History YMMV / AlteredStates

** Actually, some of the hallucinations look like what they are: drops of paint exploding on Petri dishes. Bran Ferren replaced John Dykstra after the latter quit the film[[note]]presumably; according to Doug Trumbull during an interview for Cinefex's first issue regarding the effects for ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture'', he was dropped for unknown reasons. Dykstra would confirm this the following issue, simply stating his team had "fallen out" of the project with no reason given[[/note]], [[TroubledProduction one of the many things that went wrong]].

** Actually, some of the hallucinations look like what they are: drops of paint exploding on Petri dishes. Bran Ferren replaced John Dykstra after the latter quit the film[[note]]presumably; he would talk about this departure in Cinefex by noting that he isn't sure if that was even the case in the end[[/note]], [[TroubledProduction one of the many things that went wrong]].

** Actually, some of the hallucinations look like what they are: drops of paint exploding on Petri dishes. Bran Ferren replaced John Dykstra after the latter quit the film[[note]]presumably; the details are so scarce that even Dykstra isn't sure if that was the case in the end[[/note]], [[TroubledProduction one of the many things that went wrong]].

** Actually, some of the hallucinations look like what they are: drops of paint exploding on Petri dishes. Bran Ferren replaced John Dykstra after the latter quit the film, [[TroubledProduction one of the many things that went wrong]].

* JustHereForGodzilla: The trippy hallucination sequences may be the big selling point for most viewers. Well, that and the {{Fanservice}}.

** The absolutely ''hellish'' hallucinations.

* JustHereForGodzilla: The trippy hallucination sequences may be the big selling point for most viewers.
** Well that and the {{Fanservice}}.

* NightmareFuel: The absolutely ''hellish'' hallucinations.

* SpecialEffectsFailure: The hallucinatory sequences (of which there are many) are brilliant, but an actor in a fur suit (actually stunt actor Miguel Godreau, not Creator/WilliamHurt) just doesn't scream ''Australopithecus'', especially considering that Stanley Kubrick made more convincing Ape-like human ancestors with late-sixties special effects in ''2001.'' Kubrick probably had more money to work with though: Ken Russell's "primitive hominid" character looks like something out of a 1930's serial.

* SpecialEffectsFailure: The hallucinatory sequences (of which there are many) are brilliant, but Creator/WilliamHurt in a fur suit just doesn't scream ''Australopithecus'', especially considering that Stanley Kubrick made more convincing Ape-like human ancestors with late-sixties special effects in ''2001.'' Kubrick probably had more money to work with though: Ken Russell's "primitive hominid" character looks like something out of a 1930's serial.

** And technically that wasn't William Hurt in the fur suit but a much shorter double.

* CultClassic: Bonkers as it is, it's one of Ken Russell's best films and its very weirdness is part of what it makes it so effective.

* SpecialEffectsFailure: The hallucinatory sequences (of which there are many) are brilliant, but William Hurt in a fur suit just doesn't scream ''Australopithecus'', especially considering that Stanley Kubrick made more convincing Ape-like human ancestors with late-sixties special effects in ''2001.'' Kubrick probably had more money to work with though: Ken Russell's "primitive hominid" character looks like something out of a 1930's serial.

* CultClassic

* MemeticMutation: The final sequence with William Hurt banging on the walls of a hallway, fighting the transformation. Even Music/{{A-ha}} referenced it in "Take On Me".

* SpiritualPredecessor: The film's mix of macabre surrealism, {{Fanservice}} and ''hellish'' hallucination imagery makes some filmgoers feel that this film was written and directed by Creator/CliveBarker of ''Film/{{Hellraiser}}'', ''Film/{{Nightbreed}}'', ''Film/{{Candyman}}'' (which was more Creator/StanleyKubrick-like then Russell-like) and ''Film/LordOfIllusions''. Paddy Chayefsky's book which the film was based can also been viewed as Barker-like as well, as Barker is also a horror novelist aside from being a director.

* SpiritualPredecessor: The film's mix of macabre surrealism, {{Fanservice}} and ''hellish'' hallucination imagery makes some filmgoers feel that this film was written and directed by Creator/CliveBarker of ''Film/{{Hellraiser}}'', ''Film/{{Nightbreed}}'', ''Film/{{Candyman}}'' (which was more Creator/StanleyKubrick-like then Russell-like) and ''Film/LordOfIllusions''.

* SpecialEffectsFailure: The hallucinatory sequences (of which there are many) are brilliant, but William Hurt in a fur suit just doesn't scream ''Australopithecus'', especially considering that Stanley Kubrick made more convincing Ape-like human ancestors with late-sixties special effects in ''2001.'' Kubrick probably had more money to work with though: Ken Russel's "primitive hominid" character looks like something out of a 1930's serial.

** And technically that wasn't William Hurt in the fur suit but a much shorter double.

* NightmareFuel:The absolutely ''hellish'' hallucinations.

** Actually, some of the hallucinations look like what they are: drops of paint exploding on Petri dishes. Bran Ferren replaced John Dykstra after the latter quit the film, [[TroubledProduction one of the many things that went wrong]].

* NightmareFuel:The hellish hallucinations.

* SpecialEffectsFailure: The hallucinatory sequences (of which there are many) are brilliant, but William Hurt in a fur suit just doesn't scream ''Australopithecus'', especially considering that Stanley Kubrick made more convincing Ape-like human ancestors with late-sixties special effects in ''2001.'' Kubrick probably had more money to work with though: Ken Russel's "primitive hominid" character looks like something out of a 1930's serial.