it's not to be overlooked that the popular Danish title for this film is "Der HollenTrip", for if 2001: A Space Odyessy is the cinematic equivilant of LSD, Altered States (1980) is bad acid for sure. tucked away at the wee tip of William Hurt's career (his screen debut), this film was a lively entry in the weary convention of mad scientist tales – effectively fusing action and sci-fi genres – actually inspired by the scientific commotion surrounding a series of '70s isolation-tank experiments conducted by Dr. John Lilly. thoughtful, exciting and weird, this is the standout film of director Ken Russell (working from a screenplay/novel by Paddy Chayefsky), who pulls out the stops with a some of the most hallucinatory, mind-blowing imagery ever committed to mainstream film. Altered States begins strong (with one of the most memorable opening sequences ever) and just keeps getting better.