IMDb > Altered States (1980)
Altered States
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Altered States (1980) More at IMDbPro »


IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
6.6/10   8,113 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Down 7% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Ken Russell

Writers:

Paddy Chayefsky (novel)
Paddy Chayefsky (writer)

Contact:

View company contact information for Altered States on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

25 December 1980 (USA) more

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | Fantasy more

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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 synopsis

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 4 nominations more

User Comments:

Above all, a love story more (99 total)


Cast

  (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
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Additional Details

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Dolby | 70 mm 6-Track (MegaSound encoding)


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

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

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. more

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

Light My Fire more


FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
35 out of 43 people found the following comment useful.
Above all, a love story, 18 January 2006
Author: inspectors71 from The Man-Cave

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.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Altered States (1980)
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Am I the only one who laughed at this? B-J-C
uhh awesomeness567
Jessup sees Jesus mrmikeob
HEEEELP!!SOME QUESTIONS..... jimpemmas
Forced Hollywood Ending? byzantym
Interesting Truth to Movie (Mushroom) KamatariTheScythe
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