the fresh films reviews

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Altered States (1980)

Director:
Ken Russell
COUNTRY
USA
GENRE
Thriller/Horror/Science Fiction
NORWEGIAN TITLE
Eksperimentet
RUNNING TIME
102 minutes
Producer:
Howard Gottfried
Screenwriter (based on his novel):
Paddy Chayefsky


Cast includes:

CHARACTER ACTOR/ACTRESS RATING
Professor Eddie Jessup William Hurt ½
Emily Jessup Blair Brown ½
Arthur Rosenberg Bob Balaban
Mason Parrish Charles Haid
Margaret Jessup Drew Barrymore
Young Rosenberg Evan Richards

 

Review

Despite its unique subject matter and cerebral approach, Altered States turns out to be a messy, unwholesome and ultimately kitschy movie. Professor Eddie Jessup wraps things up in a painful final scene in which director Ken Russell concludes an otherwise alternative film with the mushiest of clichés. With that said, the film wouldn't have been memorable had it kept its initial tone either. The writing simply isn't good enough. Paddy Chayefsky is said to have disowned the movie before its release, and whether the reason was that he was unhappy with his own work or with Russell's realization of it, one can't help but understand him. The script misses the mark in crucial scenes, and as a result, Altered States can't maintain the level of suspense that would have made it a real chiller. William Hurt shows potential in his feature film debut, but would go on to far better performances in the following years. Look for little Drew Barrymore as the daughter.

Copyright © 6.11.2006 Fredrik Gunerius Fevang

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