The 1950s
were a golden era for horror and monster movies. Much of the world was
undergoing a post-WWII boom, but there were still threats aplenty that people
needed to exorcise from the psyche somehow – Communists (real or imagined) and
the omnipresent spectre of nuclear war. From this climate, The Fly was conceived and birthed.
The film takes a very literal approach to the costuming, with a giant plastic
fly head and “claw”. It’s cheesy by today’s standards, but it’s pretty typical
stuff for the time. And when you watch enough older sci-fi or horror movies,
you get to kind of enjoy this aesthetic. For instance, you can see the mould
lines on the Metaluna Mutant’s costume – but does it really detract from the
mood of the movie? Would a modern CG version look better without a substantial
redesign? Generally, the answer is no. So you’re better off just rolling with
it.
This
Mystery Mini replicates the look from the film fairly faithfully, while still
matching with the stylised feel of the wider range. He’s got his lab coat, fly
head and claw – all the key details that stand out. Paintwork is fairly nice
too, with a metallic blue giving the distinctive fly’s eye look.
I’ve never
seen the original version of The Fly,
but I’m quite a fan of the 1986 Cronenberg version, which is far more graphic and
focused on body horror than the original ever would have been allowed to be. And
of course, I like the Misfits
song about the series too. So this figure wasn’t essential for my
collection – but in spite of being from 20th Century Fox, he fits in
nicely with the Universal Monsters.
The Fly is
packed at a 1/24 ratio; I’ve only ever come across one, and I was fortunate
enough to find it in a comics store that sold them individually. It’s a great
figure, and if you can track it down for a reasonable price, it’s well worth
the investment. Now here’s hoping we eventually get a POP of this guy, and a
Brundlefly too.
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