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

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Overview

User Rating:
6.6/10   8,135 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 3% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Ken Russell
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:
Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | Fantasy more
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
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 4 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(12 articles)
Former MGM Chief Daniel Melnick Dead At 77; Many Classic Films To His Credit
 (From CinemaRetro. 16 October 2009, 9:58 AM, PDT)
The Planting of Dan Melnick and the Death of Hollywood Cool
 (From Huffington Post. 15 October 2009, 3:36 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Don't miss human interaction and the power of touch more (99 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

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

Hap Lawrence ... Endocrinology Fellow
John Walter Davis ... Medical Technician
Cynthia Burr ... Parrish's Girl
Susan Bredhoff ... Echeverria's Girl

John Larroquette ... X-Ray Technician
George Gaynes ... Dr. Wissenschaft
Ora Rubinstein ... Young Medical Student
Paul Larsson ... Charlie Thomas
Eric Forst ... Mingus
Adriana Shaw ... Dr. Antonini
Martin Fiscoe ... Graduate Student
Olivia Michelle ... Veronica
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Directed by
Ken Russell 
 
Writing credits
Paddy Chayefsky (novel)

Paddy Chayefsky (writer) (as Sidney Aaron)

Produced by
Stuart Baird .... associate producer
Howard Gottfried .... producer
Daniel Melnick .... executive producer
 
Original Music by
John Corigliano 
 
Cinematography by
Jordan Cronenweth 
 
Film Editing by
Eric Jenkins 
 
Casting by
Howard Feuer 
Jeremy Ritzer 
 
Production Design by
Richard Macdonald  (as Richard McDonald)
 
Set Decoration by
Thomas L. Roysden  (as Thomas Roysden)
 
Costume Design by
Ruth Myers 
 
Makeup Department
Carl Fullerton .... special makeup assistant
Michael Hancock .... makeup artist
Craig Reardon .... special makeup assistant
Dick Smith .... special makeup
Dione Taylor .... hair stylist (as Dione Taylor-Demsky)
 
Production Management
David Silver .... unit production manager (as Dave Silver)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gary Daigler .... assistant director
Peter Schindler .... second assistant director
 
Art Department
Gary Clark .... head paint foreman
Stan Cockerell .... assistant props
Sidney H. Greenwood .... property master (as Syd Greenwood)
Jeff Howard .... assistant art director
Joseph Hurley .... illustrator (as Joe Hurley)
Bill Iiams .... general foreman
Roger Irvin .... construction coordinator
Ronald C. Jacobs .... lead man (as Ron Jacobs)
Stephane Goulet .... property supervisor (uncredited)
Richard M. Kristy .... set dresser (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Willie D. Burton .... sound mixer (as Willie Burton)
Michael Colgan .... supervising sound editor
Laurey Condon .... assistant sound editor
Les Fresholtz .... sound re-recording mixer
Don Higgins .... sound editor
Jerry Jacobson .... adr editor
Stephen Katz .... sound consultant
Marvin E. Lewis .... boom operator (as Marvin Lewis)
Michael Minkler .... sound re-recording mixer
Arthur Piantadosi .... sound re-recording mixer
Fred Stafford .... sound editor
Colin Waddy .... sound editor
Jay Wertz .... sound editor
 
Special Effects by
David Domeyer .... special effects
Larry L. Fuentes .... assistant special effects (as Larry Fuentes)
Chuck Gaspar .... special effects
James Kagel .... sculptor
 
Visual Effects by
Robert Blalack .... special optical effects (as Robbie Blalack)
Bran Ferren .... special visual effects
Louis Schwartzberg .... time lapse photography (as Lou Schwartzberg)
James Shourt .... special optical effects (as Jamie Shourt)
 
Stunts
M. James Arnett .... stunts (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Garrett Brown .... Steadicam operator
James Glennon .... camera operator
Adam Glick .... set lighting technician
Barbara Hanania .... additional assistant camera: Boston
Gary Holt .... gaffer
Johnny E. Jensen .... first assistant camera (as John Jensen)
Carey Jones .... second assistant camera
Sal Martorano .... electrician
Morgan Renard .... still photographer
Bob Rose .... key grip (as Bobby Rose)
 
Casting Department
Stephen Kolzak .... additional casting (as Steve Kolzak)
Joel Thurm .... additional casting
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Darryl M. Athons .... costumer: men (as Darryl Athons)
Shanan Harrell .... costumer: women
 
Editorial Department
Cari Coughlin .... apprentice editor
Arthur W. Forney .... assistant editor
Paul Hamill .... post-production assistant
Thomas Penick .... assistant editor
 
Music Department
John David Earnest .... orchestrator
Donald Harris .... music editor (as Don Harris)
Pierre Henry .... music excerpt: Voile d'Orphee
Christopher Keene .... conductor
Sheldon Shkolnik .... assistant to composer
John David Earnest .... composer: additional music (uncredited)
Brian L. McCarty .... music playback (uncredited)
Dan Wallin .... scoring mixer (uncredited)
 
Transportation Department
Gina August .... driver
John M. Woodward .... transportation coordinator (as John Woodward)
 
Other crew
Scott Bartlett .... technical advisor
Richard Clark .... technical advisor
Carline Davis-Dyer .... script supervisor (as Cariline Davis-Dyer)
Jimsie Eason .... production associate
Richard Greenberg .... title designer
Christina Lear .... assistant to producer
Paul Pav .... location manager
Vivian Russell .... assistant: Mr. Russell (as Vivian Jolly)
Alan Shapiro .... production intern
Lee Stitch .... production secretary
Susan Tarr .... research assistant
John Cunningham Lilly .... scientific researcher (uncredited)
Bill Iiams .... general foreman (uncredited)
Craig Miller .... marketing consultant (uncredited)
Philip Sharpe .... effects technician (uncredited)
 

Production CompaniesDistributorsSpecial EffectsOther Companies
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
102 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | Spanish
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby | 70 mm 6-Track (MegaSound encoding)
Certification:
Singapore:M18 | Italy:VM14 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Norway:18 (1982) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | Iceland:16
Filming Locations:
Beacon Hill, Boston, Massachusetts, USA more
Company:
Warner Bros. Pictures more

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:
Anachronisms: The introductory story is set in 1967, but exterior shots of the streets shows a VW Rabbit and a Plymouth Volare, both 1970s cars. 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 The Making of 'World Trade Center' (2006) (V) more

FAQ

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
7 out of 11 people found the following comment useful.
Don't miss human interaction and the power of touch, 10 November 2006
10/10
Author: Mark Branson from United States

Certainly, Altered States took on its cult status due to the sfx of Hurt's altered consciousness (the film was the "head film" of the 1980s like 2001: A Space Odyssey was for those in 1968). However, the compelling part for me is not the "trip" but the touch. On the next viewing, pay particular attention to the climactic scene in the hallway. Ken Russell frames the sequence effectively and shows us that we must maintain our humanity by simply reaching out to touch on another. If we don't, we are lost.

Human touch is iconographic--from the Creation of Adam to ET--and in a world where we are "wired" 24/7--we are still out of touch. I believe this film is important for revisit because it reminds us of the power of touch.

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