Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

The Fly II Blu-ray Movie Review

Chris Walas's The Fly II (1989) is being released with new and exclusive extras as part of Scream Factory's five-movie box set, The Fly Collection.

My colleague Dr. Svet Atanasov covered Australian-based Via Vision Entertainment's release of The Fly II over two years ago. To read his synopsis and analysis of the film/disc, please click here.

Martin dances with a new partner.

The Fly II Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Fly II appears on its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 on this MPEG-4 AVC-encoded BD-50. The print used seems the same as the one Svet examined on the Via Vision disc. Svet wrote that "grain is retained and visible throughout the entire film, but because the master has its limitations density isn't optimal." I got the same impression in watching this transfer. Grain is fairly coarse and the density is not as pronounced if the DI had received a 4K scan or even a new 2K one. Small white specks periodically mar the image. Svet also noted the lack of edge enhancement (affirmed here), which is a plus because the DVD has some edge halos and aliasing. Scream has encoded the main feature with a mean video bitrate of 27999 kbps.

A dozen chapter selections accompany the 102-minute movie.

The Fly II Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Shout supplies a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround remix (3322 kbps, 24-bit) and the original stereo, rendered here as a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix (1661 kbps, 24-bit). The Via Vision just has a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track (3352 kbps, 24-bit). I listened to both lossless mixes on the Scream disc. My listening observations echo those of Svet. I thought the music and f/x on the 5.1 really opened up the use of the surround channels. Christopher Young's score, while original for an insect horror movie, reminds me a lot of John Williams's "The Miracle of the Ark" from Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Young's grand theme also sounds like a stylistic cousin to parts of Danny Elfman's Batman, which was also released in '89.

Optional English SDH are available to switch on while the main feature plays.

The Fly II Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Scream has ported over all the extras from the prior DVDs and Via Vision release. It's also added eight interviews (vintage and new) that haven't been included anywhere else. For details on some of the recycled featurettes, please refer to Svet's comments in his earlier review.

• Audio Commentary with Director Chris Walas and Film Historian Bob Burns - Burns serves more as a secondary commentator than as a moderator here. Walas dominates this anecdote-heavy track. Burns doesn't really have his historian cap on as he merely opines on elements he likes about The Fly II and the monster movies he grew up watching. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Fly in the Ointment – An Interview with Executive Producer Stuart Cornfeld (8:12, 1080p) - Cornfeld, who also produced The Fly (1986), talks about the changes made since Mick Garris's initial script. He also shares working with then-Fox production exec Scott Rudin and Leonard Goldberg, whose direction for the movie caused Cornfield to abort the project. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Original Visions – An Interview with Screenwriter Mick Garris (14:06, 1080p) - Garris reminisces about the projects he was working on in the mid-to-late '80s. He discusses The Fly franchise and his admiration for Cronenberg's remake. Garris lays out the ideas and concepts he wrote in an outline and a script for The Fly II. He reveals some of what survived from his original screenplay and his reaction when first seeing The Fly II. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Version 2.0 An Interview with Screenwriter Ken Wheat (22:13, 1080p) - Wheat discusses the various screenplays that were written for The Fly II and how his script differs from the others. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Big and Gothic – An Interview with Composer Christopher Young (18:34, 1080p) - Young looks back at his music education years at UCLA as well as scoring Hellraiser (1987) and Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988), which caught Mel Brooks's attention. This, in turn, landed him the scoring gig of The Fly II. Young has some funny stories of working with Brooks and also talks of his collaboration with director Chris Walas. He describes the French horns and woodwinds he wrote for the score and his favorite cue on the CD album. Finally, Young explains the importance of The Fly II to furthering his career. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Pretty Fly for a Fly Guy – An Interview with Special Effects Artist Tom Sullivan (17:45, 1080p) - Sullivan reveals the very difficult personal circumstances he was experiencing before working on The Fly II. He delves into how the creature effects were achieved on this sequel. Sullivan also speaks about working with several of his collaborators on the production. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Interview with Cinematographer Robin Vidgeon (15:20, 1080p) - Vidgeon appears interviewed in London. He starts out recounting his filming experiences on Hellraiser and Hellbound, which like Chris Young's scoring experience on those two pictures, helped him get the DP job on The Fly II. Vidgeon remembers traveling to Vancouver to work on the film and using the Fuji film stock. He compares the task of grading the colors in the analog era to today's digital world. In English, not subtitled.

• Interview with Director Chris Walas (80:19, 480i) - for whatever reason, Fox didn't find room to include this extended interview with Walas for its two-disc Collector's Edition in 2005. Portions of the interviews are incorporated into the Transformations retrospective doc but this is the full, unabridged version. It's great that Fox kept this since Walas didn't record a solo commentary. In English, not subtitled.

• Interview with Producer Steven-Charles Jaffe (35:16, 480i) - this is another interview in which we only got hear excerpts from in the recycled doc in the previously released CE. Jaffe recollects meeting with Cronenberg during pre-production and his several conversations with Mel Brooks, including on a pay phone! In English, not subtitled.

• Transformations: Looking Back at THE FLY II (48:31, 480i)

• The Fly Papers: The Buzz on Hollywood's Scariest Insect (57:38, 480i)

• Video Production Journal – A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Special Effects (18:04, 480i)

• Composer's Master Class: Christopher Young (12:42, 480i)

• Storyboard to Film Comparisons with Optional Commentary by Director Chris Walas (6:59, 480i)

• Vintage Featurette (5:10, 480i) - Fox's EPK promotional piece for The Fly II that mixes clips from the movie with interview snippets with Stoltz, Zuniga, and Walas. In English, not subtitled.

• Extended EPK Interview with Eric Stoltz (3:35, 480i) - Stoltz is interviewed on the set and discusses his character of Martin Brundle. He also brings up how hard it was to sit still in the makeup chair for eight hours.

• Extended EPK Interview with Daphne Zuniga (3:31, 480i) - Zuniga speaks about the chemistry she shares with Stoltz and ideas for her character.

• Extended EPK Interview with Chris Walas (2:41, 480i) - a brief interview with Walas that was recorded while the film was still in production.

• Alternate Ending (1:10, 480i) - this is more of an epilogue than it is an alternative ending.

• Deleted Scene (1:28, 480i) - an omitted scene where Beth visits a hamburger joint and leaves Martin in the car.

• Teaser Trailer (0:43, 480i) - a teaser for The Fly II that doesn't show any raw footage except for an ultrasound reading of Ronnie's womb. Presented in 1.33:1.

• Theatrical Trailer (1:11, 480i) - a full-screen original trailer for The Fly II.

• Still Gallery (7:15, 1080i) - a slideshow consisting of ninety-six images (all in color). These include publicity snapshots of Eric Stoltz, Daphne Zuniga, and Lee Richardson. There's also a lot of photos of Chris Walas on the set working with his actors, makeup effects teams, and creature wranglers. Polaroid shots of the fly were preserved and are presented here along with the movie's poster.

• Storyboard Gallery (4:51, 1080i) - storyboards that were sketched for the movie's big climax.

The Fly II Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Fly II is a campy "B" horror sequel that's enjoyable and entertaining to watch. Despite all the changes that occurred with the different scripts coming through, I'm pleased with how the story's resolved in the end. I like the movie a little more than Svet does and would rate it a 3.25/5.00. Chris Walas is obviously better and more adept at creating makeup and special effects than he is at directing, although he was given some of the worst circumstances and production conditions in the two films he has directed. If you own the CE DVD of The Fly II, you'll definitely want to upgrade by buying this box set. It adds eight more interviews and includes the original Dolby Surround 2.0 mix. A VERY SOLID RECOMMENDATION for fans of the film.