User Reviews

Roger Corman originally made this movie about a scientist, but that was "too obvious" so he changed the lead to be "a jazz musician who had taken too much drugs, and I get into about four or five pages, and I thought, "You know, I don't like this idea", and so I threw the whole thing out, and started back and went back with the scientist, which was the original idea/"

Shot in three weeks on a budget of approximately $300,000 - that seems luxurious for Corman - and played a double feature with Dementia 13.

It stars Ray Milland as Dr. James Xavier, who is trying to increase the range of human vision, allowing hums to see the ultraviolet and x-ray wavelengths and even beyond. Being a somewhat mad scientist, he tests the eyedrops on himself and soon can do more than just see through clothes, he can see shapes, colors and forms even when his eyes are closed, as his eyelids can't stop the visions.

After a friend is killed by accident, he heads for Vegas, where he wins money at casinos and becomes part of a sideshow. The problem is that by this point, his eyes are entirely black and he can't shut off the visions that allow him to see into the heart of the universe.

Finally, a revival church tells him that if his eyes offend him, he should pluck them out. So he does! What an ending!

I'm spoiling that to tell you how awesome Roger Corman is.

In Danse Macabre, Stephen King claimed that there was an unshot ending with Milland screaming "I can still see" after gouging out his eyes. Corman replied by saying, "Now it's interesting. Stephen King saw the picture and wrote a different ending, and I thought, "His ending is better than mine.""

With great small roles for Don Rickles and Dick Miller, this movie moves so fast and gets so much in that it's nearly perfect. The effects may be dated, but who cares? They work. The whole movie just works.

Dr. James Xavier has a dream to enable mankind to see beyond the narrow spectrum that human eyes can comprehend so he creates an optical solution to be dropped into the eyes. He tries the drops on a monkey and then himself. Things don't go well after that. In one of his best directed films Roger Corman takes his protagonist on a troubled journey to a startling ending. Dr. Xavier does see light beyond the usual light but it weighs heavily on him. It's a fine film. Dr. Xavier is played very well by Ray Milland and despite what he does you always feel sympathy for him. Unlike the odious carnival barker Crane acted strongly by Don Rickles. Familiar faces like Morris Ankrum, John Dierkes, Dick Miller, Barboura Morris and Harold J. Stone offer sterling support. It's filmed attractively in 'Spectrarama' by Floyd Crosby and has a haunting music score by Les Baxter. Some people have suggested it should be re-made with better special effects. Not me.

Science fiction which questions the very nature of existence itself is probably the most fascinating basis for a story idea addressed. Prior to X: THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES the only other film to explore this theme was Jack Arnold's profound THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN (1957) and both of these ground-breaking films paved the way for later endeavours like Stanley Kubrick's experimental 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968).

X: THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES was released theatrically on September 1963. On network television at this time were two important sci-fi/fantasy series namely Rod Serling's THE TWILIGHT ZONE and Joseph Stefano's THE OUTER LIMITS. This Roger Corman work is very much the same school of science fiction as both of these series which places greater emphasis on strong writing, provocative drama, outstanding performances and ensemble casting as the main foundation for storytelling and focus for viewer interest.

Ray Milland as Dr. James Xavier sets the film's premise by noting that the human eye is only sensitive to one-tenth the spectrum of light and what would be seen if human vision developed enough to perceive the full spectrum. Unfortunately as his range of vision increases more and more his sensibilities prove inadequate to cope with the indefinable apparitions which he beholds and his radically changing perception of the physical world around him. The most significant and telling moment occurs when Dr. Xavier hiding out from the law in a tenement basement apartment (for the unintentional death of a colleague) peers upward with his super-vision penetrating through the ceiling of his room and sees beyond the night sky, past the starry heavens and beholds the very center of existence itself causing the awe-struck researcher to cry out in anguished torment.

Later with the authorities in hot pursuit, Dr. Xavier enters the tent of a road-show religious bible meeting and movingly tells the incredulous throng gathered within about what he has witnessed evocatively describing the vision as a "great eye" at the core of the universe which sees and watches us all.

The nihilistic ending of the film involves Dr. Xavier plucking-out his eyeballs (now no longer recognizable as eyes) at the impassioned urgence of a fanatical evangelist and his congregation with the image of Xavier's countenance freeze-framing to disclose his empty blood-red eye sockets then abruptly fading out to black (followed by the closing credits). This would seem to reaffirm the timeworn homily that there are some things man was not meant to know (or tamper with) and many critics and theatre goers understandably found this conclusion somewhat discordant and incongruous with the ideas and events which had preceded it. However this restructured ending was mandated at the insistence of the studio heads and is not the finale that was initially filmed. The original conclusion as intended had Dr. Xavier plucking out his eyeballs and looking around in confusion he cries out, "I can still see!" which sheds a different light for not only had his expansive vision enabled Xavier to observe the infinite but his heightened perception has now evolved beyond the need of mere eyes for sight.

X: THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES was the third of three interesting works produced by American International Pictures (over a two year period) which starred Ray Milland. The other two films were Roger Corman's THE PREMATURE BURIAL (1962) and PANIC IN YEAR ZERO (1962) which Mr. Milland both directed and starred in. Not surprisingly Mr. Milland gives an exceptional performance as the ill-fated Dr. Xavier and his distinguished name and considerable Thespian expertise certainly gives this film much prestige and impact. Ray Milland is ably supported by a fine supporting cast of talented professionals including Diana Van Der Vliss, Harold J. Stone, John Hoyt, Don Rickles (in a marvelous straight character role), John Dierkes and a brief appearance by sci-fi film veteran Morris Ankrum (as a hospital board member).

Mention must also be made of Les Baxter's hauntingly atmospheric and unusual music score (particularly memorable is this compelling composition's wailing siren-like quality) which ranks among his best. Mr. Baxter is primarily known for his musical contributions to the early editions of Roger Corman's Poe series of horror films, AIP's Beach Party movies and other AIP hits such as William Witney's MASTER OF THE WORLD (1961) and Jacques Tourneur's THE COMEDY OF TERRORS (1964).

X: THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES is certainly one of the most important films in the catalogue of both Roger Corman and American International Pictures and marked Corman's welcome return to the sci-fi genre which he had abandoned since the late 1950's. At this point in time Roger Corman was riding the crest of considerable artistic and commerical triumph (thanks mainly to his renowned Edgar Allan Poe film series) and X: THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES came in a lush period of inspiration and creativity where this auteur director seemly could do no wrong.

(NOTE: Possible spoiler, but it all really depends on what you think of as a "spoiler".)

I just finished watching "X: The Man With X-Ray Eyes" and to tell the truth, I'm a little unsure of what to make of it. It is such a beautifully flawed film, I don't know whether to call it quirky, great, horrendous, or what. I suppose I'll just write and figure out what I wanted to say at the end.

I'll start with the low points. Of course, it's horrendously dated and tacky, but that's the problem of the modern viewer, not the film. The plot is incredulous and has a couple of huge, gapng holes (pun intended), but if you're watching a film called "X: The Man With X-Ray Eyes", you shouldn't be expecting Mamet.

The film's dialogue thins out in many spots, and in fact, some of the lines seem to come right out of a High School drama project. The film also seems padded in places, most notably the stretch in Vegas and the car chase that seems to go on forever. It's as if they needed to stretch out the film in these spots, in order to make it feature-length. Lastly, director Roger Corman relies heavily on the "special effects" in the film, which are quite interesting when first used and then because of overuse, rarely reach the same intensity again.

However, the film's high points overshadow the roughness, most of the time. The acting is superb (despite some incredibly hokey dialogue), especially from Ray Milland in the title role. However, I was personally knocked out by Don Rickles (no, really), who puts in a truly real and unforgettable performance as a sideshow carny who finds his meal ticket in X.

Let's see, what else...the story is truly wonderful in spite of its hokiness; it makes the viewer think about many issues. "Are there things man was not meant to know?" "Can science go too far?" "Can knowledge drive one mad?" Or, as my brother asked, "Why doesn't he use his powers for good, like getting sex?"

Finally, many scenes are both emotionally and viscerally shocking. The carnies' conversation with the mysterious "Mentallo" is starkly haunting, as a man who has been driven away from everything he knows is being reprimanded by ignorant fools that cannot comprehend his situation. The final scene in the Christian revival tent is both chilling and shocking, as we watch the nearly mad Xavier relating his tale of the "eye at the center of the universe" and being damned by the preacher, who tells him, "If thine eyes offend thee, cast them out!!" In the 1960s this would have been gut-wrenchingly sickening; it's effect is dulled only slightly on a modern audience.

So, what are my final thoughts? Despite its flaws, "X" is still a very good film, bordering on great. It's definitely a "must-see" for any fan of horror or sci-fi, and even people who wouldn't normally see a film like this should give it a try. It may not always be pretty; it may not always be shocking; it may not always be good. But the last frame of the film will always remain with you, and you'll want to talk about it with someone when you're done, even if it's only to say, "Was that as weird as I thought it was?"