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

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 Boeing 747 model used was a 9ft long former travel agents window model made out of perspex by Space Models of Feltham. The model was suspended 20ft above the floor of Shepperton Studios, for its 50 yard run to the Office block.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: When Molar visits a fortune teller, the boom mic is visible above the fortune teller's head.

Quotes:

John Morlar: [his first meeting with Zonfeld] I have a "gift" for disaster.
Doctor Zonfeld: You seem to have survived it.
John Morlar: I don't mean for me, I mean for others.

The Devil's Pawn

The Medusa Touch is the fantastic story of a middle age English man tormented by the terrifying revelation, he is responsible for the the world's disasters. Richard Burton gives an impressive performance as writer John Morlar, who is brutally murdered and left for dead. Trouble is, his mind refuses to die. Convinced, from a young age, Morlar believes he has had the power to cause personal as well as world catastrophes. To prove his point, he snares a fully-loaded flying 747 jumbo jet and causes it to crash into a high rise apartment building, killing hundreds. The case is investigated by French Inspector Brunel (Supurbly played by Lino Ventura) who is convinced, Morlar's personal psychiatrist, Doctor Zonfeld (Lee Remick in one of her finest roles), is harboring a horrifying secret which eventually engulfs them both. The film is a masterpiece, combining the attributes of in your seat suspense and visual scenes which are further enhanced by a haunting musical score. With veteran actors like Harry Andrews, Alan Badel, Michael Hordern, and Derek Jacobi, the movie becomes a classic drama of unparalleled achievement. *****