Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

X-Ray 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 3, 2022

Masters of (many) disasters, Cannon Films wanted in on the growing trend of slasher movies, trying to make some “Halloween” and “Friday the 13th” money with their own take on the horrors of mystery killers and the victims they hate. 1983’s “X-Ray” brings a nightmare scenario to a hospital setting, with Playboy Playmate Barbie Benton hired to portray a woman experiencing a night of horrors as a simple trip for test results turns into a game of manipulation and survival. “X-Ray” is a cheapie and a quickie from director Boaz Davidson and writer Marc Behm, who have a mission to make something scary and simple for producers Yoram Globus and Menahem Golan, but they can’t even get that right with this clumsy take on obsession and murder. The production manages to come up with some sense of style during the knowingly precise 90-minute run time, but suspense isn’t invited to this endeavor, which mostly exists to prey on genre fans up for anything that involves occasional ultraviolence.

Susan was once offered a valentine by Harold, and she promptly rejected the note. Humiliation drove Harold to kill Susan’s friend, and 19 years later, she’s still struggling with men, trying to deal with her pushy ex-husband while paying a visit to a local hospital one afternoon. Susan (Barbi Benton) is hoping to find her doctor and learn more about test results from her physical, but this information is difficult to acquire. Visiting various areas of the hospital on the hunt for answers, Susan encounters the mentally unstable patients of the facility, and she deals with intern Harry, who works to connect her to Dr. Saxon, a creepy professional who doesn’t like what he sees on her x-ray, looking to keep her for observation while a madman is on the loose, murdering those connected to Susan’s file.

The opening of “X-Ray,” which involves the murder of a child, is pretty strong stuff, but the tone of the picture isn’t easily identified. This appears to be the creative goal of the production, with Davidson and Behm trying to play things slightly comedic until the story reaches a point of seriousness when exploring acts of survival. Susan’s arrival at the hospital is filled with little stabs at humor, including an encounter with a man who seems to be bleeding from the mouth, soon spilling some red wet on the visitor’s shoe. It turns out, he’s eating a sloppy hamburger (as one does inside an elevator), creating the first of a few silly misdirections meant to keep viewers unsure of the threat level facing the main character. It’s an odd choice, but there’s not much else to “X-Ray,” which drags its feet when exploring the building with Susan, putting her into contact with the bizarre people there for treatment and for employment.

There’s a killer on the loose, clad in scrubs and buried under a facemask, offering the camera crazy eyes to sell the severity of his mental state. He initially takes out Susan’s doctor, preventing her from receiving straight answers about her test results. Susan’s already dealing with a new boyfriend and motherhood, with non-answers from the staff about her file adding to her stress level. Perhaps there’s potential in a scary movie that takes on maddening hospital bureaucracy, but “X-Ray” doesn’t approach such cleverness, marching ahead as a slasher that details violence against staff, while Susan is subjected to predatory actions from new doctors, exposing the true motivation behind the film: to acquire a nude scene from Benton. She obliges with a weird “check-up” sequence, which is perhaps more unsettling than any direct shot of bodily trauma, with kills somewhat routine here, failing to “pop” during an era when every producer in town was trying to win the hearts of gorehounds.

For additional information and analysis, please read Jeffrey Kauffman’s 2013 Blu-ray review.

X-Ray 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Previously released by Shout Factory in 2013, "X-Ray" returns with a new 4K presentation, sourced from the 35mm original camera negative. Colors are immediately striking, presenting deep blues with hospital lighting and reds with bloodshed and decoration. Cinematographic choices are preserved, securing moodier hues with attempts at style, and ample skintones are natural. Detail emerges with distinct textures on facial particulars and hospital uniforms. Hospital interiors are clear, showcasing medical gear and office decoration. Exteriors are dimensional. Delineation is precise, protecting shadowy movement and evening events. Grain is heavy but film-like. UHD source is in good condition, with some brief areas of damage.

X-Ray 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix provides clear dialogue exchanges throughout, capturing the somewhat strange acting choices going on here. Barbi Benton's repeated screaming fits don't reach distortive extremes, keeping thing balanced and appreciable. Scoring retains clean instrumentation, with strings and distinct piano, along with some brief stretches with a mouth harp. Sound effects are sound library basic but effective, and atmospherics are enjoyable.

X-Ray 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Ultra Violet Vengeance: The Talent and Technicians of 'X-Ray'" (26:47, HD) is a making-of for the film, featuring interviews with cinematographer Nicholas Von Sternberg, wardrobe assistant Carin Berger, gaffer Alan Caso, make-up artist Allan Apone, first assistant camera David Boyd, and actors Jimmy Stathis and Jon Van Ness. Hiring stories are shared, with the gig involving five weeks of night shooting inside an empty hospital. The interviewees celebrate director Boaz Davidson and mention the appeal of working on a set with star Barbi Benton. Cast and crew camaraderie is detailed, and several anecdotes are offered, exploring the production process. The gang goes into their individual job duties, emphasizing lighting choices and special effects.

• "Bad Medicine" (13:01, HD) is an interview with director Boaz Davidson, who explores his formative years in Israel, growing up with an interest in moviemaking, making his way to London to attend film school. Eventually meeting producers Yoram Globus and Menahem Golan, Davidson went from a competitor to a collaborator, accepting the job on "X-Ray" after the original director was fired. The interviewee discusses the hospital location and his time with star Barbi Benton, working to add atmosphere to the feature to help performances. He closes with a curious story about a viewer who interpreted "X-Ray" as a comedy, which wasn't Davidson's intent.

• A Trailer has not been included on this release.

X-Ray 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"X-Ray" is incredibly dull, but there are a few achievements worth noting. Composer Arlon Ober has clearly been instructed to create a "Friday the 13th"-style score, which he does with refreshing enthusiasm. Cinematography by Nicholas Von Sternberg is unexpectedly lively, adding color and some unreality to the film, which needs all the personality and style it can get. And while Benton isn't a deep talent, she's fully committed to the cause, giving the material as much enthusiasm as she can muster, and she has the patience of a saint as Davidson brings the movie to a full stop to photograph her body parts, which brings some unintentional laughs to the viewing experience. "X-Ray" achieves a handful of creative successes, but the picture is mostly a drag, unable to conjure screen tension or provide imagination for stalk-and-kill sequences, keeping what little story is here crawling along as predictable things happen to one-dimensional people.