The Medusa Touch (1978)

Director:

Jack Gold

Writers:

Peter Van Greenaway (novel)
John Briley (screenplay)

Release Date:

1978 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

Psychological thriller about a novelist, a telekinetic, who causes disasters simply by thinking about them.

Plot Keywords:

Disaster | Brain | Investigation | Police | Childhood

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Richard Burton	...	John Morlar
Lino Ventura	...	Brunel
Lee Remick	...	Doctor Zonfeld
Harry Andrews	...	Assistant Commissioner
Alan Badel	...	Barrister
Marie-Christine Barrault	...	Patricia
Jeremy Brett	...	Edward Parrish
Michael Hordern	...	Atropos - Fortune Teller
Gordon Jackson	...	Doctor Johnson
Michael Byrne	...	Duff
Derek Jacobi	...	Townley - Publisher
Robert Lang	...	Pennington
Avril Elgar	...	Mrs. Pennington
John Normington	...	Schoolmaster
Robert Flemyng	...	Judge McKinley

Also Known As:

La grande menace (France)

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

France | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:16 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | Iceland:16 | Germany:12 | Netherlands:16 | Australia:M | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Bristol Cathedral, College Green, Bristol, England, UK

Company:

Coatesgold

Trivia:

The tower block in the plane crash sequence was made out to be "Centre Point", a tower which had been empty since it was built in 1964. It still exists today by Tottenham Court Road and New Oxford Street. It is one of the tallest concrete towers in Britain (117m) and nominated as one of London's ugliest structures. It has been home to the Confederation of British Industry since 1980.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: As Inspector Brunel watches the TV news a close-up of the screen reveals that the caption saying "Minster Cathedral" is actually stuck on to the TV screen rather than forming part of the TV picture. The letters cast shadows on to the glass.

Quotes:

John Morlar: I will bring the whole edifice down on their unworthy heads

Dark psychological thriller

"The Medusa Touch" is a typical seventies "devil conspiracy" movie like the popular "The Exorcist" and "The Omen" series combined with the typical paranoia and disaster movies between "Earthquake" and "Airport". The late Richard Burton plays an obsessed psychic who tries to convince a psychiatrist (Lee Remick) of his demonic power to kill people and to cause disasters just by the strength of his thoughts. Being a victim of an assassination and a coma patient in a hospital, his mad thoughts are causing even worse attacks on buildings that are causing the death of hundreds of people. French cop Lino Ventura, working as a guest policeman in London, tries to find out the mystery of Burton's dark life.

Although there's not much action, this horror movie is thrilling and dominated by the convincing performances of the actors. There is a sinister atmosphere of terror and paranoia all around, and you expect the unexpected in every single moment. A fine psychological terror movie in typical seventies style that is worth being watched!