The Medusa Touch (1978) Horror Drama Sci-Fi Mystery
The Medusa Touch (1978) Movie Release Dates / Movie Details
- Overall Score: ☆ 5.90/10
IMDB: ☆ 6.9/10
Metascore: ☆ 4.9/10
The Medusa Touch Plot Synopsis:
John Morlar (Richard Burton) is watching a British television broadcast when an anchorman states that American astronauts are trapped in orbit around the moon. Suddenly someone in Morlar's room picks up a figurine and strikes him on the head repeatedly. His blood splatters the television screen. French Detective-Inspector Brunel (Lino Ventura) arrives at Morlar's apartment to begin an investigation. At first he thinks Morlar is dead, but soon he hears him breathe. At the hospital, Morlar is hooked up to life support systems, one machine in particular monitors the activity of his battered brain. Brunel discovers that Morlar has been in psychological analysis because of his history of being witness to many disasters, other people's disasters. Dr. Zonfeld (Lee Remick), Morlar's analyst, explains that Morlar's delusions had begun when he was a child. He believed that he had caused a hated nanny's death. Morlar's childhood delusions were reinforced at a resort when he overheard his parents discussing him with disapproval. When his parents strolled on top of a cliff, Morlar watched as the family car suddenly pushed them off the cliff to their deaths. One evening, Brunel pores over the mysteries of Morlar's diary and through his scrapbook of disastrous events. Gradually, Brunel begins to develop an opinion of what Morlar was like and begins to wonder if he is chasing a murderer or a victim.
Synopsis / Plot Summary: Psychological thriller about a novelist, a telekinetic, who causes disasters simply by thinking about them.
Tagline: Richard Burton is the man with the medusa touch ... he has the power to create catastrophe.
More: Most Anticipated Horror Movies Coming Soon in 2026-2027!Official Trailer
The Medusa Touch Movie Information:
Type: MovieYear: 1978 (more 1978 movies)
Language: English
Country: United Kingdom, France
Release Dates: Movie Release Dates / The Medusa Touch Release Dates In Theaters: Jan 17, 2017, DVD: Oct 01, 2013
Writers: John Briley, Peter Van Greenaway
Producers: Anne V. Coates, Jack Gold, Denis Holt, Arnon Milchan
Musicians: Michael J. Lewis
Cinematographers: Arthur Ibbetson
Trending in Movies:
Whistle (2025), Forgive Us All (2025), Hell House LLC: Lineage (2025), 28 Years Later: The Bone… (2026), 28 Years Later (2025), We Bury the Dead (2024), Strange Harvest: Occult Murder… (2024), Bring Her Back (2025), Parvulos (2024), and ZombieCON Vol. 1 (2024)
Check Out the Best Horror Movies of 2026 You Must See!
Check out more movies that start with T and movies from 1978. Also, here are some more sci-fi movies that start with T.
More: Must See New Horror Movies in 2026!(1) Movie Recommendations
Similar Movies to The Medusa Touch (1978)(Click to Expand)
The Medusa Touch (1978) Cast (Click to Expand)
The Medusa Touch Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | Character(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Richard Burton | ... | John Morlar |
| Lino Ventura | ... | Detective-inspector Brunel |
| Lee Remick | ... | Dr. Zonfeld |
| Harry Andrews | ... | Assistant Commissioner |
| Alan Badel | ... | Quinton - Barrister |
| Marie-Christine Barrault | ... | Patricia Morlar |
| Jeremy Brett | ... | Edward Parrish |
| Michael Hordern | ... | Altropos - Fortune Teller |
| Gordon Jackson | ... | Dr. Johnson |
| Michael Byrne | ... | Sergeant Duff |
| Derek Jacobi | ... | Moulton - John''s publisher |
| Robert Lang | ... | Pennington |
| Avril Elgar | ... | Mrs. Pennington |
| John Normington | ... | Mr. Copley - John''s schoolmaster |
| Robert Flemyng | ... | Judge McKinley |
| Philip Stone | ... | Dean |
| Malcolm Tierney | ... | Deacon |
| Norman Bird | ... | Major Henry Morlar - John''s father |
| Jennifer Jayne | ... | Mrs. Morlar - John''s mother |
| James Hazeldine | ... | Lovelass |
Fun Facts: 15 Real AGES of Cast
- Richard Burton, as John Morlar, passed away at age 58 in Céligny, Geneva, Switzerland.
Sign: Scorpio, Height: 5' 10" (1.78 m) - Lino Ventura – Detective-inspector Brunel
- Lee Remick, as Dr. Zonfeld, passed away at age 55 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Sign: Sagittarius, Height: 5' 7" (1.7 m)
Also known as: Lee Remick Dans | Miss Lee Remick - Harry Andrews, as Assistant Commissioner, passed away at age 77 in Salehurst, Sussex, England, UK.
Sign: Scorpio, Height: 6' 2" (1.88 m) - Alan Badel – Quinton - Barrister
- Marie-Christine Barrault – Patricia Morlar
- Jeremy Brett – Edward Parrish
- Michael Hordern, as Altropos - Fortune Teller, passed away at age 83 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK.
Sign: Libra
Also known as: Sir Michael Hordern - Gordon Jackson, as Dr. Johnson, passed away at age 66 in South Kens.
Sign: Sagittarius, Height: 5' 8" (1.73 m) - Michael Byrne (b. November 7, 1943) – Sergeant Duff
Sign: Scorpio, Height: 5' 9½" (1.77 m)
Also known as: Micky Byrne - Derek Jacobi (b. October 22, 1938) – Moulton - John''s publisher
Sign: Libra, Height: 5' 8" (1.73 m)
Also known as: Sir Derek Jacobi - Robert Lang, as Pennington, passed away at age 70 in Sutton, Surrey, England, UK.
Sign: Libra - Avril Elgar – Mrs. Pennington
- John Normington, as Mr. Copley - John''s schoolmaster, passed away at age 70 in Chelsea and Westm.
Sign: Aquarius - Robert Flemyng – Judge McKinley
Source: IMDB, Metacritic, HellHorror.com fans like you!