I don’t think having this power would be as cool as it looks.
X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963)
Directed By: Roger Corman (The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre)
The Prologue
Well, well, well! Today we have a film directed by the great Roger Corman! A man who is probably known more for some of the films he has produced more so than the one he has actually directed himself. But none the less we have a film that many simply call X. Some call this The Man with the X-Ray Eyes, but we’ll just call it X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes to cover all the bases. Plus, it WAS released at times under that whole name so it’s not like I’m making it up myself. If I were, I’d simply just call it X, seeing as how I’m lazy that’s simple. So lets dip our lovely toes into this old school film from 1963! A film you cal also call your own by getting it over at Cheezy Flicks!!
The Movie
Dr. James Xavier isn’t just happy with seeing in perfect 20/20 fashion. No sir, that’s simply not good enough at all for him. He devises a drug, that when applied to the eyes, enables the user to see beyond the normal realm of our sight (ultraviolet rays etc.) it also gives the user the power to see through objects. When he gets a little too carried away his funding is then cut off, which pisses him off. When he them accidentally kills one of his friends, he finds himself on the run, hiding from the police but still trying to see things nobody could ever dream of seeing. And you just know that’s not going to go well.
This film may be old school but it sure does bring a little something to the table. I think the highlight of the film is the actor playing Dr. James Xavier, Ray Milland. Sure, the plot is a little silly and it’s all means far fetched and limited to the camera tricks of 1963, but he holds his own and plays the role about as perfectly as anyone could. Which is a great thing since everyone else seems to just go with the flow or come across as a cardboard cut-outs came to life for the roles they were given. Maybe the role of half-crazed doctor who takes his work a little too far has been played out for many a years, but he at least makes the blueprint for the role here.
The movie, like many movies of it’s time period, does run a little slow. And that really hurts things a bit here since the film really isn’t that long to begin with. It’s a film that doesn’t have enough time to wear out it’s welcome, but it still should of rushed things up a bit. The movie takes a few turns and leads you down different paths as we follow the doctor on his quest to hide and evolve his experiment, but all that happens in very subtle fashion. While there are those of you that something like that doesn’t bother to much, many of you may find it a bit boring. I myself can handle it if the story is interesting and strong enough, but I didn’t think this movie had THAT strong of a story to make up for it.
But it still does what it does well enough to justify it not being totally crapped on. It’s a film that some may well love, if for nothing more the classic ways of it and the cheesy effects and stunts it packs. Even for an old film I did find the final moments to be a bit cryptic and chilling for a film of it’s time-frame and nature. It’s a pretty weird and interesting ending for a film that up til then was your usually run of the film classic/old school film. While you probably won’t love it (the majority of you anyway), I could see where you may have a little fun with it if you have nothing better to do. If nothing else, the ending is really interesting.
The Conclusion
Cheezy Flicks is the place to be if you wish to check out The Man with the X-Ray Eyes! And as always you really can’t be the price there for it. I think it’s nothing too exciting but it’s far more interesting than I ever dreamed it would be. So while I can’t give it the best score in the world, I do think it could be fun for someone to check out if they decided to.
The Rating (5.5/10)
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