronenberg's Fly in the article.

Interesting. I hope devoted fans like that are working on the DVD...

 

[Mark Cappelletty]

Yeah, when you see names like David Prior or Charlie De Lauzirika in threads such as thess, you're in good hands.

Now when's WB going to put out "M.Butterfly" and issue a 16x9 version of "Dead Ringers" (with a soundtrack that doesn't crackle for once)?

 

[Mark Cappelletty]

Yeah, when you see names like David Prior or Charlie De Lauzirika in threads such as thess, you're in good hands.

Now when's WB going to put out "M.Butterfly" and issue a 16x9 version of "Dead Ringers" (with a soundtrack that doesn't crackle for once)?

 

[Greg K]

Cronenberg's been having a successful run with DVD's lately. I haven't even been able to find Rabid! And Videodrome is on the way...

But The Fly is the *one*, isn't it?

 

[Greg K]

Cronenberg's been having a successful run with DVD's lately. I haven't even been able to find Rabid! And Videodrome is on the way...

But The Fly is the *one*, isn't it?

 

[Greg K]

I was reading a recent Mobius forum thread in which film historian Tim Lucas (who is working on the upcoming Videodrome DVD) stated that Cronenberg probably doesn't want deleted scenes and such from his films to be released. Having hungered to see The Fly's deleted scenes for *years*, this disturbs me.

On the one hand, if Cronenberg's terms aren't met and he declines to contribute to the Fly SE, then we may get the deleted scenes, but if he does participate, then we might not. Either situation would be bad.

To whomever is working on this release, just remember: an audio commentary and a photo gallery does not a "special" edition make!

 

[WillG]

Well hopefully, knowing the legendary status of these scenes, Cronenberg will make an acception. If they get his participation at all, that is.

 

[Vincent_P]

The difference with THE FLY is that at least one of the deleted scenes- the "monkey cat" scene, which is also the most notorious deleted scene- was deleted largely due to test audience reactions and not neccessarily because Cronenberg didn't like it. I think (hope) he might make an exception for that scene at least.

Vincent

 

[Greg K]

As I understand it, the monkey-cat scene was deleted because of a test screening in which the audience felt Brundle was being cruel to the animals (the audience was shown the film twice, once with the scene, and once without, and Tim Lucas also thinks the questionaire was "loaded" to produce such a response).

Cronenberg "tended" to agree (I don't think he had final cut), and the scene was deleted.

Watching The Fly as it stands, it feels like there's a chunk missing in the latter third of the film.

The monkey-cat scene provided foreshadowing of Brundle's "final solution", showed an important intermediate makeup stage, revealed the fate of the surviving lab baboon, and marked a pivotal moment in Brundle's mental degeneration.

Isn't that worthy of the DVD?

The other deleted scenes are also sound very interesting, and not at all like the usual ho-hum deleted scenes for other films.

 

[Mark Cappelletty]

Yeah, I'd love to see the monkey-cat scene, the leg-bite scene, and the butterfly coda here and the second "twin nightmare" sequence that was cut out of Dead Ringers.

 

[CraigF]

Maybe you don't want Cronenberg's *total* consent for an SE's content. A quote from the current Macleans (Canada's Newsweek/Time):

"I don't put bloopers or any extra footage on my DVDs - this stuff was taken out of the film for a reason. It's like if you're a poet and you say, 'At the end of the book I'm going to show you these really bad lines of poetry that I realize are horrible.' Why would you do that?"

 

[CraigF]

Maybe you don't want Cronenberg's *total* consent for an SE's content. A quote from the current Macleans (Canada's Newsweek/Time):

"I don't put bloopers or any extra footage on my DVDs - this stuff was taken out of the film for a reason. It's like if you're a poet and you say, 'At the end of the book I'm going to show you these really bad lines of poetry that I realize are horrible.' Why would you do that?"

 

[Haden]

Well if we're not getting any deleted scenes OR director commentary on this thing, then it won't be much of a special edition at all. Anything else would be pretty lackluster in comparison.

 

[Haden]

Well if we're not getting any deleted scenes OR director commentary on this thing, then it won't be much of a special edition at all. Anything else would be pretty lackluster in comparison.

 

[Hans M.]

Actually, it seems like it's either commentary AND a proper film transfer or deleted scenes-- two good points versus one good point, and it all depends on Cronenberg's participation. I own four Cronenberg DVDs, none have deleted scenes and Videodrome isn't going to have any. It depends on your preferences for supplements whether you think Cronenberg's participation is a blessing or a curse. I myself am now torn. I'd double dip, if a director-approved version comes out down the road, finally, or, better yet, Cronenberg can cave-in and permit deleted scenes on his discs.