Revisit: Altered States

A Warner Brothers film 1980

Directed by Ken Russell

Written by Paddy Chayefsky

A Harvard scientist conducts experiments on himself with a hallucinatory drug and an isolation chamber that may be causing him to regress genetically.



William Hurt makes his film debut in this 1980 sci-fi/horror thriller that poises itself as an intellectual dissertation on consciousness and slowly descends into absurdity by its last act. Directed by British filmmaker Ken Russell, the film meshes video art style with practical makeup and special effects. The film is sort of a cross between Cronenberg's The Fly and something like A Beautiful Mind. At the start it appears to be a drama revolving around post-radical 70's academic elites, but slowly it regresses (quite literally) as Hurt devolves into an ape like creature, and then some.

Russell is often criticized as being overly obsessed with sexuality and the church, and Altered States is no exception. Hurt's scientist is obsessed with restoring his faith and externalizing his past lives, and his hallucinations are often riddled with religious and allegorical imagery, from depictions of hell to himself on the cross. As he genetically retrogrades, the idea of man's progression from nothing becomes literal, and downright bizarre. Russell's direction treats these events so matter-of-factly that it's hard to take serious; the whole thing almost feels facetious, just short of camp. But the film's strangeness is its greatest asset; each twist and turn leads down an unexpected path until the ultimate WTF? climax is revealed.

Of course the films final message is that humanity is the ultimate truth - outside existence is merely a vast, impersonal nothingness. The film really strains to bring this idea to the forefront, and a lot of questions/absurdisms linger at the end. But if you're into so-heady-its-campy sci-fi or simply bizarre films, this one won't disappoint.

Revisit: The Neverending Story

A Warner Brothers film 1980

Directed by Wolfgang Petersen

Written by Wolfgang Petersen & Herman Weigel
Based on the novel by Michael Ende

A troubled boy dives into a wonderous fantasy world through the pages of a mysterious book.



This effects-ridden fantasy film by German filmmaker Wolfgang Peterson, best known for action set pieces like Air Force One and Das Boot, was a failure at the box office when it was released, but quickly garnered a large cult following, and in turn a bevy of sequels, as well as an animated series. Based (somewhat) on the book of the same name, it follows the usual fantasy epic trajectory -- a vague evil is plaguing the land, and some young buck hero is fabled to stop it. The effects aren't quite as impressive as The Dark Crystal, nor is the land littered with as many quirks and quips to really bring it to life. But the story is simple and engaging enough that I could see why children would enjoy it.

This Family Guy spoofs sums up the best parts of the film pretty well:

Revisit: Gates of Heaven

An MGM release 1980
Directed by Errol Morris

A documentary about a pet cemetary in California, and the people who have pets buried there.



Werner Herzog once bet that he would eat his shoe if a young film student named Errol Morris could complete a film about pet cemeteries. In response, Morris crafted one of the most bizarre, beautiful, funny, and pathetic documentaries of all time. Gates of Heaven probes issues of life, death, and the human condition through pet lovers, and in doing so creates a cast of vivid, real characters who are at once compelling and yet utterly strange. Featuring beautiful cinematography by Ned Burgess, the film's washed out, painterly quality ensures that it will only be more beautiful with age. A must see.

Revist: Coal Miner's Daughter

A Universal Pictures release 1980

Directed by
Michael Apted

Writing credits:
Loretta Lynn (autobiography)
George Vecsey (autobiography)
Tom Rickman (screenplay)

At only thirteen years of age, Loretta Webb (Sissy Spacek) marries Doolittle Lynn (Tommy Lee Jones) and soon becomes country sensation Loretta Lynn.



Over two decades before Ray, Coal Miner's Daughter presents the same tride and true Oscar-baiting form of musical biopic, only this time it's a country star. These movies never go out of style, apparently; never have and never will. Nominated for six Oscars, with one win for Sissy Spacek as Mrs. Lynn, Coal Miner's Daughter is exactly what you expect from Hollywood. Sure the performances are great, and it's cool that they sang their own songs, but haven't I seen this before? Thanks for making the template for a ton of crap films, Apted. I guess you get some credit for being first.