Altered States (1980)

Some movies survive the test of time. Others do not. A major spectacle and cultural touchstone in 1980, Altered States now seems contrived and dated, although drug users and Baby Boomer followers of Carlos Castaneda may feel differently.

William Hurt plays Professor Eddie Jessup, a brilliant scientist nominated for a Nobel Prize who now spends most of his time in an isolation tank or under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs in an attempt to explore different states of consciousness.

Following a trip to Mexico in which he literally trips out with a band of Indians, Jessup comes up with the brilliant theory that if he takes drugs while inside the isolation tank, he can exponentially tweak his own head. The Professor is convinced that buried somewhere deep inside his own brain lurks a primitive state of human consciousness that needs to be brought to light. This fellow didn’t get nominated for a Nobel Prize for nothing, after all.

Despite the misgivings of his wife and colleagues, Jessup puts his theory to the test, managing not only to get in touch with early human thought, but to genetically revert himself into a violent, raw-flesh-eating monkey man!

Where Altered States really shows its years is in the special effects that accompany Jessup’s journey into his own head and subsequent transformation. Frankly, it’s hard to imagine that the film’s acid trip explosions of magenta and green didn’t already seemed dated in 1980, and the monkey suit only adds to the sillyness. Stanley Kubrick did a much better job utilizing similar elements over a decade earlier in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

What Makes Altered States ultimately worth the two hour long trip is the compelling cinematic debut of William Hurt. Hurt holds up where the effects do not, doing his best to sell the ludicrous notions of the movie and keeping the audience engaged with his boyish charm and charisma. Altered States is also must-see entertainment for anyone interested in the mad monkey subgenre of horror (also see Monkey Shines, Phenomena, Bed Time for Bonzo).

Originally released in 1980. Directed by Ken Russell. Starring William Hurt, Blair Brown, Bob Balaban. Revisited by Demon in the 21st Century.