Altered States (1980)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

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 | University | Evolution

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
Hap Lawrence	...	Endocrinology Fellow
John Walter Davis	...	Medical Technician
Cynthia Burr	...	Parrish's Girl
Susan Bredhoff	...	Echeverria's Girl
John Larroquette	...	X-Ray Technician
George Gaynes	...	Dr. Wissenschaft
Ora Rubinstein	...	Young Medical Student
Paul Larsson	...	Charlie Thomas
Eric Forst	...	Mingus
Adriana Shaw	...	Dr. Antonini
Martin Fiscoe	...	Graduate Student
Olivia Michelle	...	Veronica

Directed by
Ken Russell

Writing credits
Paddy Chayefsky		(novel)
Paddy Chayefsky		(writer) (as Sidney Aaron)

Produced by
Stuart Baird	....	associate producer
Howard Gottfried	....	producer
Daniel Melnick	....	executive producer

Original Music by
John Corigliano

Cinematography by
Jordan Cronenweth

Film Editing by
Eric Jenkins

Casting by
Howard Feuer
Jeremy Ritzer

Production Design by
Richard Macdonald		(as Richard McDonald)

Set Decoration by
Thomas L. Roysden		(as Thomas Roysden)

Costume Design by
Ruth Myers

Makeup Department
Carl Fullerton	....	special makeup assistant
Michael Hancock	....	makeup artist
Craig Reardon	....	special makeup assistant
Dick Smith	....	special makeup
Dione Taylor	....	hair stylist (as Dione Taylor-Demsky)

Production Management
David Silver	....	unit production manager (as Dave Silver)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gary Daigler	....	assistant director
Peter Schindler	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Gary Clark	....	head paint foreman
Stan Cockerell	....	assistant props
Sidney H. Greenwood	....	property master (as Syd Greenwood)
Jeff Howard	....	assistant art director
Joseph Hurley	....	illustrator (as Joe Hurley)
Bill Iiams	....	general foreman
Roger Irvin	....	construction coordinator
Ronald C. Jacobs	....	lead man (as Ron Jacobs)
Stephane Goulet	....	property supervisor (uncredited)
Richard M. Kristy	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Willie D. Burton	....	sound mixer (as Willie Burton)
Michael Colgan	....	supervising sound editor
Laurey Condon	....	assistant sound editor
Les Fresholtz	....	sound re-recording mixer
Don Higgins	....	sound editor
Jerry Jacobson	....	adr editor
Stephen Katz	....	sound consultant
Marvin E. Lewis	....	boom operator (as Marvin Lewis)
Michael Minkler	....	sound re-recording mixer
Arthur Piantadosi	....	sound re-recording mixer
Fred Stafford	....	sound editor
Colin Waddy	....	sound editor
Jay Wertz	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
David Domeyer	....	special effects
Larry L. Fuentes	....	assistant special effects (as Larry Fuentes)
Chuck Gaspar	....	special effects
James Kagel	....	sculptor

Visual Effects by
Robert Blalack	....	special optical effects (as Robbie Blalack)
Bran Ferren	....	special visual effects
Paul Hamill	....	post production assistant
James Shourt	....	special optical effects (as Jamie Shourt)

Stunts
M. James Arnett	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Garrett Brown	....	Steadicam operator
James Glennon	....	camera operator
Adam Glick	....	set lighting technician
Barbara Hanania	....	additional assistant camera: Boston
Gary Holt	....	gaffer
Johnny E. Jensen	....	first assistant camera (as John Jensen)
Carey Jones	....	second assistant camera
Sal Martorano	....	electrician
Morgan Renard	....	still photographer
Bob Rose	....	key grip (as Bobby Rose)
Louis Schwartzberg	....	time-lapse photographer (as Lou Schwartzberg)

Casting Department
Stephen Kolzak	....	additional casting (as Steve Kolzak)
Joel Thurm	....	additional casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Darryl M. Athons	....	costumer: men (as Darryl Athons)
Shanan Harrell	....	costumer: women

Editorial Department
Cari Coughlin	....	apprentice editor
Arthur W. Forney	....	assistant editor
Thomas Penick	....	assistant editor

Music Department
John David Earnest	....	orchestrator
Donald Harris	....	music editor (as Don Harris)
Pierre Henry	....	music excerpt: Voile d'Orphee
Christopher Keene	....	conductor
Sheldon Shkolnik	....	assistant to composer
John David Earnest	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Brian L. McCarty	....	music playback (uncredited)
Dan Wallin	....	scoring mixer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Gina August	....	driver
John M. Woodward	....	transportation coordinator (as John Woodward)

Other crew
Scott Bartlett	....	technical advisor
Richard Clark	....	technical advisor
Carline Davis-Dyer	....	script supervisor (as Cariline Davis-Dyer)
Jimsie Eason	....	production associate
Richard Greenberg	....	title designer
Christina Lear	....	assistant to producer
Paul Pav	....	location manager
Vivian Russell	....	assistant: Mr. Russell (as Vivian Jolly)
Alan Shapiro	....	production intern
Lee Stitch	....	production secretary
Susan Tarr	....	research assistant
John Cunningham Lilly	....	scientific researcher (uncredited)
Bill Iiams	....	general foreman (uncredited)
Craig Miller	....	marketing consultant (uncredited)
Philip Sharpe	....	effects technician (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1980) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Films (1981) (Finland) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1983) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Italy) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (DVD)

Special Effects

• MPI James Shourt & Robert Blalock (optical effects)

Other Companies

• Cinema Research  optical effects
• Laser Media  special laser effects
• Optical House, The  optical effects
• Oxford Scientific Films  macro photography
• R/Greenberg Associates  title credits
• VA Medical Center, Sepulveda, California  medical facilities

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:

Film debuts of both William Hurt and Drew Barrymore.

Goofs:

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.

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)

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.