Harvard scientist Eddie Jessup's (William Hurt) mind-altering experiments on himself, involving a hallucinatory drug and an isolation chamber, get out of control when his handiwork shuttles him back and forth on the evolutionary spectrum -- from human to ape-man. Equal parts sci-fi actioner, 1960s psychedelic trip and farce, the film was based on a Paddy Chayefsky novel and received Oscar nominations for music and sound. Blair Brown co-stars.
Cast: William Hurt, Blair Brown, Bob Balaban, Charles Haid, Thaao Penghlis, Miguel Godreau, Dori Brenner, Peter Brandon, Drew Barrymore
Director: Ken Russell
Like: The very beginning of the film was amazing. You see a man upright in a tank and hear clinky clanky noises. The music is very unsettling. This sets a perfect tone for the whole film...the feeling of just being uncomfortable. [dislike:] I didn't like the credits though. You could still see William Hurt's face in the tank but there were big white letters...intruding the scene. The title slowly appears one letter at a time...huge letters...taking over the screen. This interrupted the whole mood. Not a fan.
Like: The music was amazing! Throughout the film it actually made me feel uncomfortable. There was a scene where William Hurt was drinking some type of ritual blood mix and there were these really disturbing drum beats...think King Kong but way better. The three men were walking into the cave and you see the sunset behind them. The music then switches from the drums to this really weird swarming bug noise. The music made the scene. Instead of just feeling uncomfortable while he was drinking the blood you felt uncomfortable before, during, and after. amazing.
There was also a party scene with Indian music. My theory is that in 1980 that would be a little uncomfortable. But I'm really guessing on that one..I wasn't even born yet. Did people think Indian music was kinda strange in 1980?
Like: Not only does the music make the viewer uncomfortable but the cinematography does too. There is this really crazy sex scene towards the beginning of the film that is a close up, upward shot of William Hurt's sweaty face. I'm sure this made the men feel uncomfortable.
Like: I was never bored during the film. How could you be bored when a man turns into an ape.
Overall Recommendation: you have to watch this...maybe not alone though...pretty creepy.
Trivia:
- In his autobiography, director Ken Russell said he tried mushrooms during the making of the film, which resulted in a bad trip.
- In a 1981 interview with the New York Times, Blair Brown said many of the actors and crew tried out the isolation tank. William Hurt actually hallucinated, while Blair Brown found it very peaceful.
- Film debuts of both William Hurt and Drew Barrymore.
Gross: $19.8 million
Rank: #34 in 1980
kool film
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