The Medusa Touch
THE
MEDUSA TOUCH (18)
D:
Jack Gold
Warner
Bros./ITC (Jack Gold)
UK/France 1978
105
mins
Thriller/Horror
W:
John Briley [based on the novel by Peter Van Greenaway]
DP:
Arthur Ibbetson
Ed:
Anne V. Coates & Ian Crafford
Mus:
Michael J. Lewis
Richard Burton (John Morlar), Lino Ventura (Brunel), Lee Remick
(Dr. Zonfeld), Michael Hordern (Atropous), Gordon Jackson (Dr. Johnson)
Part whodunit, part apocalyptic disaster flick.
Richard Burton stars as a writer who can not only predict the
future, he holds the belief that he can create it, especially disasters, by the use of his telekinetic abilities.
The film opens with him being bludgeoned to near death in his
home while watching a news bulletin about a lunar mission gone wrong, a French detective investigates the assault, but even from comatose state in a hospital bed there still remains a threat
of impending danger.
There's a handful of good performances, especially Lee Remick
as a psychiatrist, but Richard Burton is practically limited to a cameo appearance. The visual effects and most of the elements of the production are very good considering the age of the
film, and overall it's worthy of a cult following.
It's somewhat surprising that this hasn't been through the
Hollywood remake machine, with a clichéd, upbeat ending tacked on.
8/10
