X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes

A science fiction film built on sight. Doctor Xavier believes the human eye sees very little. He develops drops that will widen the range of vision and tries them on himself. The first results are exciting. He sees inside a patient during surgery and saves a child's life. Then he keeps using the drops and his sight keeps advancing. The idea is that seeing more and more becomes unbearable past a certain point. Xavier begins to see through walls, through clothing and eventually through everything; there is no eyelid left to close. He loses his job, becomes a fugitive and ends up telling fortunes at a carnival. It was made at a low-budget studio and the effects were produced by simple means; even so it is known for taking its idea all the way. The closing scene is among the most-cited endings in the genre. Ray Milland plays Xavier. Roger Corman directed. It runs under eighty minutes. A strong example within its genre for anyone who likes 1960s science fiction and low-budget cinema. For a viewer expecting visual display, the effects sit within the limits of their period and the production is small.