Respected scientist and psychology professor Edward Jessup (William Hurt) combines his experiments in sensory deprivation tanks with powerful hallucinogenic drugs, convinced that it may help him unlock different states of consciousness. The experiments are a success at first, but as Jessup continues his work, he experiences altered mental and also physical states. As he spends more time in sensory deprivation, his grip on reality slips away.
Ken Russell, the director of Altered States, is a genre unto himself. Wildly visual and often shocking, he definitely falls more into the auteur category than most directors. Join us as we discuss Altered States, a hybrid sci-fi/horror film, its fantastic cast, story, and special effects. Listen, As Johnny Has the Keys enters a surreal world, where isolation takes and mystical Mexican potions may not only cause hallucinations but could also hold the key to human evolution itself.

SHOW LINKS and AFFILIATED LINKS
- Altered States (1980)
- Original trailer
- Ken Russell
- Paddy Chayefsky
- William Hurt
- Blair Brown
- Bob Balaban
- Charles Haid
- Disney’s Tower of Terror
- Alien (1979)
- The Shining (1980)
- Carlos Castaneda
- Pink Floyd
- An American Werewolf in London (1981)
- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
- Close Encounters of the Third kind (1977)
- Frankenstein (1931)
- The Matrix (1999)
- Poltergeist (1982)
- Basket Case (1982)
- Caveman (1981)
- Quest for Fire (1982)
- Clan of the Cave Bear (1986)
- THE DEAD NEXT DOOR (Tim’s book)
- Serenity (2005)
- The Color Out of Space (2020)
Do you like our show? Want more cool stuff? Help us continue…
Reach out to us…
