Altered States (1980)

Abstract

"A man floats in total isolation. Weightless. Motionless. Silent. He is a million miles in space--inner space, the secret landscape of the mind. And nothing you've ever seen will prepare you for what he finds there. Altered States is the mysterious, terrifying, incredible tale of Dr. Eddie Jessup, a research scientist who believes that other states of consciousness are as real as the everyday reality we all experience. First using sensory deprivation equipment, then adding powerful hallucinogenic drugs, he begins to explore these altered states...and endures experiences that make madness seem like a blessing. William Hurt, the 1985 Best Actor Academy Award Winner for Kiss of the Spider Woman, made his stunning screen debut as Jessup. His brilliant central performance, the excellent support by Blair Brown, Bob Balaban and Charles Haid, plus a circus of spectacular special effects that transform the screen into a three-ring bedlam create a mind-boggling film experience selected by Time Magazine for its 1980 10-Best list. Working from Paddy Chayefsky's novel, director Ken Russell (Women in Love, Tommy, Crimes of Passion) guides us with a sorcerer's sure hand through each magical stage of Eddie's mind-blowing journey. Altered States gyrates wildly through horror, fantasy, satire, farce and back to horror again without losing its balance, loosening its grip on our emotions or diluting its impact as superb entertainment." [Description taken from cassette box]