X - The Man with the X-Ray Eyes

Starring:Ray Milland, Diana Van der Vlis, Harold J. Stone, John Hoyt, Don Rickles, Jonathan Haze, Lorrie Summers, Jeffrey Sayre, Dick Miller, John Dierkes, Barboura Morris, Kathryn Hart, Morris Ankrum, Vicki Lee
Director: Roger Corman
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
"Only the gods see everything," cautions one scientist as Dr. James Xavier (Ray Milland) experiments with a formula that will allow the human eye to see beyond the wavelength of visible light. "I am closing in on the gods," he responds with the hubris that is doomed to destroy his overreaching ambition. A mix of Greek tragedy and sci-fi potboiler, Roger Corman's X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (simply identified as X in the eerie, odd opening credits) is a familiar tale of a scientist who risks everything to explore the unknown and is finally driven mad by, literally, seeing too much. Peeping through the clothes of comely women is all good adolescent fun until the gift becomes a nightmare as his sight rages out of control. The possibilities suggested in the hints of addiction and inconsistent bouts of megalomania remain tantalizingly unexplored in the unfocused script, and Corman's cut-rate special effects are often more hokey than haunting (the "city dissolved in an acid of light" that Xavier poetically describes becomes fuzzy photography through a series of color filters). Don Rickles offers a venal turn as a scheming carnival barker turned blackmailing con man, and Diana Van der Vlis is understanding as a sympathetic scientist who tries to rescue Xavier from his spiral into tortured madness, but in the tradition of Greek tragedy, he is doomed to be destroyed by the very gifts he desires.

Product Description

Dr. James Xavier (Milland), a world-renowned scientist, is engaged in cutting edge research in the area of human eyesight. He devises a drug that, when applied to the eyes, enables the user to see far beyond the normal realm of visible light. Dr. Xavier discovers that he can even see through solid objects. When a struggle with his colleague results in a tragic accident, Dr. Xavier goes into hiding. He continues his research, which has taken on an desperate urgency as he tries to control the escalating effects of his invention. As he watches with horror and fascination, Dr. Xavier begins to see not only through people and buildings, but through the very fabric of reality itself!

Customer Reviews:

Matthew 5:29.......2005-10-11

The same director (Roger Corman) that brought you "Attack of the Giant Crab Monsters" (1957) now brings you to new depths of depravity. Employing such veteran actors as Ray Milland "The Thing with Two Heads" (1972) and the latest scientific speculation, he has brought you "X - The Man with the X-Ray Eyes" (1963). The message is so important that it was transferred to DVD.

Moderation in all things. What happens if you get too much of a good thing?

Dr. James Xavier finds out what it is like going beyond underwear. And into the mysteries of life. His creation of drops that let you see on a new plane can be dangerous. The more he drops the more he sees.

The visual effects are worth the movie alone. Just look what happened when he was monkeying around?

Where will this all end?

Average customer rating:

X-Ray Eyes and other things that go Bump in the Night
Good solid performance from Ray Milland , creepy
Not Nice to Fool Mother Nature
Matthew 5:29
"My dear friend, only the gods see everything."

X - The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
Starring: Ray Milland , Diana Van der Vlis , Harold J. Stone , John Hoyt , and Don Rickles
Director: Roger Corman
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005AUK1
Release Date: 2001-06-05

Amazon.com

"Only the gods see everything," cautions one scientist as Dr. James Xavier (Ray Milland) experiments with a formula that will allow the human eye to see beyond the wavelength of visible light. "I am closing in on the gods," he responds with the hubris that is doomed to destroy his overreaching ambition. A mix of Greek tragedy and sci-fi potboiler, Roger Corman's X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (simply identified as X in the eerie, odd opening credits) is a familiar tale of a scientist who risks everything to explore the unknown and is finally driven mad by, literally, seeing too much. Peeping through the clothes of comely women is all good adolescent fun until the gift becomes a nightmare as his sight rages out of control. The possibilities suggested in the hints of addiction and inconsistent bouts of megalomania remain tantalizingly unexplored in the unfocused script, and Corman's cut-rate special effects are often more hokey than haunting (the "city dissolved in an acid of light" that Xavier poetically describes becomes fuzzy photography through a series of color filters). Don Rickles offers a venal turn as a scheming carnival barker turned blackmailing con man, and Diana Van der Vlis is understanding as a sympathetic scientist who tries to rescue Xavier from his spiral into tortured madness, but in the tradition of Greek tragedy, he is doomed to be destroyed by the very gifts he desires.

MGM's widescreen disc also features commentary by director-producer Corman. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

X-Ray Eyes and other things that go Bump in the Night.......2007-03-11

Neat little bit of horror. What a great outlandish idea. Ray Milland as Dr. James Xavier raelly plays this one with convinction considering the genre. That's what makes it work.

Good solid performance from Ray Milland , creepy.......2005-11-01

The best thing about this film is the question of what would happen if we each had a great power . How would we personally use it and would would be its effect on us morally ?

One can of course take this idea further , but for now I'm happy to let the film do that .

This may be a B picture and therefore possibly ignored or forgotten , but MGM has done the right thing by making it available again .

As the film goes on , the viewer sees the consequences of a scientific discovery . You should see this film if you are a horror fan or are new to the genre and only beginning to discover the classics of this type .

The ending will stay with you .

Not Nice to Fool Mother Nature.......2005-10-12

Don't ask for it or you may get more than you bargained for. This is kind of a cool movie, a bit risqué and definitely a cult classic. Ray certainly pioneered many roads in his career. He sort of went beyond the beyond in this film. Perhaps he was a true visionary!

Matthew 5:29.......2005-10-11

"My dear friend, only the gods see everything.".......2005-03-16

In X - The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963) Dr. James Xavier, played by Ray Milland, desires the ability to `access the entire wavelength spectrum' so that he may see what no one else can...what male hasn't had that dream? Seriously, if you ever read a comic book, there was always an advertisement, usually between ads for Wildroot hair tonic, how to become a muscle man, or an offer for real Texas rattlesnake eggs, that touted `X-Ray Glasses' featuring a crudely drawn illustration of a guy wearing said glasses and not only having the ability to see the bones in his hand, but also being able to see through a woman's clothes...and I bet a great deal of them were sold, not because they actually worked (most of us, on some level, knew they wouldn't), but on the very slight possibility that they might. Produced and directed by Roger Corman (Pit and the Pendulum, The Masque of the Red Death), the film stars Oscar winner Ray Milland (The Lost Weekend, The Big Clock). Also appearing is Diana Van der Vlis (The Girl in Black Stockings), Harold Stone (Spartacus), John Hoyt (Attack of the Puppet People), and Don `Mr. Warmth' Rickles (Beach Blanket Bingo, Kelly's Heroes).

As I already mentioned, Milland plays Dr. James Xavier, a man with an obsession. You see, as humans, we only see about ten percent of what's actually out there, and he wants more (greedy bastich). During his research he develops the X formula, which in experiments allows a monkey to see through cardboard, but has a curious side effect of death...Xavier chalks this up to the monkeys minuscule brain not being able to comprehend what it sees, thus shutting down and causing the demise, but humans are smarter than monkeys, so shouldn't have the same problem, right? Right...so Xavier begins experiments on himself, and finds success, but not without a price. After the accidental death of a colleague (or murder, however you want to look at it), Xavier is forced to take a hasty leave, joining a carnival, calling himself Mentallo, using his newfound ability to scrounge a few bucks by impressing the rubes, and donning sunglasses much like those Terminator glasses your grandmother wears. This leads to his involvement with a rather odious carnie and small time hustler named Crane (Rickles), who convinces Xavier to open an inner city clinic and earn even bigger bucks by `healing' the poor. Things start out relatively well, but that changes as this new venture eventually falls apart, so what's next? Well, if you have X-ray vision and need a lot of dough, where would you go? Las Vegas? Sounds like a plan, but initial success is yet again tainted by dismal failure, and soon Xavier is on the run again...oh yeah, did I mention the effects of his continual use of the X formula results in cumulative effects?

In case you're wondering if there are any scenes where Xavier sees through women's clothes, yes there is, as at one point he is talked into going to a swinging party, featuring all kinds of comely, young females. Do we get to see what he sees? Kind of, as we see a bunch of naked backs and legs, but that's about it...it was oddly creepy as Milland presents such a intense and focused character throughout the story, but for a few moments we see a lascivious side that's counteracts the serious nature of the film and his character...speaking of oddly creepy, check out a mature Milland (he was in his mid 50's at the time) frugging it up at the party...it's a brief scene, but one that will be stuck in my minds eye for quite some time. Milland does quite a good job here (acting, not dancing), the scientist ultimately punished by his own arrogance, but one can't help feel an overall sense of sadness in that such an accomplished actor was now resigned to appearing in somewhat schlocky material as this...and it got progressively worse, with such features as Frogs (1972), The Thing with Two Heads (1972), and The Attic (1979) looming in his future. Oh well, work is work, I suppose...the rest of the cast is rather bland, except for Rickles, who gets in a few good zingers at some carnival patrons expense. While this is certainly an inexpensive feature, Corman generally always, in my opinion, seemed to be able to get the most for his money in terms of his films having better production values than expected. The direction is very good, as the pacing is quick (the running time is a minimal 79 minutes). Probably the most interesting aspect of the story is the notion that the main characters power of sight keeps developing (that whole cumulative effect I spoke of earlier). This presents the idea that eventually the characters ability will extend ad infinitum, allowing one to speculate that eventually he'll be able to see into the very core of the universe, and depending on your beliefs, possibly even the Creator himself. The special effects are not particularly spectacular, but they worked for me, and I'm sure at the time they probably appeared quite trippy and psychotropic (check out the opening scenes featuring bloody eyeballs). There are rumors that the ending provided here was actually shortened, that Milland's character had one more line, and the abrupt ending of the film seems to support this, but Corman has maintained this wasn't true. Regardless if this is true or not, it's still a memorable ending.

The wide screen anamorphic (1.85:1) presentation on this DVD from MGM looks very clean and sharp, and the Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono audio comes through clearly. There are a couple of special features including the original 5-minute theatrical prologue that provides the audience an introduction to the five senses (when they started talking about the sense of taste, watch for some kid massacring an ice cream cone), a running audio commentary track with Roger Corman, and an original theatrical trailer.

Cookieman108

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