Film (1962). Columbia. Directed by William Castle, starring Tom Poston. Screenplay by Ray Russell, based on Zotz! (1947) by Walter Karig. 87 minutes. Black and white.
A poorly regarded comedy adaptation of Karig's novel. The original gift of the power to kill via word and gesture is replaced by the magic "ZOTZ! coin", whose holder is able to halt or slow time (> Time Distortion): bullets can be stopped in mid-air and theoretically fatal plunges are slowed to harmlessness. Though the US government – here briefly echoing the plot of the book – fails to show interest in these abilities, foreign agents covet the coin, and routine chase, capture and escape sequences follow. [DRL]
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