The body of novelist John Morlar (Richard Burton) is discovered at his London flat. A European Detective, Inspector Brunel (Lino Ventura) is keen to get to the bottom as to why he was killed all of a sudden.
Brunel’s investigation leads him to psychiatrist Dr. Zonfeld (Lee Remick, THE OMEN), who begins to recount her sessions with the emotionally unstable Morlar, who confides in Zonfeld that he has the power to cause death and mayhem, starting with his parents as a child.
He also seems to have destruction in his blood – and seems keen to show the world what he is made of….
Adapted by John Briley (who won an Oscar for GANDHI) from the novel of the same name by Peter Van Greenaway, THE MEDUSA TOUCH is a hugely enjoyable film from the Lew Grade ITC Distribution that also brought films like CAPRICORN ONE and British cult sword and sorcery epic HAWK THE SLAYER, with a spectacular effects sequence involving a plane at one point. A very dark noir of a tale, with good all-round performances, led by Burton who clearly revelled in this type of role.