Altered States (4K UHD Review)
- Review Date: Oct 22, 2025
- Format: 4K Ultra HD
-
Director
Ken RussellRelease Date(s)
1980 (October 21, 2025)Studio(s)
Warner Bros. (The Criterion Collection – Spine #1284)- Film/Program Grade: A
- Video Grade: A
- Audio Grade: B+
- Extras Grade: B+
Review
“Everybody’s looking for their true selves. We’re all trying to fulfill ourselves, understand ourselves, get in touch with ourselves, face the reality of ourselves, explore ourselves, expand ourselves. Ever since we dispensed with God, we’ve got nothing but ourselves to explain this meaningless horror of life. I think that the true self, that original self, that first self is a real, mensurate, quantifiable thing, tangible and incarnate. And I’m gonna find the fucker.”
In Altered States, scientist Eddie Jessup (William Hurt) has spent his life searching for ultimate truth, and having already rejected religion and philosophy, he decides to turn that search inward instead. Even sex is a mystical experience for him, not so much about becoming one with his partner as it is about becoming one with the cosmos. And love? Well, however verbose that Eddie Jessup may be on the subject of the self and universal truth, he struggles to articulate his own feelings in that regard, even to his estranged wife Emily (Blair Brown)—a fact that’s not lost on her:
“You are a Faust freak, Eddie. You’d sell your soul to find the Great Truth. Well, human life doesn’t have great truths. We’re born in doubt, we spend our lives persuading ourselves we’re alive. And one way we do that is, we love each other like I love you.”
Yet Eddie can’t resolve those doubts in his own mind, and instead of persuading himself that he’s alive through Emily’s love, he decides to do whatever is necessary in order to find the original self. Along with his colleague Arthur Rosenberg (Bob Balaban), he’s been experimenting with isolation tanks in order to achieve altered states of consciousness. Yet his real breakthrough starts when he gets his hands on the psychedelic mushrooms that are used by Hinchi Indians in order tap into ancient common memories. Much to the consternation of another colleague, Mason Parrish (Charles Haid), Eddie starts using their potion while inside an isolation tank, and not only does it alter his psychological state, it starts to alter his physiology as well, gradually regressing him to the primordial level. But what will he find when he gets there?
To borrow the tagline for the revised marketing campaign of 2001: A Space Odyssey: The Ultimate Trip. Bringing Paddy Chayefsky’s 1978 novel Altered States to the screen required a witch’s brew of talents: Chayefsky, director Ken Russell, cinematographer Jordan Cronenweth, makeup artist Dick Smith, visual effects artist Bran Ferren, classical composer John Corigliano, editor Eric Jenkins, the remarkable cast, and many more. But not all of them were on the same page, which resulted in a film that’s not what any one individual may have envisioned, but Altered States is far richer because of that fact—and to understand why, you have to start at the top.
It should have surprised exactly no one that bringing together Paddy Chayefsky and Ken Russell would turn out to be an example of an irresistible force meeting an immovable object. Arthur Penn had originally been hired to direct, but he never made it past the rehearsal stage before walking away due to his own disputes with Chayefsky. Russell wasn’t exactly the next choice to helm the project, either. He later claimed (with tongue perhaps only slightly in cheek) that he was the 27th director to be offered the reins—although Chayefsky was still holding onto that bridle tightly with both hands, so there was no way that their collaboration was going to be a happy one.
That’s because Chayefsky had creative control over adaptations of his material, and considering the fact that Russell was accustomed to exercising creative control of his own, it resulted in some inevitable animosity between the two of them—Russell supposedly even banned Chayefsky from the set at one point. Chayefsky was so dissatisfied with the film that he had his famed pen name taken off the credits, using his given first and middle name to create the pseudonym of Sidney Aaron instead. (Look at it this way; at least he didn’t credit his dog like Robert Towne did for Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes.) Still, while neither one of them would have ever admitted this, their disagreements ended up creating a whole that was greater than the sum of its admittedly antagonistic parts.
Eisenstein’s philosophy of a dialectical approach to film was conceived mostly in terms of montage, with two conflicting images edited together to create a new synthesis between the two. Yet the strained relationship between Russell and Chayefsky was very much a dialectic as well, and it resulted in a synthesis between their two contradictory approaches that neither one of them would have arrived at individually. The film version of Altered States isn’t as pedantic as Chayefsky would have preferred, nor is it as unrestrained as was Russell’s natural inclination. Russell pulled Chayefsky out of his comfort zone, while Chayefsky somehow managed to restrain many of Russell’s wildest predilections—not all of them, of course, but Altered States is no Lisztomania.
For all of Chayefsky’s complaints about the film that Russell delivered, it’s still remarkably faithful to the book, with some of the psychedelic imagery being the only major variance. Large swaths of dialogue are taken verbatim from the novel, which isn’t surprising considering that Chayefsky did indeed write the screenplay. Russell stuck to the script, but he wasn’t comfortable with the abstruse nature of much of this dialogue. So, while he did reproduce most of it word for word, he filmed things a bit more dynamically by having the characters frequently in motion while they’re pontificating, and talking over each other in rapid fire Hawksian fashion. Even then, none of this would have worked without the remarkable cast assembled by both Russell and his predecessor Arthur Penn. William Hurt, Blair Brown, Bob Balaban, and Charles Haid may have been the only actors from that era who could have delivered the arguably uncinematic dialogue in such a convincingly cinematic fashion.
Regardless of how Chayefsky may have felt, Russell’s adaptation of Altered States is also faithful to the author’s humanistic themes. The warped Catholic religious imagery from the hallucinations certainly came from Russell, but the search for ultimate truth that drives Eddie Jessup in both the novel and the film has the exact same result—and once again, the dialogue is taken nearly verbatim from the book:
“I was in it, Emily. I was in that ultimate moment of terror that is the beginning of life. It is nothing. Simple, hideous nothing. The final truth of all things is that there is no final Truth. Truth is what’s transitory. It’s human life that is real.”
Truth in Altered States is ultimately solipsistic, regardless of whether it’s written on the page or visible onscreen. The only thing that’s knowable is the self, and so each individual becomes the center of their own final Truth. (And in recognizing that fact, Eddie is finally able to confess his love for Emily, because nothing else matters to him anymore.) Considering the charmingly monumental egos of both the writer and director, that kind of solipsism seems entirely apt. Yet while their fractious collaboration may have been transitory, the results were quite real. Altered States isn’t the film that either one of them would have made without the influence of the other, but that’s why it stands as one of the most unusual and memorable science fiction films ever made. It manages to be serious, analytical, and batshit crazy, all at the same time, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Cinematographer Jordan Cronenweth shot Altered States on 35mm film using Panavision Panaflex cameras with spherical lenses, framed at 1.85:1 on 35mm prints (70mm blowups were still 1.85;1 but pillarboxed within the 2.20:1 frame). This version is based on a 4K scan of the original camera negative, with digital restoration performed at Prasad Corporation in Burbank, while grading was done at Roundabout Entertainment in Burbank (both Dolby Vision and HDR10 are included). Compared to the old Warner Bros, Blu-ray, Altered States is a revelation in 4K. Fine textures like the costuming are much better resolved, with the various sweaters, denims, and corduroys all revealing more detail. Facial textures, hair, and beards are also more detailed. Warner’s Blu-ray does appear to have been hit with some noise reduction (it may have been the same IP scan that they used for their DVD), but even when comparing Criterion’s new Blu-ray to their UHD, the 4K version still has the edge. There’s an abundance of optical work in Altered States, but aside from some occasionally harsh matte lines in the psychedelic sequences, the rest of the opticals are of very high quality and they blend surprisingly well, even in 4K (which is a tribute to Bran Ferren’s efforts for the film).
Altered States has always been a dark film, with Cronenweth’s cinematography favoring pools of light against darkness, and while the blacks are still deep in this new HDR grade, the darker areas reveal more picture information than they did previously. On the opposite end of the spectrum, psychedelic explosions of light (like the fireworks during the Hinchi mushroom ritual) are dazzling, and the primordial blasts during the last tank trip are brilliantly bright. The colors all seem accurate, while the flesh tones look natural when they should, and distorted when the lighting effects call for it (like during Eddie and Emily’s first sexual encounter). Everything has been encoded on a BD-100 running at a high bitrate, so there aren’t any significant issues with compression artifacts. There’s little to criticize here—Altered States looks fabulous in 4K.
Audio is offered in English 2.0 and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (with optional subtitles in English SDH). Altered States was released theatrically in optical Dolby Stereo for 35mm prints and 6-track mag for 70mm prints (in “baby boom” format). Altered States was also one of a handful of films that were released in 70mm using the Warner Bros. “Megasound” enhancement. Similar to Sensurround before it, Megasound synthesized low frequency harmonics, in this case derived from the 70mm boom tracks, to feed bass to subwoofers that could dip into the infrasonic range. While that technically fell into the A-chain of motion picture sound, it was still something that was being generated in the theatre rather than existing on the soundtrack itself, so it hasn’t been present on any home video versions. The 2.0 track here was remastered from the original 35mm printmaster mag tracks, so it’s encoded for Dolby Surround (be sure to turn on your decoder!) The 5.1 track appears to be the same mix that was used on the Warner Bros. Blu-ray, DVD, and AC-3 LaserDisc releases of Altered States, but it’s not clear if it was derived from the 6-track mix or if it’s just a discrete encoding of the 4.0 Dolby Stereo mix. It may very well be the former, because it does have some added bass sweetening that might be the original “baby boom” track, and that leads to a quandary.
There don’t appear to be any split surrounds in 5.1, and while the steering may be a bit more precise in discrete format, there aren’t many other significant differences between the two mixes. Yet the overall fidelity is arguably superior in the newly remastered 2.0 track, with noticeably more sparkle and air on the top end. The 5.1 may have more precise steering, but the 2.0 still has better clarity. On the other hand, the 5.1 does have deeper bass at a few key moments, especially during the various tank trips and transformations—the throbbing sound during the final tank trip is more visceral, and when Eddie pounds the walls and floor during his final transformation, it’s much more powerful. The bass violins in John Corigliano’s score also dig deeper. So, what to do? In the balance, I preferred the 2.0 track for its clarity, presence, and immersiveness, but wasn’t willing to give up the bass, so I ended up watching most of the film in 2.0 and switching to 5.1 for the tank trips and transformations. Is that practical for most people? No, so you’ll have to audition both tracks and judge for yourself.
(As an aside, while the original LPs and cassettes for Corigliano’s soundtrack were in stereo, the initial CD release in 1990 was encoded for Dolby Surround, so the original recording sessions may have been designed for multichannel. Regardless, it’s one of the very best score of the entire Eighties, so add it to your collection ASAP if you haven’t already done so.)
The Criterion Collection 4K Ultra HD release of Altered States is a two-disc set that includes a Blu-ray with a 1080p copy of the film. The insert features new artwork by Richey Beckett, and there’s also a 10-page foldout booklet with an essay by Jessica Kiang and restoration notes. The following extras are included:
DISC ONE: UHD
- Commentary by Samm Deighan
DISC TWO: BD
- Commentary by Samm Deighan
- Ken Russell (Upscaled SD – 25:52)
- William Hurt (Upscaled SD – 6:23)
- Bran Ferren (HD – 26:21)
- Trailer (HD – 2:15)
The new commentary features author and film historian Samm Deighan, who provides a thorough overview of the production and everyone involved. That includes detailed biographies (and filmographies) of Russell and Chayefsky, as well as briefer bios of William Hurt, Blair Brown, Bob Balaban, Charles Haid. She even gives nods to actors with small roles like John Larroquette, George Gaynes, and suit performer Miguel Godreau. She explores Chayefsky’s inspirations for the novel, the differences between the book and film, and the thematic elements involved in both. She also breaks down practical details like the visual effects and the cinematography. One minor quibble: Deighan does mispronounce the names of Rob Bottin and John Dykstra, but aside from that trivial detail, this is a valuable look at everything that went into the making of Altered States.
Criterion has included two archival interviews with this release. The first is with Ken Russell, taken from a 1981 episode of The Paul Ryan Show. Ryan is prone to hyperbole at times, even describing Altered States as a “smash hit” at one point, but he seems genuinely interested in what Russell has to say, and Russell responds accordingly. They address some candid topics like whether or not Russell had ever tried shrooms (he had), and even touch on his conflicts with Chayefsky. Interestingly enough, Russell explains his reasoning for why he handled the dialogue the way that he did. They also touch on some of his other films, like Women in Love and The Devils. Any time with Uncle Ken is always time well spent, so this interview is one of the highlights of the extras.
The archival interview with William Hurt is excerpted from a 2009 appearance at the 92nd Street Y in New York, moderated by Annette Insdorf. Hurt explains the importance of the rehearsal process (and how little it’s actually valued by the film industry) before delving into his feelings about Paddy Chayefsky and the process of making Altered States. Hurt had signed on while Arthur Penn was still involved, so he was there for all the production chaos (he claims that Chayefsky and Russell were fist-fighting inside of a closet at one point, and feel free to interpret that statement as you will).
Finally, Criterion conducted a new interview with Bran Ferren about his effects work on the film. He says that there are three different kinds of visual effects work: reality-based effects, fantasy-based effects, and the most common effects of all, bad effects. (And as anyone who has seen Star Trek V: The Search for God can attest, Ferren has experience with all three.) He explains his own background before diving into Altered States, including what it was like to work with Russell and Jordan Cronenweth—he tells a fascinating story about Cronenweth that drives home the cinematographer’s commitment to his lighting. Ferren spends some time describing what it was like to deal with matte lines in blue screen work, and why he didn’t worry about them as much for the psychedelic visions. He also touches on his use of computer animation and hand-rotoscoping for the transformation scenes. (For anyone who would like a bit more depth regarding how all of that work was performed, Ferren was interviewed about it in the March 1981 issue of American Cinematographer, so do check that out as well.)
Previous releases of Altered States have been bare-bones aside from the film’s trailer, so while Criterion’s extras may not be the most extensive, they’re still a huge step up from what’s been available prior to this point. (The original Warner Bros. DVD did have a couple of TV spots that aren’t included here, but that’s not much of a loss.) Better yet, all of these extras are high-quality, and the quality of the 4K video here is an even bigger step up from the tired old Warner Bros. Blu-ray. It’s also worth pointing out that the DVD and Blu-ray were 5.1 only, so this is the first appearance of the original 2.0 Dolby Stereo track since the LaserDisc days. So, this is unquestionably an across-the-board upgrade for Altered States, and it’s highly recommended.
-Stephen Bjork
(You can follow Stephen on social media at these links: Twitter, Facebook, BlueSky, and Letterboxd).