X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
Short description
A prominent scientist, Dr. James Xavier, has spent years researching human eyesight, but when his funding is withdrawn, he turns to testing an experimental serum on himself. The drops sharpen his vision far beyond normal limits, eventually allowing him to see through solid objects and even into the human body. His colleague Dr. Brant grows alarmed at what the serum is doing and urges him to stop, but Xavier continues using it, and a struggle between the two men ends with Brant falling to his death. Now wanted by the police, Xavier goes on the run, drifting from place to place while the drug's effects intensify and take a mounting physical toll.
Roger Corman directed this 1963 release, the eleventh of the nineteen films he directed in chronological order, arriving between The Terror and The Raven. Robert Dillon and Ray Russell wrote the screenplay, and Corman also produced. Ray Milland leads the cast as Xavier, with Diana Van der Vlis as Diane Fairfax, Harold J. Stone as Brant, John Hoyt and Don Rickles in supporting roles, and an uncredited Dick Miller.
On IMDb the film holds a rating of 6.6 from around 9,100 votes, and on TMDB it also stands at 6.6, from 276 votes. A critics' rating of 6.5 from 26 reviews sits in line with those audience scores, suggesting broad agreement about the film's merits. Made on a modest budget by American International Pictures and Alta Vista Productions, it runs 79 minutes.
What's left behind the scenes
- For a long time, rumors circulated that the final scene, in which the main character screams, "I can still see!", was cut by censors. Director Roger Corman stated in an interview that such a scene was indeed discussed, but it was never actually filmed.
- To create the effect of being able to see through a building, director Roger Corman filmed a building while it was under construction. This took place in downtown Los Angeles. The building later housed utility services. Construction began in 1963 and was completed in 1965.
- According to director Roger Corman, the concept for the film was his own. Initially, he decided to make the main character a scientist, then decided to change the scientist to a musician, but later returned to the original idea regarding the protagonist's profession.
- The screenplay for a proposed remake of the film was written by Tim Burton and co-writer Brian Goluboff, but the film never went into production.
- Initially, the film was preceded by a 5-minute prologue discussing the senses. The prologue was later removed, reducing the film's total runtime to 79 minutes.
- Close-ups of the main character's hands during the operation feature the hands of an actual surgeon.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
