The Medusa Touch is a
British film released in 1978. It starred
Richard Burton (
John Morlar),
Lee Remick (Zonfeld),
Lino Ventura (Brunel),
Harry Andrews (Assistant Commissioner),
Michael Hordern (psychic),
Derek Jacobi (Morlar's publisher),
Gordon Jackson (surgeon) and
Jeremy Brett (Parrish). The
screenplay was by
John Briley, based on the novel
The Medusa Touch by
Peter Van Greenaway, and the film was
directed by
Jack Gold.
Variety film review; February 8, 1978; page 18.
Plot summary
A French detective, Brunel, is on an exchange scheme in
London. He is assigned to investigate the murder of novelist John Morlar. As they examine the crime scene, the policemen find that the victim is actually still alive in spite of his severe injuries and have him rushed to hospital.
With the help of Morlar's journals and Dr. Zonfeld, a
psychiatrist whom the author had started visiting, Brunel reconstructs Morlar's past life. Seen in
flashback, it is filled with inexplicable catastrophes, including the tragic deaths of people he disliked or who offended him.
Morlar is, in fact, a psychic with powerful
telekinetic abilities. Disgusted at the world (in his 1988 book
Nightmare Movies,
Kim Newman described Morlar's dialogue as "incredibly
misanthropic"), Morlar has caused two recent disasters: an airliner crash and the loss of a manned spacecraft.
From his hospital bed, he manages to bring down a cathedral on the...
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