Spy on the Fly

Director - Ray Harrison (The Roman Springs on Mrs. Stone, Always on Sunday)

Starring - Warren Fremming 

Release Date - 1967

Genre - Comedy

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

I'm not a fan of the James Bond films.  My grandmother would try for years to get me interested in them but they were just something that bored the hell out of me.  I loved the cheeky characters but I hated how the situations and stories were always so predictable and cliched.  Sure, I love cheesy movies that are often predictable but it was something about how series the movies tried to be that just turned me off.  When I ordered the What Really Happened to Baby Jane? and the films of the Gay Girls Riding Club I never expected to see a drag parody of a James Bond film.  Yet, here I sit writing a review for Spy on the Fly from 1967.  I didn't care for it but it was a lot more fun than most of the James Bond flicks.

     The film follows a female spy who travels to San Francisco to stop an evil villain from nuking the world.  However, her trip there results in several hijinks and calamities.  

     I've never been a fan of spy films.  I grew up as a normal kid watching age appropriate films like Space Jam, Transformers: The Movie, Good Burger, Air Bud, and so on.  I was born in the mid-80s but the 90s was my playground and during that time I was never really interested in spy flicks.  In late middle-school and early high school I was introduced to John Waters after a few years of horror so my tastes in film started to change.  That would explain why I found myself more interest in Spy on the Fly than films like those with James Bond or Mission Impossible.   Regardless, Spy on the Fly had some moments but was also a wash like most of the films it was trying to parody.  The acting in this one is consistent with the other film in the set.  The cast is all high energy and charismatic on screen but the characters have no depth and no attachment to the story.  Not really the casts fault but don't expect a traditionally acted short here.  The story for this one is difficult to follow which is a theme for the films in this set.  Its goofy, and there is a few humorous moments, but the way the film was shot doesn't leave an actual plot or story for the viewer to enjoy.  It's chaotic and difficult to follow.  Finally, don't expect a bloody mess of a film.  No blood or gore here but we do have some men in drag bringing about levels of energy on screen that is rarely duplicated.  Overall, Spy on the Fly is another weak contribution to this set.  It's not really a bad film but the lack of story and characters does make it a difficult one to finish.  Honestly, I would skip this one for this releases flagship short.