Fly [2 Discs]

After spending years consigned to one half of a double-feature disc, David Cronenberg's brilliantly personalized take on The Fly has received a special edition worthy of its merits. Starting off the package is a slick new transfer; the video offers a slight but noticeable improvement on the past edition, with a richer sense of color and detail as well as mastering for high-definition. The audio portion of the disc offers effective 5.1 Dolby and DTS mixes guaranteed to give the viewer's stereo system a workout. The first disc also features an excellent commentary track from Cronenberg that covers everything from technical and aesthetic details to on-the-set memories in the director's wry, understated style. The second disc is where the real treats begin for the film's longtime fans. First up is a new epic-length documentary on the making of The Fly that covers everything one could ever want to know about the film (with the selection of optional scene extensions, it can go all the way up to two hours and 45 minutes). This might be too much of a good thing for some viewers but the producers' willingness to leave no stone unturned is truly impressive. There's also a gallery of deleted scenes that have been painstakingly reconstructed and given new sound mixes for this disc -- fans of the film will flip over the often discussed but rarely seen "Monkey Cat" sequence. The viewer's behind-the-scenes knowledge is further extended with a series of film tests, including an amusing bit where Cronenberg camps it up in a fly costume on the film's revolving set. Elsewhere, the second disc features an elaborate series of still galleries that cover everything from the expected stills and conceptual art to reproductions of script drafts and the George Langelaan short story that inspired all the Fly films. Rounding out the disc is a generous trailer collection that includes all the theatrical and television trailers for the 1986 version of The Fly as well as trailers from The Fly 2, the 1958 version of The Fly, and The Return of the Fly. In short, this is a stellar DVD package, and fans of horror and sci-fi classics will be thrilled with its thorough excellence.