Altered States (1980)

[akiratubo]

What the f**k???????


Yeah, that's it.  That's my whole review of this movie.  Watching this movie is like taking too much DMT.  The only thing you can do is ride it out and hope you can make some sort of sense out of the experience, later.

[Josso]

I haven't seen this in ages, it is really tweaky. Not as much DMT as Enter The Void (2009) though 

[BoyScoutKevin]

Brought to you by the director of "Lair of the White Worm." The review of which is on this website.

Paddy Chayefsky's last script. Died less than an year after the film was released. Based on Paddy's only novel.

The theatrical film debuts of William Hurt and Drew Barrymore and the acting debut of Evan Richards.

[lester1/2jr]

loved it. enter the Void not so much

[Trevor]

What the f**k???????


Yeah, that's it.  That's my whole review of this movie.  Watching this movie is like taking too much DMT.  The only thing you can do is ride it out and hope you can make some sort of sense out of the experience, later.

I saw this in the theater way back and the WTF comment sums the film up exactly. 

[Archivist]

I was pretty young when Altered States was produced, but I saw what I later came to realize were its effects and influence for years after.  Based loosely, or inspired by, the accounts of John Lilly in flotation tanks and the preceding decades of psychedelic culture,

Although I'd seen the Mad Magazine parody, and heard about Altered States for many years, I never saw it until around 2008.  Immediately I recognized the score, which had been used in a meditation/shamanic journey tape.  The mix of mind-machines, psychedelics and nootropics in the 80's and early 90's was popularized and inspired, I would imagine, by this movie as well.

The movies itself is pretty wacky, and I like to watch it and marvel at the late 70's style presentation of experimental drug culture and consciousness expansion.  Seeing a young and naked Blair Brown isn't too bad, either, although being juxtaposed with William Hurt having a religious acid flashback involving an exploding sheep with seven eyes kind of puts a dampener on it.

I ought to watch this again!  Wish there was a director's cut special edition somewhere.

Edited half a day later to add:

Whoa.  Prompted by this thread, I watched it again in its entirety.  Even though I saw this in 2008, I am surprised at how much I had forgotten.  What a freakin' trippy movie.  Blair Brown even more naked than I remember.  William Hurt also naked, something I didn't remember.  A naked atavistic ape-man climbing up buildings and escaping dogs.  Did I mention naked?  Oyyyy...

[The Burgomaster]

I liked it a lot when I saw it during its original theatrical release.  Years later, I bought the DVD and thought it was boring and pointless and had a dumb ending.