Altered States
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Synopsis
The ultimate cinematic head trip of the 1980s, British renegade Ken Russell’s first Hollywood film—adapted by the legendary screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky from his own novel—is part hallucinogenic freak-out, part gonzo creature feature, part transcendent love story, all played at a fever pitch. When researcher Eddie Jessup (William Hurt) begins using himself as a test subject for his mind-expanding psychological experiments, it sends him on an increasingly dangerous, substance-fueled odyssey from humankind’s primordial past to the outer limits of consciousness. It’s all visualized by Russell in a psychedelic supernova of out-there imagery that encompasses everything from the pagan to the cosmic sublime, culminating in a brain-wave-blasting battle between the mind and the heart.
Picture 9/10
The Criterion Collection releases Ken Russell’s Altered States in a new 4K UHD special edition, presenting the film in Dolby Vision at its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 on a triple-layer disc. The 2160p/24hz ultra high-definition presentation comes from a new 4K restoration sourced primarily from the 35mm original camera negative (though I assume other elements were used for the film’s numerous optical effects). Criterion also includes a standard Blu-ray featuring a 1080p presentation of the film and all supplemental features.
Altered States continues Criterion’s recent streak of first-rate restorations, with the film looking shockingly modern, aside from its optical effects. Those effects, used heavily to create the protagonist’s hallucinatory (or are they??) visions , naturally show the mild generation loss typical of layered optical composites, though the degradation is surprisingly minimal; there's a handful of moments where it's not that obvious. This is thanks mostly in part to grain remaining fine and organic, rendered cleanly and consistently across these sequences, with the rest of the film looking spectacular. Overall, textures are crisp, fine details leap off the screen, and the image retains that film-look I love to see.
Dolby Vision also works wonders, particularly in the film’s dimly lit sequences where shadows have striking depth, with light breaking down beautifully into the darkness. Even the optically created hallucinations benefit from the wider range and rich blacks, as well as withing the expansion found in the vivid reds and oranges. Highlights also hold strong; bright moments like Hurt’s blinding entrance at a party or the chaotic visuals of the final act retain full detail without clipping or compression artifacts.
The restoration work itself is excellent, cleaning up the image beautifully without erasing its texture. Damage is virtually nonexistent, even in the optical passages. All told, this is a superb presentation that fully captures the film’s hallucinatory visuals about as perfectly as you could hope.
Altered States - Screen Captures
Audio 8/10
Criterion includes two surround options, both presented in DTS-HD MA: what appears to be the film’s original 2-channel surround track and a 5.1 remix created for home video. According to the notes, only the 2-channel track has been newly restored.
The film’s sound design—like its imagery—goes for broke, and both tracks capture that intensity wonderfully. While most of the action remains anchored to the front channels, the more frenetic sequences make impressive use of the rears, especially in the 5.1 mix, which spreads effects and music more expansively across the soundstage.
Surprisingly, though, I preferred the restored 2-channel presentation. It’s not as outwardly dynamic as the 5.1 remix, but it sounds cleaner and more precise, with dialogue in particular carrying greater clarity and range. The 5.1 track can feel slightly muffled by comparison. The two-channel mix also seems to push the hallucinatory sequences with a bit more punch and presence. In the end, both tracks serve the film well, but I found myself really liking the original presentation.
Extras 7/10
Despite being a longtime Warner Bros. catalog staple (it was even one of their first DVD releases), Altered States had never received a proper special edition. Criterion finally corrects that, assembling a modest but worthwhile slate of extras.
The main feature is a newly recorded audio commentary by Samm Deighan, included on both the 4K and Blu-ray discs. I’ve generally enjoyed Deighan’s tracks—especially her collaborations with Kat Ellinger—and thought her solo effort for Godzilla vs. Biollante was quite strong, but this one left me a bit mixed. She’s at her best discussing the film’s tumultuous production, particularly how writer Paddy Chayefsky’s iron grip on the screenplay clashed with director Ken Russell (brought in after Arthur Penn was dismissed), eventually prompting Chayefsky to remove his name from the credits. She also digs into the film’s striking visuals and situates it among other late-’70s and early-’80s explorations of body horror, which fits nicely. Where the track falters is in its tendency to drift into career summaries for each actor as they appear. It’s fair enough with William Hurt, Bob Balaban, Blair Brown, and even John Larroquette and Drew Barrymore, but it becomes a bit of a crutch in the film’s back half. To her credit, she avoids simple IMDb recitations and regains focus during the climax when addressing the effects work. Still, the track ultimately feels uneven, and I can't say I felt myself as engaged here as with some of her other efforts.
Expanding on that effects work is a new 26-minute interview with special visual effects supervisor Bran Ferren, and it’s a real highlight. Ferren recounts his background, citing Dr. No and 2001: A Space Odyssey as formative influences, and amusingly notes that Altered States was the first feature he ever worked on, after having primarily only set up effects for concerts and stage shows (which oddly doesn't feel all that surprising in the context of this film). He discusses how the film’s visuals were achieved, from practical setups (like the finale’s whirlpool) to the layered imagery of the hallucination sequences, many accomplished with an optical printer or in-camera techniques to minimize generation loss. He also covers how certain make-up effects proved unusable, leading to the final version’s clever mix of practical work, rapid editing, and early computer-assisted imagery. Visual aids help illustrate concepts such as motion blur and optical compositing, making this an unexpectedly educational and fascinating feature. It’s only a shame that behind-the-scenes footage doesn’t seem to exist, apart from a few stills.
Criterion also includes a 6-minute excerpt from a 2009 discussion between William Hurt and film scholar Annette Insdorf. The conversation—apparently about actor contracts when we join in—briefly turns to Altered States, with Hurt recalling Chayefsky’s contractual control and the creative tensions that erupted with both Penn and Russell. He even hints that things got physical at one point. Given that Criterion has multiple Hurt titles either released or on the way (A History of Violence this month and Kiss of the Spider Woman coming soon), it’s disappointing that the full discussion isn’t included, but the excerpt is still an intriguing inclusion.
Rounding out the new material is a 26-minute episode of The Paul Ryan Show from 1980 featuring an interview with Russell. Though ostensibly promotional, the conversation ranges widely, touching on The Devils, Women in Love, and Russell’s broader reputation for provocation. Ryan’s format is stiff, but Russell is just a delight. He's funny, candid, and insightful, with a particularly dry comment about audiences walking out of his films: he doesn’t mind, so long as it’s “not from boredom.” It’s a wonderful archival find.
The disc concludes with the film’s trailer and an insert essay by Jessica Kiang, who admires the film’s pacing, visual audacity, and brings up Chayefsky’s uneasy relationship with the production. Though Criterion’s edition finally gives Altered States some overdue attention, the absence of deeper material on either Hurt (making his feature debut) or Chayefsky himself feels like a missed opportunity (I'm holding out hope that they're saving material on the writer for a release I've longed hoped for, Network). The included features are solid and sometimes excellent, but as a package, it’s still a touch underwhelming.
Closing
Altered States finally gets its due with a stunning 4K presentation and a thoughtful, if limited, batch of supplements.
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