Altered States (1980)

Director: Ken Russell
Starring: William Hurt, Blair Brown, Bob Balaban

Synopsis:
A researcher experiments on himself to achieve an altered state of consciousness by combining a hallucinogenic drug and sensory deprivation.

Impressions:
Being one of those good little children of the 80s brought up to just say no, I've never tried any illegal drugs and don't tend to have a lot of love for the legal ones either. Therefore, it goes without saying that I've never dropped acid, though I feel this movie gives the old college try at emulating the effect. The trippiness of the hallucinations is the main draw to this film. I don't know about you, but neither the characters nor the pretentious babble held any appeal for me. It is somewhat interesting seeing William Hurt in his film debut (and it's also the debut of Drew Barrymore in a bit part as the daughter of Hurt's character). Even though it came out in 1980, it's very much a 70s movie, which that alone may hold enough appeal to be an additional draw. If you want a trip, consider giving this a try, but besides that aspect, I honestly don't think there's much to be had.

Rating:
50/50