The 1962 British science fiction horror film titled "Curse of the Fly" is the third and final installment in the "Fly" film series. Directed by Don Sharp, it serves as a sequel to the earlier films "The Fly" (1958) and "Return of the Fly" (1959). Although it is part of the same series, "Curse of the Fly" features a different storyline and set of characters. The film revolves around the Delambre family, who have a tragic history involving teleportation experiments gone wrong. The Delambres, André and Philippe, play pivotal roles in the previous films. However, "Curse of the Fly" focuses on Henri Delambre, André's son.
Not many people know that the original The Fly was actually a trilogy. Heck, I didn't until I bought the boxset, but this 3rd movie is actually better than Part II and the odd thing is is that it contains no flies at all. just freaks! Some of the make up in this movie is pretty good too, for the 60's, and there is one part that actually had me scared a bit too when I first saw it. I won't spoil it but it's the result of transporting two human freaks into one machine. you can only image what comes out the other end. In short, if you loved the original The Fly you should check this one out for sure. It's far better than Return of The Fly and just as good as the first one, even without Vincent Price.
Broad Strokes The film presents itself as a continuation of the previous two films, but its backstory is a mix between; only André Delambre from the first film was turned into a fly, and he was turned back into a human the way Philippe was in the second film. If if that wasn t bad enough, the two ill-fated assistants are slain and their corpses teleported to London in turn for Martin to dispose of the bodies.
However, "Curse of the Fly" focuses on Henri Delambre, André's son. It introduces us to his struggle to keep the family's teleportation experiments a secret and the chaos that unfolds when others become aware of their scientific endeavors. Henri Delambre invites a young woman named Patricia Stanley to his secluded mansion, revealing his family's teleportation experiments to her.
Curse of the Fly 1965 REVIEW
The original ‘Fly’ films beginning with the 1958 Vincent Price/Al (David) Hedison picture and its 1959 sequel are a touchstone of sorts for me in my genre viewing.
The sequel film Return Of The Fly 1959 was the first film I watched on a local television show called Horror House. The footage of the fly crashing through the glass lab case sparked a conversation with my friends the next day on the bus. I later found out through the pages of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine that the series had a third film that rounded out the story.
Curse Of The Fly 1965 is a horror/science-fiction film by Australian-British director Don Sharp. Unlike the other films in the series that were filmed in the USA, this third instalment was produced in the United Kingdom. Oddly Curse of the Fly 1965 was rarely seen as it was the only entry in the Fly film trilogy that did not receive a video release till 2007, when it was in a boxed set with the original series.
Come Fly With Me
American Robert Lippert, who had a reputation for making cheap films but was never a “stinker”, was producing films in England to take advantage of the Eady Levy. The Eady Levy was a portion of the box office that would be given to the British Film industry making sure it employed UK actors in the cast and crew. To reduce costs, English producer Jack Parsons was used as well as director Don Sharp.
Curse Of The Fly 1965 opens with one of the most artistic openings to a genre film in which broken window glass is hurled at the audience.
Reminiscent of Giallo style, a young woman Pat Stanley (Carole Gray) emerges from the window in slow motion clothed only in underwear.
Stanley runs slowly out in the night towards the gate of what is later revealed to be a hospital.
The sequence is photographed atmospherically in black and white with romantic piano accompaniment. Besides the obvious titillation of the sequence, which is handled tastefully, the opening was a metaphor for a rebirth, an emergence from a cocoon not unlike the life cycle of a fly.
Pat meets Martin Delambre (George Baker), who rescues her and takes her on to a new life. The Delambre family is the Canadian family near Montreal that is developing the matter transporter. The first films of the series highlighted the malfunctions of fusing the human body with an accidental house fly. This is the theme of body horror that Canadian David Cronenberg and his son have explored ad nauseum, including a gory remake of The Fly 1986 followed by a sequel.
A Fly In The Ointment
Curse Of The Fly 1965 takes little continuity from the previous films. The story concerns the perfection of the teleportation unit but also the effect of that experimentation on the Delambre Family.
In a moment with a wonderful gothic look and angles by Don Sharp is a sequence reminiscent of Island Of Lost Souls 1932 and the claustrophobic hall moment in Repulsion 1965. This is when the film shows us mutations of the failed experiments. A female that turned out to be the wife of Martin has a facial disfigurement and a mutated foot. The other is a particularly violent elf-like being who flits around grinning in the dark. The device doesn’t work of course as the world order must be re-established and both pay a terrible price for family secrets and the madness of mutating other people,
Fear Of Flying
British film for some reason felt it had to cast American actors in key roles to get the lucrative box office. Once again we have Brian Donlevy of “Quatermass”, who appears as the ageing Henri Delambre, who still is chasing the mad dream of the transporter.
Donlevy’s performance as the tragic scientist is predictably stilted as this was late in his career. Donlevy was more the voice and face of authority in these pictures having done his best work in film noir’s The Glass Key 1942 and Impact 1949.
George Baker as the younger Delambre is the tragic romantic lead as he switches from a hopeless desperate lover/husband of Pat to a driven scientist with a family secret.
Pat Stanley, Carole Gray delivers probably the best performance of the film, giving a very natural 1960s “Love Child” ambience.
The performances by Asian Burt Kwouk and horribly made up non-Asian Yvette Rees, as servants Tai and Wan try hard but viewed today, are seen as sad cliches. Kwouk had a long career in film and television in all genres. He may be best known as Cato Fong, Peter Sellers fighting manservant in the Pink Panther series.
A low budget does limit the sets used and some of the props, however, Don Sharp does a fine job as he would perfect the art of hiding a set and using effective lighting in his Hammer Films and others.
Curse Of The Fly 1965 works on the level of showing the effect of experimentation on people, later moving to the more traditional rampage and payoff.
Have you seen Curse of the Fly 1965? Tell us about it in the comments section below!
Stanley runs slowly out in the night towards the gate of what is later revealed to be a hospital.
Meanwhile, his brother, also named Philippe Delambre, has been experimenting with the teleportation technology and ends up teleporting himself without fully understanding the consequences. This results in Philippe's transformation into a grotesque half-human, half-fly creature known as a "Fly-man." As the film progresses, Patricia discovers the horrifying truth about the Delambre family and their experiments. She witnesses the torment and tragedy they endure as a result of their scientific ambitions. "Curse of the Fly" explores themes of identity, scientific ethics, and the consequences of tampering with nature. The movie received mixed reviews upon release, with critics praising the atmospheric cinematography and special effects while criticizing the plot for being convoluted. Although it concludes the original "Fly" series, the franchise was later rebooted in 1986 with David Cronenberg's critically acclaimed production simply titled "The Fly." Overall, "Curse of the Fly" adds another layer to the legacy of the "Fly" film series, delving into the disastrous consequences of continued experimentation and scientific pursuit. It serves as a cautionary tale about the potential dangers of scientific advancement and the price individuals may pay for pushing the boundaries of knowledge and technology..
Reviews for "The Curse Continues: Exploring the Sequels of "The Fly"
1. John - 2 stars
I was really disappointed with "Curse of the Fly". The plot was confusing and lacked coherence. The characters were poorly developed, and I couldn't feel any connection or empathy towards them. The special effects were also pretty outdated and underwhelming. Overall, the film failed to capture my interest and left me feeling unsatisfied. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a well-crafted and engaging sci-fi horror movie.
2. Emma - 1 star
"Curse of the Fly" was a complete waste of time. The acting was atrocious, with wooden performances that lacked any emotion or believability. The story was convoluted and felt disjointed, leaving me confused throughout the entire film. The editing was also poorly executed, with several scenes that didn't seem to contribute anything to the overall narrative. Additionally, the visual effects were laughably bad, ruining any potential suspense or horror. I regret watching this film and would advise others to stay far away from it.
3. Sarah - 2 stars
I had high hopes for "Curse of the Fly" as a fan of the original "The Fly" movie, but unfortunately, it fell far short of my expectations. The pacing was incredibly slow, and the movie lacked any real tension or scares. The characters were flat and uninteresting, making it difficult to invest in their fates. The plot seemed forced and poorly thought out, leaving too many loose ends and unanswered questions. Overall, it was a disappointment and not worth your time unless you're a die-hard fan of the franchise.