IMDb >
Altered States (1980)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsAltered States (1980) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 24 | slideshow) |
Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
25 December 1980 (USA) moreTagline:
When he heard his cry for help it wasn't human morePlot:
A Harvard scientist conducts experiments on himself with a hallucinatory drug and an isolation chamber that may be causing him to regress genetically. full summary | add synopsisAwards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 4 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(8 articles)
Event Report: AMPAS' Tribute to FX Legend Dick Smith (From Fangoria. 29 June 2009, 1:10 PM, PDT)
Five: Adaptations Of Stories You Probably Don't Have On Your Bookshelf
(From LateFilmFull. 18 April 2009, 11:33 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
A flawed but sentimental favorite moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| 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 |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
102 minCountry:
USAColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreCertification:
Singapore:M18 | Italy:VM14 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Norway:18 (1982) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | Iceland:16Fun Stuff
Trivia:
At about 56 minutes into the film, when Emily returns from Nairobi, there is an airport announcement paging Mr. Daniel Craig. moreGoofs:
Revealing mistakes: During the hallucination sequence in the cave, the pyrotechnic charges underneath the mushroom-shaped rock are visible as it elevates, as is the wire lifting it up. moreQuotes:
[First line]Arthur Rosenberg: The tank itself was unusual in that it was vertical, and looked like an old boiler.
more
Soundtrack:
Light My Fire moreFAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Altered States (1980) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me | Performance | Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas | Liquid Sky | Trainspotting |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Drama section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |












Altered States is not everything that it could be, and that's because director Ken Russell was more interested in assaulting the viewer with a series of startling (by 1980 standards) images than he was in exploring the stories subtext. Eddie Jessup is a scientist so introverted and afraid of human connections that it's not enough to abandon his family, he also has to further deprive himself of any and all stimulation, performing sensory depravation experiments on himself to attain better understanding of "ultimate truth." Jessup proclaims himself to be an atheist, but the visual content of his hallucinations reveals him to be a man who's more at war with God than a man who disbelieves. His descent into a more primal state of being is an obvious metaphor for how easy it is for a man with commitment issues and fear of intimacy to turn completely inward, leaving the real world behind. Some of what the character says early on about family and love make his motivations clear... Jessup is a man shattered by his father's death and unable to accept the vulnerability of the human condition. A viewer has to really work to absorb and enjoy these metaphors, though, as Russell never slows his onslaught of special effects. The movie also suffers from smart but unrealistic dialogue and ham-fisted performances from some of the principle characters (watch Blair Brown's over-the-top breakdowns in the last act). Altered States isn't the total package, it doesn't combine the visceral and the philosophical as well as movies like Jacob's Ladder or Natural Born Killers. But it's better than most of today's equivalent movies (Donnie Darko, etc) that want to stimulate and provoke the viewer and don't quite pull it off.