Alicia I love this movie so much

SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

brchthethird I'm actually at a little bit of a loss what to say right now because I'm almost overwhelmed by what I just saw. I'd liken it to a drug experience if only I'd ever taken drugs before, but the degree to which watching this film simulates what its characters go through is astounding. The story is rather simple: a scientist, Eddie Jessup (William Hurt, in his feature film debut) has been doing sensory deprivation experiments, but after a trip to Mexico, he starts doing those experiments under the influence of a powerful psychedelic drug which might possibly be affecting his genetic makeup. Plot-wise, it's not too complicated as it just follows Eddie's personal journey and evolution over the course of these life-altering experiments. Every actor was very capable and William Hurt was especially good considering this was his first role. However, the real magic of the film is in its many hallucinatory images which range from the sacrilegious to the primal. Even if you haven't seen the film, you might already be familiar with the image of a six-eyed, goat-headed man on a cross. Early on, Eddie mentions that he had visions as a young man that were out of Revelation and this imagery is kind of a perversion of that. However, the imagery that occurs later on in the film is extremely hard to describe and honestly it's best if you just see it for yourself. There are some interesting observations/connections made between religious and psychedelic experiences, and also mental disorders, however the true power of this film is in its images, which were realized with some incredible visual effects. I don't think this film will be to everyone's taste, certainly not those who are religious and might be offended by some of the imagery, but for those brave enough to give it a try it's an experience you won't soon forget.

Woodyanders Stubborn and determined research scientist Eddie Jessup (a fine and credible performance by William Hurt in his film debut) subjects himself to sensory deprivation and takes hallucinogenic drugs in order to explore alternate states of consciousness and discover the basic primordial roots of human evolution. However, Jessup finds himself teetering on the brink of madness after he regresses to a dangerous primitive state. Although director Ken Russell brings his trademark wild'n'trippy sensibility and flair for bold and alarming mind-roasting imagery to Paddy Chayefsky's smart and provocative script, he fortunately manages for the most part to keep his more self-indulgent impulses under control and grounds the fantastic premise in a plausible everyday reality. Moreover, the story not only acquires extra substance and resonance from its key themes about science, religion, the meaning of life, and the origins of man, but also has a surprising additional poignancy thanks to the touching central love story between Eddie and his concerned wife Emily (a winningly sharp and spunky portrayal by Blair Brown). The ace acting by the superior cast keeps this picture on track: Hurt and Brown do sterling work in the leads, with sturdy support from Bob Balaban as bookish and loyal colleague Arthur Rosenberg, Charles Haid as the huffy and disapproving Mason Parrish, and Miguel Godreau as a crazed caveman. Jordan Cronenweth's striking cinematography offers a wealth of breathtaking outré visuals. Kudos are also in order for Dick Smith's remarkable make-up, the dazzling special effects, and John Corigliano's moody'n'melodic score. A truly unique and fascinating film.

Cameren Lee This might be the most frustrating movie I've ever seen. It was good for what it was, but Ken Russell was simultaneously a great and awful choice, though I'm not saying Paddy's script was perfect either.After Hurt (whose performance is brilliant) turned into an ape, I thought a certain threshold had been passed. I've heard that someone wanted the great Andrei Tarkovsky to direct, but even he couldn't work with that, and this is coming from an obsessive Tarkovsky fan.And even if Jessup's search for spiritual awakening was doomed to fail, it didn't have to end the hollow, "love power" way it did.All in all, I highly recommend the film, but it's for me a very depressing 100-odd minutes. I want to rewrite and remake this.

Al_The_Strange This film basically plays out like one extended science experiment. As such, it looks pretty dry and "boring" at first glance, but the actual subject of the experiment is something of fascination that prompts further study. Altered States presents the idea that powerful drugs can create a conduit for a person to touch the inner self (and possibly touching God at the same time), allowing one access to six billion years of genetic memories stored in the human body. As the main character continuously dabbles with the forbidden fruit of mind-altering substances, he comes closer and closer to inhabiting the body of the world's first primordial human being, complete with raw primal instincts and unbridled physical power.The concept is really high-level stuff, provoking lots of introspect into the human spirit, human evolution, and humanity's relationship with spirituality and religion. Above all, the film is most memorable for being visually insane. There are several sequences where the film bombards you with rapid-fire freak-out imagery. I've yet to see any other film where the screen flashes weird goat heads, bloody knives, hellish scenes of crucifixions and boiling hot magma, giant snakes, sex, the universe, and lord knows what else all at once. Scenes like this make the film very pungent, and it stands out as one of the trippiest experiences on film.In between the occasional freak-outs, the film slows down quite a bit. The film goes on to follow these scientist characters, who form some profound relationships and rivalries, but most of these scenes come off as rather plain and dry, especially when compared to the film's most vivid imagery. I couldn't tell you if such contrast is intentional or not. Regardless, it is an intriguing story with a cast of halfway decent characters.The film has its share of extremely hard-hitting imagery and extremely plain photography. Editing can be pretty erratic during the freak-out scenes, but for intentional effect; the film is very successful at beating its trippiness over your head. Acting is decent: William Hurt is especially noteworthy. Writing is quite sophisticated, but could potentially go over some viewers' heads. This production has okay-looking sets, props, and costumes, and the special effects are impressive for its time. Music is alright.Overall, this is a movie for the left side of the brain. If that interests you, then the film is certainly recommended. Otherwise, you might still want to see it for some of the trippiest (and possibly scariest) images ever committed to celluloid.4/5 (Entertainment: Average | Story: Very Good | Film: Good)