THE FLY (1958)

• Director: Kurt Neumann
• Cast: David Hedison, Patricia Owens, Vincent Price
• Film: 94mins | USA | Subtitles | Intermission
• Event: Doors 6pm | Intro + Film 6:30pm – 9pm [18+]
• Takes place in the Members’ Bar (membership not required)

“ONCE IT WAS HUMAN… EVEN AS YOU AND I!”

A scientist has a horrific accident when he tries to use his newly invented teleportation device.

BAR TRASH celebrates our 3rd year and 10th sensational season with WE ARE TRASH!, a fan-made mixtape of cult and chaotic cinema (14 May to 20 Aug 2025).

Propelled entirely by suggestions from our audience review cards, WE ARE TRASH! revives fan favourites from the BAR TRASH archives alongside more films from/featuring kick-ass women, more world cinema, more mystery films, and LOTS more Vincent Price.

Launching our Vincent Price Sidequest — showing exclusively at Finsbury Park Picturehouse — we are stupidly proud to present one of The Master of Menace’s ultimate monster movies and another of Hollywood’s sensational stories of atomic mayhem, THE FLY (1958).

Kurt Neumann’s 1958 film tells the story of a scientist who becomes a grotesque human-fly hybrid when his experiment with a molecular transportation device goes horribly wrong… Based on a short story by George Langelaan published in Playboy, the Cinemascope film was a commercial success, launched a series of sequels —  RETURN OF THE FLY (1959) and CURSE OF THE FLY (1965) — and inspired a brilliant remake by David Cronenberg (which spawned its own wayward offspring…). It also established Vincent Price as a much-loved star of the horror genre. Although, not everyone involved thought THE FLY was a masterpiece:

“THE FLY, which I did back in Hollywood, was just plain ridiculous. There was one scene, which I told the director Kurt Neumann, was crazy. They had the figure of a man reduced to the size of a fly, and the fly talked. And they made the man say, ‘Help me, help me!’ in a tiny voice. Oh, gee!”

Cinematographer, Karl Struss (THE GREAT DICTATOR, ISLAND OF LOST SOULS)

Polite notice: We are showing THE FLY with subtitles from the best available digital source. 

// BAR TRASH is a celebration of cult and curious cinema, hosted by queer film fanatic Token Homo and friends. Films are served with introductions, intermissions, prize giveaways, and subtitles / captions where possible. Tickets £8 / £5 for PH members. Adults 18+ only. Follow @tokenhomo on Instagram for updates. //