Altered States Review

Review of Altered States (1980) by screenqueeen: 👍 4/5

HOOPTOBER 7.0 DAY 16 15 DAYS REMAIN

Hurt has so much nuance in this that Russell extracts that just rockets past where you think his internal journey will go. Quite a surprising turn of events and some genuinely unique sequences that only Ken Russell can illustrate in his dream imagery and stylized compositing.

Feels like Russell taking on a Cronenberg logline but injects it with so much warmth, drama, woe and affection that it effectively stands apart and gives its characters room to explore. This would pair really well with THE BROOD in that this is more of a deep introspective recognition and acceptance of neglecting fatherhood in spite of personal trauma, where BROOD is about embracing motherhood no matter the limitations, even modifying the human body to make up for its shortcomings.

"I'm asking you to make one small quantum jump to accept one deviant concept." "You're screaming."