Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Harmonia (A) on January 11, 2009 at 16:07:18

In Reply to: RE: Doncha love lists? The Thinking Person's Top Ten Sci-Fi Movies posted by Harmonia on January 08, 2009 at 23:47:26

I saw it not long ago and it's worn much better than it might have IMO.

This was William Hurt's film debut, and he takes the role and runs with it. I know this controversial film will be over the top for some inmates, especially those who are allergic to Ken Russell, but for me it's no more excessive than something like Aliens, and frankly, I find it a heckuva lot braver, more searching and entertaining.

Whatever else you could say about it, Altered States is thoughtful, it does ask the "big questions", and makes universal one man's lonley, tortured personal quest. The material was a good match for Russell, who was relatively restrained, except of course fro a few erm...famous sequences. The bravura served his story well in this case. (If only Russell had reined in Blair Brown's performance a bit.) The scientist John Lilly, on whose life and work the novel and film were based, liked the final product. So do I.

It was quite startling for its time - made 1979, released 1980. Won a bunch of awards. Not much discussed nowdays, which is a shame. Victim of the declining interest in hallucinogenics or backlash against Russell?

Edits: 01/11/09