William Hurt made his starring film debut in this thoroughly bizarre but fairly fascinating film, one that a viewer truly experiences. Hurt plays Eddie Jessup, a scientist determined to prove theories about other states of human consciousness. With his good friend Arthur Rosenberg (Bob Balaban) assisting, and associate Mason Parrish (Charles Haid) functioning as a voice of reason, he starts to combine trips to an isolation tank with usage of a *powerful* hallucinogenic drug that he's discovered in Mexico. The results are, to put it mildly, VERY unusual.
Paddy Chayefsky scripted this film version of his novel, although he would ultimately disown it, and the screenplay credit would go to his birth name, Sidney Aaron. Basically, it's a story about ideas, and it doesn't really set out to make its main characters "likeable" in the traditional sense. Eddie is a pure intellectual, a non-religious individual and a man obsessed. He is truly driven to experiment in the name of discovery. It will be up to Emily (Blair Brown), a fellow scientist who's drawn to his unique eccentricity, to reawaken his humanity and help him realize what it is like to love another person.
Ken Russell ("The Devils", "Tommy", etc.) was undeniably the right person to direct this flick, which alternates between a cerebral approach and a genuine amount of nightmarish intensity. Truth be told, the story *does* sometimes take a back seat to the mind-bending imagery (visual effects by Bran Ferren), such as that multi-eyed goat. One major set piece has Eddie reverting to a primitive physical being, played by dancer Miguel Godreau.
The lead characters may take some getting used to, but there's no denying that the central performances are excellent. They're assisted by a strong supporting cast consisting of Dori Brenner, Thaao Penghlis, and Charles White-Eagle. Keep your eyes peeled for John Larroquette, George Gaynes, and a five year-old Drew Barrymore, also making her film debut.
The ending falls short of really being satisfying, but for the most part, this is an interesting feature that takes you for quite a ride.
Seven out of 10.
Paddy Chayefsky scripted this film version of his novel, although he would ultimately disown it, and the screenplay credit would go to his birth name, Sidney Aaron. Basically, it's a story about ideas, and it doesn't really set out to make its main characters "likeable" in the traditional sense. Eddie is a pure intellectual, a non-religious individual and a man obsessed. He is truly driven to experiment in the name of discovery. It will be up to Emily (Blair Brown), a fellow scientist who's drawn to his unique eccentricity, to reawaken his humanity and help him realize what it is like to love another person.
Ken Russell ("The Devils", "Tommy", etc.) was undeniably the right person to direct this flick, which alternates between a cerebral approach and a genuine amount of nightmarish intensity. Truth be told, the story *does* sometimes take a back seat to the mind-bending imagery (visual effects by Bran Ferren), such as that multi-eyed goat. One major set piece has Eddie reverting to a primitive physical being, played by dancer Miguel Godreau.
The lead characters may take some getting used to, but there's no denying that the central performances are excellent. They're assisted by a strong supporting cast consisting of Dori Brenner, Thaao Penghlis, and Charles White-Eagle. Keep your eyes peeled for John Larroquette, George Gaynes, and a five year-old Drew Barrymore, also making her film debut.
The ending falls short of really being satisfying, but for the most part, this is an interesting feature that takes you for quite a ride.
Seven out of 10.