Attack of the B's!

Altered States (1980), Ken Russell


Eddie Jessup, a Harvard professor, has been conducting experiments to prove his theory that schizophrenics are not "crazy," their minds merely process in a different level of consciousness which non-schizos will never know. He utilizes sensory deprivation tanks, and hallucinogenic drugs to carry out his experiments. He becomes so engrossed in his research that he begins to test himself. He hears of a drug used by a tribe in Mexico, which they claim can take them back to not only their own first memory, but the first memory of the first man. They allow him to join in on their ritual, and he has the strangest hallucinations he has ever experienced. He convinces them to allow him to return to America with a good amount of the substance, and continues to experiment on himself. He ingests so much of the drug that he actually begins to genetically devolve.

Would you believe this idiot has a hot wife and two adorable little girls (one of which just happens to be Drew Barrymore)? Well he does, and therein lies the other problem. He basically abandons his family because the experiment takes over his life. Love no longer matters to him, only the pursuit of knowledge. He also calls himself an atheist, so there is a lot of really awesome, really blasphemous imagery in his hallucinations. However, I think he wants to believe in God, but God has given him nothing to believe in, and his faith or rejection of it has been a major lifelong struggle for him. In the end, he discovers the "ultimate truth," the meaning of life. I won't share it with you, but it is a damn powerful ending.

This was a really weird movie. It was written by Paddy Chayefsky, the same gentleman that wrote the media-skewering classic, Network. However, finding someone to direct it was nearly impossible. Ken Russell was actually the 27th director approached about the project. While in production, Chayefsky was so displeased with the way things had turned out that he removed his name from the project before the film was even finished. Ken Russell is kind of a weird choice, because he is most known for his work in softcore pornography, and campfests like Tommy and The Devils. I must say, I was rather impressed by the hallucination sequences. I think I got high just from watching this film. I also love the fact that William Hurt's film career started with this movie.

I would recommend this to lovers of campy science fiction or drug movies. It's definitely not for everyone.

Best Line: "I'm a man in search of his true self. How archetypically American can you get? We're all trying to fulfill ourselves, understand ourselves, get in touch with ourselves, face the reality of ourselves, explore ourselves, expand ourselves. Ever since we dispensed with God we've got nothing but ourselves to explain this meaningless horror of life."

Grade: B+