Review of X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963) by Brian R — 13 Mar 2012
"I've come to tell you what I see. There are great darknesses. Farther than time itself. And beyond the darkness... a light that glows, changes... and in the centre of the universe... the eye that sees us all.".
A masterpiece from horror maestro Roger Corman. Dr. James Xavier develops eyedrops intended to increase the range of human vision, allowing one to see beyond the "visible" spectrum into the ultraviolet and x-ray wavelengths and beyond. These maverick researchers being what they are, he decides to test the eyedrops on himself. This is a bad idea. My favourite actor Ray Milland plays Xavier as a boffin of the old school - he uses a bunsen burner to light a fag, and he can't help but enjoy the benefits of his enhanced vision when surrounded by dancing girls at a party (they're in the buff you see). But then it all starts to go wrong and he sees too much. So much that he can't comprehend what he's seeing and it drives him mad. It's a brilliant little film and although the 1963 special effects will probably leave many pairs of 21st century eyes quite unimpressed, to me they just add to the immense charm of the piece. A film that will make you very uneasy about using Optrex. SPECTARAMA!
This review of X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963) was written by Brian R on 13 Mar 2012.
X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes has generally received positive reviews.
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