Altered States (1980) - July 10,2012 Review

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

I've been wanting to see this movie for many years - will have to finally check it out.

Since 1980?

[MichaelR]

Originally Posted by The Krouser

The reviewer said the "late" Dick Smith's make -up effects, Dick Smith is still alive . . .

Serves me right for editing late at night. That phrase was supposed to be inserted elsewhere in the paragraph, where it would have applied to someone else. I should leave these things to IMDb.

Originally Posted by The Krouser

. . . and working doing the thing he does best . . . movie magic!

If by "movie magic" you mean making movies, Smith retired from active on-set involvement in the late 1980s. But he continues to oversee the famous training course he assembled thereafter, which is now administered through his website.

[plinfesty]

Just a small correction to the review. MEGASOUND did not work with the 35mm Dolby Stereo format at the time (the optical prints were not capable of reproducing deep bass and were in fact rolled off). Only 70mm 6-track magnetic prints could be used for Megasound, as it used the baby-boom tracks (2) to produce the effect. It was basically a Dolby "A" format that took advantage of the boom tracks to custom mix deep bass that was reproduced through specially installed Cerwin Vega subs that were the front units previously used by Universal on its SENSURROUND process.

[MichaelR]

Originally Posted by plinfesty

Just a small correction to the review. MEGASOUND did not work with the 35mm Dolby Stereo format at the time (the optical prints were not capable of reproducing deep bass and were in fact rolled off).

You mean IMDb made a mistake? I'm shocked.

Correction researched and added (here and in Outland). Thanks!

[ZoetMB]

Originally Posted by Dubstar

do you happen to know what other films were released in megasound?

I hope Warner's gets around to releasing Wolfen another film that got the deluxe 6-track sound mix for it's 35mm to 70mm blowups.

I think it was only "Altered States", "Outland", "Wolfen" and "Superman II".

But remember, there was nothing much different on the prints than a standard 70mm Dolby 6-track "baby boom" print other than perhaps sending slightly more unique audio to the baby boom channels. Most of what Megasound was about were the extra LF speakers in the theatre.

In the end, IMO, there was no difference seeing "Altered States" in Megasound and seeing "Close Encounters..." in its initial run with a similar b-chain (but not marketed in Megasound, since CE was Paramount and not WB). I never saw "Wolfen". I don't remember "Superman II" in 70mm sounding any different than any other 70mm baby boom film, so I don't think the theatre where I saw it had the Megasound speakers installed for that run, although it premiered in NYC only at the RKO (formerly the Warner) Cinerama and the Murray Hill, which were not as well equipped as the better 70mm theatres, so it may have never played in NYC in Megasound. I suspect I saw it at the Cinerama, which had once been a great theatre, but was pretty worn down by this time. It closed six years later.

Superman II also had 70mm split surround, one of the relatively few films to do so, but again, I don't think the Cinerama showed it in split surround.

[jannejansson]

I own this movie! Did you know it's loosely based on the life of John Lilly?

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by slimdude

Since 1980?

I was only 8 then, more since the late 80s probably.

[PowellPressburger]

Anyone notice any sound sync issues? The argument when Wiliiam Hurt is talking about 57 ish mins in seems out of sync unless that is how it has always been.

[Doomnaut]

The trip scenes in this movie are hilarious.

[BluPat]

My bf and I just watched my Blu of 'Altered States' for the first time. I have wanted to see this for years ever since Warner released this on DVD in that cardboard snap case that I would always see at Best Buy back in the day.

The picture looked fantastic considering it's from 1980. The only thing I didn't know which was more horrific:

1) the dress Blair Brown had on at the beginning, or:
2) the hair she had in her armpit.

[dullboy]

Originally Posted by BluPat

2) the hair she had in her armpit.

Ahaha...I noticed that, too. But, I was more put off by the lack of grain.

[Monroville]

Originally Posted by BluPat

My bf and I just watched my Blu of 'Altered States' for the first time. I have wanted to see this for years ever since Warner released this on DVD in that cardboard snap case that I would always see at Best Buy back in the day.

The picture looked fantastic considering it's from 1980. The only thing I didn't know which was more horrific:

1) the dress Blair Brown had on at the beginning, or:
2) the hair she had in her armpit.

I would like to know how your GF reacted to this. This is one of those "test the girlfriend for marriage material" movies. If you can find one that likes this and/or THE ROAD WARRIOR, then you have a keeper.

[Filmmaker]

Originally Posted by Monroville

I would like to know how your GF reacted to this. This is one of those "test the girlfriend for marriage material" movies. If you can find one that likes this and/or THE ROAD WARRIOR, then you have a keeper.

When my then-girlfriend watched 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY and didn't go into epileptic fits during "the part with the monkeys" (and ended up loving the film), then went on to enjoy the original '60s-'70s PLANET OF THE APES films, too, I knew I had to marry her and marry her hard. I'd NEVER seen a female tolerate the fusion of primates and science fiction before; women seem to have a genetic aversion to those two things being united.

[Monroville]

Originally Posted by Filmmaker

When my then-girlfriend watched 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY and didn't go into epileptic fits during "the part with the monkeys" (and ended up loving the film), then went on to enjoy the original '60s-'70s PLANET OF THE APES films, too, I knew I had to marry her and marry her hard. I'd NEVER seen a female tolerate the fusion of primates and science fiction before; women seem to have a genetic aversion to those two things being united.

That is awesome. You know, someone could make an entire thread on this subject alone.

How did she react when Cheston saw the statue at the end?

[Filmmaker]

Originally Posted by Monroville

That is awesome. You know, someone could make an entire thread on this subject alone.

How did she react when Cheston saw the statue at the end?

She recognized it for what it was--complete badassery!!! I loved it because she's usually (irritatingly) uncanny about guessing the endings of movies in advance, but that one got her!

[YouGotMeFeelingBlu]

I'm thinking about making this a blind buy. The premise sounds interesting, and considering it's only 5 bucks after coupon...

[Abaddon22]

Might blind buy this one as well after reading the review.

[Two Mules]

...and it's not the usual issues you might expect.

It is a bit grain-free, and the clarity isn't what it could be with a bit more work: that's fine, I'd expect that from a budget WB catalog title...

What bothers me is that the color scheme has been revised, and the saturation has been pushed back. This is one lurid, colorful film. But now, right from the start, the chroma has been dialled back, and we have a more 'modern' look.
Much like 'Aliens', the saturated blues are cooler and look more like [eek] teal.

Along with the horrible 'this-took-me-five-minutes' new cover art, I suspect it's an attempt to jazz up a catalog title for a new audience. Sigh.

Anyone else bothered by this here?

[thrillmygorilla]

Originally Posted by Two Mules

...and it's not the usual issues you might expect.

It is a bit grain-free, and the clarity isn't what it could be with a bit more work: that's fine, I'd expect that from a budget WB catalog title...

What bothers me is that the color scheme has been revised, and the saturation has been pushed back. This is one lurid, colorful film. But now, right from the start, the chroma has been dialled back, and we have a more 'modern' look.
Much like 'Aliens', the saturated blues are cooler and look more like [eek] teal.

Along with the horrible 'this-took-me-five-minutes' new cover art, I suspect it's an attempt to jazz up a catalog title for a new audience. Sigh.

Anyone else bothered by this here?

I thought it looked pretty damn good for a movie made in 1980.

[Two Mules]

It looked OK, but just OK.

I may be wrong, but I think there's a lot of room for improvement: bear in mind it was shot by Jordan 'Blade Runner' Cronenweth.

And I stand by my comments on the revised colour palette.

BTW, if anyone really likes this movie, there's an amazing 25+ page Making-Of article in a very early issue of Cinefex [issue 4: it has Outland on the cover, coincidentally]. It's ostensibly about the FX, but goes into a lot of horrifying detail about the behind-the-scenes wrangles and power plays. Great stuff, worth looking out for on eBay.