Second Sight, out now

‘How is my vision, Doctor?’ 

Taking its lead from Frankenstein, The Invisible Man and other mad scientist tales, this Roger Corman low-budget classic was made to break up the run of his colourful and highly successful Poe adaptations in the ’60s starring the likes of Vincent Price and Peter Lorre. But like all good SF of this nature, it’s just as terrifying as Black Cats and Ravens.

Dr Xavier (veteran actor Ray Milland from Dial M For Murder) is more interested here in the power of sight than mutated kids, and so embarks on an experiment to enhance his own peepers. Flying in the face of warnings (‘Only the gods see everything.’ ‘I’m closing in on the gods!’), and giving in to pressure from the grant people – represented by liaison Dr Diane Fairfax (Diana Van der Vlis, probably best known later for Ryan’s Hope) – Xavier takes the bold step of testing the revolutionary drops he’s developed on himself.

To begin with all seems well, he’s able to look inside a patient – though he’s totally ignored when he tells other doctors what they need to do – and has fun at a party where he can see through people’s clothing, including Diane’s! But then his behaviour starts to become increasingly erratic, especially when he steps up the treatments. When it leads to an accidental death, Xavier is forced to go on the run – eventually ending up as a carnival attraction. How long though before things fall apart again and his gift really does turn into a curse?

As mentioned in some of the interview extras, The Man With The X-Ray Eyes is much deeper than your usual SF fare, with almost an element of cosmic horror about it. ‘Soon, I’ll be able to see what no-man has ever seen!’ boasts Xavier at one point, and thanks to the acting chops of Milland (the FX does what it can with the limited budget) you totally feel that by the end of this he has. It poses the eternal question that faces scientists, just because you can do something, does that mean you should? Perhaps we’re better off not seeing some things, or it might just drive us mad? There’s also a religious aspect to it all, particularly at the end, which reminded me a bit of The Incredible Shrinking Man – as if this should have been a lost Matheson script. The reveal of Xavier’s black and gold eyes is definitely just as memorable as a man losing his body.

The Blu-ray transfer is terrific, and in terms of what you get in this special limited edition there are audio commentaries from Corman and Tim Lucas. The director is also interviewed separately in “X” Effect, which makes for fascinating viewing – hearing about how Corman made the film contemporary SF to save money on spaceships and distant planets, how he saw Don Rickles’ act and then hired him as the carnival barker, and his thoughts about not sacrificing quality even working at that speed (‘I think one of the worst sentences in filmmaking is “we’ll fix it in post”!’).

An interview with author and Diabolique editor Kat Ellinger is next up, who argues ‘It’s the existential elements that make it so relevant’ and draws attention to the fact that X-Ray Eyes was designed to appeal to a younger generation of filmgoers. Joe Dante (of Gremlins fame) is happy to talk about his love for the film, proclaiming ‘It’s one of my favourite Corman pictures because it’s actually profound… It’s also a very trippy movie!’ Whereas Master of Horror Mick Garris tells us about the alternate ending as part of his ‘Trailers from Hell’ series (‘There’s a rumour that ending was shot, where Xavier tears his eyes out and then says “I can still see!””).

Also included is the ponderous lecture-esque original prologue which, when you’ve seen it, you’ll understand why it was cut (‘Man: the curious, the seeker of truth…’). And the limited edition comes with new cover art from the ever-reliable and collectible Graham Humphreys, a reversible poster with new and original artwork, plus a soft cover book featuring pieces written by the likes of Allan Bryce and Jon Towlson. Another terrific edition of a well-loved treasure.

Verdict: ‘At the centre of the universe: an eye that sees us all!’ 9/10

Paul Kane

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