IMDb > Altered States (1980)
Altered States
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Altered States (1980) More at IMDbPro »


IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
6.6/10   8,155 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 3% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Paddy Chayefsky (novel)
Paddy Chayefsky (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Altered States on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
25 December 1980 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
When he heard his cry for help it wasn't human more
Plot:
A Harvard scientist conducts experiments on himself with a hallucinatory drug and an isolation chamber that may be causing him to regress genetically. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 4 nominations more
User Comments:
Altered States is a REALLY cool movie!!! more (99 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

William Hurt ... Eddie Jessup
Blair Brown ... Emily Jessup
Bob Balaban ... Arthur Rosenberg
Charles Haid ... Mason Parrish
Thaao Penghlis ... Echeverria
Miguel Godreau ... Primal Man
Dori Brenner ... Sylvia Rosenberg
Peter Brandon ... Hobart
Charles White-Eagle ... The Brujo

Drew Barrymore ... Margaret Jessup
Megan Jeffers ... Grace Jessup
Jack Murdock ... Hector Orteco

Francis X. McCarthy ... Obispo (as Frank McCarthy)
Deborah Baltzell ... Schizophrenic Patient

Evan Richards ... Young Rosenberg
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Additional Details

Runtime:
102 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby | 70 mm 6-Track (MegaSound encoding)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The book was partially based on dolphin researcher John Lilly, who invented the isolation tank, and first started taking drugs while "tanking". more
Goofs:
Continuity: When the Brujo tells Eccheverria that he'll allow Eddie to participate in the ceremony he walks off. In only a matter of seconds he's far enough away that they have to run quite a distance to catch up to him to ask him some further questions. There's no way he could have gotten that far in the short span of time between his walking off and their pursuit of him. more
Quotes:
[First line]
Arthur Rosenberg: The tank itself was unusual in that it was vertical, and looked like an old boiler.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Beerfest (2006) more
Soundtrack:
Light My Fire more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
13 out of 20 people found the following comment useful.
Altered States is a REALLY cool movie!!!, 21 January 1999
Author: andy-227 from Stereling Hts., Michigan

If there is any reason to like a film as meaningless or pointless as this, it's that it is a "Cedar Point" of a special visual effects ride! I still haven't figured out how or why the things in Altered States happened the way they did. But I think that this is one of the greatest sci-fi films ever made. Who cares if the plot or characters worked or not? When you are watching the mesmerizing images and special effects (which are only slightly dated), then you will understand why this is such a great movie! I still don't know how Ken Russell got these images on film. And the very intricately constructed images fly by so fast in the quick cuts, that it's like a dream that we can barely remember. It's a dream that you can't define or put your finger on. And that is the real reason why I like this movie. I just purchased the Dolby Digital reissue on LD, and I hope more special editions of this film come soon!

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (99 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Altered States (1980)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Am I the only one who laughed at this? B-J-C
uhh awesomeness567
Jessup sees Jesus mrmikeob
HEEEELP!!SOME QUESTIONS..... jimpemmas
Forced Hollywood Ending? byzantym
Interesting Truth to Movie (Mushroom) KamatariTheScythe
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