Search - The Man with X-Ray Eyes on DVD

Great Eyedea for a Horror Film. Douple Dip? The Rumor of t

Mike Liddell | Massachusetts | 06/12/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Roger Corman's "X" The Man With The X-Ray Eyes is a great sci-fi horror film made for only $300,000. The title might have you think it's an over the top B movie but the material is taken very seriously with a lot of help from Oscar winner Ray Milland as Dr. Xavier.
Dr. Xavier is a surgeon and scientist who is being funded to improve eyesight and creates a type of serum that enables X ray vision. With pressure to stop funding his experiments Dr. Xavier decides to use the eye drops on himself. This is the interesting Sci-fi angle that turns into somewhat of an adventure when Xavier accidentally kills a colleague and ends up on the run.
Becoming obsessed to see more and more Xavier continues to use the drops and uses dark glasses to cover his eyes. He makes money working at a carnival. At first the concept has it's perks, seeing through clothes and that sort of thing but soon Xavier can see through the skin, organs, and can see walking skeletons. He can see the beginnings of cites. This is where the horror concept comes in the film. It's brilliant because it knows what you can't see, the unknown is usually the most frightening to us. We do get glimpses of what the Dr. sees but at the end and on the run as he stumbles into a church sermon, his eyes completely black he says he sees beyond the blackness to the center of the universe and it isn't pleasant. We the viewers can fill in our own worst imaginable fear of what lurks in the dark or in this case the unknown because the Dr. never sees the dark anymore even when he sleeps he sees through his eyelids. Another very smart aspect is using the eye itself, it's such a sensitive part of our bodies.

Rumor of the original ending: ** SPOILER ALERT **
I read in Stephen King's Stephen King's Danse Macabre that (which may or may not be true) the final dialogue of the film was cut because it was too horrifying. According to the rumor after Milland rips out his eyes at the end he screams: I can still see!
The ending was great but if this is true it makes it greater.

If you already own a copy of the Midnite Movies version that transfer is pristine. I've been very impressed with the Midnite Movies versions and they tend to go out of print easily. I see no need to upgrade.
With the reputation Midnite Movies has I'd still if you can find it go with that. However if it does go out of print this is a must to add to your collection.
Midnite Movie version Spec Features.
Rare Proluge, Audio Commentary with Roger Corman. Original Theatrical Trailer. 1: 85 (no black bars) 16:9 Enhanced widescreen the transfer looks great.
From what I've seen there aren't any new features on the new version. If I find out that there are I will update this review."

Sci-Fi

D. Barber | Tacoma.Wash. | 12/26/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Roger Corman gets slammed a lot for his cheesier productions, OK fair enough; but there is still sometimes a kind of engaging quality to some of his work. Man With The X-ray Eyes is one of those films. Despite low-budget production standards and early 60's special effects, this film is kind of spooky. I honestly feel that this is a minor sci-fi gem that no collection should be without. By the way, Ray Milland also made a great little cult film of his own around this time, called: Panic In The Year Zero. In a way, scarier than most monster movies."