Dueling Trailers: The Fly (1958 and 1986)

Here's another dueling trailer post. As mentioned before, I do not discuss the movies themselves in these entries, merely the way they're advertised. Anyway, with that in mind, here are the trailers to both versions of The Fly.

The Fly (1958)
dir. Kurt Neumann


"The Fly is on its way. Watch out for it. It's far beyond anything your mind could ever conceive."*
-Vincent Price's trailer narration

OK, let's face facts, regardless of your feelings toward this, the original version of The Fly, it's got Cronenberg's version beat in the trailer department. In fact, this might be one of my favorite trailers I've ever posted on the blog. So much awesome. Of course, it kinda had to be.

"Shit, our fly effects look like shit. How are gonna—what I mean to say is, we gotta play up how scary this is, but ain't nothing scary about that shit. Quick, what can we...what do we got in this movie we can exploit?"

At this point, Vincent Price walked into the room. "Why, hello."

The director, with a devilish grin, responded to the producer, "That's our trailer."

"Of course, why do we need to show anything from the movie, when Vincent is scary enough?"

"Boys, I'm right here; I can hear you."

"Then it's agreed. Just before the trailer is about to reveal the cheap effects, we'll cut to Vincent giving a monologue, then some scary sounds from the movie, then some more Vincent."

"Yes, as little fly and as much Vincent as possible."

*Unless your mind can conceive cheap rubber mask effects.

[The trailer:]


The Fly (1958)
dir. David Cronenberg


"There is a limit, even to the imagination. Where our greatest creations meet our deepest fears. You are about to go beyond that limit."
-Trailer Narrator

OK, this bit of trailer narration just smacks of douchiness. Whether intentional or not, it hearkens to Vincent Price's trailer narration quoted above. The difference: this trailer showcases all the wonderful fly effects from Cronenberg's version of the movie—as if to say, "hey, remember how the original movie promised to go beyond anything your mind could conceive? Well, this movie actually does."

Yes, by damn near every measure, Cronenberg's remake is a better movie than the original. But do you have to rub it in? You're hurting the original movie's feelings. That being said, the advertising team got a little too cocky this time around; they knew they didn't have to do much to pimp the movie. Hence, this standard eighties, gravelly-narrated, plot-rundown, special effects-showcase trailer.

[The trailer:]