The Illustrated Man (1969)

Set in the rural American countryside, a drifter (Robert Drivas) comes across a mysterious stranger (Rod Steiger) whose body is covered with "skin illustrations" (he gets very upset if you call them tattoos). By staring at the tattoos, the drifter can see into the past and the future. Based on the collection of short stories by Ray Bradbury and directed by Jack Smight (AIRPORT 1975). The film utilizes three of Bradbury's short stories: 1) parents (Steiger, Claire Bloom) worry about their children's (Tim Weldon, Christine Matchett) mental health when they are addicted to a virtual reality. 2) a group of astronauts (Steiger, Drivas, Don Dubbins, Jason Evers) are stranded on Venus where the rain never stops. 3) a husband (Steiger) and wife (Bloom) face the end of the world. The movie never rises above an average TWILIGHT ZONE or OUTER LIMITS episode and sometimes not even that. Alas, Smight doesn't rein Steiger in and he gives one of his over the top, chew the scenery performances. The film adaptation needed a stronger script (Bradbury had nothing to do with film) and a stronger director, one who could give the film some sense of wonder and terror. Even the normally reliable Jerry Goldsmith fails with his tedious score.