| Altered States | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Ken Russell |
| Screenplay by | Paddy Chayefsky[a] |
| Based on | Altered States 1978 novel by Paddy Chayefsky |
| Produced by | Howard Gottfried |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Jordan Cronenweth |
| Edited by | Eric Jenkins |
| Music by | John Corigliano |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 103 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $15.0 million |
| Box office | $19.9 million |
Altered States is a 1980 American science fiction horror film directed by Ken Russell and adapted by playwright and screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky from his 1978 novel of the same name. The novel and the film are based in part on John C. Lilly's sensory deprivation research conducted in isolation tanks under the influence of psychoactive drugs like mescaline, ketamine, and LSD. The film features elements of both psychological horror[1] and body horror.[2][3][4]
Chayefsky withdrew from the project after disputes with Russell and took his name off the credits, substituting "Sidney Aaron", his actual first and middle names. The film stars William Hurt, Blair Brown, Bob Balaban, and Charles Haid, and marks the screen acting debuts of Hurt as well as Drew Barrymore (in a small role). The film score was composed by John Corigliano and conducted by Christopher Keene.
Warner Bros. gave the film a limited theatrical release in the United States on December 25, 1980, followed by a wide release in February 1981. The film garnered generally positive reviews from critics, and was nominated for Best Original Score and Best Sound at the 53rd Academy Awards.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ "Altered States". Bloody Disgusting. November 5, 2010. Archived from the original on March 30, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
- ^ DeMello, Margo (2013). Body Studies. Routledge. doi:10.4324/9780203519608-2 (inactive 1 November 2024). ISBN 978-0415699303.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link) - ^ Weber, Johannes (2015). "Like some damned Juggernaut": The proto-filmic monstrosity of late Victorian literary figures. University of Bamberg Press. p. 347. ISBN 978-3863093488.
- ^ Zilko, Christian (July 22, 2023). "The 20 Best Body Horror Movies, from 'Crimes of the Future' to 'Altered States'". IndieWire. Retrieved March 29, 2024.