Atomic Man, The

1983. THE ATOMIC MAN (1955-England). With GENE NELSON, FAITH DOMERGUE. Directed by KEN HUGHES. A man with a bullet in his back is fished out of the Thames. Even though he is pretty nearly dead, doctors manage to save his life. Intrepid reporter Mike Delaney recognizes the victim as a world-renown nuclear physicist known as the “isotope man,” The only trouble is, the scientist appears to be very much alive, in good health and at work in his laboratory. Delaney is nonetheless convinced that the man in the hospital bed is the Real McCoy while the man in the lab is some nefarious imposter. With his sultry photographer-girlfriend by his side, the newshound commences snooping around. Amid all sorts of fishy goings-on, he makes a most amazing discovery. The shooting victim is a “living A-bomb” with the uncanny ability to think seven-odd seconds ahead of what is unfolding in the real world. He can answer questions before they are asked and blink before the lights are shined in his eyes. This absorbing drama ends up as much a gangster-spy tale as a sci-fi entry. The scientist’s fate is linked to a most sinister scheme involving his latest creation: an element that may be able to be produced in large quantity. If this is the case, those who control its manufacturing will be in line to gain untold wealth and profoundly impact on the world’s economy. Delaney’s editor and the police refuse to acknowledge his grasp of the situation. The scribe and his gal will be forced to dodge the bullets and jeopardize their lives as they set out to learn the full truth, and trap the villains. 79 minutes. Science Fiction