ChiP-
27Apr13
Ditto, I really don't know if I loved or hated this movie.
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Mathias Palmberg
9May13
Quite good film with an interesting concept and some cool hallucination sequences. The acting was alright and the production work was solid as well. The script and dialogue was a bit all over the place. The movie could have been a lot better had it not had the "man-ape-sequence" which was awful and ridiculous and dragged the movie down. The "love-conquers-all-ending" was also a let down. Good music score though...
Zachary George Najarian-Najafi
28Apr13
"The final truth of all things is that there is no final Truth. Truth is what's transitory. It's human life that is real." I'm not sure how I felt about this one. There's really nothing philosophical here, it's all bullshit. Like, I can see hip teenagers sitting around high watching this and thinking it's incredibly profound. In reality it's more of a John Carpenter style genre flick, and the parts that hold up the best are those that are just for sheer entertainment. It becomes problematic when it reaches for something more. Ken Russell's trippy 2001esque montages are still georgous to look at, though, but there just isn't much of a point. But still, it's enjoyable, it's garish and over the top and it has apemen. That alone is worth something.
Muffinhead1985
4Feb13
Terrible,all except for the montage of the beginning of time. The acting was so bad. Anything Hurt said had zero sincerity. One of the scenes at the end when he's telling his wife he loves her he then, whilst explaining his carthartic moment, walks into the kitchen with his back to her. The primordial human scenes were genuinely hilarious although i'm dubious as to their wanted effect. The ultimate truth? Hope not.
Cbarky99
8Dec12
watching this as a kid was one of those things that probably doomed me to be a weird teen--returning to it as an adult, the story feels oddly quaint, like a snapshot of a state of mind that doesn't really exist anymore, but Ken Russell's camera tricks hold up, and I think it's still worth viewing for anyone who considers the manic sincerity of the story a feature rather than a bug.
Princess Leigh Cheri
23Sep12
This ludicrous psychedelic sci-fi definitely altered my primordial consciousness.
Ferrell V
16Jun12
I just wish it hadn't been so heavy handed. Leaving a little to the imagination of the viewer could've really improved what slowly became a mediocre movie as it progressed. The core idea and philosophy behind the experiments is quite vast and really wonderful, but I felt it was shoved down my throat.
Muffinhead1985 and 2 others like this
Cihan Aydın
22Apr12
I have no idea about the people who understand any bloody thing from this stuff. Is all about the drug trippy, is this enough to like it? I really don't know what the point is. Someone must show what Russell's true colors actually are.
Alexander Robino
10Apr12
Kind of a bizarre film, but I've returned to it numerous times over the years and still certainly enjoy it!
Harry Rossi and Sebastian Maier like this
This is Jake Kath
4Mar12
Cut out the talking and you have yourself one of the best movie experiences out there.
g legs likes this
Harry Rossi
2Mar12
Had one or two scenes that were among some of the greatest things ever committed to celluloid (the surrealistic drug trips) but unfortunately there was way too much tech-babble and unconvincing character development to keep me completely engaged. If the film had been 102 minutes of surrealistic images, it would have been a masterpiece, at least to me. Overall: glad I saw it, but wouldn't watch it again.
Robert
24Feb12
I saw the preview version of Altered States in 1980 in Pasadena. I recall a character (maybe the Blair Brown character) expressing her relief at not having to take a course in John Milton's poem Paradise Lost. This brief scene is not in the current DVD, I think; the preview version underwent some edits. But, to confirm my memory, does anyone else recall the scene I mention above?
Darius Greasley and Viktor Pedersen like this
Peter De La Garde
21Sep11
saw this film when i was 18 and it blew me away ,i had never seen this style of movie before.
jimmy3vil
25Jun11
'2001' meets Lady Gaga - pure sci-fi insanity just interesting enough to warrant your attention. Ridiculous expository dialogue almost kills the script but you can't help but giggle as William Hurt busts a gut soliloquising pseudoscientific theories. The hallucination sequences elevate this above average - unique surrealist mash-ups that grow in intensity, leading to a beautiful, accomplished, extended trip.
valolopez
12Sep10
If it weren't for the good acting, the movie would have been totally ridiculous. As long as it remains on the experimental side of filmaking it suceeds; but when it demands to be taken seriously on the drama/pshycological thriller side, it fails. Leaves no explanation to what you just saw, and fails to preserve viewer's curiosity. It's like a bad acid trip with a corny ending.
Alan Funkle
1Aug10
A favorite though perplexing and different scifi film, stellar music. Ken takes a slightly rediculous idea and makes it amazing with its own visual unique visual style much like raimi's unique film style in the Evil dead movies. If your looking for ken russell movies to watch, this is my favorite Russel film. Also my favorite william hurt movie other than dark city.
woperchild
3Jul10
at times incredible and at times completely retarded. the romantic element was really annoying. i would have liked 1it 9348x more if it weren’t trying to be anything more than drugtalk kitsch.