Review of Altered States (1980) by Evan K — 04 Jan 2009

First off, this is a very good sci-fi horror film. I can see how it rides the wave of "2001" and "Alien," combining the horror sci-fi with the mystical one, and I don't think it lives up to either one- but "Altered States" does have it's own special place.

The biggest problem is the love stroy at the end, it doesn't come through and I heard that is how the novel ends too, so I guess the movie fell short- it's like the film has an altered state itself, one as a surreal hardcore sci-fi film, and the other is a regressed conventional Hollywood melodrama, ohhh.

And the music is too false, giving the visual scenes a drug, trippy feeling present in many bad music videos and/ funny enough, "2001"'s use of classic music helps it escape the drug stigma though there visually is little difference.

But hey, this film is worth seeing if you're a big sci-fi fan.