Altered States (1980) ****

I hadn't watched Altered States (1980) in almost a decade (when the Blu-ray was released). I’m fairly certain I had seen the film once or twice prior to that viewing but either way I remembered it quite well. William Hurt, who very recently passed away, had many memorable film roles in the past 41+ years. It's incredible to think that this was his feature film debut (fun fact: this was also Drew Barrymore's film debut). 

Jordan Cronenweth, who two years later gifted us the astounding cinematography of Blade Runner (review), here provides lots of beautifully lit compositions. The special effects and makeup—the latter by the legendary Dick Smith—can appear dated by today's standards, but there is a unique, tangible, and otherworldly approach to them that I can't help but love.

Ken Russell's trippy psychological sci-fi body horror definitely leaves an impression, particularly the barrage of sound and images presented in the out-of-body scenes. The unforgettable finale of AS inspired the second, more popular, version of A-ha's video for "Take On Me" five years later.

Recommended for fans of Scanners (1981) (review), Videodrome (1983) (review), and 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) (review).

You can find my Ken Russell Feature Films Ranked list here.

You can find my reviews of other Ken Russell films here.