Altered States (1980)

Director:

Ken Russell

Writers:

Paddy Chayefsky (novel)
Paddy Chayefsky (writer)

Release Date:

25 December 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | Fantasy

Tagline:

When he heard his cry for help it wasn't human

Plot:

A Harvard scientist conducts experiments on himself with a hallucinatory drug and an isolation chamber that may be causing him to regress genetically.

Plot Keywords:

Drugs | Scientist | Sensory Deprivation | Female Nudity | Isolation Tank

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

William Hurt	...	Eddie Jessup
Blair Brown	...	Emily Jessup
Bob Balaban	...	Arthur Rosenberg
Charles Haid	...	Mason Parrish
Thaao Penghlis	...	Echeverria
Miguel Godreau	...	Primal Man
Dori Brenner	...	Sylvia Rosenberg
Peter Brandon	...	Hobart
Charles White-Eagle	...	The Brujo
Drew Barrymore	...	Margaret Jessup
Megan Jeffers	...	Grace Jessup
Jack Murdock	...	Hector Orteco
Francis X. McCarthy	...	Obispo (as Frank McCarthy)
Deborah Baltzell	...	Schizophrenic Patient
Evan Richards	...	Young Rosenberg

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | 70 mm 6-Track (MegaSound encoding)

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Italy:VM14 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Norway:18 (1982) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Beacon Hill, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The book was partially based on dolphin researcher John Lilly, who invented the isolation tank, and first started taking drugs while "tanking".

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The introductory story is set in 1967, but exterior shots of the streets shows a VW Rabbit and a Plymouth Volare, both 1970s cars.

Quotes:

[First line]
Arthur Rosenberg: The tank itself was unusual in that it was vertical, and looked like an old boiler.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "South Park: Tsst (#10.7)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Light My Fire

Above all, a love story

It's been a quarter century since I first experienced Altered States, Ken Russell's take on Paddy Chayevsky's novel of the search for a common bond between all of us, the ability to love. I personally don't care if Chayevsky disowned the movie or if Russell resented him for it or how many angels you can set on the head of a pin, for that matter. Altered States is a harshly beautiful and intellectual movie based on a book with the same adjectives.

I'm not going to praise the fine performances, the dazzling special effects, or the painful, emotional epiphany that the lead character, Eddie Jessup (William Hurt) experiences as he fights his way past the roadblock of pure intellect. I want to praise Altered States for its emotional and intellectual message of the power of love to embrace us all and heal our wounds.

Altered States is not for the weak of stomach or the easily offended. The imagery is disturbing and, at times, repulsive. There are scenes of blasphemy that I know have put off Christian friends of mine. But the central idea of a commonality, a kinship that humans have with one another and the danger of setting oneself apart to avoid the pain of interacting and loving is, I believe, supremely satisfying at both an intellectual and emotional level.

Altered States isn't one of the very best films I've seen, but it surely has been a source of joy for me. And if it doesn't turn your crank--or turns it the wrong way--then find your joy in another film or other media . . . and remember to love.