[Ted Cunterblast]

Been waiting for this on blu ray for ages...it's a film that absolutely demands top-notch pic and sound.

Happy to report that the blu ray (R1) does not disappoint. Pic is far better than I expected for an 80's movie, and the DTS track is awesome, especially during the dream.regression sequences.

It's not a prefect movie...Russell's imagery often looks dated and somewhat naive in places, and oh does he love his religious symbolism!

But when it works, it's startingly effective...the mexican desert drug sequence, for example. The image of William Hurt and Blair Brown turning to stone and being eroded by the elements is still quite beautiful.

But I am not sure the overall concept of regressing back to proto-human form is convincing, not helped by some rubber man in a suit effects.

But you do get absorbed into the movie due to the powerful acting of Hurt and Brown, with good support from Bob Balaban and Charles Haid as geeky, irascible scientists.

This is one of a series of 80's fantasy/sci fi/horror titles that Anchor Bay are releasing on blu ray...I also picked up Outland and The Entity, and Brainstorm should also be available soon along with others.

[soundstory]

Originally Posted by Ted Cunterblast

Been waiting for this on blu ray for ages...it's a film that absolutely demands top-notch pic and sound.

Happy to report that the blu ray (R1) does not disappoint. Pic is far better than I expected for an 80's movie, and the DTS track is awesome, especially during the dream.regression sequences.

It's not a prefect movie...Russell's imagery often looks dated and somewhat naive in places, and oh does he love his religious symbolism!

But when it works, it's startingly effective...the mexican desert drug sequence, for example. The image of William Hurt and Blair Brown turning to stone and being eroded by the elements is still quite beautiful.

But I am not sure the overall concept of regressing back to proto-human form is convincing, not helped by some rubber man in a suit effects.

But you do get absorbed into the movie due to the powerful acting of Hurt and Brown, with good support from Bob Balaban and Charles Haid as geeky, irascible scientists.

This is one of a series of 80's fantasy/sci fi/horror titles that Anchor Bay are releasing on blu ray...I also picked up Outland and The Entity, and Brainstorm should also be available soon along with others.

Wow Altered States, that's an oddity isn't it.

I only saw this foe the first time about 10 years ago, your comments sum it up quite well.

Shame it's region locked, I'd have given it another spin.......

[Justabloke]

I could never get on with this movie... perhaps it was always too late and I the worse for wear. I might give it a go if I can find a copy cheap enough...

The Entity, is that the movie about the woman being raped by a ghost? I only saw it once about 20 odd years ago.

Really enjoyed Outland and Brainstorm though...love teh premise that is explored in Brainstorm... Didn't the woman scientist (can't recall her name now) actually die during the filiming of Brainstorm? Not sure where I got that idea from so I cold be typing rubbish.

[Straker]

Originally Posted by Justabloke

Didn't the woman scientist (can't recall her name now) actually die during the filiming of Brainstorm? Not sure where I got that idea from so I cold be typing rubbish.

Natalie Wood died during filming in mysterious circumstances. Some people have made accusations that her husband Robert Wagner was involved. Peter Bogdanovich has made a weird TV movie about the whole thing which pops up on Five now and again. The guy who plays Christopher Walken in it is pretty good and just lends another layer of strangeness to the whole thing.

Not a great movie and let’s face it exists solely to show off Trumbull’s SFX techniques which were much more judiciously used in Kubrick’s 2001.