X - The Man with the X-Ray Eyes - Roger Corman (1963)
To be sincere I didn't so much expect it to be but this was one AWESOME movie.
Written by Ray Russell, the story centers upon the brilliant if obsessive scientist James Xavier (Ray Milland)who is intent on expanding the range of human vision with his wonder drug 'X'. The extent of James' obsession is revealed in a conversation with his friend Sam.
Sam: "Only the gods see everything"
James: "My friend, I'm closing in on the gods"
James' formula works, giving him the ability to see through people's clothing, their skin and even beyond. But disaster erupts when a cynical committee withdraws his funding and he is returned to routine clinical practice. A heated argument with a colleague over the operating table gives way to a freak mishap in which he causes the death of his friend and our brilliant researcher becomes a man on the run. He spends his time in hiding as a cheap carnival act, only unlike the others, his talent is no sleight of hand, no trick. Found out by his agent Crane (a brilliant, palpably sleazy turn by Don Rickles), he is arm-twisted into becoming a 'healer' for money.
All this while, his eyesight grows painfully more intense, perceiving radiations beyond the pale of the visible spectrum. In place of unaffordable fancy effects (and perhaps all for the better, although it is interesting to fantasize about a more technically accomplished version that would retain the soul of the original movie) the story uses gripping and evocative dialog to convey the frightening distortion of Xavier's vision.
Throughout the narrative there is an air of tragedy and horror. The lead character, thanks to Russell's writing and Milland's performance, has been etched out so well, you empathize at each moment with what he's going through.
The climax is a shocking literal interpretation of the biblical command "If thine eye offends thee, pluck it out"
To be sincere I didn't so much expect it to be but this was one AWESOME movie.
Written by Ray Russell, the story centers upon the brilliant if obsessive scientist James Xavier (Ray Milland)who is intent on expanding the range of human vision with his wonder drug 'X'. The extent of James' obsession is revealed in a conversation with his friend Sam.
Sam: "Only the gods see everything"
James: "My friend, I'm closing in on the gods"
James' formula works, giving him the ability to see through people's clothing, their skin and even beyond. But disaster erupts when a cynical committee withdraws his funding and he is returned to routine clinical practice. A heated argument with a colleague over the operating table gives way to a freak mishap in which he causes the death of his friend and our brilliant researcher becomes a man on the run. He spends his time in hiding as a cheap carnival act, only unlike the others, his talent is no sleight of hand, no trick. Found out by his agent Crane (a brilliant, palpably sleazy turn by Don Rickles), he is arm-twisted into becoming a 'healer' for money.
All this while, his eyesight grows painfully more intense, perceiving radiations beyond the pale of the visible spectrum. In place of unaffordable fancy effects (and perhaps all for the better, although it is interesting to fantasize about a more technically accomplished version that would retain the soul of the original movie) the story uses gripping and evocative dialog to convey the frightening distortion of Xavier's vision.
Throughout the narrative there is an air of tragedy and horror. The lead character, thanks to Russell's writing and Milland's performance, has been etched out so well, you empathize at each moment with what he's going through.
The climax is a shocking literal interpretation of the biblical command "If thine eye offends thee, pluck it out"