Rating: 
Summary: More Cheap Film making from Corman.
Review: Between the unfinished script, cheap film making style, and an A-List actor like Milland working under the very stupid direction of Corman, and the cheap effects. This movie is more comedey then horror and the Corman's commentery on the film sounds like he was smoking something illegel at the time of this film's making.
Rating: 
Summary: Oedipus Milland
Review: "X" - THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES is one of the better movies produced by Roger Corman. The DVD gives the option for his commentary and I was intrigued by his remark from the late Ray Milland, that the two movies of which he was most proud, were LOST WEEKEND (for which he won an Academy Award) and this movie, "X". The other reviews give a pretty good synopsis: Milland plays a doctor who uses experimental drops on his own eyes to give him x-ray vision. Either because of obsession or addiction, he keeps taking the drug and when opposed by a colleague, he accidentally kills him. He becomes a fugitive from the law and one could also argue, from himself. He is warned early on that the drops might also affect the brain. This might explain why he goes into quick rages and makes impulsive decisions. Of course, a doctor experimenting on himself is not too swift either, as Dr. Jekyll could say about his Mr. Hyde. A warning about scientific hubris is given at the very beginning of the film. Is he challenging the gods? At the film's closure he sees through to the light beyond the vast darkness of space. He sees a cosmic eye that sees all and knows all. This element might be lost on the casual viewer. This distant eye sees Dr. Xavier (Milland) and knows he is watching back. This proves too much for Dr. Xavier. While we might know God by faith, represented by the people in the last scene's revival tent, the Old Testament tells us that no one can see the face of God and live. The temptation from the serpent in the garden is realized, "you will become as gods." It was a lie in the beginning and it is still a lie. We are convicted as weak and sinful men and women. Dr. Xavier says that he has not come to be saved, but to tell what he sees. He becomes a prophet, so to speak. His vision is condemned as from the devil. It may be the truth, but maybe there are some things we are not meant to know? Can science go too far? Or, is the problem not science, but a lack of caution and discipline? Can faith and science compliment each other? This is only a movie, but it makes us think about many questions. >No nudity although bare shoulders and legs demonstrate the ability to see through clothes. >Plot violence includes a man falling out a window and a car crash. >Little gore although at the very end he does something to his eyes reminescent of Oedipus. Enough said!
Rating:
Summary: Nice mix of horror and humor
Review: An engaging little thriller, but slightly marred by the abruptness of its "shock" ending. Excellent image, however, and a fair amount of extras for a discount DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Nice mix of horror and humor
Review: An engaging little thriller, but slightly marred by the abruptness of its "shock" ending. Excellent image, however, and a fair amount of extras for a discount DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the Great "B" Movies
Review: Corman hits the nail on the head with this classic Sci-Fantasy tale. Milland fills his role - as the doctor/scientist madly in search of the "truth" - perfectly. The visual effects are quite unique as well. Each addictive eye drop forces Milland's character to see deeper and farther - first underneath clothes, then through tissue into the recesses of the human body, then through slot machines and black-jack hands (permitting him to win big at the casino), THEN through buildings and skyscrapers - which become ghostly objects with underlying steel girders being the only discernible objects. Finally, circumstances force the out-of-control Milland to confront the endgame of his experiment and his unintended goal: to see the ultimate truth - the overwhelming, blazing face of God himself. His method of escaping the piercing light is obvious yet still provides a jarringly satisfying ending to this wonderfully direct and ironic film.
Rating:
Summary: x-ray vision
Review: During the mid to late 60's, Roger Corman (master-of underbudget-schlock) produced a series of cheapo movies that are the envy of every modern day independant filmmaker. "X, The Man With the X-Ray Eyes," starring Ray Milland, is a case in point. In creating the fx for this film Corman used actual construction footage, then reversed the film to show the optical disintegration of newly constructed buildings. The deeper point of this film is the symbolic relationship between man and god, with frightening results.
Rating: 
Summary: The curse of the man-god
Review: Even when told by a colleague that his vision is excellent, Dr. Xavier is not entirely satisfied: he wants to see what no other man has seen before. To do so and close in on the gods, he has created a substance enabling nothing short of x-ray vision; he takes one drop of it in each eye, even though a monkey he tried it on just died. Taking more of the substance, he soon begins to challenge his colleagues's medical decisions, and is forced to flee after accidentally killing one of them. In the film's first half, Dr. Xavier goes from man to semi-god to exploited freak; eventually posing as Mantallo, he becomes a 'healer' who can't even heal himself. In the second half, his substance abuse gets worse: while trying to find a reversal, he uses more of it to better his chances of getting the money he needs. His voyage of self-discovery ends when he reaches a point of no return and recognizes it. This multi-layered film is rooted in a genre of fiction that we could call 'the curse of the (wo)man-god', and which goes all the way back to the Greek concept of 'hubris'; in such works, a human unsuccessfully tries to transcend his/her own nature through his/her specialised branch of knowledge. The most interesting of these inevitably carry theological and philosophical implications, and 'X' is no exception. The way the movie highlights the different stages of the character's downfall is especially effective: everything from the music, the shapes, the colors, and the editing to Milland's acting denotes this degenerative process.
Rating:
Summary: 3 stars ain't bad for a B-movie
Review: I feel that a 3-star rating for "X" says a lot, actually. Of all the titles on MGM's Midnite Movies roster, it certainly has the most entertaining and though-provoking story. Surely every person at one point has fantasized about being able to fly, being invisible, having x-ray vision, etc., but what would really happen if you were granted one of these powers? And are you certain you could control it? Here's your answer. Corman's direction is not too shabby - although some of the dialogue is extremely stilted, the cast gets through it with barely a scratch. I've seen Ray Milland in some real stinkers, but his acting skills have never been in question. While he plays a stuffy doctor very well, this film has some humorous moments where his expression or tone of voice speaks volumes... cocktail parties never looked so fun. The special effects, for the year and the limited budget, are not that bad. They did an acceptable job of conveying what Dr. Xavier was seeing, and the physical transformation of his eyes in the last half of the film is well-done. It's a shame that the movie didn't go into more detail on the "object" (no spoilers here!) that he sees at the limits of his vision. That was a very interesting plot point and could have provided even more weirdness. As a long-time fan of The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, I certainly recommend this film. The only problem I have with it is the ending. I truly want to believe that the rumor regarding the deleted final line of dialogue is true. Even if it's not, I think Corman and MGM should have played along and tacked on a dub during the fade-out, especially for this DVD edition. The ending, as it is, is chilling but lacking, and it's too abrupt. Adding the infamous deleted line would add an entirely different scope to this film.
Rating:
Summary: 3 stars ain't bad for a B-movie
Review: I feel that a 3-star rating for "X" says a lot, actually. Of all the titles on MGM's Midnite Movies roster, it certainly has the most entertaining and though-provoking story. Surely every person at one point has fantasized about being able to fly, being invisible, having x-ray vision, etc., but what would really happen if you were granted one of these powers? And are you certain you could control it? Here's your answer. Corman's direction is not too shabby - although some of the dialogue is extremely stilted, the cast gets through it with barely a scratch. I've seen Ray Milland in some real stinkers, but his acting skills have never been in question. While he plays a stuffy doctor very well, this film has some humorous moments where his expression or tone of voice speaks volumes... cocktail parties never looked so fun. The special effects, for the year and the limited budget, are not that bad. They did an acceptable job of conveying what Dr. Xavier was seeing, and the physical transformation of his eyes in the last half of the film is well-done. It's a shame that the movie didn't go into more detail on the "object" (no spoilers here!) that he sees at the limits of his vision. That was a very interesting plot point and could have provided even more weirdness. As a long-time fan of The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, I certainly recommend this film. The only problem I have with it is the ending. I truly want to believe that the rumor regarding the deleted final line of dialogue is true. Even if it's not, I think Corman and MGM should have played along and tacked on a dub during the fade-out, especially for this DVD edition. The ending, as it is, is chilling but lacking, and it's too abrupt. Adding the infamous deleted line would add an entirely different scope to this film.
Rating:
Summary: 3 stars ain't bad for a B-movie
Review: I feel that a 3-star rating for "X" says a lot, actually. Of all the titles on MGM's Midnite Movies roster, it certainly has the most entertaining and though-provoking story. Surely every person at one point has fantasized about being able to fly, being invisible, having x-ray vision, etc., but what would really happen if you were granted one of these powers? And are you certain you could control it? Here's your answer. Corman's direction is not too shabby - although some of the dialogue is extremely stilted, the cast gets through it with barely a scratch. I've seen Ray Milland in some real stinkers, but his acting skills have never been in question. While he plays a stuffy doctor very well, this film has some humorous moments where his expression or tone of voice speaks volumes... cocktail parties never looked so fun. The special effects, for the year and the limited budget, are not that bad. They did an acceptable job of conveying what Dr. Xavier was seeing, and the physical transformation of his eyes in the last half of the film is well-done. It's a shame that the movie didn't go into more detail on the "object" (no spoilers here!) that he sees at the limits of his vision. That was a very interesting plot point and could have provided even more weirdness. As a long-time fan of The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, I certainly recommend this film. The only problem I have with it is the ending. I truly want to believe that the rumor regarding the deleted final line of dialogue is true. Even if it's not, I think Corman and MGM should have played along and tacked on a dub during the fade-out, especially for this DVD edition. The ending, as it is, is chilling but lacking, and it's too abrupt. Adding the infamous deleted line would add an entirely different scope to this film.
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