10 Most Incredible Practical Effects In Sci-Fi Movie History

The 1958 film, The Fly, had some impressive effects for a B-movie but it was the 1986 reboot which set the golden standard for visual effects.

Jeff Goldblum plays a scientist called Brundle whose DNA fuses with a fly after a teleportation experiment goes awry. He gradually mutates, taking on more and more insect-like characteristics. By the end, he has metamorphosed into a human-fly hybrid called the Brundlefly.

The director, David Cronenberg, wanted the film to symbolise how society disassociates from people who are elderly or terminally ill. Such a powerful message could have been jeopardised if the special effects weren't up to standard. Luckily, the realistic animatronics and haunting visual effects helped The Fly earn a reputation as one of the terrifying horror film of the 1980s. On top of that, it won an Oscar for Best Makeup.

It took up to five hours to apply makeup to Goldblum for the scenes where his character is in the later stages of his transformation. For the last scene, the prosthetics Goldblum was wearing weighed up to 5lbs.

Interestingly, a lot of the hardware and prosthetics used for Gremlins was modified and repurposed for Brundle's final form.