Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Medusa Touch Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 10, 2022

Jack Gold's "The Medusa Touch" (1978) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new program with art director Peter Mullins; new video essay by critic Ian McAnally; two audio commentaries; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Neither Richard Burton nor Lino Ventura would have been obvious choices to play the leads in a dark and very intense psychological thriller from the late ‘70s. At the time, their personalities and past experience just would not have been right for that kind of a film, which is almost certainly the reason why director Jack Gold did not want Burton to be in The Medusa Touch. Apparently, Gold’s initial pick for Burton’s part was Nicol Williamson, but at the time the latter was a far more difficult actor to book so he settled down for the former. Ventura had done various characters on both sides of the law, so playing a French detective in London wasn’t at all unusual. What was unusual is that virtually all of these characters had been practical men who dealt with what they saw in front of them. In The Medusa Touch, Ventura’s police inspector is forced to think outside of the box and ultimately solve a complicated murder mystery by seeing beyond the reality in which he exists.

The above is worth mentioning because even though nowadays The Medusa Touch is a fairly easy film to profile and critique, in the late ‘70s it must have been perceived as a very intriguing project. Indeed, on one hand it is infused with the type of paranoia that flourished in tense thrillers like Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation, but on the other hand it actually has plenty in common with much darker mind-benders from the same period like Richard Donner’s The Omen Collection. For the reasons highlighted above, Burton and Ventura’s presence then surely made the film appear even more exciting -- or just oddly mismanaged and frustrating, which is why prominent critics like the late Roger Ebert promptly discarded it as a very unfortunate misfire.

It all depends on one’s point of view. Here’s why:

At the center of The Medusa Touch is a murder mystery that detective Brunel (Ventura) might be able to solve if he properly reconstructs the murky past of a man (Burton) who is ninety-nine percent dead. The only part of his body that is still functioning is his brain, but at the hospital where he is monitored the consensus is that it is only a matter of time before his misery is over. Brunel’s first move is contacting Dr. Zonfeld (Lee Remick), who had frequently met the man and attempted to help him deal with reoccurring anxiety and a range of more complex psychological issues, but their interactions leave him with many new questions that frustrate him as much as his superiors who want the attacker apprehended as soon as possible. By following his instincts, Brunel then discovers that the dying man might have had some very unusual telekinetic abilities and concludes that somehow they made him a target.

The Medusa Touch quickly heads down a rabbit hole that won’t be everyone’s cup of tea because the resolution of the murder mystery emerges only after the rational and the irrational become the same. In other words, Ventura’s mind asks all of the questions a ‘normal’ mind would, but the answers he gets and uses to make progress in his investigation are, well, quite flexible. Needless to say, any critic that does not approve of this practice would see the buildup to the resolution and the actual resolution quite unconvincing.

Interestingly, more than forty years later there is very little in The Medusa Touch that can be dismissed as irrational. In fact, with just a few minor tweaks The Medusa Touch would be a shockingly relevant thriller revealing entirely realistic scenarios. For example, consider a scenario in which the origin of the powerful electrical impulses that cause all the troubles isn’t a human mind, but a man-made device like the one many serious parties now believe is behind the worrisome incidents linked to the Havana Syndrome. In the The Medusa Touch, the troubles are simply elevated to a different level. (Read more about the Havana Syndrome here).

Gold’s direction is precise and very efficient, but the film still looks and feels quite fluid. Virtually all of the special effects appear dated, but they cannot be described as cheap.

The Medusa Touch Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Medusa Touch arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment.

A few years ago The Medusa Touch was remastered by British label ITV Studios and this release is sourced from the same master that was utilized for Network from 2014.

The technical presentation is quite nice. Indeed, the film looks very healthy and has a pleasing organic appearance, and even on large screen the visuals hold up well. Delineation and clarity are usually very good, but there are some minor fluctuations that most viewers will notice. Density levels are good too, but minor encoding optimizations could have been implemented to ensure an even better result. Colors looks healthy and natural. Color balance is good as well, but there are a few areas where light blooming sneaks in via shaky highlights. Still, there are no serious issues that would affect negatively your viewing experience. There are no traces of problematic digital adjustments. All in all, even though there is some room for meaningful improvements, this is fine organic presentation of the film that makes it very easy to enjoy at home. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

The Medusa Touch Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I did not encounter any issues to report in our review. While viewing the film, I had the volume of my system turned up quite a bit and found the clarity, sharpness, and overall range of nuanced dynamics very convincing. There were no stability issues either. Can the audio sound better? I don't think so. It is very easy to tell that when ITV Studios prepared the current master the audio was properly transferred and does what it needs to accurately replicate the native qualities of the original soundtrack.

The Medusa Touch Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary One - in this archival audio commentary, director Jack Gold and critics Kim Newman and Stephen Jones go down memory lane and discuss how The Medusa Touch came to exist, Peter Van Greenaway's novel and some minor adjustments that were made during its adaptation, the casting of Lino Ventura as detective Brunel (as well as the fact that he was a protege of Jean Gabin and the two had similar acting styles), the paranoia that flourishes in the film, and how particular locations were chosen and used in the film.

• Commentary Two - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Lee Gambin and Kat Ellinger.

• "The Welsh Wizard" - Richard Burton on Stage and Screen - this exclusive new video essay was created by critic Ian McAnally. In English, not subtitled. (17 min).

• "The Designer's Touch" - in this exclusive new program, art director Peter Mullins describes his interactions with director Jack Gold and Richard Burton during the production of The Medusa Touch, how some key sequences were shot and the special effects that were used, and the funding of the film. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

• "Behind the Scenes: Destroying the Abbey" - this archival featurette offers raw footage from the shooting of The Medusa Touch. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• Theatrical Trailer - a remastered vintage trailer for The Medusa Touch. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Photo Gallery - a collection of archival promotional materials for The Medusa Touch.

The Medusa Touch Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

What makes The Medusa Touch a genuinely unsettling film is the fact that a lot of what should look utterly ridiculous in it nowadays actually doesn't. For example, if you research the Havana Syndrome you will quickly realize that even some of the information that is already made public is quite incredible, and of course you have to keep in mind that there is plenty more that is classified. In The Medusa Touch, the troubles are simply elevated to a different level. Via Vision Entertainment's release is sourced from a nice organic remaster that was prepared by ITV Studios in the United Kingdom. As expected, it includes a very good selection of exclusive new and archival bonus features as well. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.