Altered States is a 1980 American science fiction horror film directed by Ken Russell, and based on the novel of the same name by playwright and screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky. The film was adapted from Chayefsky's 1978 novel and is his final screenplay. The novel and the film are based in part on John C. Lilly's sensory deprivation research conducted in isolation tanks, under the influence of psychoactive drugs like mescaline, ketamine and LSD. The film features elements of both psychological horror and body horror.
Theatrical release poster
Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell was a British film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films were mainly liberal adaptations of existing texts, or biographies, notably of composers of the Romantic era. Russell began directing for the BBC, where he made creative adaptations of composers' lives which were unusual for the time. He also directed many feature films independently and for studios.
Russell in 1971
Producer Andre de Toth, Ken Russell, and Michael Caine in Helsinki during production of Billion Dollar Brain, in Sofiankatu, Finland (1967)
Russell in 2002