X-Factor
The Amazing Mr. X is a fairly unknown little nugget that was released in 1948 and was advertised with the sensational taglines, "In his eyes the threat of terror! In his hands the power to destroy!" This, of course, was not uncommon for the "horror" films that were churned out during this era, but, after having just viewed this under-the-radar psychological thriller, it's clear that the promoters were really reaching.
The frustrating thing about Mr. X is that it actually features some nifty effects and has one or two genuinely creepy occurrences. The premise, too, promises to be engaging. But, for a variety of reasons, the movie just doesn't work. Let's break this thing down so we can pinpoint why "X" does not, in fact, mark the spot.
Plot. That's an important word when it comes to storytelling, right? Mr. X certainly has one, but here's the problem: it's absolutely ludicrous. The wealthy widow of a man two years deceased begins to have visions of his spirit trying to make contact with her. This woman then has a chance encounter with a man named Alexis (the Mr. X in question), who claims to be a supernatural medium. After a lot of prolonged voodoo it's revealed that Mr. X is nothing more than a con-artist. He uses an assistant and cheap effects to swindle depressed women out of their money. What Mr. X doesn't expect, though, is that the dead man in question actually makes a flesh and blood appearance. As it turns out, he was never really dead; he staged a car accident and included bogus remains so as to be declared a goner. After somehow managing to hide from society for two years, this well-groomed sleazeball appears and strikes up a deal with Alexis. In short, a lot of tomfoolery takes place, and a completely unrealistic conclusion sees Mr. X forgiven for all of his misdeeds and in the good graces of the very women he previously hustled.
Again, given it's age, I do think Mr. X is due some credit for its ability to (very infrequently) drum up some genuine scares. But then there's the pesky "logic" factor: you know, the one that says "any rational person would react in ways A, B, or C." I guess they were hoping people would go for outcomes D through er X.
I, for one, did not.
The Amazing Mr. X is a fairly unknown little nugget that was released in 1948 and was advertised with the sensational taglines, "In his eyes the threat of terror! In his hands the power to destroy!" This, of course, was not uncommon for the "horror" films that were churned out during this era, but, after having just viewed this under-the-radar psychological thriller, it's clear that the promoters were really reaching.
The frustrating thing about Mr. X is that it actually features some nifty effects and has one or two genuinely creepy occurrences. The premise, too, promises to be engaging. But, for a variety of reasons, the movie just doesn't work. Let's break this thing down so we can pinpoint why "X" does not, in fact, mark the spot.
Plot. That's an important word when it comes to storytelling, right? Mr. X certainly has one, but here's the problem: it's absolutely ludicrous. The wealthy widow of a man two years deceased begins to have visions of his spirit trying to make contact with her. This woman then has a chance encounter with a man named Alexis (the Mr. X in question), who claims to be a supernatural medium. After a lot of prolonged voodoo it's revealed that Mr. X is nothing more than a con-artist. He uses an assistant and cheap effects to swindle depressed women out of their money. What Mr. X doesn't expect, though, is that the dead man in question actually makes a flesh and blood appearance. As it turns out, he was never really dead; he staged a car accident and included bogus remains so as to be declared a goner. After somehow managing to hide from society for two years, this well-groomed sleazeball appears and strikes up a deal with Alexis. In short, a lot of tomfoolery takes place, and a completely unrealistic conclusion sees Mr. X forgiven for all of his misdeeds and in the good graces of the very women he previously hustled.
Again, given it's age, I do think Mr. X is due some credit for its ability to (very infrequently) drum up some genuine scares. But then there's the pesky "logic" factor: you know, the one that says "any rational person would react in ways A, B, or C." I guess they were hoping people would go for outcomes D through er X.
I, for one, did not.