After pinch-hitting for Vincent Price on PREMATURE BURIAL/’62, one of a series of Edgar Allen Poe adaptations Roger Corman made for American International, longtime leading-man Ray Milland fronted two better-suited pics for A.I., PANIC IN YEAR ZERO/’62 (self-directing the dystopian drama) and this excellent Sci-Fi thriller, again under Corman. Yet another science vs nature tale as Milland’s ‘mad’ research scientist becomes his own guinea pig on an experimental chemical solution to enhance his vision up to super power status. Surprise!, early success leads to overconfidence and overuse. Milland needs more & more solution to get ever greater effect, destroying his sight and losing control of his life after he accidentally murders a colleague, forcing him to go on the lam, hiding out as a ‘healer’ for carny hustler Don Rickles. Yikes! One of Corman’s strongest outings, Milland deserves much of the credit for making this just believable enough to work, with simple visual effects giving his doomed experiment a P.O.V. that’s low on technical dazzle, yet seems to fit the storyline. If they were any better, they might not work at all. As is, it’s a paradigm of low-budget ‘60s Sci-Fi horror, with only Les Baxter’s dreary tv boilerplate score disappointing. The rest works a treat. Even the quick wrap up unusually satisfying.
DOUBLE-BILL: As mentioned above, this whets the appetite for the Milland directed PANIC IN YEAR ZERO (not seen here).
ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: Check out the cover price on the Paperback Tie-In: 12¢
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